Thoughts on Walt
Page 24 of 26

Jeff Schinkel (Kar2oonMan)

Many believe that playing beautiful music to babies before they are born increases their appreciation of music throughout their lives. So, maybe it was because I made my first trip to Disneyland while I was still in mom's tummy that I'm so drawn to the place. Maybe it's because of the fond memories of my grandmother taking me to movies (always Disney movies) and her laughing so hard at Jungle Book, or Love Bug, or Freaky Friday.

However it started, I've always been fascinated to all things Disney. I make my living as a cartoonist and graphic artist now thanks to inspiration by Disney movies and theme parks in my youth.

Like a lot of Disney fans, I feel like Walt Disney is a close relative in a way. We all feel like we know him somehow, somehow he's a part of all of us. In my rebelious teens, I listened to a lot of the negative rumors about him (most all of them turned out to be just that - rumors) and I started to feel like Disney wasn't cool. I think this period lasted about a week. Then I rode Space Mountain and Disney was cool again!

Now my wife and our 2 kids make the trek from the Bay Area to Anaheim at least once a year. Each trip is a new experience for me. I notice a new detail here or there. (One thing stays the same -- after a 7+ hour drive down I-5, after hearing "Are we there yet?" 900 times, the first thing the kids want to ride is AUTOPIA! ) Watching the reactions on my kids faces in both Disneyland and DCA is something I'd never be able to thank Walt Disney enough for. He was a pioneer in so many ways, but in creating a place for families to spend real quality time together, he created his masterpiece. Thanks to his vision and imagination, I can take my kids on a wild adventure through a forbidden temple, a cruise through the jungle, a journey into the past, race through mountains, travel into a land of fantasy and fly off into the farthest reaches of outer space.

Looking back at all the amazing characters he and his staff created over the years, at the innovations they came up with, and at the wonderful worlds he created for families like mine to enjoy together, I can only say "Thanks for everything, Walt!"

•  •  •

Duane Harvey

You ask at the end of each new article of the "Thoughts of Walt" series to send our own thoughts of this man known as Walt. As I began to think of Walt and what type of influence he has had over me in my few short years on this old Earth, I really did not know where to begin. The beginning seemed like a good place, so that is where I shall go first.

I was born in 1972, which means that I was exposed to reruns of Disney's Wonderful World of Color and shows of that nature. (It is even rumored that, on the very day that I was born, my mother colored in a Mickey Mouse coloring book. Now THAT is destiny... ;-)) What he showed us on those nighttime shows are some of the things that have influenced me to this day. It was for that reason that I even went into theme park design. When I figured out what I wanted to do in life, I realized that there was only company that I wanted to work for, and that was Walt's company. Although, I have not made it to that goal as of yet, I still am working my way to it.

Even after I read Walt's biography (which is still thumb through for inspiration occasionally), I began to add some of his work ethic to my own life. I knew that I would not ever be able to meet the man, but I could, at least, use some of his creative successes as a blueprint for my own life.

As I wrap this letter up, I would like to answer at least one of your questions that is put to others who have been influenced by Walt. What do I admire most about Walt Disney? His inner child. He kept his inner child laughing and playing all while he headed up an entertainment empire. And secondly, his sheer, unadulterated imagination. I can only dream of having that type of creative insight, and because Walt had it, I know that it is attainable.