From the Gallery, you had views of the three lands it bordered.

While Walt had the apartment above the firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A., it was small. By contrast, the area above the Pirates of the Caribbean entrance was must more spacious and had a better view. You could just picture what it would have been like for Walt to wake up in the morning and walk out onto the largest balcony and see the throngs of guests from all over the world as they eagerly experienced his tribute to New Orleans. It would have been very easy for Walt to walk over the Club 33 from the apartment, or to walk downstairs and backstage to a car and head off to the studio in Burbank without being mobbed by guests.

Ken with Bev B. in the late 1990s.

I also found a level of friendship with Bev C. (who would later staff the animation-themed shop in California Adventure) and Michelle E. If I recall correctly, Nathan E., who volunteered to DJ my wedding reception, used to work there, too. I even remember when Stacia Martin worked in the Gallery. Stacia was (and is) one of those people I thought of as the very model of a Disney cast member. It was like she came right off of a Disney live-action movie screen (like “The Happiest Millionaire�?, if it had been released in the 1980s) and right into the park.

It was always nice to walk around the Gallery and take a look at the pieces, even if they were familiar and I’d seen them many times before, or check for new merchandise. Witnessing the reactions of other guests discovering the place for the first time was a real treat, and often would lead to fun conversations and new friendships.

On New Years Eve, 1989, I was a teenager who was enjoying the party atmosphere at the park, free of my family and the structure of a teen-focused event. I ventured up to the Gallery and saw Stacia Martin explaining the Discovery Bay concepts to someone who seemed much more intently interested than just your average tourist. That’s how I met my friend Kym. We struck up a conversation, and ended up ringing in the New Year. For the better part of the 1990s, we’d hang out at the park and talk Disney. Often our discussions had some sort of connection to Discovery Bay.

The inner patio was a sanctuary from the crowds, a place to sit at a shaded table and read a book or chat with the rest of your party, the echoing sounds of the park and the little fountain providing the pleasant background noise. Sitting out on the large balcony afforded a great view of the crossroads of the lands and the bustling Rivers of America. It was especially romantic after nightfall, before the location was set aside for Fantasmic viewing or limited Gallery hours kept guests downstairs.

There was a time when reservations were not needed for nighttime seating on the balcony. Before Fantasmic, it was a nice place to sit and wait for the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks. One night while I was up there, I found myself sitting next to a man with muscular dystrophy who was small and using a wheelchair. He had a friend with him. We started talking with each other, and soon they pegged me as a real Disneyland fan and cast member and started pumping me for interesting stories.

What I didn’t find out until days later was that I was talking with Doug & Dave, who were friends of comedian Sam Kinison - who, himself a Disney fan, was in the park that night for a radio appearance. Doug & Dave were comedians in their own right and toured with Kinison. I bumped into them again soon and a friendship was underway. Years later, Dave would go on to make a name for himself working at El Capitan and appearing on various reality and game shows. Doug, sadly, passed away.

It wasn’t too long after Fantasmic started that management saw the lines forming for seats on the balcony that they figured they could make a profitable enterprise by adding desserts, charging a fee, and taking reservations.

While on shift as a Custodial cast member, I would work through the Gallery as often as I could. The bathrooms - not accessible to guests - needed to be checked, the trash needed to be emptied, the Gallery needed general sweeping from time to time, and there were the rare instances of something getting spilled or stuck on the floor. The steps needed to be mopped after a rain or if liquid was spilled on them. Although the Gallery was technically part of the New Orleans/Critter County coverage area, I would check on it while covering the Adventure/Frontier area, too. It provided a great vantage point for me to observe my crew in action on the walkways below without them knowing I was watching.

The Gallery even inspired a couple or so “Disney Gallery�? stores in malls, attached to The Disney Store. But like I said – the location of the Gallery was significant in making it special.