Bob Welbaum: Four More Disney Legends Named by NFFC
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Four new legends were added to the NFFC�s Disney Legends pantheon during the club�s 2008 Florida Convention, held October 3-5 at the Regal Sun Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. These newest inductees are Hank Dains, Phil Smith, Gretta Verity, and Jess Rubio. The duties of moderator were very capably handled by Greg Denaro.

The NFFC's Newest Disney Legends From left: NFFC President Kendra Trahan, Jess Rubio, Kristin Dains (representing her grandfather Hank Dains), Gretta Verity, Phil Smith, and moderator Greg Denaro.
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Hank Dains
Hank Dains was an interior designer and property director who helped create the living stories told by merchandise locations, restaurants, and other venues that have enthralled guests for years. Hank had taken advantage of the World War II-era GI Bill to earn a certificate in interior design, and one of his early jobs took him to the Disney residence. He was hanging draperies for Lillian Disney when a drill bit broke. Lillian sent him to Walt�s workshop in hopes of finding a replacement. Walt not only replaced the drill bit, but gave Hank a ride on his backyard train and, a month or two later, a six-week job offer that launched his 36-year career.

Hank was hired several months before Disneyland�s opening, and first worked on designs for the park, as well as on �The Mickey Mouse Club.� He was one of the 40-50 Studio employees who were called to the commissary by Walt to hear about this new venture.

Hank was working as a Disneyland area manager when he was invited to go to Florida to oversee the interior-design planning for Walt Disney World�s Magic Kingdom. What was originally intended to be a short-term assignment stretched to 20 years. Hank was also involved in the openings of Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney�s Hollywood Studios), Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.

Sadly, Hank passed away in 2000, but he was represented at the luncheon by his family, with granddaughter Kristin Dains speaking about this newest Disney legend. Kristin described her grandfather as a very charismatic individual and a perfectionist � �Everything he did, he did to the utmost level. And he expected that of everyone.� Kristin told how �Everyone had time for Grandpa.� He was a people person who would come in, sit down, put his feet on your desk, and want to know how you were.

Hank was inspired by Walt�s vision for Disneyland, and it meant a lot to him. This inspiration has been carried on by other family members; Kristin said she and almost everyone except her grandmother has worked for the company. Kristin�s father has worked for Disney for 30 years. Plus many of the people Hank originally hired still work there.

Kristin shared some of the more interesting stories about her grandfather�s career. For example, leaves for the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse were a special order from Asia. When the leaves were received, their color did not match the catalogue color, so they all had to be reordered. The defective leaves were packaged and sat around until Hank�s retirement party. As a reminder of his perfectionism, those leaves liberally decorated the room.

Kristin also talked about the ways she has been influenced by growing up in a Disney family and ultimately working for Disney herself. She said �It has touched my heart immensely. The places I�ve worked in the past, it just doesn�t quite feel like I�m at home.� At Disney, she was like family; it felt like she was home even at the office, and she attributes that to her grandfather.

How does Kristin walk through the parks, knowing that almost everything she sees was probably touched in some way by her grandfather? �With pride,� she said. When she�s visiting the parks with children, she will tell them �If you�re good, I have a family secret for you. It�s a secret I only share with special people.� Of course they�re little angels the entire day. And at the end of the day they always say �Okay Miss Kristin, what is this family secret?� And then she takes them to see Hank Dains�s tribute window on Main Street.