Kenversations™ - Sep 26, 2001

Kenversations™
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September 11, 2001 Attack on America
I awoke at 5:40 a.m. Pacific Time to my radio, and started preparing for another day at work. It was looking like a typical day of work, the day before the quarterly blood drives I organize with the Red Cross.

Being the news, info, and computer junkie that I am, I went online to check the usual stuff while listening to the radio right after I got out of the shower. When I realized something very unusual was going on, I turned on the TV to see the first WTC tower burning, and the second one get struck. It was one of the most frightening things I’d ever seen, especially when it became increasingly clear that our country was under attack.

I continued to prepare for work, talking online with my best friend, listening to the radio, and watching television. When news came of the Pentagon being attacked, the uncertainty of where it was all going to end made it that much more of a terrifying situation. I logged off and called my sister to alert her to what was happening. Our father was supposed to be in D.C. that day, but we were relieved to find out that he was still in the airport in New Orleans when everything went down.

After making the short drive to the office, I watched television with my coworkers, our mouths hanging open, our hearts breaking. We start work early, and so we were all there to watch live as the buildings collapsed. Clearly, no work was going to get done that day in our office. For safety concerns, the building was exacuated and we were all sent home.

I was at Disneyland Park Friday, September 14 and attended the noontime rememberance ceremony in Town Square. Just about everyone in the park showed up for the moment of silence and the signing of "God Bless America". I was also there this past Sunday for the ceremony to raise the flag. It was a touching moment.

Monday and Tuesday nights, at the Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom, Resort cast members with 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, etc. were honored in an annual event for their years of service, and reminded that what they do is special and needed in a time like this They help create a place where people can escape the tragedies and horrors of the world, a wondrous place where happy memories are made.

It is the American spirit that helped bring Disneyland about. It is that spirit that has been quite evident over the last couple weeks, and it is that spirit that ensures this great nation will never be detroyed by attacks from the outside. Such attacks will only bring the people of America closer together and make us stronger. Such evil only unites us and turns our thoughts back to the things that matter most. The vast majority of us get deeper into our faith, a faith we have the freedom to practice, because this is, as Michael Medved says, the greatest nation on God’s green Earth, where we don’t demand everyone practice the same religion, where we don’t target civillians for attack.

It is because of our liberty, our Constitution, our spirit, and our faith, that we will move forward, and we will continue in liberty, continue to be the country that is so full of hope and opportunity that the masses will continue to be drawn, and the jealous and envious will continue to hate us. Along the way, will we continue to enjoy liesure, recreation, and entertainment, more of it wholesome, hopefully, thanks in part to cast members who operate the resorts, and people like Tony Baxter who design them.

We all need a healthy escape. Thanks to the members of the Themed Entertainment Association who provide some places to have that escape.

You can find the list of award winners at this link: http://www.themeit.com/ftheamain.htm.
Note: Since Disney’s California Adventure didn't open until this year, it wasn't eligible - it will compete next year with the likes of Tokyo Disney Seas and Universal’s new park in Japan.

Tony Baxter’s Acheivements with Disney

  • After getting hired away from Disneyland Park by what was then WED Enterprises, he worked on-site during the construction of Walt Disney World
  • He worked on Discovery Bay, a favorite unrealized project of many fans that keeps having elements pop up in other projects
  • 1979 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (a concept duplicated at all four Disney resorts)
  • 1979 Land Pavilion - original concept work
  • 1980 Seas Pavilion - original concept work
  • 1982 Imagination Pavilion - (Show Producer) - concept and complete attraction
  • 1983 New Fantasyland - Disneyland Park - overall design and layout of the land, Pinocchio attraction concept design, installed Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris
  • 1984 Alice in Wonderland - conceptual design
  • 1985 Gene Autry Museum - developed and sold overall museum concept
  • 1986 Disney Gallery, Disneyland - concept and completed project
  • 1987 Star Tours - Disneyland - concept and complete attraction, installed at all four Disney Resorts
  • 1989 Splash Mountain, Disneyland concept and completed attraction, adapted at two other resorts
  • 1990 Tomorrowland 2055, Disneyland - concept unrealized
  • 1992 Disneyland Paris - overall creative leader for theme park
  • 1992 Disneyland Paris Hotel - concept design
  • 1992 WDI Chastain building - concept and interior design
  • 1993 Disney Sea, Long Beach - Concept design - unrealized predecessor to Tokyo Disney Sea
  • 1993 Westcot, Disneyland Resort - concept design, unrealized
  • 1993 Discovery Mountain - ride system concept
  • 1993 Roger Rabbit CarToon Spin - ride system concept
  • 1994 Disneyland Paris Added Capacity Creative leader - attractions included Temple of Peril, Nautilus, and Storybook Land.
  • 1994 Indiana Jones Adventure - Disneyland Park - creative leader and ride system concept, adapted at Tokyo Disney Seas
  • 1998 Disneyland Forever CD - concept, first guest-created CD on demand
  • 1998 New Tomorrowland, Disneyland - creative leader
  • 1998 Soarin’ Over California - concepts
  • 1999 Tarzan’s Treehouse, Disneyland - creative leader
  • 2000 New Autopia, Disneyland - creative leader
  • 2003 Winnie the Pooh, Disneyland - creative leader

Discuss It

Related Links

Ken Pellman, friend to and fan of Tony Baxter, has studied theme park design, has experience as a Disneyland Park cast member and annual passholder, is a serial Walt Disney World tourist, and has a degree in Thematic Environmental Design. He can be reached directly at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> or at http://www.Pellman.com

Kenversations is posted on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

The views, opinions and comments of Ken Pellman, and all of our columnists, are not necessarily those of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

©2001 Ken Pellman, all rights reserved. Licensed to LaughingPlace.com.

-- Posted September 26, 2001

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