Dick Nunis Window on Main Street
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"Welcome, Dick and to your friends. Welcome
back to Disneyland. I’m not sure everyone here knows your history. Please indulge us
for a few moments we’d like to recount a few of those highlights. He gave me strict
instructions not to cover all 44 years. Dick began his career with the Walt Disney Company
in 1955 as a orientation trainer for the very first Disneyland Cast Members. He was then a
Frontierland and Adventureland supervisor before he became the Director of Operations and
then subsequently the Vice-President of Operations for Disneyland. His legacy in the
company is extensive for Dick has been involved in nearly all the major milestones in
Disney theme park history including the development of Walt’s Project X which became
subsequently known as Walt Disney World. For the past 44 years he has been a champion of
Walt Disney’s philosophy both inside the company and also as a local community
leader."
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On behalf of the cast members at Disneyland a large crystal plate with the Castle and the word Disneyland etched into it was presented to Mr. Nunis. The inscription on the plate is a quote from Walt Disney, "You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world but it requires people to make it a reality."
Ms. Harriss thanked Mr. Nunis for making Disneyland a reality for so many of us.
It was finally time to unveil the newest window on Main Street, drumroll please. Mickey Mouse and Dick Nunis removed the shade that had hidden the window.
It reads: Coast to Coast Peoplemoving, World Leader in Leisure Management, Dick Nunis Proprietor Started 1955, Offices Anaheim, Orlando,Tokyo. Wave Machine Specialty.
Dick Nunis began his remarks by explaining that the wave machine had worked for one day. He continued by thanking Cynthia Harriss.
"This is really quite an honor and a privilege to have my name up on Main Street with so many great people that have dedicated their lives to making Disneyland what it is today."
"There are two people in the audience I’d like to recognize. My lovely wife Mary. We came out yesterday, walked the Park, went on some attractions and it was so great to see how wonderful the place looked. Need a little bit of paint here and there but its bigger. But I’ll tell you the landscaping is unbelievable, just outstanding. But the thing, as Walt said a long time ago, the thing that will make Disneyland different and unique is our people. And we found a lot of wonderful cast members yesterday and I just want you to keep it up."
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The other guy I want to introduce hired me over 44 years ago and we were reminiscing today. He hired me at $1.80 an hour after he told me I’d get $2.00 an hour. I’m happy to tell you he gave me a check for $4.40 today that I will frame. That is 10 cents a year, Ladies and Gentlemen, what a guy! Van France. He’s the guy, regardless of who you’ve read about in books, the guy who started the Disney tradition under Walt was Van France. He’s the guy who started it all. And I was so lucky to be a young guy at the right place, at the right time. For those of you young people that want to work for Disney, let me tell you what he told me the first time I walked into work, 'Get rid of those blue suede shoes.' But seriously this is a nostalgic moment for me."
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I have enjoyed my 44 years tremendously but it was time to move on but I learned a great quote from a man, Walt Disney. I think if he were here today he’d say the same thing, As long as there is imagination in the world Disneyland will never be completed." In fact isn’t that true, look at this wonderful park that we have under construction right now. It will be unbelievable. But the second thing he would say and he said it at our 10th year anniversary where we had a wonderful dinner. It was a wonderful evening and a lot of the people who are here today were there at the dinner. And he said, "We can’t live on our laurels we’re just getting started." Cynthia, I hope that’s true with Disneyland for now and ever more. " Dick Nunis concluded his remarks by thanking those he knew, and those he didn’t know, for attending.
"Before the event concluded a very special song was performed which described the magic of Mickey Mouse and the gang, Disneyland and the vision of their creator, Walt Disney. According to Ms. Harriss’ introduction the song, Mickey, Donald Goofy and the Gang, is rarely performed in public and was established as a part of the Distinguished Service Award ceremony by Dick Nunis. As the song concluded Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale joined the guest of honor and others on stage."
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