NOTE: The entry period for this drawing has ended as of 9:00AM PST, July 23rd.
Congratulations to COADisNerd reader Andrew on winning the signed book!
(How the winner was chosen – all names were compiled, and randomized with numbers on a list through random.org . At that point, a sequence generator was generated through random.org as well; the first number in that sequence was the winner!)
Dave Smith is a pretty big name in the world of Disney. As the company’s chief archivist, Dave has been the go to guy for all sorts of trivia and information. I still remember the district trivia competitions during my days working at The Disney Store – we would be reminded that if there were any dispute over the validity of a question, Dave was sitting by the phone ready to answer any questions. Of course, no questions were ever asked, as the questions and answers were provided by Dave himself; and they weren’t easy.
Dave Smith is probably best known for his ongoing “Ask Dave” column that started in the now defunct Disney Channel Magazine and currently appears on the archives page of Disney’s D23 site. After many years, Dave has compiled many of his “Ask Dave” questions into one book – Disney Trivia From the Vault.
You’ll Even Find a Question From Me in There!
This is a highly recommended book for lovers of Disney – the questions and answers range from personal history of Walt, theme parks, movies and the company itself. Having full access to the archives, if there was an answer to be found, Dave would be the one to find it.
And now, dear readers, I have a copy signed by Dave to give away exclusively to readers of this blog!
All you have to do to enter is simply comment on this blog entry with a reply to the following question: What question would YOU ask Dave? Maximum number of times your name will be entered in the random computer generated drawing is one; multiple comments do not buy multiple entries. And of course, my family members are not eligible. Any obvious spam posts (ones that WordPress itself recognizes as spam) will be deleted and not eligible as well. This contest will remain open until 9:00 AM PST on Monday, July 23rd, at which point a name will be drawn using random.org. The winner will be announced on the Facebook fan page by first name (and last initial if necessary) as well as notified by email. As an FYI, no worries – I will never put your name on an email list of any sort. Any questions, do not hesitate to contact me!
Good luck everybody – can’t wait to share this book with a lucky winner!
Confessions Of A DisNerd 
I already know what I would ask Dave- and I did, and he replied! I was not expecting a response, especially in detail and with such kindness. Don’t put me in the contest, I’m getting my copy in the mail soon =]
I won’t enter you if you don’t want, but may I ask what the question was?
I sent him a bunch of questions about what the Archives would be looking for on a resume when they eventually hire anyone new. And what an aspiring archivist should be studying and doing in the meantime. He didn’t have all the answers but was very helpful and gave me the email address for the person I should email.
Are three part questions OK if they’re all on the same topic? I’d like to know if ALL entertainers get make-up before performing, how many entertainers are made up each day and how many make-up artists are at work during a day. More fun, Craig! Thanks.
Thanks for your response, Debi – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
When I was in high school, a friend of mine applied to Disneyland. He shared the dress code that he received, and I was surprised how SPECIFIC it was. Right down to the 4 kinds of shoes they could choose from. I know we hear when changes are made such as letting cast members wear sunglasses. I also see things that I think “Ugh, wish that wasn’t ok” in the park (though, maybe they aren’t and people just aren’t getting caught haha!) such as sagging jeans and untucked shirts. I feel like it should be this perfect, pristine place and that the costumes are meant to show it. With that in mind, I’d love to know what the original park dress code was when Walt was around!
I know one of the huge issues Disney ran into when they first opened EuroDisney in Paris was there dress code stating “no facial hair”. France is a country which prides itself on individual liberties and a man’s choice to have facial hair is actually a pretty big deal to most Frenchmen. It led to widespread protesting and boycotting of EuroDisney, which was phenomenon for me when I visited during their second year of operation and didn’t find a single wait for any ride all day!
Thanks for your response, Melanie – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
In his opinion, what was the most influential moment in the Walt Disney company? At what point did it become a world franchise?
Thanks for your response, Danielle – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
What is the single largest item (in terms of size) that is housed in the Archives? And what is the smallest?
Thanks for your response, Donald – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
When the Submarine Voyage first opened, there was a rectangular vent on the front of them above the waterline. By the late 60’s it was gone and has been since. What were the vents for and why did they remove them? For picture examples see Daveland’s website.
Thanks for your response, Eric – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I’ve always wanted to know the daily revenue from coke sales alone at Disneyland. I don’t think they would ever release that information, but I’m so curious! Or ear hats alone? Or churros? Ok, you see where I’m going with this! LOL.
Thanks for your response, Crystal – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I would ask him what his favorite object in the archives is and why??
Thanks for running the contest!!
Thanks for your response, Danielle – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
This has been on my pinterest “to read” list since I first heard of it. I’m enough of a Disney nerd that a signed copy to keep would be awesome. Thanks for a chance at it.
My question : what is most sentimental in your opinion? What brings a tear when you tell the back story?
Thanks for your response, Cathy – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I enjoy reading anything he has written about Disney. It would be such a treat to sit down with him & have lunch & just talk Disney. A autographed copy of his new book would be icing on the cake. Thank You
Thanks for your response, Ron – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I would ask him if he knew who voiced Queen Leah in Sleeping Beauty.
I know that he answers the question in the book. Kind of. Answer being, it’s not listed anywhere and no one knows. Only speculation that it’s the same lady that voiced Merryweather.
That has always been something I wondered too.
Thanks for your response, Jenny – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I’d be interested to know how many cast members were employed on opening day? How many are employed today?
Thanks for your response, Kerry – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I’d like to know if they’ve ever done a count of how many feral cats live ar Disneyland.
I can give you the answer to that one! At Disneyland, the cats are not feral, they all have their shots and have RFID chips, they don’t want guests getting diseases after-all.
Thanks for your response, Adrianne – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
Being obsessed with the history of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World…. I’d ask something like how many different cast member costumes existed on the opening day of Disneyland!!
Thanks for your response, daydreaming – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I’ve read from several sources that the gas lamps on main street were purchased at scrap metal prices, outbidding a local foundary. But for how much? What I’ve read varies from 3¢ to 8¢ per pound. And where did this happen? I’ve read Baltimore, and also Cincinatti.
Thanks for your response, Ezra – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
i want to know what the names of the three men in the stretching room portrait in the haunted mansion are.
Thanks for your response, Andrew – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
Congratulations, Andrew – you are the winner! I will be in contact with you shortly!
In what year did Disneyland first offer Annual Passports? What was the price of the first AP?
Thanks for your response, Lita – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
What could be considered the most important item in the archives, and why?
Thanks for your response, Quinn – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
What is the most valuable item in the archives, and what established its value?
Thanks for your response, Sharon – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
What ever happened to “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” if Walt’s first distributor took it?
Thanks for your response, Alicia – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
What is your favorite moment that happened in the park?
Thanks for your response, Zarina – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I would want to ask Dave if there’s a blueprint to Walt’s original 1/8th scale Lilly Belle train in the archives. Was there any drawings or sketching that could be used by an individual or fan to create a tribute/replica?
Thanks for your response, Michael – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
I would ask Dave, what item in the archives means the most to him?
Thanks for your response, Chrissy – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
In the years gone by, and working so long with the company, what is your personal favorite changes/developments to the company, and why?
Thanks for your response, Jacob – you’ve been entered in the drawing!
So interesting questions everyone has posted.
Thanks, Deinse – you were our last entrant!
Pingback: Creating Magic – Who Inspires You? | Confessions Of A DisNerd