A friend of mine posed the following question last night, on the eve of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary:
“Can you imagine what might’ve and must’ve been going through Walt’s mind 60 years ago, the evening before his Disneyland park would open?”
While many would probably answer that he was nervous, perhaps questioning what he had gotten himself into, I can’t help but think a bit differently.
I think Walt had complete confidence in his park. He was a man used to taking new risks, building on new experiences. So this new idea of a theme park? I’m sure in his mind there was little to no doubt. Sure, there were nerves at play – I mean who wouldn’t have butterflies on the eve of such a grand unveiling? However, I liken him to being more like the boy (or husband, for that matter) in this classic Disney commercial:
I can’t help but think he was giddy with anticipation. He couldn’t wait to show his park to the public. To prove the doubters wrong (mind you, after headlines declared a disastrous opening day, this one would take a while longer!). To tell everyone who came to that happy place, “Welcome.”
He certainly looks excited to show off his park!
Disneyland was a dream, yes. But it was a product of hard work and determination. It came from the mind of a man who knew the public in ways other analysts and business insiders today can only dream of. It was built by people who believed in this man’s vision and insight. It was visited by throngs of tourists, locals, and dignitaries, who all wanted to see what Walt had built.
60 years later, Disneyland is still going strong. People are still traveling from all over the globe to visit Walt’s original park. Attractions and events come and go, but Walt’s vision still remains, as does his presence. I see it as I exit Fantasyland at Sleeping Beauty’s castle, as the “Partners” look out over the guests pouring in down Main Street USA. I feel it as I ride “It’s a Small World,” Walt’s anthem to the world and our likenesses. I sense it as I’m leaving the park at night, turning to see the light in his old apartment over the Fire Station, still shining brightly, knowing he’s still there in many different ways.
Today, we wish Disneyland a happy birthday. You’re shining bright like a diamond, and continue to be a source of happiness for many generations. We thank not only Walt Disney, but countless Imagineers, construction workers, and Cast Members, who have worked tirelessly both behind the scenes and onstage to bring us Walt’s vision. Here’s to many more anniversaries to come!
In “Why Tomorrowland Matters, Part One,” I talked about the early hype and speculation I had for the upcoming Tomorrowland movie. Yet, in doing so, I realized I never discussed WHY both the movie, the theme park land, and the idea of Tomorrowland as a real place matter to me, and should (in my opinion) to others as well. I hope the words that follow make sense, as it’s a reason very near and dear to my heart. It’s also one of the reasons Walt Disney was such a fascinating man to me.
We live in a cynical world. And it’s understandable why we do. I mean, look at the news. As I write this, people in Nepal are recovering from a devastating earthquake. Clashes, riots, and terrorism are constantly main headlines for news outlets. Now, natural disasters, wars, civil unrest, and social injustices are nothing new. I know looking back even thousands of years, we can see evidence of these things happening. But at the same time, with advancements in technology and humanity, can we say this is the future Walt Disney envisioned when he built Tomorrowland in Disneyland? I don’t think anyone would argue the answer to that one. The Tomorrowland of 1955 is not where we are at today.
Yet, that vision is what we need. As many have noted, Walt was an optimist, or as Ray Bradbury preferred to call him, an “optimal behaviorist.” Every day, he was pressing forward, trying to be the best he could be, looking for new ways to do things, always looking to make better what had already been done. And better it he did. The development of the multiplane camera gave animation depth. An amusement park laid out through a central hub with themed lands in every direction gave birth to the theme park. A desire to make attractions more interactive and lifelike gave rise to Audio-Animatronics. Walt believed in looking forward, in using this technology for the greater good. I often stop and wonder what might have become of EPCOT, had Walt been given even just another five years on this earth.
Walt believed that people could work together. That they could solve problems. That the technology that was developing at such a rapid pace could be used for the betterment of all mankind. Sadly, this is not the world we seem to live in. We have this wonderful tool for learning called the “internet,” only too often it’s used to bully, attack and harm others. We have amazing opportunities for space travel and exploration that can be used not only to explore our limits, but learn more about this crazy place we live called Earth. However, at this time, the shuttle program has been shelved. We use resources and materials that can harm our environment instead of pursuing more efficient and cost effective ways to use clean energies. And why are the energies that CAN make a difference so costly and hard to obtain for some? Why are we NOT banding together more and asking, “What can I do to make a better Tomorrow? How can I help and do my part to make for a more livable future?”
It’s easy to give into doom and gloom. Turn on CNN and you can easily believe the world’s going to hell in a handbasket. However, Walt never believed that way. He believed in innovation. How can technology and moving forward help society? Peoplemovers and Monorails…. they were more than just theme park rides to him. They were mass transportation units that would alleviate everyday stresses and congestion of individual commutes. The Carousel of Progress was not just a history of how far we’d come, but how much further we could go. These ideals of a better tomorrow were ideals Walt believed in, and one of the biggest reasons I admire the man. I know things aren’t that pleasant in the world right now. But I’d love to see how we could make things better if we worked together to help instead of hinder or stay complacent.
My hope with the new movie is that Tomorrowland is seen as this sort of place. That it gives us hope that, despite all the wrong in the world, there still can be a “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” I have read a few rumblings online (not many, mind you) of people unhappy with the idea of how Walt would be presented in the movie. Would he be another fictionalized account of Walt Disney, and why would they even do that? I, for one, would argue that the idea of Tomorrowland is very much the spirit of Walt, his optimism, and ideals. It’s something I personally would love to see reflected in the theme park versions of Tomorrowland once again as well. Perhaps if this movie does well, plans are in place for such a move? It’s just my opinion, and lots of speculation, but a Tomorrowland like that is an area that’s sorely needed right now. In the meantime, we can hope this optimism spreads beyond the realms of Disney. Could we be the change that is sorely needed? That’s where my real hope lies. As Father said in the Carousel of Progress, “I would like to say this much. Progress is something we can’t take for granted. Progress takes a lot of people wanting it and willing to work for it.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter, dear readers and fellow DisNerds? And be honest. Am I getting my hopes up on what’s really “just a movie?” Do you have hope for it like I do? Or, like me, do you hold out hope that somehow, we can build a REAL Tomorrowland if we can all manage to work together? If this article resonates with you, please comment, share with your friends, and start more conversations.
Stay tuned for Part Three in the series, as I plan on sharing my thoughts on the movie itself shortly after it opens!
I hope we never lose sight of one thing: It was all started by a box.
Mysteries Galore…
When this “mystery box” was unleashed upon the public in 2013, many of us attempted to decipher what it could mean. All we knew is this “discovered” box would be the premise for Brad Bird’s upcoming film, “1952.” Now, this isn’t meant as an “I told you so” kind of brag, but I started talking to any of my friends who would listen about my wild ideas for what this film could be. There were three things that stood out for me about this box. The first was that 1952 was the year Walt Disney established Disneyland, Inc, and the public first heard of a proposed Disneyland idea (in this instance it was the much smaller park intended to be built next to the studios). The second consisted of the scattered pictures of Walt with different people – I honestly have to admit I didn’t look close enough at this point to figure out who they were. The third (identified with help from other geeky sites intrigued by the mystery), was the Amazing Stories magazine, which brought about a science fiction element. To me, the strongest possibility was this:
This movie was not going to be titled “1952.” This was Disney’s “Tomorrowland” movie finally seeing light, and being made by Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof.
The public had been teased with the idea of a Tomorrowland movie before. After the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, many wondered how many attractions would get their own movie! At one point, I remember hearing wind of Tomorrowland being made into a sci-fi comedy, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attached as a possible lead. This wasn’t the vision I had hoped for. This was more along the lines of the Eddie Murphy fronted “Haunted Mansion” – visually stunning, yet rather lackluster. Tomorrowland had more potential than that, I thought. Thankfully, we never got to see the full vision of that one played out, as Tomorrowland faded quietly into the background for a few years. Until the mystery box.
What could it be? Like I stated above, I had my theories. What if Walt had planned on his small little park next to the studio, only to be intrigued so much by this vision for the future, that he realized he needed a bigger space? He needed an area where he could build different lands, including a Tomorrowland that had a secret portal into a real land of the future? The idea was staggering to me. The thing is, it was all a crazy theory cooked up in my mind. But also, should Disney go ahead with something even remotely like this, it was a bold move I could totally get behind. When Bird announced that he was indeed working on a Tomorrowland movie, I became giddy with excitement. I knew it! But still not known was, what would it be about?
Of course, we now know enough to know my hypothesis wasn’t completely accurate. This movie isn’t about Walt Disney building Tomorrowland. But… we know that Tomorrowland is a real place in the movie, and that Walt had quite the hand in it. That right there is enough to keep me looking forward with a very real anticipation. To know that Disney, Bird, and Lindelof would dare to imagine this alternate reality storyline where Tomorrowland matters and is perhaps the most important place in the world is nothing short of mind blowing. However, while this explains my excitement for the upcoming movie, it still doesn’t explain WHY Tomorrowland matters so much.
This is something I plan on doing my best to explain in part two of this three part series. Part two will be posted a few days from now, as I attempt to put into words why we need a place like Tomorrowland, and how this movie (I hope) can help us all realize that need. Part three will come after I’ve seen the movie (I don’t have media access to sneak previews, so unless I miraculously get an invitation to one, this will happen opening day), and am able to form thoughts on whether the movie succeeded in presenting this idea.
I’d love to know your thoughts on the movie. Excited? Intrigued? Or just rather ambivalent towards the whole thing? I’d love to know why! Talk to you soon, fellow DisNerds!
I was backstage at Disneyland, just behind the backstage entrance near “it’s a small world”. My high school marching band had just finished parading, marching down Main Street USA and beyond Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. With the gates now closed behind us, the band began setting down their instruments, taking off their uniforms, relaxing. I, however, was not. I was crying. I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life. I had just marched down Disneyland, an absolute dream come true. As I sat there backstage, alone and still crying, a hand patted my back, and a voice told me simply… “Walt would be proud.” (That certainly didn’t help stop the tears, if anything it brought on an onslaught of more, but only because it resonated so deeply in my sophomore-age heart.) Certainly, that sentiment seems fluffy and shallow, and if you were to think too much about it, you might be able to disqualify the statement entirely. But such meant so very much to me then, and still continues to mean so very much to me now.
Today is Walt Disney’s birthday, and in honor of such, I simply wanted to share a bit of what this man has done for me in my life, much of which I am certain you will heartedly agree with. I have never met Walt Disney. I will never meet Walt Disney. My knowledge of him only extends so far as the knowledge his closest associates have shared. Yet in learning more of this “man behind the mouse,” I found a man who helped to create my dreams, and then taught me how to make them come true. He taught me, and still teaches me, of imagination, optimism, spirit, and ingenuity. Walt Disney has inspired me and will continue to inspire me.
At the end of each and every trip to Disneyland, I sit myself on a bench near “Partners”, the commemorative statue of Walt with Mickey Mouse. I sit under the twinkling lights in the trees, with tired guests walking past me for one last photo of the castle. Many families stop and look at Walt and Mickey, and many small kids have turned to their folks to ask, “Mom, who was Walt Disney?” Their answers never fail to bring tears to my eyes. “He was a magical man who made Disneyland,” some say. “He was remarkable, he had so many dreams.” “He’s who you have to thank for the wonderful time we’ve had at Disneyland.” I stay on that bench until security asks me to leave, but until they do, I have little conversations with Walt. I report back on my dreams. It’s a tradition of mine I’ve been doing since I was 12. I make sure I am doing him proud. And to all of us dreamers, hoping to carry on ol’ Uncle Walt’s legacy, I’m sure we’re doing him proud.
“There’s so much that we share that it’s time we’re aware… It’s a small world after all.” – Richard and Robert Sherman
“it’s a small world” at Disneyland
It’s the ride and song people love to mock and say they hate. It’s the valley of the dolls in the Happiest Place on Earth. It’s the attraction people most fear getting stuck on. So much so, in fact, that many refuse to ride it. It’s the song that has at times been used as a punchline in Disney movies itself.
It’s also the first attraction we took our daughter on when she visited Disneyland for the first time. It’s the ride that I find myself wanting to do at least once every day of my trip. It’s a song that has shaped not just my philosophy on why I love to write about Disney, but thoughts on life itself.
Yes, we have our differences. But we all have hopes and fears, excitements and disappointments. And I believe in lifting each other up, encouraging, and helping others to smile within the darkness we feel at times. We’re human, and need to treat each other accordingly. I feel that in reaching out to our fellow human beings, we’re helping ourselves as much as each other. Be positive. Learn to look past our differences to love each other. We may not agree on things, but perhaps…there’s some common ground. The mountains may divide us; the oceans may separate us. But in this day and age especially, the world is getting smaller and smaller in terms of communicating and reaching our fellow human beings. When I think of the song in those terms, when I ride a boat through various countries and see smiling, happy children… I believe the world CAN be better.
There’s a video that I love watching to this day of songwriter Richard Sherman, beginning the song as originally intended – as a ballad. It really drives home the lyrics for me, and many times brings a tear to my eye:
This, to me, is the perfect example of the mastery of the Sherman Brothers’ music in score and lyric. As the story goes, the original concept was for the children of each country to sing their own national anthem. However, on a boat ride, the overlapping songs made for a jumbled, Tower of Babel-esque mess. How beautiful and symbolic for these two to come up with a melody and infusion of lyrics that would carry from room to room regardless of the language in which it was delivered!
A couple years back, upon the passing of Robert Sherman, his son (and co-director of “The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story”) wrote the following in memoriam of his father:
“From the time the ride opened, it was a tradition for the Bob Sherman family to always go on “It’s a Small World,” every time we visited Disneyland. Dad would be on the boat, but he never took in the ride. He’d watch the children’s faces. Dad studied their awe and wonder and loved that, by the end of the ride, these kids would know the words and be singing along. He’d always tear up.
Dad told me he wished he could just stand at the end of that ride and shake everyone’s hand as they stepped off the boat. He wanted to thank each person for listening, for taking to heart his deceptively simple message of peace and brotherhood….
….It warms my heart to know Dad’s messages of peace and love, brotherhood, charity and humility, hope — and family — are there forever in his and my Uncle’s songs. And I know that somewhere in the world right this very moment, some child is learning and singing out Dad’s lovely words and Dick’s gorgeous melodies — “It’s a Small World” or one of the Sherman Brothers’ thousand other beloved songs. Simple, sing-able and sincere. And these children will, in turn, pass them onto their own. And my Dad is right there with them, smiling through a tear. As I am now.
Dad and his dear, sweet heart and brilliant mind will live on forever. His ride may be over, but when you sing his words, know that Bob Sherman is smiling down on you — and wishing he could shake your hand. —– Thank you.”
Thanks for your words, Jeff. I have no doubt that he is and lives on, not only in this attraction, but in so many other works as well.
I would be remiss in not mentioning others who helped make “it’s a small world” what it is. Wonderful legends such as Mary Blair, Alice Davis, Harriet Burns, Rolly Crump. Their contributions to costuming, architecture and color design helped turn a boat ride in a show building into a beautiful work of art. And of course, the man who dreamed it up and really believed in the message he put forward, Walt Disney himself. Years from now, people will still be making fun of the song. They may still be debating whether Disney characters should have been added to the attraction, whether the outside facade should be colorful or white. Yet, I truly believe that even more people, young and old alike, will continue to ride and be amazed at the artistry and the message the attraction brings. Perhaps they will be able to forget their worries for 15 minutes as they listen to the lyrics, thinking about how wonderful life could be if we all found common ground. Maybe, for at least a moment, they really will realize that it truly IS a small world after all.
Happy birthday, “it’s a small world!” Thanks to all who made it the amazing attraction and song that it has become on a worldwide scale. Here’s to many more happy cruises!
THE Bench. Or at least one of them. There were a few around the carousel at Griffith Park. Photo courtesy Mr. Twitchy
According to Walt, it’s important that we all remember one thing: that it was all started by a mouse. But when it comes to Disneyland, I also can’t help but think…. it was all started by a bench.
As has been repeated over the years, I’m sure by now we all know the story. Walt would occasionally take his daughters on a date to Griffith Park for a day together. As the girls would ride the carousel at the park, Walt would sit and watch, eating popcorn and thinking. Thinking about a park where parents could enjoy themselves as much as their children. Where entire families could have fun instead of someone being relegated to a bench. This bench proved to be a catalyst for Disneyland – a theme park that far exceeded those expectations.
Therefore, it was somewhat both fitting and ironic, when asked by a friend where my favorite spot in Disneyland to just “hang” was, that I responded with “a bench.” But not just any bench. While there are many places to take it easy and rest in the park, there’s one location in my opinion that has the others beat.
Simple, unassuming… and the perfect spot. Photo Courtesy of Mr. Twitchy
While not as exciting as an attraction, nor as appetite satisfying as a restaurant, there’s something incredibly amazing to me about sitting on a bench at the base of Main Street Station, looking out at Main Street toward Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. As one sits on one of these benches, especially later at night, one gets a true feeling of how amazing the park can really be.
Imagine sitting on a bench, listening to turn-of-the-century style music, hearing conversations between cast members and guests, seeing guests hurry into stores to make last minute purchases. Observing other guests as they leave the park for the day with children passed out in strollers. These same little ones who started the day with such energy and excitement are now reliving the adventure in their dreams. While sitting it that spot, you get a whiff of the popcorn from the nearby stand in Town Square, beginning to contemplate giving in and getting your own box. Keep a sharp eye out and you may see a feral cat scurry by amidst all the hustle and bustle, causing you wonder how it feels to be a small feline living in a land of over-sized mice.
If you look further down Main Street, you can see, against a backdrop of a European castle, the outline of a man and a mouse smiling at all the happy guests. At that moment, you turn to look to the fire station and see a light on – indicating that the same man’s spirit lives on…
Yes, that bench is the ultimate “just hang” spot for me. And perhaps that’s the ultimate beauty of Walt’s original Magic Kingdom. With so much to enjoy for the whole family, the benches placed throughout the park give us a view to such an amazing panorama of everything that makes it truly magical.
With that being said, now I ask, dear readers and fellow DisNerds – Do you have a favorite spot to just relax and enjoy within Disneyland or any of Disney’s theme parks for that matter? I’d love to hear from you as well!
On a side note – this weekend (Feb 21st-23rd), Confessions will once again be at Disneyland, including participating in Dapper Day festivites! Make sure you’re following on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates and pictures from the park!
Note: During the months of November and December, I will be posting something I am thankful for within the spectrum of Disney. With so much negativity in the world, I encourage everyone to be thankful and count their blessings.
One of my favorite promotional photos of Walt Disney.
Though there are so many facets of the man’s life worth celebrating, today, we celebrate the man himself. Happy birthday, Walt.
He was a man of humble beginnings. A boy with a paper route. A kid who sold candy on trains. A teenage ambulance driver for the Red Cross. A young man full of ideals and dreams who knew how to work to make it happen. A man who sacrificed much of what he had in order to fulfill said dreams. A man who left this world a better place because he was in it.
Walt wasn’t perfect – to place him on a shrine as such would be foolish and naive. Not every idea he had worked, many risks he took put him in the red, and according to many of his animators and employees, he had a temper that turned him into a “wounded bear.” Nonetheless, he had a drive and an instinct so rare in the world. More often than not, his instinct proved right. Holding back a couple Mickey Mouse cartoons in order to introduce him to the world in sound? Mickey became an overnight sensation. Making a feature length animated movie based on a fairy tale? “Disney’s Folly” was anything but. A theme park in an orange grove in the middle of nowhere? Yes, that one seemed to turn out just fine.
But as stated above, these things didn’t fall in his lap. He had to fight the naysayers tooth and nail: bankers, animators, business analysts, his own brother… But he always saw it through with hard work, big ideas, clever fixes and involvement. There’s an oft attributed to Walt quote that makes its way through different venues – “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” Though this quote was not actually from Walt Disney, (it actually came from Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald), one can see why it could be from him. Only, had Walt said it, it would probably sound something closer to, “If you dream it, follow through. Work hard to make it happen. Follow those dreams into a reality. You CAN do it.”
To me, the man I remember and admire today is the man who had dreams and followed through. He knew people would come to his movies and his parks if he put in the care needed to make it happen. I think today that is sorely missed. Truth be told, as much as we look for “the next Walt,” there will never be another. However, if we use him as an example, perhaps we can keep the spirit and ideals alive.
Thank you for all you did and started, Walt. Thank you for being that example. Happy Birthday, sir.
Note: During the months of November and December, I will be posting something I am thankful for within the spectrum of Disney. With so much negativity in the world, I encourage everyone to be thankful and count their blessings.
Note #2: I realize Hayden covered this subject quite wonderfully in his article, “So Long, Diane.” I am thankful for his words – I just needed to take the time to write this one out, as I am truly thankful for her legacy, and felt the need to share what she meant to me personally.
Diane Disney Miller, standing in front of one of her greatest contributions to the DIsney legacy: The Walt Disney Family Museum.
Some people touch your life in ways you never truly realize until they’re gone.
Perhaps there was this naivete in the mind of this DisNerd (and many other fans) that you’d be around forever, Diane Disney-Miller. That your voice would be heard by legions of fans worldwide of your father’s legacy. That you would continue to work to preserve the memory of what he built with not just your memories and words, but also driving forward projects such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Walt Disney Family Museum. That you would fight and speak out against the Disney company when something wasn’t right. That you would be the voice of the family for many years to come.
Perhaps it was this fantastic assumption of time standing still that made this news quite a bitter pill to take. However, beyond this, there was the fact of where I heard the news. Much like the day I heard of Robert Sherman’s passing, I was enjoying a family vacation at the Disneyland Resort. Stopping for lunch in Downtown Disney, I checked my phone for anything of interest, only to receive a notification from my friend Hayden on the passing of Diane Disney-Miller. Time really did stand still for a brief instant, and I’m not ashamed to say a few tears welled up in my eyes. I mean, here was this great voice for Disney heritage, and it had been silenced. A void that could never be filled. The one living person who had not a working relationship with Walt, but a life relationship. Someone who inspired Walt to do many of his magnificent “things,” from a theme park in Anaheim to an amazing Disney classic movie called Mary Poppins. This person knew the importance of preserving a legacy and not tarnishing a name. “What would Walt do?” is a dangerous question to be asked, but she was one of the few who could probably answer correctly – at least more than others.
Diane also wrote a wonderful series of articles on her dad for the Saturday Evening Post.
The following morning in DIsneyland, their was a definite air of bittersweet looking out over town square. Amidst Christmas celebrations on the minds of guests, and many oblivious to Diane’s passing, or what she meant to many, the flags stood at half-staff and I was once again reminded of her voice, influence and inspiration. Standing on the platform to the Main Street Station, I glanced to my left, where a light is left on in Walt’s apartment above the fire station, and thought to myself…. She must be having a heck of a carousel ride right now.
Picture taken November 20th, 2013, the morning after Diane’s passing.
Diane, I hope this is true. I hope your dad has left his park bench and your whole family is riding in a row. Thank you so much for all you did to inspire your father as well as preserve his legacy. I will always be thankful.
One can only imagine the energy running through Walt’s head as he sat at on that “dirty” Griffith Park bench, watching his two daughters ride on the nearby carousel. Walt Disney claims this to be where his dream of Disneyland first began.
You wonder what sparked the dream.
Sure, Walt loved trains, and perhaps wanted a place he could showcase that love.
Certainly he thought his films and their stories were great enough to replicate in the third-dimension.
The idea of creating a theme-park had to have intrigued someone with the urban-developing and civil-designing mind that he had.
However, this author best assumes, from the stories I’ve heard told, that Walt Disney’s dream began not for any type of self-aggrandizement, but for his daughters. Watching Diane and Sharon ride around and around on that carousel, he began dreaming of a land, a kingdom where his two daughters could have all the clean, safe, imaginative fun that their hearts could dream up. Such a place was what Disneyland became. I see Disneyland and all other Disney Parks to be more of a “grand playground” for a man’s daughters than anything, a thoughtful gift from father to child, part of why I think those parks are so personally endearing.
Walt Disney shares a story with his two daughters, Sharon and Diane.
Such seems to be the case with all of Walt’s creations. His dreams began at his home. His children had began reading these little story books about a nanny in England that flew around with an umbrella. His children loved them so much, he thought certainly he could bring this “Mary Poppins” character to life for them in a far greater way.
It’s my opinion, and you can hold me to it, but if it wouldn’t have been for Walt’s two daughters, I can’t imagine many of Disney’s greatest moments ever coming to fruition. They certainly wouldn’t have turned out the way they have. There certainly wouldn’t have been the same motives behind it. We have so very much to thank his girls for.
It hurts my heart to report that Diane Disney Miller, the oldest of Walt’s daughters, has passed away due to complications from a fall she had taken earlier, at the age of 79.
Diane Disney Miller, standing in front of one of her greatest contributions to the DIsney legacy: The Walt Disney Family Museum.
I can claim absolutely no close, personal association to Diane, or with anyone in the Disney family. I am merely an admirer of such. However, this news comes as such a hit to the heart to all of us Disney loyal. Diane was the last surviving member of Walt’s immediate family. Truly, she was the sole biological child of Lilian and Walt. As such, she had a way of catching my attention when I saw her on-screen in several various Disney documentaries. The thought was always, “I’m looking at Walt Disney’s daughter; can I see Walt in her?” You always could. That twinkle in Uncle Walt’s eye we’re all so very fond of was present in Diane’s. The simplistic joy she expressed as she relived stories of her growing up as the daughter of Walt immediately identified her as a Disney, her father possessing a similar enthusiasm for story-telling. Diane, thank you for helping to tell your father’s story, for being such “a fierce guardian” (as Bob Iger so aptly put it) of his name and legend. In doing such, thank you for sharing with us your own story, for showing us that the “Disney magic” wasn’t exclusive to one man.
Diane, we’re so very sad to see you go. With all of our hearts, we say “thank you.” My thoughts and prayers extend to the family and friends you’ve left here. I hope your reunion with your dear sister, with your father and mother, was as sweet and joyful as you’d ever have dreamed it to be.
Note: During the months of November and December, I will be posting something I am thankful for within the spectrum of Disney. With so much negativity in the world, I encourage everyone to be thankful and count their blessings.
Sometimes the right words from the right person can make all the difference.
If there’s one thing in life I need to be mindful of, it’s dwelling on mistakes. If I were to spend too much time thinking of what I did wrong, I wouldn’t be able to see all that’s before me. I believe this is a lesson many of us still need to learn – I’m learning it daily. Perhaps this is why the following quote means so much to me:
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
What an example he set. While we tend to remember the accomplishments, we need to remember that Walt had his share of failure and setbacks. Movies such as Pinocchio and Fantasia, although labeled as classics today, were not considered a success. Disneyland didn’t run smoothly upon opening, and even before it opened, many attractions were scrapped. If he had dwelt on those setbacks, would he have had the time to keep coming up with new ideas? Or, going back to my day one “Thankful For Disney” post, what if he had given up in frustration at losing the Oswald character? To quote an old song, “WHAT? No Mickey Mouse?”
No, Walt was most definitely a forward thinker. I’m thankful for this, not only because of what it meant to the company we all know and love. Even more, it serves as inspiration for me in my life, and keeps me moving forward as well. So thank you, Walt for great words to remember and live by.
Confessions Of A DisNerd 