Our family went to Walt Disney World in December of 1971 for a grand Merry Christmas vacation, I was eleven years old. I was not so excited about the trip to Florida, that was so far away, I could only think about all of the travel time to getting there. Once in Florida we went over to Disney World the very next morning it was Christmas Day, Dad had us all up at 6:00am in the morning. I can still remember getting up that first day! We pulled into the Disney World parking lot that was bigger than the city where we lived. We waited for a tram, and I clearly remember that the tram was really cool. The tram stopped at a boat dock, we then waited to cross a lake that was as big as an ocean. The boat slowly left the dock and Dad pushed us up to the bow to have a good view of where we were going. To be honest with you at eleven years of age, I had no idea what to truly expect to see at this magical place. I was looking out over the bow of the ferry boat clearing my eyes, there was a castle on the horizon that was growing larger with every passing second. I stood there in total amazement and I asked myself if I should not start to get excited. We approached the ferry dock at a speed slower than a walking turtle, the whistle blew, let's go! I was not aware at the time just how much of a positive impact that Walt Disney would have on my life. I was not aware how much my life would change because of this trip to Disney World.
We went through the main gate that was the entrance to Main Street U.S.A., and I felt that I had just stepped into heaven. You bet I was now beyond excitement, I was beside myself. This place just dripped of cool. My Dad said that I could go off on my own, and to meet back at City Hall around dinner time, I was given five dollars for my days expenses. Do remember that this was 1971 and a huge box of popcorn cost only twenty five cents. I bet you can guess what I had for lunch that day? I ran towards the castle, I wanted to touch it, I wanted to be a part of this most beautiful castle, I just stood there in awe. With my guide book in my hand I sat on a stone bench in front of the castle to map out my day of adventure. I went from land to land soaking in every second, I just couldn't get enough. I chatted with cast members whenever I could, I wanted to learn as much as possible about Walt Disney World. Just before I was to meet back up with my family at the Main Street City Hall for dinner, I just had to have one more popcorn. I still remember the ladies smile at the popcorn stand when she handed me my box of popcorn. She was so happy, to work in Disney World must have been a happy place to work.
I spent the rest of the evening with my family going around to the different attractions, we all had a really good time. We got into position for a firework show to beat all firework shows in the world. I thought to myself that this was Disney World, it had to be a great show, and it was. After the best firework show that I had ever had the chance to see in my life, we went shopping on Main Street. I still had three dollars from the five that my Dad gave to me that morning. I felt like a king walking from shop to shop with so much money in my pocket. I purchased a glass with my name etched on it, and a button pin. I had shopping bags to carry, that was so cool! We were kind of in the middle of Main Street when my Dad said to that family that it was time to go. I remember stopping and just like on a cold winters day, a chill ran through my body. This chill was not cold, it felt like I was being told from inside that Disney was me, I wanted to be Disney, I wanted to be a part of Disney. I surly did not want to leave, but at eleven years old, Dad was to be followed. I walked slowly behind my family turning back to look at the castle from time to time. I noticed that the castle had a clock, I stood there and I set my wrist watch to the exact time of the castle clock. My family was now way ahead of me, but I just stood there looking at a castle that I could not take my eyes off of. I could hear my Dad yelling, let's go now. I looked up at the castle in front of me and said, one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true?
When we returned home, I wrote to Walt Disney World, and Disney every month for years. I started to learn everything about Walt Disney and learn every thing I could about his parks. On my seventeenth birthday I flew to Disneyland in California for a weeks vacation. I had the time of my life, but on this trip I knew what to expect, I had a grand weeks vacation. I even stayed at the Disneyland Hotel! On my last evening I looked over my shoulder back at the castle, turning slowly I could hardly move. I just stood there expecting my Dad at any second to yell to get me to move. Dad was not there this time, I went over and I sat on a bench just watching the people, watching the smiles, looking at the castle. I stood up and I set my wrist watch to the exact time of the clock on the train station. I turned and I looked up at the castle and said to myself, one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true?
In the eighties I returned back to Disneyland in California many times, and each time I had a better time than my last trip. Each visit I set my wrist watch to the clock on the train station, looking back at the castle I said each and every time, one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true? When I was twenty-nine I returned back to Walt Disney World in 1989 for a two week birthday/vacation, eighteen years almost to the day from the family trip to Disney World in 1971. I retraced my steps that I had taken when I was eleven years old, remembering every step like it was yesterday. I had the most wonderful two week vacation that I ever had in my life. I did everything that Disney World had to offer. I was not looking forward to the last day of my vacation, I just could not think about leaving again. Well the last day of my vacation did come, and I can remember having a wonderful day with a birthday lunch, and complimentary birthday cake. That evening I walked onto Main Street U.S.A. looking up at the castle, I set my wrist watch one more time to the castle clock. I sat on a bench watching the people pass by, and watching the castle just like I was eleven years old again. As I sat there knowing that it was time to go I could almost hear my Dad yelling at me to move. Not this time as Dad was not there so I thought to myself that I would sit there until they asked me to leave.
It got to a point that there were not many people around me anymore, I knew it was time to go. I checked my wrist watch to the time on the castle clock. At the age of twenty-nine years old a tear ran down my cheek as I looked up at the castle. A man walked up to me from behind an put his hand on my shoulder. I turned to see a cast member standing there, he said to me that his name was Frank, and that he had worked for Walt Disney for 30 years. Before I could speak he asked if I felt it hard to leave, I said yes. He said never mind and that he would talk to security to allow me to stay as long as I could. He asked me to stay in that area and not to wonder off around the Magic Kingdom. I remember saying to him that if I could sit on this bench forever I would. The security walked past me and they never said a word to me. A while later Frank returned with a Disney bag for me. Inside was mouse ears, pins, stickers, maps, and a Mickey Mouse statue. He said that the park has promotional items, all on his own he went to get me what he could. He said that it was time to go as I was one of the last guests to leave the park, it was nearly two in the morning. I walked with Frank to the main gate on Main Street looking back at the castle one more time. Frank said goodbye, and I never had the chance to see Frank again. You know he understood my feeling and he knew the extent of the magic that Walt had created. As I waited for the monorail to arrive I could see the castle all lit up. I said to myself that one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true?
Through the nineties I returned back to California Disneyland many more times. I made three trips in that decade to Japan visiting Tokyo Disneyland. I then moved to Hong Kong thinking to myself if I will ever get the chance to work for Walt Disney? In 1999 the Hong Kong government and Walt Disney announced that they would build a Disneyland Resort right in Hong Kong. As the announcement over the television was being announced, I cheered. I thought that this just might be my chance to work for Walt Disney. The problem was that they said it would take six years to build Hong Kong Disneyland. I had a great job at the time, so again I said to myself that one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true?
One month before our Hong Kong Disneyland was to open they opened the public area in front of the main entrance to the public. You can bet what I said to my wife that day when I got home from work, let's go and check it out, so we set out to see just what was ready for a grand opening on September 12th, 2005. My wife and I took the public train from our home to Sunny Bay, to witness a beautiful sunset over the South China Sea. My mind could only think of one thing, the time to be a part of Disney had to be right. We then boarded another train that has windows in the shape of Mickey Mouse to take us to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Mickey Mouse was everywhere! We walked a short distance from the train station to the main entrance. Everything was just so beautiful, and there was no question that Mickey Mouse was now in Hong Kong. I turned to my wife and I said to here that one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true?
Hong Kong Disneyland opened on September 12th, 2005 with all that Disney could do to open the park. A few days later my wife and I went to spend our first day at Hong Kong Disneyland. We had a great time, this was my wife's first trip to a Disney Park. That evening after we had shopped on Main Street U.S.A., we stood together in front of the castle. I turned to set my watch to the time on the train station. I said to my wife that one day I will work for Walt Disney. Dreams can come true?
This past week has been one of the happiest weeks of my life. Walt was right by the way, dreams come true. I now work for the Mouse!
