I can remember so many years ago as a child, sitting in front of the black & white every Sunday evening to watch "The Wonderful World of Disney"! I would lay on the floor right in front of everybody so that I was the nearest to the TV, to be as close to Walt that I could, over the rest of the family. From time to time Walt would come on to introduce the next show, and each time he taught us the values of life. Walt taught me about the joy of Disney, and he taught me about what he was all about. We also better not forget about Steamboat Willy! Oh those Saturday morning Disney cartoons were then wonderful, and even today they are still wonderful classics. What child big or small, even still today, not takes time to watch an old Steamboat Willy cartoon?

Walt sometimes would take us on a tour of Disneyland in California. I remember that all I wanted to do one day was to go and see Walt at Disneyland. I mean, just think about it, this was total Disney right in front of us, and not just on TV. To be able to see Mickey and the gang, and to experience what Disney made, just would have been the right thing to be a part of. I went to the library to learn everything I could about Walt. I started to understand what dreams and magic were all about. There was not much information in the library about Disneyland, what was I to do? So I started to write to Walt, and all of the cast members at Disneyland. No, I did not know the cast members names, but I just felt that I for some reason knew them. I would send my letter, and about a month later, I would have a package on the kitchen counter, just waiting for me when I got home from school.

The Disney team could have thrown my letter in the garbage, and just mumbled about another stupid kid. They did not throw my letters away at all; they answered every single letter I wrote. The more they answered, the more I wrote, and they answered even more. I would very carefully think about a new question to ask Walt about Disneyland in every new letter that I sent. Questions that the library could not answer about Disneyland. Each package from Disneyland answered my different question each time, contained brochures about Disneyland, had different stickers in every package, included pages of the history of attractions, and write ups about what the future held for Disney. Each package was better than the last! I have never forgotten about the kindness that Disney showed me back then, my Disney support is unconditional.

I can still remember the day that Walt announced on TV that Walt Disney World would soon open in Florida. I started to write to Disney World to learn everything I could about Disney World. Guess what, the team at Disney World answered every single question I asked, and they also sent to me different Disney information, brochures, and still even more and different stickers. I was in heaven, but I cried the day Walt passed away, he would not see the opening of his Walt Disney World. I wrote even more letters to Disneyland & Disney World. I felt then that there was no way that Walt would leave me even though he passed away. He said that "Dreams can come true" and he told us that "It's the magic"! I was starting to understand what he was teaching us all of those years. Walt really has never left us; he really is what Disneyland is all about.

I have visited every Disney Park around the world in my life, the Disneyland Resort in California being my very favorite. I so enjoy using all of my knowledge about the attractions every time I enjoy each Disney experience. My adventures are each and every time different, even though I have been on Space Mountain hundreds of times.

I now live in Hong Kong so when Disney announced that they would build a park in Hong Kong, I smiled and thanked Walt. The media here in Hong Kong is very hard on Hong Kong Disneyland. I always say to myself that Disney knows what they are doing, we have to believe, and we have to dream. I guess that the media really do not understand Disney. I grew up with Walt, and I grew up educating and studying myself all about the Disney theme parks that I could learn. Even today I still enjoy learning about Disney, but we now call the library "Podcasts"!

I visit Hong Kong Disneyland a couple of times a week at least. I went on Mickey's birthday (November 18th), but no one at Hong Kong Disneyland knew that it was Mickey's birthday. I went to the park for the opening this morning, we do not rope drop here as some were hanging themselves in a mad dash to some attraction. I always go right to see what new pins have been displayed, as I'm a pin trader. Today they had a limited edition pin of 500 pieces, with the date December 5th on the front. I knew right away what this most important date was for. I went to the cash to pay for my find, asking the cast members why there was this December 5 th pin? Not one person had a clue why there was a December 5th pin. Some good guesses, but no one could tell me why there was this limited edition pin. I informed them that this day is Walt Disney's birthday. Most of the answers were, "Oh yeah, that Walt guy". I really got the feeling that they do not really even know who Walt is.

I feel really lucky you know as I get & understand Disney from all of my years of asking those questions. I can still remember the day that "It's A Small World" opened, and I still remember the day "Space Mountain" opened. We have Autopia here at Hong Kong Disneyland, but the cast members do not know why our Disneyland has an Autopia. I have visited Hong Kong Disneyland a couple of hundred times. Each time I visit I have a different Disney adventure, better than my last visit a couple of days before. The Asian culture is not so familiar with Disney, so we have to start the education somewhere.

Walt told us to ask questions, and to learn about the magic. I now so enjoy informing the cast members why Disney does why they do. I love to see the faces of the cast members with a huge smile when they say, "Oh yeah, that is why", that is interesting. I so look forward to see our Hong Kong Disneyland grow, and the cast members grow with Disney. It's all good you know, hey Mike, it's your turn!

Hong Kong Disneyland, there is no place like it in the world, it's the magic!