Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career

I WRITE THIS having just returned home from X Atencio’s funeral mass. I’ve been to a lot of masses in my day, but this was the only one in which the recessional song was “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” the lyrics, of course, written by X himself. It was the perfect ending to the well-lived ninety-eight-year life of this beloved Disney Legend. I idolized this warmhearted and talented Imagineer because he started out as a Disney artist and ended up a Disney writer. He showed me such things are possible. Among the last of the first Imagineers, X was the perfect example of someone who didn’t know what else he was capable of doing until he started doing it. That is so Imagineering! Never having written a song lyric in his life, X’s first attempt turned out to be the popular theme song for Pirates of the Caribbean. Not bad for a visual artist who had no idea he was also a writer until Imagineering handed him the pirate map that led to the buried treasure of his hidden talent. Talk about bringing literal meaning to the idiom “X marks the spot”!

In 1965, Walt Disney asked X to transfer over from the studio to WED to design the Primeval diorama for the Disneyland Railroad. After that Walt asked him to write the script for Pirates of the Caribbean and that’s when he teamed up with composer George Bruns to pen the song that has been heard millions of times by millions of fans for more than fifty years. As both a fan and a dedicated student of X’s work, I can tell you the true treasure of this gifted storyteller is he took his clever and humorous approach to show writing quite seriously. When I was a young Imaginer, I discovered a shelf in the back of our Information Research Library upon which were dozens of dusty books on the subject of pirates. “I wonder…,” I whispered to myself as I peeked inside the cover of the first book I randomly pulled from the shelf. Sure enough, my curiosity was more than satisfied when inside I saw the name X ATENCIO hand-printed on the library card above two other names: Claude Coats and Marc Davis.

X did his homework before thinking long and hard about the story he wanted to tell through lyrics, narration, and dialogue. While carefully crafting each line, he strung an unusual collection of words together like perfect pearls to say what he wanted to say in a most uncommon way. Case in point: at the moment when the Haunted Mansion stretch room is stretching, for example, any other writer may have provided the Ghost Host with this line (and it would have worked fine): “I can tell by the pale expressions on your faces you are frightened because this room is changing.” But X didn’t go for normal. He went for paranormal. Staying absolutely true to the story and place, this talented showman stretched his imagination until he was able to dig up this killer line: “Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as if you sense a disquieting metamorphosis.” What a difference, huh? That’s the difference between something that works and something that works far beyond.

Although the above example is specific to the art of writing, if you are an Imagineer, the notion of stretching your imagination until your work, whatever it may be, arrives at a level beyond all expectations—even your own—should always be your goal. But to achieve this kind of rare excellence, the kind that only comes when you take the extra time and effort to build a full-on 747 jumbo jet out of toothpicks instead of making a paper airplane like everyone else, takes more work than the average person is willing to do. Thankfully, Imagineers are not average people. And because of that, they end up doing more and being more than they ever expected.

In 1955, a young college grad who wanted to be a sportswriter started his career as the editor of The Disneyland News but ended up becoming the chief creative editor and longtime leader of Walt Disney Imagineering. Marty Sklar never became a sportswriter, but he did become the head coach of an unbeatable team. When you add up the number of individual projects and whole new parks created on Marty’s watch, the sheer volume and every-time excellence of all that work seems absolutely impossible for one man to oversee. Yet, he was the creative funnel through which all of our projects flowed from beginning to end. There are few times in history when the right leader comes along at the right time to make everything right. Marty was that leader. But he never expected to be. It happened thanks to his creative instincts, strong and tireless work ethic, personal experience in delivering many projects from start to finish, love for and knowledge of all things Disney, built-in story and design chops, and respect and passion for people, whether they were his Imagineers or his beloved Disney park guests.

In true Imagineering fashion, Marty started off as a new kid on the block but grew to become a giant in our industry. He was a world-class leader, a powerhouse of energy and creativity, a courageous pioneer, a difference-maker, a game-changer—a life-changer. We worked for and with Marty not because we had to but because we wanted to. He was all about unbridled optimism, the team dynamic, and the belief that many brains working together can figure out how to do anything, including the impossible. “Don’t tell me you can’t because…,” he loved to say. “Tell me you can if…”

Every day Marty helped his dreamers and doers see the value and importance of generating that “One Little Spark” that brightens our sometimes dark and crazy world and helps to make it a better and more reassuring place. When I heard the news of his passing, it hit me as hard as when I lost my own dad. Marty was family. One of the most difficult things I’ve ever done was to speak at his memorial service at the request of Leah, his wife (of more than sixty years), and daughter, Leslie. What an incredible honor it was to stand before Marty’s friends and family and speak from the heart about this one-in-a-million magical man. He took a chance on me and many others from my generation of Imagineers in the same way Walt Disney took a chance on him. Marty’s first generation of Imagineers kept the torch lit and burning brightly after Walt was gone. My second generation carried that torch and used it to illuminate our way to several more Disney theme parks and many other unique Disney experiences all over the world. Now the time has come for you, dear third generation and beyond, to fan your spark into a flame and keep that torch lit and burning brightly.

With great respect and admiration for you up-and-comers who inspire me every day with your fresh enthusiasm, passion, and dedication, I’d like to offer you some helpful hints rooted in lessons learned and wisdom earned from my long career. The fact that you’re an Imagineer says you’re not the average Joe or Josephine. That means you should never limit yourself to only what you think you’re capable of doing, because you can do more and be more. That’s the Imagineering Way. X was not a trained or experienced writer when Walt challenged him to make words flow out of the end of his pen instead of drawn Disney characters. And look what happened. In my humble opinion, Francis Xavier Atencio was the greatest show writer WED ever had. Will you grow to become the greatest at what you do?

Whatever you do, you’re an Imagineer for a reason. You may not know the reason now, but the first time you see a guest enjoying something that has your fingerprints all over it, you will know. Be and make your work as original and one-of-a-kind as your own fingerprints. Create, don’t replicate. If you’re working on something new and someone asks you to describe it and you start by saying, “It’s like…” slam on the brakes and ask yourself, “Why am I working on something that is like something else?” How can you invent the future when you’re digging up the past? Learn from the past, of course, but make the future your own. Johnny Cash tried to break into the music business by performing covers of other singers’ songs for record-company executives. The only door that opened for him was the one back onto the street. But man, as soon as he found his own sound, he found fame. Find your own sound. Then bring it to the orchestra that is your Imagineering team.

Consider that every day thousands of résumés get delivered to 1401 Flower Street in Glendale, California, from good and talented people all over the world whose dream is to become an Imagineer like you. The résumés and inquiries are many, but the positions are few. These talented folks would give anything to be able to do what you do. I know because I’m constantly contacted by young people who, in their noble quest, want to meet with me to hear my story and perhaps gain some insight as to how the same thing can happen for them. Well, it has already happened for you, so count your blessings as you count yourself among those fortunate few who get to live the dream by making dreams come true. That itself is a dream come true. Be mindful and thankful every day of this privilege and responsibility entrusted to you. Realize the importance and value of your contributions in helping to design and deliver new ventures and adventures as only Disney (that’s you) can do. The Disney parks and cruise ships and other dimensional and live-entertainment experiences will never be completed as long as there are Imagineers in the world. Since Imagineering is at the heart of their creation, that’s where your professional heart needs to be.

Our Disney park fans, TRULY THE GREATEST, NICEST, AND MOST-APPRECIATIVE PEOPLE ON THE PLANET, are counting on you. What you do can help give them the best day of their life. The. Best. Day. Of. Their. Life. That, my friend, is not just a job (if you think of it that way then amscray! I mean it).

Walt Disney Imagineering has always been—and still is today—the themed entertainment industry leader. It can only stay on top if you stay on top of your game. That means you must imagineer with the excellence and perfection of Baryshnikov dancing, Whitney Houston singing, and Michael Jordan getting nothing but net. Don’t look now, but you’re performing at the Carnegie Hall of our industry. That doesn’t mean when you do well you’re here for good and can kick back and sip your latte-da drink on our Big D patio. You are only as good as your last performance, so you must keep going and growing. There’s always more magic to make! So, make sure you stay sharp, relevant, and productive, not just every once in a while, or when you feel like it, but every day in every way. Work today to be better than you were yesterday. Never stop learning everything there is to know about everything. Always do your research. Ask questions. Seek advice. There is no Imagineering major in college, so the best school on the subject is right here on this busy campus. Study and learn from the failures and successes of those that came before you. Find out what worked and didn’t work—and why!

If you have not yet been there and done that, listen to those who have. Welcome and grow from constructive and caring criticism that comes from those who have many successes under their belts and tribal knowledge in their brains. Be disruptive in a productive, contributing way. Shake things up. Shake things down. Stay alert and in the know. Take action. Take responsibility for your action. Believe in the power of your dreams, because dreams have the power to change everything, including you. Never fear, Imagineer, because every single time you step out of your comfort zone to betray that aura of average, you will sense a disquieting metamorphosis that will keep you stretching until you can reach the stars.

Okay, I’m going to stop now before my cantankerous perspicacity prompts an aura of snore-boding. But I do want to leave you with one more thing: when Walt Disney Imagineering celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2002, I was asked by Marty to write some words about what Imagineers dream and do for our in-house publication called the WDEye. I’d like to reprint that piece for you here as something to ponder as you set sail into the future.

Don’t Miss the Boat

This month I’m supposed to write about how, in addition to theme parks, Imagineers create resorts, cruise ships and other incredible stuff. But right now, I feel like expounding about butter.

My dad told me a terrific story about an unforgettable moment that happened at a business dinner he attended. It seems the guest of honor, a famous coach, was growing increasingly impatient with the overworked waitress. He was in dire need of butter, apparently, a matter of life and death. The waitress had twice as many tables to cover that evening because the other waitress called in sick. While doing her best to accommodate everyone’s requests in the order received, she politely assured the coach that she would bring him some butter as soon as she possibly could. He grabbed her by her arm as she raced past him trying to deliver a tray full of salads. “Do you know who I am, young lady?” he barked. “Yes,” she calmly responded, “But do you know who I am?” The shocked coach shook his head. She continued, “I’m the one with the butter!”

Imagineers are the bread and butter of Disney’s dimensional design and development. For fifty years, we’ve been churning out our product like nobody’s business because we’ve always been driven by art—not business. If we are going to make our next fifty years as fruitful as our last, we need to let the art and showmanship of what we do continue to navigate our incredible journey. As the winds of change fill our sails, we must ensure that creativity and vision remain at the helm. To continue to sail successfully into the future, we must first remember where we’ve been. Fifty years ago, the Imagineers who charted our original course were moviemakers. Now, more than ever, it would serve us well to keep thinking like moviemakers. Our business is not “business.” It’s show business. Our job is to keep setting the scene to the best of our ability so we can continue to immerse our guests, as if they are the camera, into our stories. THAT is what Imagineering is all about.

We are the Herbie Rymans, the Claude Coats, the Mary Blairs, the Marc Davis’s and the X Atencios of today. Sure, they may have worried a little less about budget in their time, but I wonder how these highly imaginative and talented people would rise to the occasion if they were still imagineering today? If Marc had to give up a character or prop in one of his comical scenes, do you think his ideas and sketches would turn out to be any less clever, hilarious[,] or charming? I think not. The IDEA is the thing.

Some argue that we would not and could not build Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion today. Well, I’d love to see the above-mentioned group (and their colleagues) take up that challenge today. I’d be willing to bet that these attractions would still turn out to be beloved Disney “classics.” The IDEA is the thing!

Let’s take on the next fifty years, not only as developers and technical wizards and people who pencil it out, but first and foremost as a group of uniquely talented dimensional moviemakers. Let’s be driven by the idea and the story because if we allow ourselves to be driven by anything else, our products will reflect compromise and our guests will respond accordingly. What will some future Imagineer write about us on the one-hundredth anniversary?

Oh, boy, and while I’m all fired up, what’s all this nonsense about focus groups? Pah! Can you imagine the following scenario?

IMAGINEER: “Say, Walt, about this new Matterhorn idea…

WALT DISNEY: “Yeah, what about it?”

IMAGINEER: “Well, I’m worried people will think it’s crazy to put a big snowcapped mountain smack-dab in the middle of Disneyland. Don’t you think we should see what people think about it first?

WALT DISNEY: (You fill in the blank.)

Don’t worry about opinions and trends and what other people think. Worry about what you think. You’re the Imagineer! Make the future your own, not simply some reinterpretation of something someone thinks it ought to be. This company survives on the strength of brilliant, original ideas and stories, not on second-guessing. And while I’m at it, don’t waste precious time fretting about the state of the company or its stock price or any other bogus buzz about the biz. Stop thinking “bottom-line” and start thinking queue line. Don’t wait for a job number. If you have to wait around for a job number, then it’s only a job. Get busy! Don’t wait for someone to tell you to do something. Do it! Take the initiative. Take the chance. Make something happen. Nothing will happen if you do nothing!

Think about how much has been accomplished in the past fifty years by Imagineers who let their CREATIVE VISION steer their course. For crying out loud, Walt Disney World is the number one vacation and honeymoon destination IN THE WORLD. The top five theme parks in the entire universe are OUR PARKS. Where did it all start? Right here. How will it keep going? You guessed it.