You’d think that if my dad wrote a book about his forty-year career as a Disney Imagineer, I’d ask him if I could read a draft before it came out. Or he would offer to let me read it.
I didn’t ask—and he didn’t offer!
I suspect we share the same reasons for keeping it a surprise.
The first is anticipation. I’m probably more excited than anyone to read his book. Having a hard copy will be more fun than reading a draft. The same goes for my dad: he probably would rather let me find it, or give it to me as a gift.
The second reason is my experience handling communications at Disney. I might’ve suggested wording something differently. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not expecting anything negative. He’s told me several times along the way that this book is not about airing dirty laundry. This book is about the real stories that help illustrate what Walt Disney Imagineering is all about. You may wonder how I know that, since I haven’t read it yet. Truth is I don’t need to read it to know that. I already know what my dad has contributed to Disney parks, and I can’t wait for you to learn about it in this book.
I have many memories with my dad at 1401 Flower Street (Imagineering’s headquarters in Glendale, California). I remember as a child meeting Jimmy Macdonald, John Hench, and other Disney Legends there. Macdonald, a sound effects pioneer, was the voice of Mickey Mouse, succeeding Walt Disney. He also did the yodeling, whistling, and sneezing for the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Macdonald had a house in Glendale, and I remember after he died helping my dad run errands and doing chores for his wife, Bobbie. Another time, my dad brought me into Hench’s office, and I got to spend time with the great artist and designer. I didn’t think twice about these opportunities at the time, but what special moments they were looking back.
My dad has spent a lifetime creating special moments for me, our family, and Disney parks guests as a “second generation” Imagineer. In my admittedly biased opinion, he is the ultimate dad and Imagineer. I can also tell you without having read this book that it is about more than dreaming up ideas for Disney parks. It is about the American dream—after all, he started as a Disneyland dishwasher and became a seasoned creative executive. I’m certain you’ll notice themes of hard work and a can-do attitude. That’s the spirit of Walt Disney Imagineering.
I had the opportunity to work at Walt Disney Imagineering for a short period. I worked on the communications team during an eight-month assignment away from my regular role as a writer for the Disney Parks Blog and a media spokesperson at the Disneyland Resort. My time at Walt Disney Imagineering was a real window into my dad’s career. One of my favorite memories there was when I supported a series of presentations given by former Imagineering president Marty Sklar at a creativity conference for California arts teachers. One presentation was with a panel of Imagineers that Marty facilitated. He asked my dad to call him on his cell phone in the middle of the presentation so he could tell my dad, in front of a very confused audience, what a good job I was doing behind the tech booth. I was honored and embarrassed.
That was about a month before Marty passed away. Marty’s family called to ask my dad to speak at his funeral shortly afterward. I was so proud of my dad at Marty’s service. He honored Marty beautifully, describing him as a difference maker and life changer—qualities I would use to describe my dad as well.
I was equally proud of my dad when he spoke at the 2017 D23 Expo weeks earlier to describe the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction to an audience of nearly seven thousand Disney fans. Marty was in the audience and we watched as the chairman of Disney Parks introduced my dad as the Imagineer working on this special attraction—Disney’s first ride-through attraction built entirely around Mickey Mouse. Of course it takes an entire team, as my dad was very quick to point out. I think my dad closing out his career with Mickey Mouse, and the company trusting him to lead the project creatively, speaks volumes to my dad’s truly being, as a colleague once described him, the heart of Imagineering.
After decades of waking up before the sun rose to drive from Orange County to Los Angeles for work, my dad has earned such an accolade. If you are a local to the area, you know that’s no picnic—whether it’s done in daylight or not! So what made the drive worth it? You’ll find out in the pages ahead.
As Marty always said, there’s only one name on the door: Walt Disney. That’s probably why you’re not familiar with my dad. But I’d be willing to bet you’re familiar with his work—having read, heard, or experienced something (or many things!) he has created in a Disney park. I can tell you my dad has always gone to work for the right reason—creating happiness and magic—and that it’s always been an honor describing him as a Disney Imagineer. It still is!