@Nevin – never really followed Ariel that closely. They still sell the autograph books. Kids till line up!

@Deborah – You make me want to drive back over to Hollywood Studios. I didn’t go on that ride. We did some of the art work props in a store room down in the “Utilidor”

Lindsey – Great memory. Did you ever consider going back to Disney?

@Trish – I am sure the kind folks at Disney will appreciate your comment!

I’ll also add that Disney has the perfect facilities for parents of VERY young children. We loved the hospitality area (which is tucked away off the beaten path) where new parents can use rocking chairs, high chairs, toddler size pottys, changing tables, etc. They even have pampers, formula, and other baby necessities. They do an outstanding job for their guests.

We just took the twins to Disney World this past April and had an equally magical time!

Disney is a magical place not only for the guests, but for the cast members.

My best memory comes from actually being on stage, working. When guests see the characters, it is hard for them not to smile. The characters are the magic brought to life. There are countless numbers of children that were excited to see Cinderella, Snow White, Chip or Dale. One guest stood out to me. He was an elderly man in a motorized wheel chair, parked a little off to the side of Chip and Dale in the Animal Kingdom. He had been watching the ‘munks meet and greet guests for a good hour or so. I didn’t see anyone who was sitting with him or even chatting with him in the whole time.

The reason he had caught my attention was that he reminded me of my grandpa whom had practically raised me. My grandfather had died two years previous. At the end, my grandpa felt like he was actually getting better and had made mention of eventually wanting to get an electric wheelchair so he could travel.

The old man in the wheelchair watching the ‘munks struck a cord in me so much so that when the character attendant told Chip it was time to go back inside and informed the remaining guests in line that Chip would be right back, Chip took the opportunity to rush over to the man to give him a hug.

The man hugged Chip back gently and whispered, “Thank you,” almost inaudibly. I not only felt like my grandfather had been there, but also that I had made a difference in this man’s day. I won’t lie – Chip cried a few happy tears, in the inside, on the way back to the break room.

What I learned that day is that Disney is not JUST about the obvious – keep the property spotless, empowering people to provide great service, making sure they don’t run out of Mickey ear hats or thread to embroider names on them – you know, the big important stuff. No. Disney caters to the whim of their customers even if only 1 customer out of a 1000 that will pick up on it. For example: when you enter into the cobweb filled and obviously abandoned (for many years) hotel “lobby” of the “Tower of Terror” ride, an antique buff might see some valuable French bronzes including some by Moreau, a noted artist of the 19th century (the hotel lobby contains some valuable antiques). Or you might notice that the board game (can’t remember which one) on one of the tables was obviously left at a VERY crucial part of the game – that is if you weren’t too busy freaking out, wondering if you should skip out of line and not actually go through with the ride.

They will also include random things that most people wouldn’t pick up on, like when you enter the “library” of the Tower of Terror, before the door closes and the lights dim; on top of the bookcases you’ll see some props from Twilight Zone episodes! Or the small figures cleverly built out of the small tiles in “Cinderella’s Castle”. Or the “hidden Mickey’s”…or…well, as you can imagine, the list goes on and on. I personally love the figures that the housekeeping staff makes out of your towels and washcloths so you have a friendly face waiting for you when you get back from a long day in the park.

p.s. the next time you find yourself standing in the hotel lobby at the “Tower of Terror” wondering if you are nuts for going on the ride, I will tell you that it is an amazing experience and you must do it at least once!

We then proceeded to spend the rest of the day running from scheduled “appearance” to scheduled appearance of the various Disney characters – all to get the “autographs” of these characters my kids had grown up with.

To this day I remember the awestruck look in my then-not-quite 3-year-old son’s eyes (he’s nearly 17 now) as he took back his book from “Dopey” – well, that’s the true magic of Disney.

p.s. and while it’s been a long time, as I recall Ariel was pretty “hot.” Something for everyone at Disney! ;-}