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Disneyland

Are you really enjoying Disneyland so much?

by Mark Eades February 25, 2024

When did going to Disneyland become a battlefield between Disney fans?

I recently visited Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (Did you notice I used the correct name for the attraction?) with one of my grandkids. At their age, they enjoy the singing birds and flowers. However, I did not enjoy it. Thankfully, my grandkid did.

Why did I not enjoy it? Because there was a gaggle of talkative and downright rude uber-Disney fans sitting in there.

One group of them were yacking away about some misdeed they had gotten away with in line (or was it skipping the line) at the Indiana Jones Adventure. Another group was singing the tunes, but substituting different words. Finally, a third group tried to loudly teach some other Guests the words – whether they wanted them to or not. Sing along, fine. But not so loud that it is intrusive.

I tried to motion for them to quiet down, they either ignored me or made the classic Disney brush-off comment, “Have a magical day.” It was like being in the middle of a talkative battlefield.

(And I won’t even go into how you cannot hear the Ghost Host’s spiel in the stretching room of the Haunted Mansion over them anymore.)

These uber-Disney fans are getting out of hand. Steven Wilk recently wrote a column for the Disneydining.com website in which he labels these folks as “Disney addicts.” (Click here to read that column)

That seems like a good label. I have a better label for them: Disnoids. They’re everywhere at the park. Actually parks, as they are at all of them now.

Disnoids occupy the front porch on Main Street U.S.A. You know where I’m talking about, it was the entrance to a bra shop on opening day.

Disnoids have all the prime (non-reserved) spots for watching parades, fireworks or live shows – usually hours ahead of time.

When Disnoids go on attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion, they talk during their entire adventure – about the changes good or bad, or sometimes about other topics like politics, or where they think the best place to eat is at different times of day.

And try to get a seat at a popular bar, such as Trader Sam’s or Oga’s Cantina. Disnoids have been in their seat since the bar opened that morning and stayed in it for hours!

So, I have to ask the question Steven didn’t ask: Why do you still have to go to Disneyland?

You can sit on your own front porch. I do, it’s called “The World Famous Eades Front Porch.” (See the photo at top?)

If you’re on an attraction and talk about other things (loudly) are you really enjoying it? Do you think the people in the rows in front or behind you need to hear you talking or singing badly? If that’s all you’re going to do, do the rest of us a favor: Stay off the attraction or zip your mouth shut.

Then there’s hanging out for hour chattering away while others wait to get in one of those bars. Even then it’s hard as you know how to make a reservation, and those reservations were gone within minutes every time they became available. Frankly, if all you want to do is hang out at a bar and meet up with friends, there are plenty of others out there (many of them very nice) that would be better suited to this. I first wrote about this problem in a column for Jim Hill Media, which was originally published in 2001! (Here is the link to that column.)

From what I understand, that column stirred up a hornet’s nest of comments on his website, and spilled over to many other Disney oriented websites. Worse yet, back then people did not always use their real names.

I think it’s time for folks to recognize their problems.

You want to visit Disneyland a lot? Fine. But keep your voice down in case others want to hear the actual sound that Disney Imagineers created.

Visit the bars, but maybe don’t stay for more than an hour.

And if you want to sit on the front porch, that’s okay. I people watch too, but give up your seat after an hour or so and give others a chance!

Yes, I’m an Annual Passholder. but now that I have grandkids, I find I only want to go when they want to go, and enjoy the parks through their eyes.

So, if you’re going to Disneyland make sure you enjoy it, and not wreck it for others. Or maybe stop going for a while.

February 25, 2024 1 comment

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Adventures in the Daddy Zone with the baby at Disneyland

by Mark Eades June 15, 2018

Editor’s note: This was originally written and to be published in the June 2018 edition of Parenting OC Magazine. But do to space limitations it was cut. So it is posted here by the author.

Well here I was, sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree in the Central Plaza at Disneyland. With me was our daughter, then about eight months old. Where was Mom? She was off in the long line for Pirates of the Caribbean with our four-year-old son.

He decided Mom deserved a trip to Disneyland for her birthday. Meanwhile I, the Dad, got to come too as it was Father’s Day, but it really meant I would watch baby sister while they went on a bunch of Disneyland attractions, especially those the baby could not ride.

My wife really knows how to get ready for trips to places like Disneyland. She was determined to not bring a stroller. So, we had a front pack for our daughter, and a backpack with all the baby stuff in it: Formula, bottles, baby food, disposable diapers, a change of clothes, extra blankets, two containers of baby wipes, and large, sealable, baggies to put, well, soiled things in.

The last would come in handy, as I would find out.

Thankfully, before they ran off to see the pirates, my wife took our daughter into the ladies’ bathroom and changed our daughter’s wet diaper. I figured that would hold her for a while. But my wife also assured me there were changing tables in the men’s bathrooms too.

I’m a little old-school. If my daughter did something while my wife was gone, I really didn’t want to have to change my daughter’s diaper in a men’s room. But I also did not want to do it out in the open on a Disneyland park bench either. My wife pointed across the plaza.

“There’s a Baby Care Center over there, I’m sure they can help you out,” she said as the two of them took off to get in the 90-minute line for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Now the nice thing about being a Dad with a baby, is that all the people like to stop by and make fun faces at the baby. And I will admit some of them were some nice-looking women. But I digress.

There we were, baby daughter and me sitting across from Sleeping Beauty Castle. She seemed to be very happy. When the horses pulling the street cars stopped nearby, we would walk over to them; she really liked them. Mary Poppins and Bert strolled by and said “Hello.” She really liked that.

We watched some ducks waddle by for a handout, I had a box of popcorn and “accidentally” spilled some on the ground for them. It went fine with my cup of soda, which did have a baby spillage prevention device on it, better known as a lid.

Things were going along fine for about an hour when she got fussy. Usually a sign that she wanted to either eat or drink something, so I carefully set my popcorn and drink down on the bench and got a ready to go bottle of formula of a side pocket of the backpack, and a baby blanket from another pocket. The bottle satisfied her for a while.

Then she spit the bottle out, obviously full. I set the bottle down next to the popcorn and soda, put the blanket on my shoulder, put her up there, gave her a few pats on the back and she burped. I was a pro at this. Then I laid her down on the blanket, with an arm in place to keep her from rolling off.

What a lovely day, she was kicking and smiling and goo-gooing. As I watched people taking pictures in front of the castle. I wasn’t really paying attention when she stopped making noise. I looked down at her and saw she was making a face of great concentration.

Oh oh. Did I just hear some music of impending doom? No, it was a different kind of noise – equal to the level of concentration on her face. It was a doom of a different kind – she was going poo-poo. Now normally, at home, this would not be that big a deal. But she was doing it right here on a park bench in the middle of Disneyland.

Worse yet, it was massive as it started to ooze out the sides of the diaper like the Blob and onto the blanket. And the smell? It was worse than anything the horses could do. I panicked and quickly grabbed the bottle of formula and stuffed it into the backpack – knocking over the popcorn in the process, to the great joy of the ducks in the area.

I needed to get to the Baby Care Center – and fast, as the daytime parade was approaching and I needed to get across Main Street U.S.A. before it arrived at the crossing. I wrapped her into the blanket, hiding the evidence of her dastardly deed, and quickly headed across the plaza, leaving my soda behind. Oh well, Disneyland’s Custodial staff, I was sure, would make quick work of that.

I did get stuck at the crossing while the first few floats passed, I had visions of her poo-poo oozing out like the Blob and devouring all nearby. Finally, they let us cross. I strived not to bump into anyone while carrying a baby with a diaper full of bad news. Suffice it to say, I made it to the Baby Care Center.

The Disneyland Baby Care Center is located just off the Central Plaza (also known as “The Hub”) at Disneyland. Inside the entry lobby there is a photo of Walt Disney when he was a baby on the wall. Photo by Mark Eades.

When I entered, it was like I’d gone to heaven for anyone needing to deal with feeding, nursing or having to change extremely dirty poo-pooed diapers like me. I thought I even heard angels singing.

The two Cast Members inside took one look at me and seemed to immediately understand what was going on. They directed me to one of the changing stations, which also had a nice paper liner on it to keep it clean from messes like my daughter’s.

One even asked if I needed any other assistance. I said no, but that they might want to hold their noses.

“We’re used to that, but this facility has excellent air circulation to take care of any unwanted odors,” the Cast Member said as she smiled.

I laid my daughter down, she seemed to relish squirming around in her mess. This was going to be a multiple baby wipe extravaganza to clean this mess up. I set the backpack emptied it, then proceeded to undo the diaper and was immediately assaulted by a pile of goo that would have been better handled by a large bulldozer.

I opened up two of the large zip top baggies; one for the diaper and wet baby wipes, the other for everything else. It took about 15 minutes to clean up the mess, with my daughter constantly moving the whole time. Finally, I was done. The dirty diaper and wet wipes filled one baggie, the dirty clothes and now dirty blanket filled the other. I sealed them both up and looked around for a waste basket for the one. The ladies pointed.

“Looks like you’ve done this before,” one of them said as they changed the paper liner.

“You might need to feed her soon,” the other Cast Member said.

I nodded and got out a jar of food, then realized there was no spoon in the backpack. One of them offered me a disposable plastic spoon, and suggested I take a few more with me.

Thank goodness for the Cast Members at the Baby Care Center. After feeding my daughter, I packed everything, not as neatly as my wife had done, and went outside. The parade had passed, and I could see my wife and son strolling this way, thank goodness, as I suddenly realized I needed to use the restroom.

The Disneyland Baby Care Center is located just off the Central Plaza (also known as “The Hub”) at Disneyland. Inside, parents or guardians can find a variety of things to support those with babies. In addition, the center serves as the location for lost children or lost parents. Photo by Mark Eades.

–Some additional tips from Linda Marquez, a Disneyland Park Specialist of the Disney Parks Moms Panel: “Traveling with infants is making sure they are comfortable while at the parks. Bring along kid-approved sunscreen, a hat to provide shade from the sun, and a small, portable fan to keep cool. You will definitely want to bring your stroller from home or rent one at the parks. A stroller is not only the safest and most efficient way to get your little one around the parks, but it’s also an excellent place to store your belongings and a comfy spot for your little one to take a snooze. If you use a baby carrier or wrap, you can wear your baby on the majority of attractions that do not have height requirements.”

Personally, my wife and I always found it easier to go without a stroller. It was easier to move throughout the parks, and we’re good with backpacks. The Baby Care Center in each of the Disneyland Resort’s two parks have a microwave, handy for warming formula. In addition, it is the place that any lost children or lost parents can be found as well.

June 15, 2018 0 comment

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Are too many regular visitors wrecking Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion experience?

by Mark Eades February 22, 2018

Visiting Disneyland is almost always fun, but sometimes the visit can have its challenges – rarely from the park, almost certainly from other visitors.

Thanks to Annual Passes, there are a lot more “regulars” who visit Disneyland on a regular basis. They still enjoy themselves (I would hope so at the prices some pay for the higher end passes!) but the question I have to ask is: Do they enjoy it just for themselves at the expense of others?

So here comes some food for thought about some things us “regulars” should consider when visiting Disneyland on one of our regular visits.

One of my favorite attractions is the Haunted Mansion. It was, when it opened, one of the most ground-breaking and innovative attractions ever made. So successful it has stood the test of time and is still popular nearly 50 years after it opened.

But that popularity and repeated visits have created some odd circumstances for anyone going through the attraction.

Before I get to those odd circumstances, a brief synopsis of the attraction.

This is not just a ride, it truly is an attraction. It starts with the approach to the mansion, a Victorian looking structure, complete with pillars and a porch. Not really that foreboding looking.

Then one enters the foyer, where the enveloping into the experience begins. Eerie organ music plays, and after a few moments (depending on the timing of one’s entrance into the space) a voice is heard. “When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still (the air is still in here and the candlelights are flickering.) – that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight.”

Okay, this is where the people and more comes in. Some of the “regulars” are trying to appreciate the experience right at the start. Still other “regulars” feel they should be a part of the show and start either mouthing those words quietly, or out loud. Still others have seen it so many times that they just keep their conversations from waiting in the queue line going – in complete disregard for others trying to enjoy the show.

Finally, you have the newbies, those who haven’t seen it before – and because of all those different “regulars,” they aren’t quite sure if they should be quiet, talk amongst themselves or what. Of course, the other factor is if the attraction host or hostess has closed the foyer entrance door in time to block out the outside light and signal that something is about to start.

Next comes Act 2, the art gallery room, known to “regulars” as the “Stretching Room.”

A wall (door) opens to reveal that room, one with art work on the walls, and everyone moves into it. The voice continues by introducing himself, “I am your host, your ghost host.”

Now usually, some of the guests (regulars and newbies) are talking as they move into this room, while others are looking around and straining to hear the ghost host voice of Paul Frees.

Here is where the problems I talked about happening in the foyer come to the forefront.

Depending on the mix of “regulars” and newbies, the Stretching Room can, at times, be Disney’s version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” There are times when you can’t hardly hear the Ghost Host because everyone, or nearly everyone, is saying the infamous words out loud. Imagine, an enclosed room of 90 or so people talking and saying the same thing all at once. Sort of surreal.

Then comes this, “Of course, there’s always my way,” followed by a person who has been hung up in the rafters, then total darkness and a scream. And many people do scream – very loudly.

Many young ones, especially those who have never experienced this before, are very frightened by this, effectively ruining what should be an eerie, yet comical, experience for them and their parents.

Next, it’s time for the walk down the hallway and boarding the “Doom Buggies,” Disney’s term for the Omnimover ride vehicles that will take visitors on a ride through the rest of the Haunted Mansion.

This experience can be slowed down due to guests with disabilities trying to board or exit the Omnimovers, and I have no problem with this at all. No, it is others that are riding that can take one right out of this immersive experience. There are some who take flash photos of the ride now that’s where “regulars” either know better (that the flash will ruin the shot) or they want to take the flash to show the “secrets” the Imagineers used to create the ride.

Still others have their phones or iPads up and running, their screens visible throughout the whole ride by those in the adjoining Omnimover vehicles. Sigh, kind of annoying.

I don’t know that there is a solution to all these issues, as different folks enjoy Disneyland different ways. But I feel there is a societal issue at play here, bigger than Disneyland. That of people not considering the feelings and effects of their actions on others.

It’s part of the selfishness that has reared its ugly head in the current social media driven society.

So, here’s what I would like to see: “Regulars” start being a little more aware of others, “regulars” and newbies, trying to enjoy their visit without intrusion from others. Think of it as being neighborly. Don’t carry on a loud conversation inside an attraction. Don’t take flash photos, it’s just downright rude. Be discreet in your use of smart phones or iPads. Try to enjoy the Haunted Mansion, and let others enjoy the classic entertainment created by Walt Disney’s original Imagineers in all its eerie glory. And if you can’t do that as you’ve seen it so many times, then maybe consider not visiting the attraction for a while so you can maybe enjoy it like new again.

Just my thoughts, I’m sure some will disagree, and that’s okay.

February 22, 2018 3 comments

Tim Strauch II on his first day as a Disneyland character. Here he is dressed as Br'er Fox. Used by permission.

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A Real Disneyland Character

by Mark Eades July 29, 2014

Some teachers in school are real characters. In Tim Strauch II’s case, he was one—a Disneyland character that is.

Tim Strauch II on his first day as a Disneyland character. Here he is dressed as Br’er Fox. Used by permission.

Actually Tim, 44, played several Disneyland characters during his time as a Cast Member in the Entertainment Department from November 1996 to January 2001, including Pluto, Buzz Lightyear, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Eeyore, Rafiki, Geppetto, C3P0 and his first one, Br’er Fox.

Tim got the performing bug from his father, who was a professional clown for parties and events while also working as a teacher by day. At the age of two, Tim first visited Disneyland. Even though he lived in the Sacramento, Tim loved Disneyland so much that as a Cub Scout he sold enough “Scout-a-rama” tickets to win a free trip to Disneyland four years in a row. He even told a cousin who went with him on one trip that one day he was going to work there.

Tim Strauch II is dressed as Pluto in this photo. On the left is his grandmother, on his right is his mother. Used by permission.

In 1989, Tim submitted his first Disneyland application while attending junior college, planning to get a job there and finish his schooling at California State University, Fullerton. But that dream did not happen, so he went back home to Sacramento and attended California State University, Sacramento instead. After graduating with a degree in Communications, Media Production, he set off for Hollywood to find a career in show business.

Initially, Tim got a job in Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Character Department, while going on job interviews and auditioning for roles in television and films. Thanks to that experience, in 1996 he landed an audition to be a character at Disneyland.

“I’ve never felt more confident in an audition,” he said. He got the job and was made a Cast Member in Disneyland’s Entertainment Department. His first day as a Disneyland character on stage was his birthday in 1996, in the role of Br’er Fox.

Tim Strauch II is dressed as Pluto in this photo. Used by permission.

Meanwhile, Tim continued to audition for acting roles or a position in television production, but that proved to be a struggle. “I knew it would be a hard field and I gave it my best. But I wasn’t as successful as I thought I could be,” said Tim.

Tim had done some teaching side by side with his dad, Tim Strauch, Sr. and decided it was fun, so he went back to school to get his teaching credential. He moved back up north, and started teaching at Community Outreach Academy Elementary School in McClellan, California, where he lives today with his wife of 14 years. As a teacher, he’s received a Teacher of the Month award handed out by the local ABC News affiliate, along with other honors.

Tim Strauch II is dressed as Eeyore, and is pictured with his father, Tim Strauch I. Used by permission.

But Disneyland is still in his heart and he fondly remembers his time in his many Disney character roles. “The experience is one that will never leave me,” he said. “I wear my Disneyland Entertainment ring everyday and I’m proud to say I worked there.”

This profile is part of a series featuring former Disney Cast Members being written for the Disneyland Alumni Club. These stories reveal the role working for Disney has played over the years in shaping the lives of the people who help “make the dream a reality,” as Walt would say.

In honor of the 60th anniversary year of Disneyland in 2015, the Disneyland Alumni Club is reaching out to former employees, whether retired or younger, who may not be aware of the organization. The Club was started in 1983 by Disneyland executives Van France and Dick Nunis as a way to help Cast Members stay in touch after moving on to other careers. Is that you? If so and you’d like to take part in the Club’s private celebration next August—or participate in their many other activities and benefits, please visit www.disneylandalumni.org and join today!

Want to read articles about some other Disneyland Alumni? Click on the links below.

Lifelong bonds formed working at Disneyland

John Waite Loves Theme Parks

Caretaker of Walt Disney’s Family Film Legacy

Tim Strauch II is getting ready to play C3P0 in a Disneyland nearby. Used by permission.

July 29, 2014 3 comments

John Waite once worked as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland. This photo was taken in 1958.

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John Waite Loves Theme Parks!

by Mark Eades July 21, 2014

At one time in his Disneyland career, John Waite worked as an Attractions Host, though they were called Ride Operators in the early days, on the Matterhorn Bobsleds.

“I have always loved amusement parks,” John Waite told me. It’s a love affair that started when he was a kid growing up in Cleveland and stuck with him while studying theater at nearby Allegheny College—so much so that he worked at Euclid Beach Park (an amusement park on the southern shore of Lake Erie that opened in 1895 and closed in 1969) from 1947 until he graduated in 1951.

Near the end of his four-year stint in the Air Force (he was in the Intelligence field and cannot divulge exactly what he did!), John heard Walt Disney was building a theme park in California. “I told the family I was moving to California and was going to work for Walt Disney. I didn’t know what I’d do, I had no idea how the business worked out here,” he said.

He arrived in 1955 shortly after Disneyland opened. He took a temporary job at the post office for the Christmas season and sent his résumé to Walt Disney Productions. He got a call from the assistant personnel manager, who thought he knew John, but it turned out to be someone else with the same name. John got the job anyway.

“They had decided to hire college graduates into the Traffic Department,” John said.

The Traffic Department (where this article’s author also worked from 1979-80) delivered mail and messages around the studio lot. It was designed to give Studio personnel a chance to look people over and see where they might fit in, so for many it was the starting point of a Disney career.

John’s route was in the Animation Building, where he delivered mail to many future Disney legends, including to the office of the man himself—Walt Disney.

“My manager told me, ‘If you see Walt Disney, don’t say anything to him unless he says something to you.’ Well, my first day delivering mail I was walking down the hall and Walt was walking towards me, looking down at something with a scowl on his face. I just walked right by him. Then he whirled around and stopped, smiled and said, ‘Well, hello there.’”

John was soon transferred into Publicity when Card Walker—who would later become CEO of Walt Disney Productions—headed it up. John was put in charge of handling production stills. Often, John led tours of the lot for visitors, usually dignitaries or celebrities. This gave him the chance to peek inside some of the soundstages where Imagineers from WED Enterprises were doing mockups for future attractions at Disneyland.

John Waite, a Disneyland Alumni, worked in an office in the Opera House way before Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln showed up.

While in the Studio’s publicity department he frequently worked with Van France, later the co-founder of the Disneyland Alumni Club, who was working in Disneyland’s personnel department organizing the training for new Cast Members.

When he learned that John really wanted to work at Disneyland, Van told him about the new Holidayland area they were creating for big corporate and other group events. The head of the studio’s personnel department thought John was making a mistake, but he still wanted to transfer to Disneyland and in 1957, John went to work for Van.

One of the first things he did was help put together the first event for Holidayland—an area in what is now New Orleans Square—for corporate and large events. The first event, a picnic for 5,000 people, featured a full meal, liquor, and a full slate of Disneyland entertainment, including the Disneyland Band, Indian dancers from the Indian Village (located in what is now Critter Country), Golden Horseshoe entertainers Betty Taylor and Wally Boag, and the Mickey Mouse Club. Attendees also got tickets into Disneyland. Despite all the entertainment and all the games set up, after everyone ate, no one stayed in the land. “They all went into the park to ride the rides,” John said.

John Waite, a Disneyland Alumni, is pictured with Chantel, a current day Tour Guide at Disneyland. John helped initiate and led tours on the first day they were offered in the early days of Disneyland.

Next Van volunteered John to help out with the first trial run of guided tours. They came up with spiels and costumes for a planned test run to see if people would like them, and more importantly, pay for them. “The first day they offered the guided tours, 90% of the gate paid for them. We were supposed to have 15 people in a group; we ended up having to have 50 people in a group,” John said.

Thanks to Van, John was also called upon to play Mickey Mouse out in the park at times. “They didn’t have a character department at the time. They did parades and shows, but when dignitaries came and wanted photos with Mickey and Minnie, they needed someone, I was one of the ones elected.” John also played Mickey Mouse at one of the first Disney nights at the Hollywood Bowl.

Van left Disneyland after a couple years to help Joe Fowler, another Disney legend, with Freedomland, a park Joe was building back east. John wasn’t happy when Van left, so he also left and went to work for UCLA’s Central Stage Management group, where they handled all the public events on campus. “My leaving Disneyland as a full-time employee was so sad.”

John Waite, a Disneyland Alumni, is pictured on the dock of the location of the Motorboat Cruise attraction. John worked the attraction in its first days of operation in the 50s.

John worked at UCLA for 10 years, but during that time he worked summers at Disneyland on attractions like the Jungle Cruise, Matterhorn, and even a short stint on the Peoplemover. He did this until 1969. His heart was still with theme parks, and as John looked around for more opportunities, he found it in the new log flume technology being developed by Arrow Development for Six Flags. “I thought it would be great for Knott’s Berry Farm.”

John went to Six Flags Over Texas for several days to study the ride, then, while still at UCLA, developed a log flume concept that he planned to pitch to Knott’s. “It was a log ride concept, with a hydro-mining theme.”

John wrote to Walter Knott saying he had a ride proposal. A few days later Russell Knott, Walter’s son, called and asked John to come in for a meeting. “We met, and he told me that they didn’t do the designing of rides at Knott’s. He knew they were working on a log ride with Bud Hurlbut, but didn’t say anything.”

(Editor’s note: Bud Hurlbut is a legend in the theme park business. His ideas and attractions even influenced Walt Disney, who spent several days studying the Calico Mine Train Ride and in Bud’s shop, which was located just north of Knott’s Berry Farm.)

Russell set up an appointment for John with Bud, who designed many of Knott’s Berry Farm’s rides. John showed Bud his idea. “Bud laughed and said he wanted to show me something. He took me into his shop and showed me the models of the log ride he was building for Knott’s. I had to laugh too, but then I asked him for a job.”

Bud wasn’t hiring at the time, but offered John a job as a skipper on the steamboat that plied the lagoon at Knott’s. But John really wanted to work on the log ride construction. So John resigned from UCLA after the 1969 commencement exercises and went to work for Bud. “I worked on some of the final preparations of the ride, sealing cracks and things like that.” John became one of the Timber Mountain Log Ride’s supervisors and worked on it, and for Bud, for many years.

John Waite once worked as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland. This photo was taken in 1958.

Now retired, John still loves theme parks and their rides. At the age of 85 he has passes for Disneyland and Knott’s and can frequently be seen at both of the parks.

“I love the rides and the people that work there. It’s always nice to go, sometimes just to watch the people having a good time.”

Want to read articles about some other Disneyland Alumni? Click on the links below.

Lifelong bonds formed working at Disneyland

Caretaker of Walt Disney’s Family Film Legacy

A Real Disneyland Character

July 21, 2014 5 comments

Two trains going in opposite directions meet at a bridge.

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All aboard for Fullerton Railroad Days 2014

by Mark Eades May 5, 2014

Railroad fans of all ages descended on the Fullerton Transportation Center for Fullerton Railroad Days.

You can click here to check out the photos.

May 5, 2014 0 comment

Sleeping Beauty Castle on a clear spring day with the Matterhorn in the distance.

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Lifelong bonds formed working at Disneyland

by Mark Eades April 14, 2014

What is it about Disneyland that for those who worked there, they form lifelong bonds?

Sleeping Beauty Castle on a clear spring day with the Matterhorn in the distance.

Is it from the pixie dust they throw on you at orientation when you start working as a Cast Member at the “Happiest Place on Earth?” Is it the camaraderie from working side by side with others, all of whom are smiling most of the time? Or is it Walt Disney’s spirit of optimism, still handed down to succeeding generations by Cast Members nearly 60 years after the park first opened in 1955?

Goofy has some fun with some younger guests at Disneyland near City Hall.

Those bonds were recognized by two key Disneyland Cast Members, Van Arsdale France (who founded the Disney University) and Disneyland Executive Dick Nunis. They saw the need to help Cast Members stay connected after they left the park. This led them to form the Disneyland Alumni Club in 1983.

The Club has both a mission and a motto. Its motto is: Always part of the magic! Its mission: To preserve, honor and perpetuate the values, traditions and outlook upon which Disneyland was created.

Keeping Disneyland clean is a member of the Custodial crew, also known as “jannies.”

As the Club gears up for its own celebration of Disneyland’s 60^th birthday next year, the Club’s Board of Directors felt it was time to make some changes, just like Walt Disney said Disneyland would change, the Club saw a need to change how it operates; to become more of a special organization to which all Cast Members can belong to and participate.

One of the things the Club wants to do is explore those special bonds between Cast members, and to take a look back at some of the fun things they remember from working at the park.

Disneyland cast member Jim guides a horse on Disneyland’s Horse Trolley line on Main Street U.S.A.

One example is how many of us found our life mates while working at the park and are still together with them. Yet another is how new succeeding generations of Cast Members are working at the park their parents worked.

A Disneyland cast member working on the Matterhorn Bobsleds, keeps a watchful eye on park guests exiting their bobsleds after a ride down the mountain.

To help collect those special memories, the club is going to create a forum to tell those stories and others like: How did they end up working at Disneyland? What different roles did everyone have in their careers there? Another is how that spirit led many to work together in charities, some formed by Cast Members themselves.

The board knows that many current and former Cast Members are also Disneyland fans, and frequently visit the park. But it should be noted that, unlike some Disneyland fan websites, this is not about bashing the park. It is meant to show the fun side of working there, and how it affected later careers in a positive way.

Alyssa, a cast member working on the Main Street U.S.A. Horse Trolley line, prepares to guide her horse down the street from the hub.

With that in mind, we invite all current and former Disneyland Cast Members to send us their fun, positive stories. Those stories can be sent via email to: info@disneylandalumni.org, or via snail mail to: Disneyland Alumni Club, P.O. Box 17280, Anaheim, CA 92817. You can also email the author, Mark Eades, at: markaeades@aol.com – please put “Disneyland Alumni Club” in the subject line if emailing the author.

There will be also be more information upcoming about the Club’s monthly meetings and events coming up, as well as details on the Club’s own celebration of Disneyland’s 60^th birthday, to be held on August 1, 2015 at the Disneyland Hotel. Look for weekly stories and more as things come in in the weeks and months to come.

Want to read articles about some other Disneyland Alumni? Click on the links below.

John Waite Loves Theme Parks

Caretaker of Walt Disney’s Family Film Legacy

A Real Disneyland Character

Important legal notice if emailing stories or photos:

This release and disclaimer applies to You if You submit stories, or agree to be interviewed for a story, to the Disneyland Alumni Club, Inc. (“Club”) or to Mark Eades for use on the club’s web site or elsewhere, such as Mark Eades’ web site.

In consideration of Your submitting stories, or being interviewed for a story, for use on the Club web site or elsewhere, You agree to release, covenant to indemnify and hold harmless; the Club or any persons authoring or publishing such stories from all liability of any kind whatsoever, and from any and all loss or damage or any claim or demand resulting from any activity of any kind by the Club or any persons authoring such stories for use on the Club web site or elsewhere, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. You assume all liability in connection with Your submission of any stories, including stories created following an interview with You, upon submitting Your stories or participating in an interview.

The Club will make reasonable efforts to review the stories, including stories that result from an interview, with You prior to publication so that You may comment upon them or suggest changes.

You also agree that you have the right to any photos or articles submitted to the Club, and grant the Club and its representatives, including Mark Eades, an indefinite release to use them.

April 14, 2014 0 comment

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Writing about Disney and other theme parks

by Mark Eades February 28, 2014

If you’re wondering why you don’t see much in the way of stories about Disney here, it’s because I am writing about Disney and other theme parks for Inside the Magic.net.

Its owner, Ricky Brigante, and I have become pretty good friends over the past few years. When I was laid off by the Orange County Register in January, he reached out to me and we reached an agreement.

So, I will mostly be writing about the Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood and other theme park related stories for him.

Stories should appear weekly, and I will provide links here.

Below is a list of my first five stories: