Classic Disneyland & Classic Disney Movies

On this day in Disney film history:

December 21, 1962…Walt Disney’s family adventure film IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS is released in theaters in North America. Directed by Robert Stevenson, produced by Hugh Attwooll, special effects by Peter Ellenshaw, music & songs by William Alwyn and Richard & Robert Sherman, with a screenplay by Lowell S. Howell, based on the novel by Jules Verne, the amazing and talented Disney cast features Hayley Mills (Mary Grant), Maurice Chevalier (Jacques Paganel), George Sanders (Thomas Ayerton), Keith Hamshere (Robert Grant), Antonio Cifariello (Chief Thalcave), Michael Anderson, Jr. (John Glenarvan), Jack Gwillim (Captain Grant), Wilfrid Hyde-White (Lord Goenavan), Wilfrid Brambell (Bill Gaye), and Inia Te Wiata as the Māori Chief.

The story centers around young Mary Grant (Hayley Mills) and her brother (Keith Hamshere), who travel to Scotland with their friend, Professor Paganel (Maurice Chevalier), to attempt to convince Lord Glenarvan (Wilfrid Hyde-White) to help locate Mary's missing father, Captain Grant (Jack Gwillim). As Grant was working for him, Glenarvan agrees, and the group sails to South America and then Australia in search of him. They eventually meet the treacherous Thomas Ayerton (George Sanders), who may know the captain's location.

Whenever I talk to my friend, Disney Legend Bob Gurr (not a humble brag; I'm straight up bragging here 😉) about his memories of very early Disneyland, our conversation always gets back around to Walt Disney. Bob was hired by the Disney Company in 1954 and put to work designing ride vehicles for the Autopia in Disneyland. One morning, after he had been working there a few weeks, Bob and a few other designers were huddled around one of Bob's Autopia concept vehicles. An unshaven guy in a weird little tie and a Roy Rogers belt buckle walked up and put his foot on the bumper as they all talked about the car. When the conversation was over, the man walked away and all of the other men yelled, "See ya, Walt!" Bob had unknowingly been chatting it up with Walt Disney, himself! 😁❤

Once he and Walt had established a working relationship, Bob was one of Walt's go-to guys when it came to vehicle design. It's been said that if it's on wheels and it's in Disneyland, Bob Gurr probably designed it! 😁 A while back, I had a conversation with Bob that, of course, turned to Walt...

Me: "Do you remember (in Tomorrowland in the 1950's) the Aluminum Hall of Fame or the Dutch Boy Color Gallery? What the heck were those two things?" 😁

Bob: "Oh, that was the Kaiser exhibit! Kaiser got talked into being a sponsor and they had a head salesman, a guy by the name of Milt Tilley, and he talked me into using aluminum for the bumpers of the Autopia cars because, I'm not an engineer. I didn't know metal alloys. So, they provided the material and we got the bumpers all built only to find out that aluminum won't work and it's hopeless and we had a terrible time with the cars. But, they had all of the aluminum products in there. And what are you gonna do? It's sort of like an industrial exhibit, but they're a sponsor, they're paying money, so the best show they could do was display some neat aluminum products."

"Same way, in that same building they had the Crane Toilet of the Future. They had all of the latest bathroom equipment, I think it was Crane that did that. But if we didn't have those two sponsors, we would've had an empty building. You know, part of that building was also filled at the last second by the movie set from '20,000 Leagues (Under the Sea)'. That was like a two or three days out decision and then all the art directors are there painting the darn thing the night before (laughs) just to have something!" 😁

Me: "Yeah, I remember that story, and I remember you and I talked about it before and I mentioned that Walt was down there painting with them, and you said you didn't see Walt painting (the night before Disneyland's Press Opening)."

Bob: "No, no...I mean, he'd come around for a while and do stuff. You know...it was, he was...in a way, Walt was a regular guy like everybody with him. When you look back in history with the viewpoint of today's highly-organized, MBA world, we don't believe that there were people like Walt Disney. But, I was there. That was the way he was."

Me: "Yeah, he just did stuff. I remember, we've talked about this a lot of the last few years, right, where there was no process. You just go do it. Get it done."

Bob: "Yeah. He'd walk down the street with somebody (in Disneyland) and if the trash on the street hadn't been picked up at that point yet, he'd go pick it up. You know, he had no resistance to picking up a dirty piece of trash with his bare fingers and put it in the bin and keep on goin'. It's his park." ❤

Me: "When I started as a custodial cast member in Walt Disney World, I remember our leaders telling us, 'Every cast member is a custodial cast member first.' If Walt could do it, then we all could."

Bob: "Even up to the 60th year (of Disneyland), I just, unconsciously, if I saw a piece of trash, I'd pick it up. People say, 'Oh Bob, you don't know where that's been!' Well...it was just our habit to do that."

Me: "Yeah, yeah! And cast members are still like that. I have a friend out in Disneyland who's an executive, you know? He wears a shirt and tie and his name tag in the parks every day, and he picks up every piece of trash he sees with his hands..."

Bob: "We just have a feeling...this is our home. You don't just let it lay there." ❤🏰

Thank you so much, as always, for taking the time to read this story! This one comes from my podcast, Turkey Leg Talk. I couldn't find the quote from Bob from the first time he met Walt, but I've heard it so many times I just know the details off the top of my head! One thing that didn't really fit, but I wanted to mention it because of the aluminum at the start of the story. Walt Disney would record the narrations for the Disneyland TV show, and had to mention the Aluminum Hall of Fame. The problem is, he couldn't pronounce the word "aluminum". At the Walt Disney Family Museum, they have a recording of him trying to say it and getting frustrated. It's pretty funny, and I'm sure that's why his daughter, Diane Disney Miller, decided to showcase it. As hard as Walt tried, he just could not pronounce the word. He kept saying it like "Al-U-Minium"! 😁

Okay, thanks again so much for reading, Happy Holidays, and have an amazing Thursday!! 🙏❤

Main Street USA 🌲
DISNEYLAND 1967

This story is from artist and sculptor Andrea Favilli, designer of the Disney Legend Award:

"In October of 1988, Herb Ryman was bedridden with the cancer that would eventually take his life. The room in which he lay was kept dark and warm in order to keep Herb as comfortable as possible.

"Plagued by the fear that he would not live to see Christmas, Herb asked his sister, Lucille, to get him a Christmas tree. He wanted a live tree, not a cut one, because he thought it was a shame to kill such a beautiful living thing.

"She got him a three-foot live spruce, which he had decorated and placed in his view on top of the piano. Thanksgiving passed, then Christmas and finally New Year's Day, but Herb didn't want to get rid of his Christmas tree.

"One afternoon in late January, Herb awoke to discover that his little tree was gone. His sister Lucille had removed the tree while Herb slept.

'Where's my tree?' Herb demanded.

'Well, Herb, this room is so dark and warm, I thought the tree would just die in here.'

"Herb demanded the return of his tree, which was literally dragged from the arms of a departing trash collector. Herb would often brag about the tree, which he called his 'little miracle tree'. He would tell of how he saved it from the trash, and how it continued to grow.

"Even Bill Evans couldn't figure how the tree continued to grow in the murky environment of Herb's dark room. Herb was awed at the beauty of the new life, and commented that in all his years he had never simply seen a tree grow.

"When Herb passed away in February 1989, the tree remained in his room. I saw the tree and asked Lucille what she planned to do with it. She had no idea and so I asked if I could try to get the tiny spruce planted somewhere in Disneyland.

"At Herb's memorial service, Marty Sklar introduced me to Bill Evans. Bill arranged for me, Larry Hitchcock and Bob Stockemer to get the tree to Disneyland's lath house. There it acclimated while Bill and Becky Bishop staked out a spot for it near Sleeping Beauty Castle.

"One night, after the park had closed, a group of Imagineers met there to plant Herbie's tree. It included Eddie Sotto, Joen Kommer, Frank Armitage, Tim Delaney, Larry Hitchcock, Tim Onosko, Bob Stockemer, and myself.

"After a lengthy search in the dark for the pre-designated spot, each Imagineer in turn dug from the hole for planting. The tree was set in place and a light rain began to fall. Once the tree was planted, the rain stopped and we drank a toast to the life and memory of our friend.

"The tree continues to thrive in its new location. Since Disneyland policy prohibits publicly placed memorial plaques, the tree remains unmarked. However, a special botanical tag has been created to be placed near the spruce. It reads: 'Genus: Artisticus Species: Rymanus'."

***From me (Phil): The original fir tree had been replaced by other firs over the years since Herb's death. Eventually a larger spruce tree stood in the spot where Herb's firs once stood. When Sleeping Beauty Castle was renovated and painted a few years ago, Imagineer Kim Irvine and her team planted a new, small fir where Herb's trees once stood. A new sign was also installed so guests could once again learn the story of Herb Ryman's Miracle Tree! ❤️🏰

If I ran the company Disneyland would have a restaurant called Walt’s Corner that served these favorites of Walt’s!

Once Disneyland was completed, Walt Disney would often spend the weekend nights in his apartment inside Disneyland. On one night in the early 1960’s, overnight workers in Disneyland were replacing the trolley tracks. It was about 3am, and they had been using jackhammers for hours, pulling the old trolley track out to install a new one, when a worker noticed that Walt was sitting on a bench across from them in Town Square, eating an orange.

‘Sorry, Mr. Disney! We didn’t know you were sleeping here. We’ll keep it down!’

Walt (and I’m paraphrasing 😎) responded with, ‘No, it’s much more important for the tracks to be ready when the guests arrive tomorrow morning than it is for me to get a few hours sleep! Want an orange?”! 🍊

And that is how, according to the late Rolly Crump and his “A Walk in the Park”, some overnight Disneyland workers had the chance to sit on a bench in Disneyland and share oranges with Walt Disney at 3am sometime in the early 1960’s! ❤️🏰❤️

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Walt Disney, born on this date in 1901!

Flashback to 1972.

Six years ago I had the opportunity to chat with Disney and Hollywood Legend, Julie Andrews, on my podcast. I was told by the Netflix person who set up the interview that I had to talk about ONLY Julie's Greenroom, her Netflix show (darn publicists!). Never one to 100% listen to authority and instructions, I snuck some Walt and Mary Poppins stuff in at the end and Ms. Andrews was wonderful about answering anyway! ❤️

Me: You met Walt Disney when he came to offer you the role of Mary Poppins. Did you know that was going to happen and did you know he was in the audience that night?

Julie Andrews: We did know he was in the audience that night but we thought, quite literally, that he was there to see the show, Camelot. Richard Burton was the star of it and I was co-starring with him and the lovely Robert Goulet as well and we thought he had just come to see the show as entertainment and pleasure. But, he asked if he could come backstage afterward and he came into my dressing room and we chatted and then he revealed that he had in mind a film of the books by P.L. Travers, the Mary Poppins books, and would I be interested in coming to Hollywood to hear the songs and see the layout that they had developed for the storyline. I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, that sounds wonderful!’ But with some dismay I said, “Mr. Disney, I would love to but I’m afraid I’m pregnant! (Laughs) And I’m about to have a baby…” and he said, “Well, that’s okay! We’ll wait!”

He then turned to Tony (Walton), my husband at the time, who was a wonderful theater designer and film designer, and said “And what do you do, young man?” And Tony explained, and Walt said “Well, bring your portfolio with you” which Tony did and we did go after my time in Camelot was finished. We did go to Hollywood and Walt spoiled us both royally and he hired Tony on the spot when he saw his designs and, of course, Tony got an Academy Award nomination for that. The first film that he had ever done, the first film that I had ever done…and it was the magic of Disney that…emmm…he just had this talent for, well, for spotting talent, I guess.

Me: The first movie you did was this little, tiny film called Mary Poppins, right, like this little…

Julie Andrews: (Laughs) But talk about a quick learning experience!

Me: Did you know it was gonna be a huge hit when you were filming it?

Julie Andrews: Emm, not exactly the hit that it turned out to be. We knew that it was different and unique and charming, you know? Disney’s vision was so huge for it to mix animation and live action, it was very new in those days. But, it certainly seemed like it could be successful but I don’t think anybody dreamed it could be that big a hit. And how lucky can a girl get?

Me: Oh, absolutely! Well, how lucky could we get? That we’ve gotten to enjoy everything you’ve done over decades.

Julie Andrews: Well, it was a great learning experience for me and I will forever be grateful to Disney for that!

The film Mary Poppins went on to become the biggest box office draw in the history of the Disney Company. Julie Andrews, in her first film, won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning 5. 🏆

Thank you so much for reading this one!! 🙏❤ I've shared it before, but not since the summer. If you'd like to listen to the full interview with Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, I'll post the link in the comments! Thanks so much again for reading and have a wonderful Saturday!! 🙏❤🙏

The story of Disneyland's first Christmas in 1955.

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disney-history-institute-podcast/id674703040?i=1000636938519

Link to Disneyland's First Christmas video, with footage of Main Street, the castle, the circus parade, and the circus itself: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLt3XdZ_LTs

DHI - Disneyland's First Christmas - 1955 Disneyland's first Christmas, with footage of Main Street, the castle, the circus parade, and the circus itself. DHI Podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.app...

DID YOU KNOW that the voice of the Ghost Host and narrator of the Haunted Mansion was also was the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy?! 🤯

It's true! Disney Legend Paul Frees was one of the most versatile voice actors of his time. In addition to his role as the Ghost Host, Paul voices several pirates on Pirates of the Caribbean including the Pooped Pirate, the old Auctioneer, and is the man behind the famous line, "Dead Men Tell No Tales!" ❤️🏰

Disney Legend Francis Xavier Atencio, known to Disney Fans as X Atencio, was a Disney artist and animator from 1938 to 1965. In 1965, Walt Disney told him, "X, it's time for you to move" and he sent him to work at WED (later renamed Walt Disney Imagineering, or WDI) to work on "the pirate ride." 🏴‍☠️

X showed up for work at WED and no one knew what to do with him. He stood around and watched other people work for a few days. Then Walt called WED, got X on the phone, (I'm paraphrasing) and said, "X, I want you to write the script for Pirates of the Caribbean. There's gonna be scenes with pirates and townspeople and so forth, and there's gonna be a lot of dialogue, and I want you to write it". X was an artist and had never written a script in his life, but Walt told him he knew he could do it and he believed in him. That's how X Atencio became a script writer for Disney’s attractions. 😳

Incredibly, this isn't the end of the story! When Walt came to WED to see the mockup of Pirates of the Caribbean, he walked through the models with X, and X told him, "Say, Walt, you know what this Pirate ride needs? It needs a song!" X suggested a melody and even some lyrics and he assumed Walt would have the Sherman Brothers, Richard and Robert, write the song and music. But when Walt heard X's ideas, he said, "Oh, this is good. If you need help writing the music, ask George Bruns to score it." And that, my friends, is how X Atencio, a guy who had never written a script or a lyric in his life, not only wrote the SCRIPT for Pirates of the Caribbean, but wrote the iconic song, "Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho, a Pirates Life For Me"!! 😲

Much like Julie Andrews told me on my podcast, Walt just knew how to recognize talent in people. He knew that X was capable of those things and he put him in that position to get uncomfortable and then succeed. Oh, by the way, X also wrote the script for the Haunted Mansion AND the song, "Grim Grinning Ghosts"! You can hear X's voice in a few locations in Disneyland including the skull that tells you to keep your hands and feet inside the boat at all times on Pirates and the skeleton that's screaming "Let me out of here!!" from inside the nailed coffin in The Haunted Mansion! ❤️🏰❤️

Thank you so much for reading another story! 🙏❤ I first posted this one back over the summer but thought it was time to post it again! This is another one of those stories that a lot of people tell but most of it, and the Walt Quote, come from Jim Denney’s book, “Walt’s Disneyland”.❤️ Thanks again for reading and have a fantastic Monday!! ❤

Continuing from last week’s post of Part 1, for your Thanksgiving evening family entertainment, we present the next episode in the saga of Elfego Baca!

From the Disney anthology series Walt Disney Presents, originally airing on the ABC Television Network on Friday, October 17, 1958, and introduced by Walt himself, we bring you the Frontierland episode THE NINE LIVES OF ELFEGO BACA, Part 2: “Four Down and Five Lives to Go.”

Synopsis: As the new sheriff of Socorro County, New Mexico, Elfego Baca comes up with an unusual method for dealing with outstanding arrest warrants. He writes letters to each of the wanted men, asking them to turn themselves in. He adds that if they refuse, he will assume they mean harm, and will pursue them with no mercy. Such is Baca's reputation that almost everyone complies.

Enjoy!

Walt Disney's Elfego Baca: Part 2 "Four Down and Five Lives to Go" Season 5 Ep 3 From Season 5 of Walt Disney's Disneyland Anthology program we have Episode 3: Four Down and Five Lives to Go which originally aired on October 17th, 1958. ...

From all of us to all of you, a very Happy Thanksgiving Day! 🦃🥧

You may or may not recognize this cowboy. His name is Clay O’Brien Cooper, and he’s a 7-time PRCA World Champion, having earned a coveted Gold Buckle at the Super Bowl of Professional Rodeo, the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) an amazing 7 times!

But fans of classic Disney movies of the 1970s (as well as some non-Disney films from that era) may remember him, his youthful face graced the silver screen several times when he was a young man during that decade. His onscreen name was Clay O’Brien.

He was in ONE LITTLE INDIAN (1973), with James Garner, and THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG (1975), as well as a couple of John Wayne movies, notably THE COWBOYS (1972) and CAHILL, U.S. MARSHAL (1973), and he was also in MACKINTOSH AND T. J. (1975) with Roy Rogers!

By age 16, however, acting for Cooper was replaced by a new interest — roping — that would result in his becoming a seven-time world team-roping title winner (1985-1989, 1992, & 1994).

A 1997 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee, Cooper joined the PRCA in 1979, and by 1981 had qualified for the National Finals Rodeo, the first of 29 times (1981-95, 1997-98, 2000-04, 2006-08, 2012-2015).

He has also qualified for the National Circuit Finals Rodeo 10 times and been NCFR team-roping champion four times. In addition, he has been NFR average champion four times (1985, 1994, 2007, 2012).

In 1994, Cooper and team roping partner Jake Barnes set the NFR average record of 59.1 seconds on 10 head; the same year, the duo also set the PRCA record for most team roping world titles (seven), a record that stood until 2004.

In 2016, he was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s National Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Today, when he’s not roping, Cooper is active in youth ministry and spends time with his family in Gardnerville, Nevada.

What a life this man has had!

Here’s a new video interview with him about his success in ProRodeo :

https://youtu.be/nQNy-Jhs_ug?si=f5BCA9Zr6I2S4v1n

Born Today, November 19, in 1906: William “Bill” Cottrell, Sequence Director for Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937); also 1st president of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Nicknamed “Uncle Bill” by his colleagues, Cottrell was the first president of what is today known as Walt Disney Imagineering, the design and development arm of the Company. During the planning and construction phases of Disneyland, Walt relied heavily on Bill’s creativity, wisdom, and foresight to make his dream come true.

Born in 1906 to English parents in South Bend, Indiana, Bill graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, where he studied English and journalism. After working for a time on George Herriman’s Krazy Kat comic strip, he was offered a job working cameras at The Walt Disney Studios in 1929. He soon moved into the Story department and contributed ideas for shorts, including WHO KILLED C**K ROBIN (1935)? Fellow Legend Joe Grant recalled, “Bill was a great fan of Gilbert and Sullivan and you will see elements of that, such as the jury box chorus, in WHO KILLED C**K ROBIN?”

Bill went on to direct the Wicked Witch and Evil Queen sequences in Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937), and contributed to story on PINOCCHIO (1940. In 1938, he married Lillian Disney’s sister, Hazel Sewell. In 1941, Bill and Hazel joined Walt Disney and a small group of artists on a goodwill tour of South America on behalf of the United States Government. The trip inspired SALUDOS AMIGOS (1942) and THE THREE CABALLEROS (1944), for which Bill also helped develop story. Bill later contributed to VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER (1943), MELODY TIME (1948), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951), and PETER PAN (1953).

During the 1950s, he carried his interest in story over to WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering), where he helped develop storylines and dialog for such Disneyland attractions as Snow White’s Adventures.

Bill was also keen on nomenclature. As former senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering John Hench recalled, “He was a talented writer and helped shape how we referred to events and attractions at Disneyland. For instance, he encouraged us to quit using the term ‘ride’ and to refer to attractions as an ‘experience,’ which is exactly what they are — an experience.”

Among his many contributions to Disney, Bill helped develop the popular Zorro television series and, in 1964, was named president of Retlaw Enterprises, the Walt Disney family corporation. He held that position until 1982, when he retired after 53 years of service. A lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes, Bill’s idea for a movie about an animal detective inspired the 1986 animated feature THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986).

Fellow Disney Legend Marvin Davis once said, “It was Walt who said, ‘Let there be Disneyland,’ like the good Lord said, ‘Let there be a world.’ But it was Uncle Bill who was Walt’s counselor and right-hand man.”

Bill Cottrell passed away on December 22, 1995, in Los Angeles.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Uncle Bill!

Here’s a fun Disney throwback for everyone who used to love watching the Disney anthology series (which was known by many names, such as Disneyland, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, The Wonderful World of Disney, etc.)!

From Season 5 of the series (when it was titled Walt Disney Presents, and still hosted by Walt himself), Episode 4, which first aired on October 3, 1958 at 8:00 PM on ABC — THE NINE LIVES OF ELFEGO BACA, Part 1: “The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca,” starring Robert Loggia as real life Mexican-American lawman turned lawyer Elfego Baca of Socorro County, New Mexico, in the 1880s.

Elfego Baca (February 10, 1865 – August 27, 1945) was a gunfighter, law enforcement officer, lawyer, and politician in New Mexico, who became an American folk hero of the later years of the New Mexico Territory frontier. His goal in life was to be a peace officer, and for "the outlaws to hear [his] steps a block away". He is known for his involvement in an 1884 shootout in Frisco (now Reserve), New Mexico.

This "Frontierland" episode of Walt Disney Presents begins the story, kicking off a ten-part series that focuses on the real-life New Mexico lawman. Disney tells about the Mexican-American's life, and how Elfego became known as "the man who could not be killed."

Enjoy!

Walt Disney's Elfego Baca: Part 1 "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca" Season 5 Ep 1 From Season 5 of Walt Disney's Disneyland Anthology program we have Episode 1: The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca which originally aired on October 3rd, 1958. Wh...

It was the evening of July 16, 1955, the night before Disneyland's Press Opening that was to be aired on live television. Walt was spending his night in the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walkthrough exhibit with future Disney Legend Ken Anderson. Ken was trying to get the mechanical arms of the squid to work and Walt was there, spray gun in hand, painting the wall of the backdrop behind the giant monster black. 🤯 Eventually, when the arms wouldn't work and the paint wasn't done, Walt and Ken called it a night. The 20,000 Leagues attraction would have to open a few days late.

Walt and Ken walked out to Town Square where they sat on a curb to get some fresh air and take a little break. As they were sitting there, resting for probably the first time that day, an electrician came running out of Fantasyland. "Mr. Disney, there's no power to the Toad ride! Someone cut the power lines!" Ken told Walt that he'd go take care of it so Walt could get some rest. When Ken made his way to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, he discovered that the cables weren't cut, they were just unplugged. Once Ken got Mr. Toad's Wild Ride up and running again, he took a seat backstage behind the attraction to get some rest himself. As the story goes, Ken Anderson fell asleep and missed almost all of Disneyland's Opening Day! 😂

Walt himself took a final lap of Main Street USA, making sure that everything looked good for the opening. He then climbed the staircase to his apartment over the firehouse, climbed into bed, and tried to get some sleep. For the next two hours, the phone rang off the hook with workers and media and last minute requests for the next day's festivities. Eventually, Walt took the phone off the hook to get a few hours sleep. ❤️🏰❤️

This is a story I've heard before from Bob Gurr and others, but this specific one comes from Jim Denny's book, "Walt's Disneyland". I wanted to share a quote from that book, too, because it ties up this story really nicely! When Disneyland's gates opened the next morning, Walt watched the people stream into the park from that famous window in his apartment above the firehouse. He was joined by the Mouseketeers from the Mickey Mouse Club. Mouseketeer Sharon Baird later recalled:

"I was standing next to him at the window, watching the guests come pouring through the gates. When I looked up at him, he had his hands behind his back, a grin from ear to ear. I could see a lump in his throat and a tear streaming down his cheek. He had realized his dream. I was only twelve years old at the time, so it didn't mean as much to me then. But as the years go by, that image of him becomes more and more endearing." ❤️🏰

Happy Veterans Day! We honor ALL who have served our nation!

When Walt Disney was about six years old, he and his kid sister, Ruth, used tar on the ends of sticks to "paint" on the side of the Disney home. When Walt's dad, Elias, discovered his kids' artwork and couldn't remove it from the side of the newly-painted, white farmhouse, he invited his son out to the barn for a "lesson in painting". 🙁 Sadly, it wasn't the first or last spanking of young Walt's life.

Elias had a brother, Robert Disney, who was married to a woman named Margaret, who Walt and his siblings called Aunt Maggie. Aunt Maggie was one of Walt's favorite relatives and she just happened to visit the Disney Family farm soon after Walt and Ruth's painting session. Maggie mentioned to her brother-in-law that she actually thought some of the paintings that Walt had done on the side of the house were pretty good! She informed Elias that, on her next visit, she planned to bring Walt real art supplies so that he could properly express himself. 😳

Elias told Margaret that no child of his would have time for such foolishness. They lived on a farm, and there was plenty of work to go around, even for a little boy. It was a good thing for Walt that his Aunt Maggie didn't listen to his dad. On her next visit, she brought Walt sketching pencils, a sketch pad, and colored pencils. 😁

At six years old, Walt still hadn't started school. In fact, Elias had insisted that Walt wait until his sister Ruth was old enough to begin school so they could both start the first grade together. Walt's mom, Flora, taught him to read at home around this time. She also helped Walt arrange his day so that he could get through all of his chores in the morning and right after lunch, leaving the rest of his afternoon free for him to meander around the farm, looking for animal subjects to sketch. ❤

Walt would sometimes accompany the Disneys' neighbor, Doc Sherwood, on his rounds around Marceline. Doc was a physician and a family friend, and Walt loved riding next to him in his surrey that was led by Doc's big horse, Rupert. On one afternoon, Walt brought along his new pencil and sketch book, keeping it hidden under his jacket. When Doc would go into each home to check on each patient, Walt would find an animal subject and sketch it, always being sure to hide the pencil and pad under his jacket when he saw Doc heading back to the surrey. Walt was a shy kid, and while his mom and his Aunt Maggie would praise him for his drawings, he still didn't have the confidence to let anyone else see them! 🙂

After their final stop of the day, Walt held the horse's reins while Doc filled out his report on his latest patient. When Doc's pencil tip broke, he looked at Walt and said (I'm paraphrasing...always paraphrasing😁), 'Walter, can I borrow your pencil? And while you're at it, why don't you show me what you've been drawing all afternoon?'" 😊 Walt sheepishly reached into his jacket and pulled out his sketchbook to show Doc a drawing of the last patient's dog asleep in the sun, a scene he had captured on his pad while waiting for Doc to return. 'That's very, very good Walter,' Doc told him. Then he asked Walt, 'Would you draw a picture of my horse for me?' 😊 An excited Walt enthusiastically agreed!

Doc Sherwood stood and held Rupert's reins while Walt sketched his prize stallion. Walt later said that the Doc must've held that horse there for an hour, giving Walt plenty of time to get all of the details absolutely right. When he was finished, Doc took the drawing and told Walt how much he loved it. Then he told Walt, "I believe a man should be paid for his services. Not just in hams and bushels of corn, the way I do sometimes, but in good, cold cash. That's why I'm going to pay you five cents for this drawing." ❤ At just six years old, Walt Disney, the artist, had made his first sale. 😁

Thank you so much for reading another story!! This one comes from a Bob Thomas book, but not the one you probably know! This one and the quotes I've used comes from "Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies" which was a school library biography of Walt that Bob Thomas wrote before "An American Original". You can still get new copies of it on Amazon. Thanks so much for reading another story and I really, really hope you enjoyed this one and all of the other stories I've been gathering and writing! Have an amazing Friday and weekend!! 🙏❤🙏