A Moment of Silence

If not for “The Main Street Diaries” an employee newsletter for Disney management, this story would probably have never been told... at least I don't know if I would have heard of it.

Right around the turn of the century, one particular issue of this newsletter was sent out to Walt Disney World cast members asking them to select a “Magical Memory” for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration. The celebration was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Walt Disney. One cast member, Elizabeth Meyer. picked a magical moment that occurred on January 4th, 2002 because it was, as she says, “... of the opportunity I had to spend a very special day with a very special family.”

The Letter

This all began on December 28th 2001. On that day Elizabeth Meyer was working at the Disney Reservation Center and had received an e-mail from Joanne Stolberg-Alger In the letter Alger talked about her father who was a former executive at General Electric. Apparently back in the early 1960s when General Electric and the Walt Disney Company were in the initial stages of putting together their world's fair venture, Alger's father was approached by the Disney imagineers and asked if he would serve as the model for the animatronics host for the eventual Carousel of Progress.

He agreed but asked that it be kept a secret. He did not want very many people knowing he was “starring” in the exhibit. After all, wouldn't it be quite an experience to bring his family to the New York World's Fair and surprise them? His plan was to bring his family to the pavilion on opening day and enjoy seeing their reaction when they saw him, or I should say his animatronics self, on stage. Unfortunately, an illness came on quickly and not only robbed him of the opportunity of surprising his but also robbed him of his life as he became deathly ill and passed away at the early age of 40 years old.

He had never told anyone in his family of his secret. It was buried along with him and sadly the family never made it to the New York World's Fair.

However it was his brother's interest in the New York World's Fair that would lead to the unveiling of his secret of this secret. He knew that his brother was working with The Disney Company on the “Progressland project” for the fair but did noe know the details.

One visit to progress land was all it took to reveal the secret. Recognizing his brother’s likeness on stage led to a seeking out of a cast member and an eventual seeking out of a manager and so on and the secret was out.

Some 36 years later Joanne Stolberg-Alger visited Walt Disney World with her children and found her father sitting center stage at the Carousel of Progress.

Unfortunately her 77 year old mother Doris, had not made the trip but Joanne knew she had to return to Florida with her mother. She knew that there was some unfinished business that would require her mother to visit the Magic Kingdom and in particular the Carousel of Progress

In her e-mail to the Disney reservation center, Joanne mentioned she was planning on visiting the Magic Kingdom on January 4th and would be accompanied by her mother Doris and her daughter Shannon. She asked if she could purchase a ticket just to see the Carousel of Progress.

Cast Members Take Action

Reading this e-mail Elizabeth Meyer, who had formerly worked in the Magic Kingdom event group sensed that this was a special occasion for the Stolberg- Alger family, contacted the event group to ask if there was anything special they could do for these guests.

After some phone calls Elizabeth was told to inform Joanne to meet her at the Guest Relations window at the front of the park on January 4th.

On that day Elizabeth and several cast members from the event group were there to welcome Joanne, Doris, and Shannon. Martin Smith, Operating Manager of Magic Kingdom Guest Relations at the time, had arranged to have special one day park hopper tickets waiting at the guest relations window. Joanne and her family were escorted to Tomorrowland and outside the carousel of progress where they had found a Disney photographer waiting for them.

Julie Paulson, a Tomorrowland guest services manager, who had arranged for the family to have their own private showing of the Carousel of Progress show, also created them before everyone went into the Carousel of Progress photos were taken of everyone in front of the attraction.

They were then escorted into the pavilion and everyone sat down to watch the show. As the show started and the audience section began to rotate counterclockwise to the first scene, Doris caught a glimpse of the show's host, the animatronics figure modeled after her husband sitting on center stage.

So I am telling this story to about 600 plus people in the MagicMeets ballroom. It was lunch time and they were eating and listening. As I got deeper and deeper into the story I noticed people were putting their utensils down so they could hear me.

As I got closer to the moment when Doris would see the animatronics figure of her husband I slowed down my talk and actually stopped for a second or two.

You could have heard a pin drop. I could see the anxious looks on some in the audience and possibly a few who were close to tearing up.

It was an unexpected moment of silence and an indication that I had brought respect to this story.

Okay, so Doris was just about to see her husband’s animatronic figure come out.

She immediately placed her hand to her mouth. As her eyes remained glued to the animatronics figure, Doris started to smile and began to beam and said, quote he looks exactly as I remember him” and her eyes began to well up with tears followed by everyone else in the audience.

It was truly a very magical moment for all who witnessed this special event.

After the show the photographer took some photos of “dad” on stage and also a few with the family in front of the stage. At the end of the show, Doris took out an old photo of her husband to show everyone what he had looked like and everyone was amazed at the resemblance. The imagineers had truly caught his likeness.

As the group exited the theater, Doris took Elizabeth Meyer's hand and said, “Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me!” Doris was very much moved by the hospitality and had waited 37 years to finally experience the carousel of progress and more importantly to see her husband's image be part of an attraction that has brought so much enjoyment to guests for so many years.

The family was warmly told to enjoy the park and was asked to be in front of City Hall at 2:00 PM to receive the photographs of their visit. What Joanne, Doris, and Shannon did not know was that with the help of Dean Gashler of Magic Kingdom Guest Relations they were going to ride an electric car as grand marshals of the “Share a Dream Come True Parade” that afternoon. Dean presented them with Mickey Mouse ear hats and challenged them to “…wave at each of our guests equally not only the cute fellows.”

Though Doris was 78 years old that day, the second the car reached the parade route her eyes lit up and she was a child again. At the end of the day Doris was beyond words but Joanne spoke for everyone when she said it was a day they would never forget.

Dream Makers and Those Who “Get It!”

This is just one of perhaps hundreds, maybe even thousands of stories, of special moments made possible through the actions of Disney cast members. When we think of this story and how that day evolved we realize it may not have taken place had it not been for the actions of people like Elizabeth Meyer, Marvin Smith, Judy Paulson and Dean Gaschler.

As Jay Rasulo, former Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Walt Disney company once said of the cast members, “These are the dream makers!”

However it was the original dream maker, Walt Disney, who served as the catalytic force for how cast members today approach their work and their treatment of their guests

When you have a formula down pat for treating your guests in a very special manner, along with that drive to bring that unique attraction to fruition, it's a formula for success.

When you add that rare component such as the beginnings of the Carousel of Progress, that formula breaks through a higher threshold of service.

We must always remember that in order for the guests to as we say, “Get it!”, the cast members had to “Get it” first and from whom of course we know who that is.

It's the same person who's so wisely noted that we are the “…shapers of tomorrow.”

When I think of the story of the Carousel of Progress and the Stolberg-Alger family, the only question left unanswered is “What Would Walt Think?”

Down the road I’ll introduce you to those who “Get it!” My sense is that if you are reading my words…

….you already do.