Walk in Walt's Footsteps

About two weeks ago, our discount went down from 40% off to 20% off merchandise and discounted stuff like that, due to the up-coming peak seasons of Spring Break and Summer Break. So before that happened, we HAD to go do the tour that we'd been hearing so much about.

The Walk in Walt's Footsteps is a tour on the history of the park as Walt had intended it to be. Basically we walked around the park and learned about where he had thought of ideas for some of the classic attractions, we learned about Walt's vision for the park and all of the fun stories of Walt in his park. It was fantastic!

Our tour guide was named Sandi. She's what we Disney cast members like to call "Lifers". She started working in Disneyland in the 60's. She climbed the Matterhorn, opened It's a Small World, and she was here back when the Stage Coaches still ran in Frontierland. For some of you less Disney-knowledged people, the stage coaches we these notorious horse-drawn coaches that were known for dumping people out when the horses or donkeys refused to cooperate. They weren't there for very long. But anyways, Sandi's husband was also a Disney Lifer. They both reloacated to assist in the building and opening of then EuroDisney, now Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. She was fantastic. They very typical Disney Tour Guide. Her hair was perfectly coiffed in a french twist and the way she moved her hands at the wrist when she talked only testified to her poise. It was just fascinating to listen to her. I didn't really learn anything new about the park (maybe a couple new small facts, but I'm not trying to toot my own horn here), but she was just great! It really stirred up that goal of mine to be a tour guide for Disneyland. Something I'm DYING to do. But I'm working on it.

Our tour was really small. There was the three of us, a couple from Pitsburg and a family of four who came all the way just to see Disneyland for their oldest. His name is Christopher and he's only 6 but he knows EVERY THING about Disney. This kid was amazing! He spurted out so much information that left Kelsi and I shocked. And we KNOW Disney, so the fact that he was able to drop our jaws is something to be admired about. Plus he was SO FREAKING CUTE!! I want like five of him for myself! He was so amazed when he found out that the three of us worked at Disneyland. And we all agreed that he needed to work for Disney when he's older... yeah, he'll probably own the company. Little baby Bob Iger (current owner of Disneyland, p.s.).

The tour started in Mainstreet, where we learned about Walt growing up in Illinois and then through Adventureland where we went on the Jungle Cruise, through Frontierland where we saw the petrified tree. I learned there that the petrified tree was an anniversary gift from Walt to his wife Lilly. When he gave it to her she said, "What am I going to do with this? Put it in your park..." and it's still there. We walked through New Orleans Square where we learned that Walt had originally wanted to build a Disneyland there because he was so in love with the culture there. And then... we got... to go into... CLUB 33!! For those of you who don't know, Club 33 is the infamous and extremely exclusive club/ restaurant above Pirates of the Carribbean. It's a seven year long waiting list (that just closed) to join, where you have to pay $500 a month to be a member and that doesn't even cover the $150 a plate meal they have in the actual restaurant. It was SO amazing!! We didn't actually get to go into the restaurant, but we got to go into the lobby and stand in the lift! Of COURSE we had to take pictures. It was so amazing. I almost cried... moving on... Then we walked through Fantasyland where we walked around the Matterhorn and ended in the Tiki Room.

It was just amazing! The weather was pretty nasty and rainy but I just die over the history of it all! I don't care that I've been to the park everyday since I've been here, I don't get tired of it. I love it here. This is my habitat and my passion! I know how horribly goofy that sounds... an amusement park being someone's passion. But if you could only understand the amount of spirit and ideals that have gone into this company and park, then you'd see how amazing it is.

Kelsi, Stephanie, Sandi, and I

CHRISTOPHER!!! Oh my business he's SO cute!

FREAKING out!

We SQUEEZED into that lift

We wanted to book it up those stairs to the actual club but we were afraid we'd get kicked out... and I don't really know what's up with my neck, gross.

Soon to come: Meeting with Disney Dave of Guest Relations