Comments on: Walt Disney’s boundless optimism http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/27/walt-disneys-boundless-optimism/ She escaped from the belly of the liberal beast Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:48:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Bookworm http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/27/walt-disneys-boundless-optimism/#comment-20559 Bookworm Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:08:48 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/27/walt-disneys-boundless-optimism/#comment-20559 JJ -- you have led a most interesting life! It's nice what you say about the man, and I'm glad to hear that the joy he spread was also the joy he lived. JJ — you have led a most interesting life! It’s nice what you say about the man, and I’m glad to hear that the joy he spread was also the joy he lived.

]]> By: jj http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/27/walt-disneys-boundless-optimism/#comment-20558 jj Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:45:33 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/27/walt-disneys-boundless-optimism/#comment-20558 My father knew Walt, via a convoluted trail of mutual acquaintances, etc.; and I met him on a couple of occasions, most memorably at his apartment in Disneyland, which place was a model of simplicity. (He didn't actually live in Disneyland, but he did have a home there, and did spend the occasional night there - usually when planning something new for the park, working on the site, measuring, planning, etc. and all of a sudden it was nine-o'clock at night and getting dark; and he'd often [so I heard] just stay. I don't know if it's supposd to be publicly known or not, but he's been gone long enough now that I'll just tell you: his apartment was on Main Street, above the firehouse - the windows over the doors for the trucks were, from right to left, his living room and dining room.) And all the names on Main Street, signs in indows, etc., (Flanagan's Barber Shoppe; Jones & Smith, Accountants, etc.) were the names of the original group of artists, animators, accountants, lighting and sound guys etc. who helped him start the studio in the 1930s. And I think BW is absolutely correct. The whole dream was HIS dream, and he brought it to life well. It wasn't, and isn't, and can't be anyone in corporate's dream, which revolves solely around ever-expanding bank accounts. Walt was of course not insensible to, nor unhappy about making money - but it wasn't his sole - and maybe not even his main - focus, either. Fun was a big part of his life. He had a railroad big enough to ride on in his back yard at his actual house in Hollywood that was probably a half mile of track that wrapped convolutedly around the property, and he hopped on the engine and drove that thing a whole lot for a man who might not actually be good at having fun. Any excuse: anybody came over and wanted to see it, he was on the front end, driving. His kid's birthday parties - he drove. Friends showed up with their children, he drove. A man who had fun. He was one of those people - Dreamer-in-Chief. An air of warmth radiated from him, and continues to radiate from his works - and they make what has happened in his name since his passing look fairly dumb. I get a laugh out of the TV commercial about Disney Rewards, and what you can win, including spending a night in the Dream Suite "designed for Walt Disney himself." Well, having seen the place he designed for himself, I would say there'd be just about zero chance he'd ever spend so much as a night in this garish mess allegedly designed for him - he didn't have that kind of ego. Donald Trump might spend a night there - Eisner would, certainly. But Walt? No. Not his style. And as BW and family have re-established, his style was the only one that counted. My father knew Walt, via a convoluted trail of mutual acquaintances, etc.; and I met him on a couple of occasions, most memorably at his apartment in Disneyland, which place was a model of simplicity. (He didn’t actually live in Disneyland, but he did have a home there, and did spend the occasional night there - usually when planning something new for the park, working on the site, measuring, planning, etc. and all of a sudden it was nine-o’clock at night and getting dark; and he’d often [so I heard] just stay. I don’t know if it’s supposd to be publicly known or not, but he’s been gone long enough now that I’ll just tell you: his apartment was on Main Street, above the firehouse - the windows over the doors for the trucks were, from right to left, his living room and dining room.)

And all the names on Main Street, signs in indows, etc., (Flanagan’s Barber Shoppe; Jones & Smith, Accountants, etc.) were the names of the original group of artists, animators, accountants, lighting and sound guys etc. who helped him start the studio in the 1930s.

And I think BW is absolutely correct. The whole dream was HIS dream, and he brought it to life well. It wasn’t, and isn’t, and can’t be anyone in corporate’s dream, which revolves solely around ever-expanding bank accounts. Walt was of course not insensible to, nor unhappy about making money - but it wasn’t his sole - and maybe not even his main - focus, either. Fun was a big part of his life. He had a railroad big enough to ride on in his back yard at his actual house in Hollywood that was probably a half mile of track that wrapped convolutedly around the property, and he hopped on the engine and drove that thing a whole lot for a man who might not actually be good at having fun. Any excuse: anybody came over and wanted to see it, he was on the front end, driving. His kid’s birthday parties - he drove. Friends showed up with their children, he drove. A man who had fun.

He was one of those people - Dreamer-in-Chief. An air of warmth radiated from him, and continues to radiate from his works - and they make what has happened in his name since his passing look fairly dumb. I get a laugh out of the TV commercial about Disney Rewards, and what you can win, including spending a night in the Dream Suite “designed for Walt Disney himself.” Well, having seen the place he designed for himself, I would say there’d be just about zero chance he’d ever spend so much as a night in this garish mess allegedly designed for him - he didn’t have that kind of ego.

Donald Trump might spend a night there - Eisner would, certainly. But Walt? No. Not his style. And as BW and family have re-established, his style was the only one that counted.

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