Forever Magical
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At Disneyland's 45th Bithday
During my recent vacation at Walt Disney World, I received news that pretty much knocked the wind out of me. We were passing by Spaceship Earth on our way to the Land pavilion when Doobie received a call on his cell phone. Cynthia Harriss had resigned from the Walt Disney Company. Last year during our vacation in Washington DC, Paul Pressler had resigned, so once again a major Disney news story was breaking while we were on vacation. However, this story was quite different for me. Over the past few years Cynthia had become a major element at Disneyland events. Her presence was always welcomed and was missed when she was unable to attend. I remember the Haunted Mansion event last year when they announced Cynthia Harriss, an excitement was sensed in the crowd which was followed by an audible sigh when it was revealed she was only there via pre-taped message.
Cynthia stepped onto the scene at an interesting time. Paul Pressler had been vilified on the net. He came to represent everything disappointing at the Disneyland Resort. I always thought he appeared uncomfortable at public events which frustrated me, because I envied his position. Having Disneyland as your office and being its president to me is a dream job, not an easy one but one that every Disney fan envies. We have grown up with the vision of Disneyland as Walt's personal backyard, a collection of toys for an adult and to see its president not appearing to enjoy it was always like nails on a chalkboard.
The Grand Opening of the Mission Tortilla Factory
When Cynthia was named to the Resort, there was a bit of fear in the passionate fan base. Was she going to continue to follow the trends set by her predecessor? My thoughts were more a question of would she also feel "corporate?" Doobie and his best friend John met her before I did. It was at a couple of special events to celebrate the reopening of the small shops in New Orleans and Main Street. I was shocked when she recalled their names at the next event. She had quite a talent for remembering people's names or some other tidbit of info about them. She could always make some sort of remark that let people feel that she remembered them. This talent went a long way to making us and other Disney fans feel as if we were valued, something that is lacking in today's marketplace.
The Grand Entrance
I don't believe annual passholders will ever forget the entrance she made at the Haunted Mansion event. Most still hadn't met her so they didn't know what to expect. She made a grand entrance via a trapdoor, clad in a stunning sparkling black gown to serve as the event's mistress of ceremonies. She said: "How's that for an entrance! Tonight celebrates 30 thrilling & chilling years of our beloved attraction that found our guests screaming...the Haunted Mansion. We're delighted you could join us this evening for this ghoulish fun and informative evening."
Some have told me that they heard people in the audience declare, "Paul, would never do that!". Meanwhile, sitting out in the audience I couldn't help but think, "How fun!" She embraced the opportunity to do something magical. She looked like someone who would love working at the Resort. Someone who would take advantage of what it meant to be an executive at Disneyland, maybe do the things that we fans wish we could do.
After the Haunted Mansion event I sent her a lengthy letter. In it I shared some of my likes and dislikes about the event. I received a lovely note back from her office. While some of it was type-written, it also included a handwritten addendum response to my postscript. I'd suggested that she not let her duties keep her too busy to sneak off to Hook's Pointe for the chocolate souffle. Its one of my favorites at the Resort. Her response thanked me and let me know that she, too, was a fan of the chocolate souffle. I saved that note. I cherish it.
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