What’s the weirdest thing you ever saw working for Disney?
An acquaintance of mine and his brother many, many years ago hid out on Tom Sawyers Island at Disneyland in Anaheim until the park closed once - I think it was in the wild 1970’s. I have no idea why they did it but they were eventually caught by after hours security and prosecuted good and hard. I believe also, it’s been many years since I’ve heard the story retold, that the brother was severely injured by the steamboat tracks while going for a midnight swim off the island beach. They reportedly were not seen by anyone in the Indian village though - thankfully
I borrowed a tombstone from the Haunted Mansion and put it in the middle of the soccer field before we played our arch rival in soccer. The coach told me that I had to return it. The 70s, what a fun decade.
“What’s the weirdest thing you ever saw working for Disney?”
Well, while working at Tokyo’s Disneyland one sunny day, we had a 6.8 earthquake rattle the trees and slosh the water around. The park, over there, is built on a liquid base so it just rolled around and not a piece of glass was broken.
Another interesting incident..
The rides over there have sponsors who get perks. Big Thunder Mountain was sponsored by the huge Mitsui bank. One day, while walking in an underground tunnel beneath the ride I found a door open that had always been locked. Being the rude, inquisitive gaijin I am, I went in. It was a bar of the first water. All brass and leather. Top notch booze. Royal Salute, and Ballantine 30 year scotch. There were several side doors which I expected led to bedrooms. As I approached one, in came a Disney ‘lead’ who lambasted me, in a whisper, and shooshed me out. Luckily, I didn’t barge into a room and upset a bank manager or a politician in flagrant delecto.
I can just picture an exec ‘dad’ taking his kids to Disney, hiring a guide to tote his kids through the rides while he diddles with his ‘nisan’ (second wife) or his pillow girl in the executive lounge.