I had the great fortune of experiencing a truly magical place today and making yet another childhood dream come true.
I'll start with a bit of back story to paint a mental picture for you all. Like most my age I grew up on Disney films, television shows, toys, you name it. I always wondered what place all this Disney goodness came from. As I grew older I came to the realization that movies and tv shows came from studios; these studios were not only where stars acted but where the magic was made. If only I could be so lucky as to see the studio and the magic in action... Flash forward to the present time... My loyal readers know about my transformation from self proclaimed Disney Dork to Disneyland Resort Cast Member; that in itself is a dream come true. Today thanks to my lovely aunt Alison (Meme) and her wonderful friend Lisa I was able to cross off another childhood dream.
Alison and Lisa went to architecture school together at the University of Arizona, I'm going to resist my U of A jokes here. Lisa took a very different path from architecture; she is now a paralegal at the Walt Disney Studios and works in the trademark department on the Burbank campus. Lisa is featured on the Disney Careers website telling the story of what she does, one day I was sent the link to Lisa's story from Meme. I thought it was amazing that she went from architecture to working for the studio. So here I am thinking how rad it is that my aunt know someone that works at the studio... it gets better. I got a message from Meme telling me to get in contact with Lisa for lunch at the studio, I did, we set things up and that brings me to today.
The entire drive up the 5 all I could think of was another one of my dreams was coming true, how I got so lucky I'll never know. I exited and drove the few blocks to Keystone and there it was the Walt Disney Studios. I came in on the backside so all I could see was the backs of sound stages but it was still a beautiful sight to me. I turned on to Riverside, then into the employee entrance, as I showed the Security Cast Member my id all I could do was smile. Here I was flashing my employee id to gain entry to the Walt Disney Studios, crazy right? I parked in employee structure, still weird to me, and walked through the sound stages towards the commissary. I don't care that I had my id on my I still must have looked just like a kid wondering through a toy store alone. Lisa greeted me and we headed toward the Buena Vista Commissary for some lunch and chit chat. I shared with Lisa my journey from Arizona to Innoventions, a bit about my job, and how thrilled I am to be living my dream. Lisa then shared her story from architecture school to where she is now, as I listened to Lisa I was inspired. She had come such a different place and ended up at the studio; it gave me hope that I too can end up at at the studio on this wild journey of mine.
After lunch Lisa said she would take me on a quick tour of some of the best parts of the studio, and she didn't lie. We stopped at the famed Mickey Ave. and Dopey Dr. sign as Lisa told me a story about the old Animation building, the next thing I knew I was walking through the doors of it. We strolled down the main hall past art work for tons of Disney animated features, my mind was blown I was in the building that so many films were produced in, and Walt himself had worked. At the other end of the hall we exited and I saw it, Legends Plaza. Lisa took my picture with the Seven Dwarfs of Team Disney 1 in the background for her collection and to send back home to Meme then we headed to the plaza. Lisa let me take my time walking around, looking at the plaques, and soaking it all in. I felt near the same emotions as I did when I received my name tag, but with much wider eyes. I was comparing my hand to those of the Legends, thinking of their many accomplishments, dreaming of what it was like to work with them, and paying respect to those Legends no longer with us. I could spend hours there soaking it all in and day dreaming, it is an amazingly magical place for those who can appreciate it. Lisa then took me over to the Frank G. Wells building, it's this little building with trivial things like a Multiplane Camera and the Walt Disney Archives, like I said trivial things. Again my mind was blown as I looked over costumes from films and the Multiplane camera then Lisa really out did herself. She opened the door to the Archives and invited me in with her. I cannot even describe the amount of history there was, I still don't think my mind has processed it all yet. We then headed over to the company store, Lisa snapped some photos for work and I browsed everything they had. Lisa informed me she had to get back to work, I thanked her for giving me such an amazing experience, I purchased some pins I liked, and headed back to the Zorro parking structure. As fast as it had begun my day at the studio was over; but the time I spent at the studio with Lisa is something I'll never forget.
Lisa thank you for letting my inner child come out and experience something most children only dream of.
