Remembering the Magic: More Stories of Our Walt Disney World Careers by R.J. Ogren & Suzanne Ogren

Author:R.J. Ogren & Suzanne Ogren [Ogren, R.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: disney world, disneyland, jungle cruise, pirates caribbean, walt disney
Publisher: Theme Park Press
Published: 2017-01-03T23:00:00+00:00

25th anniversary: Dawn, Suzanne, R.J., and Sean

chapter seventeen

Hidden Gifts

R.J.

Driving through the Magic Kingdom, on a chilly morning, I was wearing my brown suede safari jacket. It was my favorite time of year in the Magic Kingdom. Christmas. Overnight, the park had been transformed into a holiday wonderland.

It was 7:30. The streets and sidewalks still sparkled from their early morning wash-down. I was alone in our Pargo as I steered the golf cart toward Fantasyland. I had purposely taken the long route, so that I could be the first to see all the decorations.

I had entered the park through the gate between It’s A Small World and the Skyway. I then turned right and drove through Liberty Square, Frontierland, Adventureland, and finally on to Main Street. I circled the huge Christmas tree that sat in the middle of Town Square. Only the day before, I had seen that tree backstage, in the parking lot behind the Hospitality House, where it had been completely trimmed and decorated. I told myself that one year I would stay late after work, after the park closed, to watch the tree being hoisted into place. I never got that chance.

Going back up Main Street, toward the castle, I made a right turn into Tomorrowland, then a left into Fantasyland, and straight on ’til morning—oops! Sorry! Couldn’t resist—straight to Peter Pan’s Flight. I made a few quick repairs and touch-ups in the London streets while walking through the attraction. Then I went back to our studio—the short way.

Jayne, Tom, and Lee were sitting at their desks.

“Time for a coffee break,” I said, as I set my supplies on the work table.

Jayne looked up at me. “We’re staying here.”

“We are?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” I walked over to her desk. “Why?”

“Christmas gifts.” It was then that I noticed Jayne was making ornaments.

“Oh, is it that time already?” I did know that each year, just before Christmas, we would use our break and lunch hours to create gifts, or ornaments, for our families.

I had already decided that I was going to make a special ornament this year, so I went to the cabinet by the sink to get some sculpting clay.

“There’s coffee,” Jayne said.

I helped myself to some before sitting down at my desk. After a few sips, I began forming a three-quarter inch, flat oval. On the front, I carved out a Mickey Mouse head, wearing a Santa hat. On the oval frame around him, I carved the names: Randy, Suzy, Dawn, Sean, and a “Merry Christmas” and the year, “1977.”

Our Christmas projects took a couple of weeks to complete, and, I have to admit that as Christmas drew closer, our breaks and lunch hours got “longer.” (If someone came into the studio while we were creating these special items, we’d quickly hide them!)

I made a mold of my sculpted clay ornament, and then poured clear acrylic compound into the mold. When it hardened, I removed it and painted the ornament with acrylic paints. I made three of these. We kept one, and then gave the other two to Suzanne’s parents and mine.

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