This week’s feel good story is a little different from what we usually do. Instead of telling a specific instance where some Disney Magic was shared, this one is about how Disney brought happiness throughout many years for this particular family. TMSM Member Guy wrote to us, to tell us about how Disney has been such an important influence for him and his family. Here’s Guy’s story:
My parents, my sister and I had annual passes before EPCOT was completed and we would go out there at least once a month to see the progress. The monorail exit that seem ridiculously long for no reason used to be a viewing platform with TV’s playing a time lapse video of the constriction to that point. We moved away in the late 80’s but still returned each summer until I graduated in the early 90’s. I joined the Navy and didn’t return to Disney for a few years. My son was born in Hawaii and when my family returned from our tour in Hawaii I routed our return through LA so we could take him to Disneyland. My parents retired from their careers in 2003, returned to Florida and took jobs as WDW cast members. Mom loved her job at Mouse Gear and Dad started as a Bellman at the Grand Floridian. Dad switched over to Security at EPCOT and set his shift to match closely with my mom’s. He would either patrol the area from Mexico to America or from Canada to America. He and mom spent Christmas or New Years at EPCOT either on break or after their shifts ended. In 2005 Dad got cancer and 6 months later was in full remission but too weak to walk his patrols so he transferred to Transportation as a bus driver. Her drove WDW buses between the parks and the resorts until May 2012 when he retired due to the onset of liver failure caused by the same radiation and chemotherapy that saved him 7 years earlier. The Sunday before Thanksgiving my dad passed away. My wife called DVC to see if there were any nights open just to get mom and us out of the house for a short respite; the Tree House Villas were available. My wife, sister, mom and I spent the next weekend at Disney telling tales of all the memories we had made through the years at WDW with Dad. My dad always knew the behind the scenes stories and he idolized Walt. He shared his love of WDW with the whole family; Walt Disney World Helped us to start healing the same way it had helped us bond through the years.
I decided to write this after reading your biography of why you started TMSM. If you would like to share this on TMSM please feel free. Take care and keep up the great work! ~ Guy
It’s amazing how Disney can touch people’s lives in so many different ways, isn’t it? Disney brings people together, creates magical memories, and creates a sense of overall happiness for those who love it. We thank you, Guy, for writing to us and sharing your families story! If you’d like to be featured in a future Thursday article, please contact me at [email protected] and tell me your story!
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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