Tag: Van France

DISNEYLAND AT 70: Van France Saw First-Hand What ‘Car-Mageddon’ Looked Like

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
The chaos that enveloped Disneyland on July 17, 1955, has become legendary. Broiling hot weather, ride malfunctions, no working water fountains, too many people. But the bedlam wasn’t just confined to the themed lands inside the berm. There was a madhouse outside the park as well. Van France was given the task of overseeing automobile traffic heading in and out of the park on that fateful day.
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DISNEYLAND AT 70: ‘Native Disneylander’ Ron Dominguez Witnessed The Opening Day Chaos

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
In the months leading up to Disneyland's opening day on July 17, 1955, cast members and construction workers were putting in 14-to-16-hour days, seven days a week. Many were spending so much time on The Site, as it was known, that they often said they felt as if they were living there. Ron Dominguez could empathize. In an odd twist, Dominguez and his family did live on a section of the Disneyland property for the first 18 years of Ron’s life.
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At Disney, It’s All Relative When It Comes To These Cast Member Connections

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
Walt Disney was all about family, in his life and in his life’s work. When he created award-winning animated films, it was with family entertainment in mind. And when he conceived Disneyland, the world’s first theme park, the impetus was to build a place where parents and their children could have fun together. So it … Continue reading "At Disney, It’s All Relative When It Comes To These Cast Member Connections"
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Traditions Program Remains Part Of Extensive Training For New Disney Hires

Posted on by Chuck Schmidt
During its prime, the Disney Store made it a point of hiring people who were hard-working, motivated, team players … the cream of the crop, if you will. Once you got through a rigorous hiring process, new cast members were required to go through the extensive Traditions training program, very similar to the one introduced by Disney Legend Van France prior to the opening of Disneyland in 1955.
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