Mickey, Minnie & Me

In 1994, I was invited to interview for a position at the soon-to-be-opened Disney Gallery at the MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana. I drove down to the Disneyland Hotel to join a bunch of other cast members for a presentation about the concept and a group interview. One of the questions that was asked of us interviewees was what our favorite memory was of working for the Disney Store.

Now, I could have fibbed and named a moment that the interviewer would have loved to hear, helping to endear myself to someone who was deciding the fate of my future employment with the Walt Disney Company, but truth be told I was living 2 hours without traffic away from the proposed store and if I was going to make a drive like that I'd much rather have worked at Disneyland. So I told her honestly what my favorite memory was -- an encounter not too long before with Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor, the voices of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

I had the honor of meeting Wayne and Russi previously at Disneyland in the Disneyana Shop. We were able to chit-chat a bit and Kathy had them sign her Disneyland autograph book. It was a fun meeting and I was jazzed to have talked to the voices behind the main mice.

So it was to my delight that the two of them came into the Disney Store in Glendale one day while I was working. The store was rather busy but I was able to get away from whatever it was that I was supposed to be doing and go over to say hi. They really are super people and made me feel like an old friend even though I'm sure they couldn't have remembered meeting me previously.

I wish that I could remember our conversation better after all these years but I was dumbfounded talking to this duo in the middle of a Disney Store while guests and fellow cast members all around us had no clue as to who they were. I was sure someone was going to overhear our conversation when they got into character and spoke as Mickey and Minnie under their breaths.

I know that I asked them stupid questions they'd probably heard a thousand times, which they were gracious to answer like I was the first to bring them up. I remember mentioning that I loved their slightly naughty mice routine they'd do on KLOS's Mark and Brian Show when they broadcast from Disneyland. I know that I gushed about how much I loved Russi's work at Huey, Dewey and Louie in Duck Tales. I know that I told Wayne that I did Mickey's voice for a guest once who was buying a sound card for Michael Jackson at the store. I also know that I wasn't feeling that great that day but talking to them for 10 or 15 minutes sure made me feel better.

©Disney
Russi Taylor and Wayne Allwine, the voices of Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse respectively, share a kiss near the InspEARations statue they designed to help celebrate Mickey and Minnie's 75th Birthday.

Wayne was a sound editor for Disney when he took over vocal duties for Mickey Mouse from Jimmy MacDonald starting in 1977. Russi auditioned -- and won -- the role of Minnie Mouse in 1986. The two of them are said to have met at a voice session for "Totally Minnie." They would become friends and eventually courted before sneaking away to Hawaii in 1997 to marry, telling only Roy Disney in advance. I can't think of anything cooler than knowing that Mickey and Minnie are married in real life.

I wasn't offered the job at the Disney Gallery. I'm not really sure that I would have accepted it if I had been. I'm not sure if answering that my favorite memory of working at the Disney Store consisted of not helping other guests on a busy day in order to talk to Mickey and Minnie was well received. But I'm happy to have had the chance to say thanks to two people who truly remember that it was all started by a mouse and who help keep that legacy alive 75 years later.

- Story by Matthew Walker
Matt started working at the Disney Store as an 18-year-old in 1991. "I Was A Teen-Age Cast Member" is a look at the magical Disney memories of a former cast member as remembered years later.
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