 | ||
          |
|
|
|---|---|
|
Backstage Magic I've always enjoyed a good magic act. Part of the fun is in trying to figure out how on earth these masterful magicians can perform these tricks. Seeing how magic is done has never ruined the effect for me. In fact, it makes me appreciate it even more. That's why, as a cast member, I enjoyed being a part of the Disney magic and being in on how it's done. The glimpses backstage are among my most treasured memories. From behind the "Cast Members Only" signs leading to the stock area of the Disney Store to the underground cast member break area below the streets of New Orleans Square, I've been able to access some truly magical worlds of Disney. My first chance to go behind the scenes was when I hired on as a cast member at the Disney Store in Northridge. I had been hired and needed to fill out some paperwork to begin my employment. I went into the store and told one of the cast members on stage who I was and what I was there for. They told me to go on back. "Just go back there?" I asked. It seemed strange that I didn't need a retina scan or to know the secret handshake or anything. I never considered it just to be a door into a stockroom. It was a portal into a whole new experience that I was privy to.
I had been in a couple of plays in high school so I understood the backstage/onstage thing just fine. Backstage, we got into character. We readied ourselves to serve and entertain our guests. We made sure that we were neat and pretty and ready for the show. All retail locations have similar stockrooms but being backstage at the Disney Store still sounds cool today. I still dream about it. As a cast member, there were a few places you could go for shopping experiences away from the stores. Mickey's of Glendale was the on-site store for Walt Disney Imagineering. It was just in a corner office when I first went to it but later was relocated down the block a bit and inside the Imagineering complex. It was always fun to see what attraction model was on display in the waiting area. We'd be given our Guest Imagineer badges and be let in through the eatery to a small building out back. I remember being led through the hallways of Imagineering once to get back there, which was a great thrill. I was always looking around to see what kind of projects people were working on and what kind of artwork was displayed on the walls. There was also a fun little store on the Studios lot that we could go to. Buying cast member only items was always a thrill but it was even more exciting to pull up to the Studio gate and flash our employee ID and be let in. A few years later, the Studios underwent a renovation and the store was redone to be more of a Disney Store and a re-done commissary was opened where we'd go grab lunch once in a while. It was neat to see the Disney Legend's hand prints in the cement in front of the theater or the Mickey Avenue sign post originally constructed for The Reluctant Dragon filming.
Disneyland also had a cast member store called Company D. When I used to visit, it was just pass the kennels and around the administration building. It was nothing too fancy -- just a trailer -- but it was always fun to see what kind of bargains they had. My first chance to actually go behind the scenes at a Disney theme park was when I worked at Disneyland for a week as part of their Summer Utilization Study. It was really neat to enter through the security gate and make my way behind Main Street U.S.A. to the old carousel theater. They still had the old costume distribution windows and a place for cast members to get their hair cut. Outdoor vending carts were all pushed together in one area and a guy was inflating a bunch of the Mickey head balloons for sale that day. Throughout the week, I'd try to go to as many cast member only places as I could. I ate at the Westside Diner below Pirates of the Caribbean as well as the Inn Between behind Main Street. I checked out the areas behind the Casa Mexicana and the River Belle Terrace. I hung out at break areas. As many park cast members would probably tell you, it isn't the most exciting places in the world but I couldn't help feeling excited to be able to explore these areas.
But my best backstage visits came when I was a finalist for the Disney Store National Trivia Competition. My first year, we were taken underneath Tomorrowland to wait for the contest at the Tomorrowland Terrace. It was somewhat of a bummer that we didn't get to ride the stage up to the ground level but fun to be there nonetheless. After the contest ended and we had our parade down Main Street, we got lunch at Club 33. While not really a backstage area, this was definitely someplace that isn't accessible to the everyday guest. After lunch, Disney archivist Dave Smith led a tour backstage to areas like the parade warehouse and the train roundhouse before culminating in a visit to Walt's apartment above the Firehouse. Truly beyond cool. One of my best memories ever. The next year, I was also able to get a ride on the Lilly Belle Presidential car of the Disneyland Railroad. For some, being backstage is just a place they go to work. But for me, being backstage was a magical glimpse behind the scenes of the magic makers. I'm jealous of the people that can break that invisible barrier that is onstage and backstage. It truly is a portal to another world. It is a place where the magic begins. - Story by Matthew Walker E-mail Matt at matt@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below. |
|
|
|
|
| ||
|
This site is in no way endorsed or approved by The Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries. Additional site information: Privacy Policy Email: Webmaster@StartedByAMouse.com |