DISNEYLAND ALUMNI CLUB
By Oswald Jackson
If you worked at Disneyland-- no matter how long or short the tenure--you MUST join the amazing Disneyland Resort Alumni Club (DRAC). Begun informally and founded by Disney University founder Van France, along with Dick Nunis in 1983, the Club offers a chance for former Cast Members to keep in touch, share memories, re-connect with old friends and make new memories and new friends as well.
Current President, Yumiko Esail, worked in Disneyland Guest Relations from 1972-1985 and was trained directly by Disneyland Operations boss Dick Nunis in everything from Park Operations to entertainment, to custodial and foods, to marketing and Cast Member relations, to Main Gate procedures and merchandising before leaving for the pre-opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, so she could explain and interpret our manner of operating Disneyland to our Japanese counterparts. After returning, once Space Mountain in Tokyo was operational, she became a member of the Club in 1989, became a Board member in 1997 and has been bi-annually re-elected as our President since 2004.
The informality of the Club from 1983 to the late '80's (where Lifetime memberships were offered) changed when, in 2001, with the addition of Downtown Disney and Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland's support of the Club was pulled and a newly-formed Club known as The DRAC was developed, by forming a separate account and individual dues. None of the Board members are paid for all of their hard work, and the current membership has swelled to 342 active members.
As a Club, we receive an informative newsletter which connects all of us, special Walt Disney Travel Club packages, access to the Cast Member-run Partners Credit Union, exclusive Alumni Club merhhandise and two "Mini-Reunion" parties (Spring and Fall); the last one being last November where Disney Legend Marty Sklar (along with "Extinct Attractions" founder and videographer, Dave Oneal) shared reminiscences of fifty years in the Walt Disney Company and Imagineering, with Oneal's spectacular multi-media presentation of the Park's early days. Every five years, a major reunion is put together (the last one for Disneyland's fiftieth took an astonishing amount of work, with Yumiko covering every detail as if she were Walt himself, the night before Park opening, making sure all was ready for an over-the-top presentation).
At the mini-reunions, previous guests have included "Ms. Plaid," herself, the remarkable Cicely Rigdon, the founder of The Disneyland Ambassador and Tour Guides programs, Bob Penfield, the President of Club 55-- made up of Cast Members who worked opening day until their retirements, the ever-fascinating Imagineer, Bob Gurr wo created the Autopia, the Monorail, The "Doom Buggies" in the Haunted Mansion and Monsanto's "Atomobiles," and who once said that if it "is on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it." David Oneal's Extinct Attractions are always a crowd-pleaser, where we are able to see the things (and hear them, too!) which we "old-timers" believed were lost forever.
Some well-known Alum's include comedian Steve Martin, Ron Dominguez (on whose family property some of Disneyland was built, and for whom a "summer job" in this new thing called "Disneyland," back in the summer of '55, turned into virtually a lifelong career), Jack Lindquist, the Director of Attractions and the Vice President (under Walt Disney, President) of the entire Park, Bob Penfield and Wally Boag.
For the fiftieth party in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel, Dana Daniels of The Golden Horseshoe, Walt's original Santa Claus, Earl Harper, former original Mouseketeers Sherry (Allen) Alberoni & Tommy Cole and the inimitable and ever-young Wally Boag, ( the original Traveling Salesman/Pecos Bill, who played the role in the Golden Horseshoe over 42,000 times over the course of 31 years) all performed. Complete with his balloon-animal-making, tooth-spitting, gunslinging comedy, Wally stopped the show. Disney Royalty, Art Linkletter (who, with Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan hosted the opening day telecast of Disneyland) shared his memories to close an astonishing evening of nostalgia and love and laughter.
For this year, Yumiko would like to hear from members for volunteer opportunities they'd like to become involved with, and let her know what merchandise might be nice to produce, as well as events we might plan.
If you are not yet a member of this marvelous club, you may reach Yumiko at the Club e-mail: drac@pacbell.net or, send your $25.00 joiner's fee to
PO Box #2762
Toluca Lake, CA 91610-0762.
The cost of a renewal of an
already-existing membership is merely $15.00. It's a great way to stay connected to your Disneyland pals!
Besides being a writer and Disney Films aficianado, Oswald Jackson is a Disneyland book, map, board game, guidebook, trading card, souvenirs & trinkets, and vintage postcard collector who, besides being a contributor to this site, is also a member of the Disneyland Resort Alumni Club and the Extinct Attractions Club.