Christmas With Bu

I'm continuing to share stuff given to me by GDB pal Bu, from his days working for Disney - as a Tour Guide, but in other capacities as well. Among the treasures were a number of Christmas-related items - perfect for this time of year!

Let's start with this Christmas card, with a copyright date of 1989 on the back. The cover features some ornaments, including one with the likeness of Chip and Dale, in their "Rescue Rangers" costumes. "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers" originally aired starting on March 4, 1989, and continuing through three seasons (65 episodes) to November 19th, 1990. 

As you can see, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells "signed" the card  (along with our rodent friends). By this point Eisner had been the CEO of the Walt Disney Company for five years. Bu said cards like this were sent at Holiday time generally with some ticket books and a note from the boss: be it Card Walker, Ron Miller, Michael Eisner, etc.   If I remember correctly these came from the Disney Execs and not the Disneyland Execs (Dick Nunis, etc.)    We were sent a few ticket books a year, in addition to having our Main Gate Pass, or Silver Pass, or just a Company ID to get in the gate (Summers only).

Next is the cover of what was certainly a non-Disney Christmas card - no date, unfortunately. 

Inside is this awesome photo, featuring Bu surrounded by a bevy of beautiful babes. Bu wrote: This party was offsite…somewhere.  I forget where, but it had a decent wine list, and I ordered a bottle of Chateau Petrus ‘75. Instead of drinking it, I should have saved it…it’s worth about $4K now.  A rep for General Motors recommended it, and said it was like “drinking velvet”: which it was.  Haven’t had it since.   I am in “Queen Mary” supervisor clothing…so I must have come straight from work.  This was probably my first year over there…so perhaps ’89 (?)   I remember that jacket: it was a ridiculously expensive camel hair jacket, with a blue subtle tartan.  I wore that jacket in the “Salute to the 3 Stooges” show I did a decade or so later, and got covered in “whipped cream” (shaving cream) and the jacket was no worse for the wear.  I still wear camel hair jackets to this day for their resilience.…sooo very luscious to the touch.   At this point, I was probably still “on loan” to the QM (hadn’t signed the papers yet…), which is why I was invited to this GR party.

All the ladies are the Guest Relations Leads at the time.   Back row, L to R: Jackie, Natalie, Erin, Suzn, Linda, on my lap: Robin, on the ground: Alexis.  Most of these leads were Cicely hires, and from the late ’70’s.  Linda as I have mentioned before was the "Ringo Hostess", Suzn was (and is) a force to be reckoned with, Erin: Hostess to many many many stars: and big Tom Jones fan.  He came to the park and she brought him back to the phone room (behind City Hall)….which sounds kind of crazy…but MANY celebrities were brought back there due to private restrooms, and of course, many pretty girls to flirt with.

There was also this card, with a related photo: The Santa Elf costumes are actually “Glock Girl” costumes (the pretty ladies that played the glockenspiels behind Santa in the Christmas Parade.)  As with all parties of the day, we had a “photo set up”, and I am sure everything was provided by Disneyland.   Although these parties were not sanctioned by the Company, they were officially unofficial parties…so we had the support of costuming, photo, Cast Activities, etc.  Guest Relations did a lot of things for the park that had nothing to do with guest relations, so other departments were happy to supply various things for various events that we produced ourselves.

The first photo is the official Polaroid photo location shot, and the second: a personal shot that was sent to me later.   The stationery is character fan mail stationery, which we also were involved in.  You can see the glasses of Petrus there….I did share :)

MANY THANKS to our friend Bu!