It's time for another selection of BUPIX! Photos from the personal collection of GDB friend Bu, from his days in the 80s, when he worked as a balloon vendor, and in Guest Relations, AND as a Tour Guide. He has kindly provided some fun commentary to go with today's pictures, which makes them more fun. Here we go!
These photos are from another “Tour of Tears”…(as the TG’s called them) where we would follow a TG around, “in disguise” as guests, to make sure the TG’s were up to snuff. It wasn’t popular for a variety of reasons, so it didn’t last long. Looking back, it was just accountability, and if you were doing everything you were supposed to, there was no reason to be crying about it. But… we are human beings, so I understand the anxiety around it all. In retrospect, we should have made it more a “feedback session”…than a “three strikes you are out”. Two leads were on the tour to make sure there was agreement and objectivity.
Small World Leg People. I took this photo because I was a bit horrified. Come on ladies…really? That’s all I can say about that one.
Looks like we were in “Disneyland State Fair”… which sounds kind of tawdry, and it was in the most sanitized of ways… but kind of fun, and thematically worked fine on Main St. This was at the conclusion of the night… and the best thing about State Fair, is all the leftover food from the little stands in Town Square was given away. There’s Rosemarie and Holly… closing comp room person, and closing phone room person… I think I just stopped and said “LET ME TAKE YOUR PICTURE” (as I often did). Hence the snarly kind of looks.
In the next photo… looks like we took the long way to security and Cash Control….and decided on some “photo ops”… this one with Rosemarie on a scooter. She has an umbrella: perhaps it was raining (?). Rosemarie was a very pretty young and glamorous lady: the photos don’t do her justice. (Rosemarie has movie star hair and nails!).
You’ve seen Alexis and Kara in other photos… here they are at the Tour Gardens. That clock was a little Mickey clock to make sure Tours left on time. There are some of the new Tour Tags that Stacia Martin (some of you may know who that is) designed. I don’t think she got credit for that… and possibly zillions of other things she did art for as a Main St. Merchandise employee (at that time)… so I will give her credit now! She was and is an amazing artist and Disney Historian. She knows her stuff. Hello Stacia if you read this!
Next is Barbara, my co-hort on the Tour of Tears… we just look like a typical American couple… ha! I think we were anything but. Barbara’s family owned a lot of Orange County farmland… when it was Lima Beans. Barbara went on to a long Disney career as many did, and I often think “what if I stayed?” Well… my life would have been much less exciting for sure. No regrets at all, and I will say again that Disneyland was the best “College” of life that anyone could ever wish for. There are more things there that I’ve taken into my many many many versions of myself since then that are still valid and relevant. Not for everyone… but I suppose, not all jobs are.
THANK YOU, BU! As usual, seeing these photos makes me wish that I'd been able to work in some capacity at the park - I think that Bu was high enough up the ladder (as a TG) to enjoy himself a bit more, though I know he was also held to a high standard. Still, he got to work with a lot of pretty girls, and that's not a bad thing! I hope everyone has enjoyed today's pix... there are more to come.
Major-
ReplyDeleteWe love Bupix-! The "Tour of Tears" - it makes me think of the Firesign Theater and their reference to the Trail of Tears Golf Course. I feel visually violated seeing those three pairs of bare legs-! (So much for being a 'family blog'-!) I suppose they were just taking advantage of some of that fine, Southern California 'liquid sunshine'.
Of course we know Stacia. She is most-deserving of all the compliments she receives. She is a true treasure.
Thanks Bu, and The Major.
1) Bu, I agree. What is with those gals putting their legs up on the boat?!? I bet they did it at all the other rides as well: Storybook Canal Boats, Jungle Cruise, Canoes! Feed 'em to the Swans, says I.
ReplyDelete2) Judging from their "snarly kind of looks", it sounds like you acquired something of a 'nuisance' reputation... along with partaker of shenanigans. And yet, you also have that very proper, by-the-book side as well. "Is a puzzlement". ;-)
3) I wonder if Rosemarie wore her hair like that all the time? It seems kind of wild and out of control for a prim-and-proper TG. One expects Tour Guides to be more like Mary Poppins than Delilah. ;-)
4) In the Tour Garden photo, what are those (mostly) white things on the table next to the clock? (BTW, the full sized image is not coming up.)
5) Sounds like Barbara has an interesting story! Coming from a family that owned a lot of nearby farmland to becoming a Disney 'lifer'.
Thanks for sharing your photos with us, Bu. And thank you, Major.
A dollar for cotton candy!!?? What a gyp!!
ReplyDeleteWhen we went to cash control we had to call ahead and give our name and ID number and a code - as well as how much we were bringing over. We also had to go in teams - 2 castmembers per cart … one cart at a time. Management would always stress that we were to try and avoid guest interaction if possible and try to down play that we had a metal box dolly full of cash : LOTS OF CASH!! Most of the carts were plain painted a very dark green . HOWEVER two cash carts were painted by the signshop pictorial with Scrooge McDuck and piles of gold coins in all sides . We used to laugh that it was so important to not let guests know we had money in the box cart. Like they’d have no idea with Scrooge mcDuck and piles of coins on it!! When we got to cash control ( behind space mountain and mars) we had to both stand in front of the security camera , then pick up a phone receiver and give our names and the matching code . They would then auto-unlock the door .. we’d roll the cart in and stand infront of very very thick glass windows . A cash control employee would slide a double ended drawer open towards us then we’d give them the paperwork and another low door would open - we’d push the money filled cart into it and close the door . They would open it up on the other side and we’d wait while they counted everything to make sure it matched with what was called in when we headed over and that it was the correct amount as the deposit paperwork. When done they would fill the cart with change or other money if it was requested . Then they would call our destination that we were headed back and what the amount was in the cart ( if any) in a 8 hour shift we would do one of this cash control trips but on a busy day - sometimes more. Also as BU mentioned ANY DISCREPANCY - even a Penny would cause for the safe balance or deposit to be recounted . This was important for cash control security who could monitor repeating inconsistencies to identity a theft or loss trend . They could investigate and find out pretty easily if a castmember was stealing money .
As for the first pic, where were those girls raised? In a barn? Hopefully one of the dolls inside the attraction was running around with a chainsaw, to teach them all a lesson.
ReplyDeleteI bet the cotton candy back in those days was made fresh and not the stale compressed junk they sell today, in plastic bags and containers. While working at Knott's, I learned that the best cotton candy was when it was fresh out of the machine and was still warm and fluffy.
I remember Stacia Martin when she worked in the Disneyana Shop on Main St. (back when it was located on the west side of the street). The shop used to have free copies of "The Disneyana Collector" which was a newsletter from Groiler Enterprises Inc. of Danbury Connecticut. That company made a lot of Disney collector's plates, Christmas ornaments, and other limited addition items that were sold in the Disneyana Shop. One issue had a story on Stacia and her collection of Disney records. My friend and I asked her to autograph our copy of the newsletter. She did, and she also drew a little Mickey Mouse for each of us. I still have my copy!
Thanks for the behind-the-scenes pics, Bu and Major!