1971 Walt Disney World Pre-Opening Mgmt ARCHIVE Disneyland WED MAPO + Interview. SATURDAY’S TOYS Presents… A remarkable collection of original artifacts from the personal Disneyana Archive of legendary Disneyland and Walt Disney World cast member, Ben Harris. Includes over a dozen key historical documents created during the pre-opening weeks before the grand opening and dedication of Walt Disney World. Ben’s personal in-depth involvement with this period of Disneyland / WDW / WDP company history will provide a treasure trove of information for any researcher or author. Created at WED Enterprises in late 1970, the chart was intended to assist in helping WED / WDW management personnel to see “at a glance” which company personnel were scheduled to be on property at Walt Disney World as the company moved quickly toward the final year of completion for the Walt Disney World resort property near Orlando, Florida. The chart reads like a “who’s who” of Disneyland and Walt Disney World with the greatest names in theme park history written into the chart. Personnel from both WED Enterprises and MAPO are listed here with their names and designated timeline for their work in Florida throughout 1971. Those mentioned on this original hand drawn chart and scheduled for conducting their work from the Florida site included. As the team moved east to Florida, this very chart was sent along with them and would be displayed at the Camelot Apartment complex where housing for these individuals, and the many others who would later join them, would be coordinated. The over-sized wall chart measures approx. 21.75″ x 31″; written in pencil, red felt pen and black felt pen. The assigned periods of responsibility in Florida included an overview of February 1971 thru October 1971 (the Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971; with “official” dedication and grand opening of the Walt Disney World resort on October 25, 1971). The chart has been folded many times over the subsequent decades, with previous separations mended with transparent adhesive tape. In later years, a similar, but easily removable tape was sparingly applied to the reverse of the chart to strengthen the connection between panels. As with all documents in this collection, the pages are fragile due to long-term storage and should be handled with care. Some of the documents also have discoloration at either right or left margin; likely caused by contact with moisture during storage. Unknown at the time to the team creating this first flow chart, the number of Disney personnel that would be transferred to Florida, either permanently or temporarily, grew exponentially throughout 1971. The non-negotiable deadline for opening the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971 would require an expansion of support personnel that was beyond what management had initially anticipated. As such, requirements for housing these Disney team members would present challenges on a scale necessitating the oversight of experienced Disney management personnel. Ben Harris would be tasked with this responsibility and in the year before the resort’s opening this became one of his key responsibilities. The documents offered here, in addition to the management flow-chart, include. Original issue of the Disneyland Line cast member newsletter; May 7, 1971; with reference to Disneyland’s publicity manager, Eddie Meck, being promoted to the position of Special Publicity Projects Manager for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Also features a full page b/w image of construction progress at Walt Disney World; circa April 1971. 12 pages; stapled; vintage original. Vintage photo copy; Disneyland inter-office communication; May 21, 1971 from Paul Butler to Jim Passila (WDW personnel director); addressing the process for employees preparing for permanent relocation to Walt Disney World. Initialed by Ben Harris (as “BH”) in upper right corner. Memo was copied and forwarded from Jim Passila’s office to Ben Harris, coordinator of temporary housing including the Camelot Apartments. Vintage photo copy; Camelot “Length of Stay” chart; July 1 thru July 31, 1971; assigning specific apartment numbers for each staff member. 4 pages; including Chuck Dargan, Alan Coats, Eric Westin, Bill Lund, Bob Penfield, Jim Cora, Earl Vilmer, Hank Dains, Orlando Ferranti, Fred Joerger, Tony Baxter, C. Original typed WDW memo, August 6, 1971, from Dick Nunis (initialed in blue ballpoint pen as “DN”) to John Curry (director of WDW Hotel Division); detailing the Disneyland maintenance and engineering personnel who would be arriving from California and in need of housing. The document was forwarded to Ben Harris for integration into the Camelot Apartments. Some paper loss at top margin of document from prior long-term storage. Vintage photo copy; legal size; Camelot “Length of Stay” chart; Sept. 30, 1971; assigning specific apartment numbers for each staff member. 6 pages; including Bill Justice, Bill Sullivan, Alan Coats, Eric Westin, J. Izsak, Bing Crosby, Jerry Van Dyke, Ray Van DeWalker, Jim Cora, John Cora, Orlando Ferrante, Hank Dains, Roger Broggie, Jr. Fred Joerger, Tony Baxter, L. , Randy Bright and more. Original handwritten spreadsheet; 11″ x 17″; detailing “Distribution Useage in days” from September 1971 thru January 1, 1972; referencing all temporary housing locations including Camelot, Palms West, and Lake Tyler apartments; in accommodating personnel from WED / MAPO, Disneyland, Walt Disney Productions, Reedy Creek Improvement District, CSC and “others”.. Original handwritten spreadsheet; 11″ x 17″; detailing “Apartment Usage in Unit Days” from September 1971 thru January 1, 1972; referencing all temporary housing locations including Camelot, Palms West, and Lake Tyler apartments; with information on housing singles, couples, families… As well as units that went unused during this period. Vintage photo copy; Camelot “Length of Stay” chart; Nov 1 thru Nov 30, 1971; assigning specific apartment numbers for each staff member. 3 pages; including Wathel Rogers, Chuck Dargan, Vic Guder, Bill Lund, Alan Coats, Frank Forsyth, Roger Broggie, Jr. Hank Dains, Jim Cora, Fred Joerger, Tony Baxter, and more. Vintage photo copy; Camelot “Length of Stay” chart; December 1 thru Dec 31, 1971; assigning specific apartment numbers for each staff member. 3 pages; including Bill “Sully” Sullivan, Frank Forsyth, Chuck Dargan, Wathel Rogers, Alan Coats, Bill Lund, Randy Bright, Bill Justice, Hank Dains, Fred Joerger, Tony Baxter and more. Page 3 features the name of L. Possibly the misspelled name of WED Imagineer, Leota Toombs? Vintage photo copy memo, September 13, 1971, from Ben Harris to John Curry (director of WDW Hotel Division) re: temporary corporate housing at Contemporary Hotel; 5 pages; noting those transferring from housing at Camelot, Lake Tyler, Palms West and Hilton… To on-sight housing at the Contemporary Resort Hotel during the final push toward completion of the resort prior to the October 1 opening. Vintage issue of newspaper supplement to the Orlando Sentinel, Wed. October 27, 1971; filled with photographs and news from the grand opening and dedication of Walt Disney World which had taken place on October 25, 1971. Paper is well worn and worthy of preservation; specifically at seams where newsprint is separating at panels. Still, a remarkable document from the opening days of Walt Disney World. This paper represents all that the above staff had been sacrificing to achieve in the years before WDW opened… All in tribute to the enduring legacy of Walt Disney. Also includes a simple 8″x10″ laser printer image of “behind the scenes” activities at the “Florida Conference Room” at WED Enterprises. Not vintage; but an interesting look back at the early days of planning for Walt Disney World. It is believed that a very young Frank Stanek is pictured here (seated with striped tie; with others not yet identified). This represents a rare opportunity to learn, directly from the key staff members involved, about the details surrounding the contributions of Disney’s most talented employees in the creation of Walt Disney’s greatest dream: Walt Disney World. When he prepared for his 1970 transfer to Florida during construction of Walt Disney World, Ben’s staff then prepared his files for storage as he accepted his new management role WDW. After his return to California several years later, the items remained in storage until recently being reviewed and cataloged. At that time, many of Ben’s files were then archived and preserved within Disney company. This item comes from the personal archives of former Disneyland Production Manager, Ben Harris. His career at Disneyland would span from 1958 thru 1970; and would then shift to Florida from 1970 thru 1972. His work included the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad at Disneyland; and he would later serve as Production Coordinator for Tommy Walker before serving as Manager of Wardrobe distribution to all cast members. Throughout the mid-1960’s, Ben was often tasked with providing narration through Disneyland’s public address system. Perhaps most notably, on November 22, 1963, Ben Harris was assigned to announce to all Disneyland guests and cast members the death of President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in Dallas, Texas. From the backstage offices of Disneyland’s master sound controls, Ben activated the emergency override to all music and attraction narration throughout the park… And made the official announcement of the tragedy. Following the announcement, two Disneyland security officers (Jack Kehoe and Jim Irsyk) would lead Vesey Walker and the Disneyland Band in their march down Main Street, U. To the lone sound of a drumroll. There, at the flag pole in Town Square, they would lead guests in a moment of silence as the flag was lowered to half staff. After Tommy Walker’s 1966 departure as head of Disneyland’s Entertainment Division, Ben would then serve as Disneyland’s Coordinator of Division Services. Upon his later transfer to Florida Ben Harris would provide management for the new Hotel Division at Walt Disney World until accepting a position with INDEVCO. For those with a keen sense of Walt Disney and Disneyland history… The item “1971 Walt Disney World Pre-Opening Mgmt ARCHIVE Disneyland WED MAPO + Interview” is in sale since Wednesday, April 05, 2017. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Disneyana\Vintage (Pre-1968)\Theme Park Souvenirs”. The seller is “saturdaystoys” and is located in Bakersfield, California. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States