Creating Magic Moments

Disney Ruined My Marriage! In the spring of 2009 (5 year ago) I applied to the Disney College Program. I was accepted into the Disneyland Program as a Photopass Photographer. I chose Disneyland so I could be close to my wife and kids who would be in Arizona. Turns out that there was a price to pay for that choice. I say this all in jest. Disney didn't really ruin my marriage, but when I got back, people noticed a major different. Not only had I lost over 30 pounds due to starvation (my choice), I had become a Disney Geek!

During my divorce, my mother asked me what was my obsession with
Disney. She asked if it was a specific person. She thinking it was a girl, I replied it was a person, but not who she thought. It was a man named Roger.

Roger:

On November 9, 2009 I was on a shift taking pictures of guests with Big Thunder Mountain and occasionally Woody or Jesse. At around 2:30 in the afternoon a lady comes up to me to ask when Woody would be coming out. Her brother who had Down's Syndrome had come from Portland, OR to celebrate his birthday at Disneyland. His sister had brought him to my area to meet Woody. I told them that Woody was feeding Bullseye at the moment and would be back in the next 10 minutes. They chose to wait and I took the time to chat with them. Roger's sister explained to me that they had been having fun, but Roger wasn't enjoying himself completely. She continued to tell me that she was afraid of the more thrilling rides in the resort, specifically, Big Thunder Railroad and Space Mountain. I expressed my condolences to the situation. Then I realized, I got off in about 3 hours and I had plans to go to movie that night playing for Cast Members so I had a change of clothes and was going to ride something before going to the movie. I told her that I could change and meet them at the bridge next to Big Thunder Mountain at 6:30 and we'd go on Big Thunder Railroad and anything else I could fit in. Turns out my friend didn't want to go to the movie after all so I had the rest of the evening off.

I got off work and met them right where we said we would. We immediately went on Big Thunder and had a blast. I told them I had the rest of the evening and the next day off even so I could take Roger on anything he wanted to go on. We went on everything we could think of in Disneyland before it closed. Luckily I grabbed this one shot from Space Mountain. That's us in the middle. The next day I grabbed a friend of mine, Kristin, to come with us to California Adventure before she had to work. It was one of the best days of my life and I knew that's where I was meant to be.

I didn't have to do that. I didn't have to help them, but I can guarantee they still talk about that one time a cast member spent the day with them in Disneyland.

What unselfish Magic Moments have you created?