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Episode 51: Debby Dane Browne
64 Plays1 year ago
On this week's episode we had the absolute pleasure to chat with the very FIRST Walt Disney World Ambassador, Debby Dane Browne! Debby shared amazing stories from her time serving as the face of Walt Disney World and we honestly can not wait to have her back for another episode (yes, we'll remember our jammies this time ha)!
DISCLAIMER: We are not an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company nor do we speak for the brand or the company. Any and all Disney-owned audio, characters, and likenesses are their property and theirs alone.
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Transcript
Introduction to Sharing the Magic
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Sharing the Magic, the podcast that takes you on a journey through the enchanting worlds of Disney. Each week, we're joined by a special guest, whether they're a magician creating moments of astonishment or a Disney expert sharing the secrets behind the magic of the happiest place on Earth. Together we'll uncover the stories, inspirations, and behind the scenes tales that bring these worlds to life. So, get ready to be spellbound and transported to a place where dreams come true.
Meet the Hosts
00:00:54
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome to this week's episode of the Sharing the Magic podcast. Matt here and I'll be one of your co-hosts this week as we invite another truly amazing guest to share their story with all of you. But before we introduce our guest of honor, let's say hi to my friends and fellow co-hosts. First up, Brian is on the pod tonight. Hey Brian, how have you been? been a little warm down here in Florida, but I'm doing okay. Matt, this is one of the times you don't have to envy as air conditioning. So you're not staying comfortable. I am sweet. so It is my time of year to celebrate the weather. Super excited for the guests tonight and I can't wait to get started. Definitely. Uh, we've also got the one and only Rachel along for the fun tonight. Hi, Rachel.
00:01:40
Speaker
Hello, I'm doing good. Just got back from Disneyland, kinda trying to relax besides cleaning my house today. But I'm really looking forward to our conversation to tonight, learning some new things. and I'm just a little jealous that you just got to come back from Disneyland, but okay, I forgive you. Joining in on the fun, we also have Lisa. How are you doing, Lisa? Hi, Matt. Hi, everyone. I am doing great. We had a busy, busy weekend around here, but I'm, you know, it's still 79 degrees at this late at night, so I'm not mad. yeah Warm but not b Brian warm. Right. Not like that.
00:02:23
Speaker
And rounding out the crew tonight, we of course have the one and only Goofy Doop, Jeff
Who is Debbie Dane Brown?
00:02:28
Speaker
himself. How are you doing, Jeff? I'm doing good. I'm not burning up like the rest of y'all, but ah I am in a recording closet that I have, and ah it is a little hot in here. I don't want to cover it up. But anyways, it's, you know, we got a special guest tonight, so I just want to say, whoosh. Well, nice to have you here. yeah Very nice to have you. Well, as you can tell, everyone here is super excited for tonight's guest. She holds a very special place in Disney World history as she served as Walt Disney World's very first ambassador. So please join us in welcoming our new friend, Debbie Dane Brown. Hey, Debbie. Hello, I'm so glad to be here tonight.
00:03:08
Speaker
We are very glad to have you and very excited when, and yeah and we keep saying this ah the past couple of weeks, are our ghost host, our fearless leader Barry is not here with us, ah but he is the, he's our guest guru. he He gets you guys to come on somehow and he sends us the list and he was like, I got the first ambassador of Disney world. And we were like, oh my gosh, that is so exciting. but So we're very, very excited to have you here with us. And we've been doing we've been carrying on the tradition of Barry, and Barry always starts off every conversation by asking our guests, where did it all start for you? Like, did you love Disney growing up? What got you into Disney? And then what was your first experience with with Walt Disney World?
Debbie's Disney Dreams
00:03:50
Speaker
um Like most kids, I was born in 1951 and ah ah heard about, you know as as a young child, loved Mickey Mouse, loved the characters, admired Walt so much, watched on TV once the wonderful world of ah color shared showed every Sunday night. We, as a family, we would sit and we would watch it. I have three brothers. So we would, it was a family affair and we would just, ooh and ah, and I would always, I'm the only daughter. I would say to my dad, I really, really want to go to Disneyland dad. And he said, well, maybe one day we can do that.
00:04:30
Speaker
I had a Mickey Mouse. ah so I caught him a stuffed animal at the time and now I think they're plushies. But it it so Mickey was a big part of of my life growing up. The so that your next point about Walt Disney World OK, it was kind of an interesting thing. I grew up in a very small town for a city which is about normally used to be about a 45 minute drive to walk this new world. And now no matter which way you go, it takes at least an hour in traffic longer. Well, the town that I lived in for a city um I for had not been completed at that time. Our our little village, as as it really was,
00:05:12
Speaker
was small enough. We did not have a stoplight. We had one stop sign. We had a 711, which actually closed at seven. And I could never figure why they even kept the name 711 when it closed at seven. But we were in an Adventist community that ah the place you could get a a burger was Stubbs Pharmacy. And that was a veggie burger. So, and this was back in the 60s. So, um you know, we were, ah let's see, Clark's IGA, where my brother was the assistant butcher. So it was a very small village. We were, we had a party line. We lived in the middle of Orange Gross.
00:05:56
Speaker
There was a plant ah not too far from our home, and literally 200 yards from our house or less was ah citrus groves, the Klingers groves. So we used to have orange fights and run through there barefoot. We had a really good time when Walt announced that he was coming to Florida. I would say prior to that, when you know that we got a ah sentinel, Orlando sentinel every single day. That was a big deal. My dad and mom sat over coffee and read. They said, somebody's look at this. Somebody's buying some lot a property up, you know, headed towards Tampa west of us. it So there was there was conversation about that. But when it was announced that it was Disney, it was the talk of the town. It was dinner table talk.
00:06:47
Speaker
water cooler talk. There was we had a small little cafe, Helga's Cafe in Forest City. They had about five tables, five little tables for four. That's all they talked about. Oh, Disney's coming. This sucks. So needless to say, even at our home, It we talked about it that we didn't know what it was going to be like. We knew it was going to be wonderful because we'd seen wonderful over color and we'd seen um some of the different shows that he actually that Walt had on Disney Land. So we we knew it was going to be great.
00:07:22
Speaker
Well, a big thing for me was my my husband, Rick, when we were in junior high school, he took me to the Central Florida Fair. So this would have been in the in the 60s, the mid 60s. And I just knew it was going to be better than the Central Florida Fair. So which is not saying a whole lot about the fair. So that's all I know. That's all I know. So I ended up I went to FTU, which is now UCF.
Becoming a Disney Girl
00:07:52
Speaker
as a freshman, lived on campus, and one Saturday morning in September, my dad called. He said, and of course, you know, that we didn't have cell phones, you know, it was a phone. I had to get up out of bed and go to the wall. My roommate was still sleeping. It's Saturday morning. She's like, who's calling us this early? and Anyway, I'm like, hello, and it was my dad. He said, um have you seen the newspaper yet? Did you see what the Sentinel, what's in the Sentinel? And I went,
00:08:19
Speaker
No doubt, we don't get a newspaper. We're freshman in college. And, you know, we don't. And if we did, we probably wouldn't even read up on it by now. So anyway, he said, you got to get a paper and read the article about they're hiring Disney girls. so He said, I want you to go out and interview. I said, oh, OK, does this mean you want me to get a job? And he said, yes. So I ended up my roomie and I, Marika, who we're still really dear friends. In fact, she was my maid of honor in our wedding. We drove out on Saturday. It seemed like literally we were driving forever, forever and ever. A lot of sand roads, dirt roads, we did get lost. We ended up by Johnny's Corner, so we knew that we had made a wrong turn. And we finally made it to the to the admin building where it was. So where the interviews were, which
00:09:15
Speaker
That was such an incredible day. I have to tell you, it was really amazing. Do you want to hear about that? Of course, of course. we do Well, so ro yeah you get this phone call and it's, they're hiring Disney girls. What, hey what's a Disney girl? Like, what did you, did you have a good question? I was wondering the same thing or like, what was running through your mind? You're like, I'm going to be a Disney girl. Like, did you know what that was or, or no? had no idea. I just knew that dad daddy's little girl was going to go out there and say, I really did not think I would get a job. yeah i But, you know, dad said go. So, you know, Rick and I went, I didn't know what their honey. Well, I wait, I take that back. He did explain it to me because I never got the newspaper. So I never saw that. I just because I was, you know, that week went to classes and then Saturday but we drove out.
00:10:05
Speaker
We knew that it was going to be the the first phase of Disney in the Eastern United States. We knew that we were going that these 14 young women would be telling all of our guests what Walt Disney World was going to be like. And there was enormous interest in it back then. It was really the Eastern United States. Most folks had never been to Disneyland. I had never been to Disneyland. None of the 14 of us had ever been to Disneyland. Although after the training, we almost felt like we had been there because that training was so intense and and incredible.
00:10:43
Speaker
So I just, I had a feeling it was really gonna be something wonderful. So that, but no, did I know, I had no idea. No idea. So you you go to the interview, what what's that first day? What is that like when you get there and they start, you start finding out more about what you're actually gonna be doing? We drove up to the admin building, and in fact, and it was one of the first buildings that they had ah built on the property off of 535. There was a line of young women in line to get into the door. And we just said, wow, what what is this? Ended up there was over, I think, three days, maybe two days. There were 400 young women from
00:11:24
Speaker
Florida, Georgia, other parts unknown that knew they wanted to be Disney girls, too. So although they probably didn't know what it was either. me We got in line. It was finally our turn. We made our way inside and inside the building was my first contact was Holly Holcher, Cementsky, not related to Billy Holcher. Holly was there sitting at a desk in a sharp Disney costume. She was so beautiful. And her smile was, she was gorgeous. I thought she should be a movie star. She was wonderful. And she just introduced herself. you know She had a name tag on. um And she gave us a a clipboard with an application. It told us to go sit over there, which we did, and what along with all these other young women.
00:12:16
Speaker
we ended up ah filling it out the application. And then she had said to take it over to the young woman over there, which was Valerie Watson, who actually had been Miss Disneyland in 1962 or four. And she was just remarkable as well. I had honestly not met women like that. Young women, they were in their 20s. Valerie was probably in her early 30s and Holly was in her, just probably four years older than I was.
00:12:51
Speaker
they um And so I went over and gave my application to Valerie and we spoke for a few minutes. And what was so interesting about that, never having been in a work situation like that, I had worked at flower shops and run a flower shop, but that certainly isn't the corporate world or anything ah close to Disney. So we chatted a few minutes and then um I also met Billy Holscher. Again, not related to Holly. and Billy is it's just an amazing guy. And Bob Matheson was there as well. ah Legends in their own future, sure. So I did not know that that really was ah an interview as far as really they they somehow coded us ah to invite us back. So they invited me back.
00:13:39
Speaker
then they invited ah Then they kept narrowing the pool of applicants. and Finally, we got down to the 14 of us and we were selected to be the preview center hostesses, the the first face of Disney and the the Disney girls. Did that group become very close? like I feel like if you're like the 14 Disney girls, you you probably became like a sisterhood there. It was definitely a sisterhood and still is. we're We are in touch. I'm in touch with some more than others. I ended up rooming with one of the gals, Sue Wood, one of my best friends, Cheryl ah and Sue Geisler. some of the ah Sue, I had known previously from a group that she and I were a part of in our high school days, but we did become very close. We spent a lot of time. we the The company then decided there was so much
00:14:33
Speaker
ah There's concern by places like Busch Gardens and Cypress Gardens, Bock Tower, Wiki Wachi, that Disney was coming and it's going to hurt us. We went to meet them. In fact, um Mr. Pope, the owner of Cypress Gardens, hosted us one day and then had um he he treated us to lunch he took us he had one of his ah southern bells and her beautiful gone with the wind gown escort us all around
00:15:07
Speaker
We had a great time that he had. We were out on the lawn and probably what was a an eight foot table, you know, times two. So I'd say it was 16 feet long at least. And and he sat with us. I have a few pictures of that, which ah is really fun because That's one thing I regret is that now you and I have access to photos all the time and we can take these snapshots and and then remember those special times of our lives. Well, I had just I don't even know if I had a camera back in those days. So um but I I had evidently had something with me and I do have a couple of ancient photos of of us with um Dick Pope, just a very gracious man.
00:15:50
Speaker
And and Southern gentlemen, it was a wonderful day. So and when then we went to Busch Gardens and we went to the other attractions and we let them know we would be talking about their attractions. We would be telling our guests you'll have, you know, you'll have several days at Walt Disney World. Then we want you to go ahead and, you know, go see Cypress Gardens in the ski show, go to gardens. So that was um part of what we did.
Training as a Disney Hostess
00:16:15
Speaker
um We had a four inch binder full of all the Disney history information, executives, what they did, Walt's history. And and we had ah significant exams on that. We had to know this information. It was drilled in us. We had and we had over probably six or more weeks. I was hired on or the 14 of us were hired on in November of 69. Wow.
00:16:43
Speaker
And so we didn't open until January 10th of 70, right? Yes. Wow. That's intense. Do you still have that binder? Yeah, for me. You still own it? Yeah. That's what I was going to ask, Jeff, if she still had that binder. Yeah, do you still have that? That would be an amazing thing. I am so sad. And I have asked some of the gals if they still have it. And some of them, I think, maybe have bits or pieces. But I stored all my stuff at my parents' warehouse. And sadly, they had a fire. And it burned everything down.
00:17:20
Speaker
So I really lost a lot of real cool stuff. But we were talking about memorabilia. And my question was going to be, I mean, your time there, you know, ah do you have anything that you treasure from your time there that you you still I know the fires that that's such a sad story. But and it could be like before, but it could be now. Like, is there anything from that time that you treasure the most as as I do have I do have um like a bumper sticker. We're going to a Walt Disney World opening October of 71. Wow. I have um some old brochures. The previous center, the previous center really was such a wonderful first impression of Walt Disney World.
00:18:09
Speaker
We had over a million guests come. In fact, I just heard from the, their name is escaping me right now. I think their name is par Parcel, Rachel, the Rachels. And they, their son was the one millionth guest at the preview center. And they just contacted me two weeks ago with a ah ah picture of he and I and Mickey. And we were presenting him with a vacation package, I believe. oh my And it was just so cute. Now they live out in Phoenix. But that was really fun to get in touch with them. um Just as I'm still in touch with the the ah Marty Windsor, who is the wife, the first family of Walt Disney World that came in that day, October 1st, 71. And she and I are still in touch with each other.
00:18:57
Speaker
And I do have I have all kinds of of some fun stuff. Yes, not everything burned down, but yeah I do have some stuff still, which is awesome. So I have a question for you, Debbie. You know, you were in college. This great opportunity comes up. Dad calls you. You get hired. From what I've read and understand, it was kind of a whirlwind into Disney almost instantly.
Why Leave College for Disney?
00:19:23
Speaker
Did you continue with school while this was going on? Did you step away from school for a few years? like how did that ah Was there an effect with family or anything that dad was like, whoa, whoa, I said a job, not dropping out, taking off. What are you doing? like So what was the story of how that affected you personally?
00:19:45
Speaker
That's a great question. i and So I was at the Preview Center. They hired 10 full-time and four college girls. I was one of the college students. So I went to school and then I worked i had weekends. So I had Saturdays, Sundays, sometimes Friday afternoon, depending. That that would always be my schedule for for the Preview Center. I was there for about a year in October of 70, actually some would have been before that, in september in August of 70. So we we opened in January, January 10th of 70. So in in in August of 70, they said, we are going to select the first Walt Disney World Ambassador.
00:20:27
Speaker
So that whole year I stayed in college um and then I was ah my supervisor Holly convinced me to apply for the Walt Disney World Ambassador because I about the same thing you just talked about. I was in school you know my parents it was important for them to me for me to continue. I decided though that I would apply because I knew in the end, I would be the luckiest girl alive if I got the position of Walt Disney World Ambassador and that I could always finish my degree. ah So I applied with you had to be an employee. And, you know, back in the day, you had to be single. You had to be between like 19 or 18 and 26.
00:21:14
Speaker
and there was a whole list of things. And you signed a contract, pretty much a ah celebrity contract with with a company. So you you would have to sign that. And basically you just, you were theirs, you were you would be the Disney ambassador, you would represent the company and the cast and Walt and the Disney family, which is the biggest honor ever. So i but i I was just truly blessed because I got the role and it was unbelievable. And so anyway, is a so I dropped out of college because I left for California five days after I was selected. And you got to fly out on the mouse, correct?
00:21:56
Speaker
yeah i's amazing That's amazing. That was probably the most fascinating thing in this story. When I was doing my research on you, I was so excited i was like, she got to fly on the plane. like i that That is just so neat to me. i've i've seen I've had the opportunity to see it and learn about it, and it's such an amazing piece. So it really is. I had a chaperone and that's a whole um a whole interesting talk that we could have about wonderful Frank, who was old craggy faces. I called him affectionately, affectionately. But he was World War Two Marine. He had been captured. He
00:22:39
Speaker
March, the baton death march survived it and survived four years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and was rescued. I loved him. And my parents, when they met him, they went, we were a little concerned, you know, for your safety in 1970. They said, but we have no worries about it now that they felt totally comfortable after dinner with Frank and I. I and I did end up going to back to school because like I ended up dropping out. And, you know, my husband was so cute. He said, you know, you promised your parents you were going to go back to school. I said, I know. So when I was 50, I finished my degree.
00:23:20
Speaker
i thought Took a few years. Anyway, so I did finally finish. But a meeting meeting Frank was um amazing. And the interview process for the ambassador was so much more intense than being the Disney girl, the previous center hostess. And at that point we met with Don Tatum and Card Walker, our Bob Matheson, ah Dick Nunes, you know, we just, and the interviews just kept getting higher up in the Disney executive order.
00:23:55
Speaker
So ah they it was amazing. Just the process was amazing. So I got selected. And I have to say, it's always been very sad because my ceremony was in the Hilton in South Ballroom instead of in front of the castle. ah So I will always be and envious and jealous of my fellow ambassadors because they that's where they got to but to have the ceremony. You get to be the first, but Disney always learns. I mean, Disney always learns, you know, how to make stuff better if they have to. So they took that and they did it in front of the castle. But you're the first. You know, I can say that not for anything. And your granddaughter will get the opportunity. So you're able to experience it. because i hope I will tell you the first time we went out. So we probably got out on the property in late 69.
00:24:48
Speaker
and know what the really what the moon really looked like. But that's what it looked like to me. i but I would imagine it looked like because as far as I could see, there was dirt and big holes and trees knocked down.
The Early Days of Disney World
00:25:02
Speaker
There was swamp. They were piling dirt up over by the ah where the Magic Kingdom would be. There was, it looked to me like hundreds of the biggest and construction equipment that I had ever seen in my life. My dad was a school builder, and so I knew just a tiny bit about construction. I had could not even imagine this. It it it was otherworldly.
00:25:28
Speaker
and just amazing. So and at the preview center ah we used to take VIP guests, guests that were participants or potential participants at companies that we were hoarding to join us in the great Walt Disney World endeavor. we'd take a bus out, we would show them the property. And the first times that we took took our our guests out in a bus, literally, there would be a balloon where the contemporary was a big construction kind of weather balloon.
00:26:05
Speaker
so when i say balloon not a cute little mickey but and ah big huge but And then there was one where the Polynesian was going to be. There was one where the castle was going to be. I think there was also one where the golf courses were going to be. But I mean, there was just. there was At that point, some steel and wooden things were out there, but not much. And of course that progressed. I really do feel like I burst Walt Disney World. I want you to know that it's my baby. I mean, I've seen it from nothing. I don't doubt you. i don't doubt you so It's true.
00:26:38
Speaker
So we took this one group out and it would be like I would have a bus, there was probably would take four or five buses out of time and we'd have one preview center hostess on it and I'd have ah ah the bus microphone and I'd spiel a little bit and you know tell them all this is blah blah and we're going to be able to camp around here and yeah you're trying to explain it to them what you know. We would stop by the Stolport and allow them, you know where that is, it's where you're coming in, and then that you take that left to the Polynesian. Well, the Stolport, which was short takeoff and landing runway and little airport, we would stop there, which is just dirt.
00:27:17
Speaker
we would get out, let them get out, and we would get out with them and then we would point to these big balloons and then they would they would went on. We would and would talk about hot, sticky, muggy and buggy. It was a boy in the summer. It was just amazing to get out there. But we got out and then we got back on. Of course, there's construction everywhere, everywhere. We made the left to turn, to go by the poly, because we couldn't go any further towards the contemporary or the magic kingdom. So we just made that left on this dirt road. Then we said, we're passing the Polynesian on your right and it's going to be, you know, beautiful, blah, blah, blah, with an indoor, beautiful lobby with other, we would just explain. And then we go to where the golf courses were. I'm, my dad wasn't a golfer and I didn't know anything about golf.
00:28:09
Speaker
So we had the little spill that we get gave about that. But it literally, they you couldn't visualize it. I mean, you you could not even make that into what was going to at that point, what was going to be. So then we would go to Bill Evans to the landscape. to where Bill Evans, who if he was just in charge of growing everything that the eucalyptus trees and the Australian pines, because they grew fast and some bamboo but but and and many of all the other trees and and bushes at Walt Disney World. We got back to the preview center. Literally, we had our guests unloaded. The buses are lined up in front and we
00:28:51
Speaker
Our boss came out, Billy Holcher, with this look in his face. He goes, we can't do that anymore. Girls, you cannot get off the buses because your short skirts and heels stop construction. So you you can take, we'll take our VIPs out there, but you cannot get off because Dick Nunez um Or, you know, he was called Rover one. and he He had he'd gotten a call that we had stopped the work in the areas that we were that where we got off. So that was a lesson learned, which was kind of funny. Very funny. I can't even imagine the landscape without all of with everything being built up and just balloons. This is what's coming here. This is what's coming here. So amazing.
00:29:40
Speaker
ah Bay Lake was really a ah beautiful treasure. What is interesting though, it was brown because of the cypress swamps and the tannic acid so that had created the brown look of the lake rather than blue. So as you know, the company totally drained Bay Lake in portions and down at the bottom was really beautiful white sand once you got through the muck of the years, of the ages. I remember one time Charlie Ridgway, who was an incredible legend, he was um our publicity man ah in charge of that and he was, you know, I know you you know this that because you've talked to so many Disney leaders. I was i was ah really just a young girl out of my league.
00:30:27
Speaker
and learned so much from them and saw how hard they worked and the blood, sweat and tears that they gave to get Walt Disney World going. ah So Charlie, one time he said, Debbie, because I was out of town a lot, again, because the Eastern United States was so hungry to hear what Walt Disney World was going to be like. So I was very blessed. I was like, anytime we would contact, I wouldn't do it, but my managing press people would. And they they would, you know, whether it was New York or at Atlanta or Macon, Georgia, or nana Louisville or any of any city. And they would like, yes, so I would have this huge itinerary from
00:31:08
Speaker
five in the morning, or like a good morning, whatever show in the town we were in, and then all through the day. And we would also make, present I would make presentations to the mayor or the governor, depending on on where we were. Charlie, we were having an oppressor. This would have been in probably February of 71. He said, he said oh I've got this press group and you can come and join us. And we were going out to what at that time was called Treasure Island, which became Discovery Island, which now is just empty. I mean, that you know, ah did any of you ever go out there?
00:31:47
Speaker
Probably not. This is the island in the middle of Bay Lake. Anyway, so there's nothing out there. When we took the press out there, this was the attitude that all leadership had, which I carried on after I left Disney. Charlie said, Debbie, can you drive the boat, one of the boats? And I went, sure I can. I didn't know how to drive a boat. I went, yeah, I can do just kind of brief me. And I did get my my press people out and back, which they never knew the terrible danger they were in while I was driving them. But it was it was that you you figured out how to do it and you did it. And that that was one of the wonderful things about all the leadership at Disney. This is all while you are one of the Disney girls, right, one of working at the um
00:32:36
Speaker
at the the press, center yeah the press trip. I was ambassador by that time ambassador. What, what was like the biggest difference between those two roles? I know one, you said it's kind of before everything is there and you're working on weekends and then all of a sudden you get to the ambassador and it's like, you're bam, it's full time. You're go, go, go. Is that the biggest difference that it's just nonstop? It was bigger than being the Disney World, a Disney girl at the previous center. The ambassador is is the number one role at Walt Disney World and at Disneyland. Also the world the the parks around the world. They have an ambassador as well.
00:33:15
Speaker
Back in my day, it where there was just one of us. now they have and And the program has evolved. Now they have, ah this year there's two for Walt Disney World, which that they really need. And they are a wonderful. Serena and Shannon, if you ever have an opportunity to talk with them. and the The ambassadors over the 50 plus years at Walt Disney World have been, just we've all been good friends, ah not quite as close probably as the previous center hostesses were because now we some a lot of us have moved away. and you know We married and we have children. we had Now we have grandkids.
00:33:52
Speaker
But that the ambassador, my my my dear dad, he was he would he was so proud. So was my mother. But he would say, you know, well, and and I was all over the newspapers. I mean, Orlando was hungry for this news. And it was it was news. I can't tell you how much ah press I received, which was quite heavy for an 19 year old girl who was from the village of Forest City. and ah and dance through the orange groves, pretending to be a princess. And as my dad said, it's it was better than Miss America. I don't know what Miss America would be like or, you know, how he really could compare it, but it it was wonderful. I mean, it just was amazing to represent Walt and Lillian and Roy and Edna and the Disney family, all of the Disney companies, executives, to try to keep Walt's magic going.
00:34:48
Speaker
to inspire the cast members because we didn't have a ball, but we had enough people that that knew him and worked with him when I was ambassador that they knew what he the magic that he was talking about, the family ah values, the you know, to inspire, to create, to educate. ah I really, as he years go on, I love him more and more. um When i I realized how brilliant he was, I wish I'd had more maturity and actually now the ambassadors are older, usually they're, you know, they'll be in there. I was 19. Vicki Armilo and myself were the two youngest, she was about 10 years after me.
00:35:36
Speaker
ah because I was, I just had had no worldly experience. So but It's like when I saw it and I knew I wanted Disney. I walked in that building. I saw Holly. I want this. My costume but as ambassador. the The previous center costumes were really stylish, real snappy. My costume, for for one thing, it was the best thing I had ever had on my body. It was such a beautiful, beautiful fabric and well-made. But Bob Mackey and his team created my costume for me.
00:36:11
Speaker
And so when I was in California for three months for training, I went to his office, his business, and they fitted me. It was very, it was so much fun. I mean, it was really, really awesome. It was great. So I went to California because I had never been. In fact, the first airplane ride that I know of was the 234MM. Was that right, that to California? I have a quick question on that. So you go out, you go out to Anaheim to train and get to know Disney. Now, Anaheim's obviously been in existence for a little while. Are you learning from ambassadors of Disneyland?
00:37:03
Speaker
or are you like so was there already a training sort of established for your role to give you some guidance even though you were going to be the first one in Florida? So how did that work for you or was that just a pioneering role for you to create? It was, I definitely had guidelines and my my training, I met with the Walt Disney World, cap and or the Disneyland Ambassador, Kathy Burke. um She and I had some photo sessions together. I also met Marva Miney, who was the ambassador during my year.
00:37:41
Speaker
um Which I really kind of I felt sad for her because everything that year was on the Walt Disney World Ambassador and Walt Disney World. The company's whole focus had to be because here we have this, you know, huge $300 million dollars ah project, Project X, Walt Disney World, that we had to have interest and we had to have guests come. So I first started the first day I walked into with Frank, I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel because they had ah arranged for me to have an apartment and a cool with little red Mustang convertible to drive. um I mean, I was really I mean, this is a girl with sand between her toes, right? That, you know, citrus seeds in her teeth. I yeah i was it was so it's really kind of I guess to say it's like Miss Walt Disney World or or Miss Disneyland. But Walt didn't want it to be that way. And Jack Lindquist, who who was the leader and the really had the idea, man, because as Walt had so many
00:38:47
Speaker
requests for his time that he could not possibly make them all. So in 65, five they decided, okay, we'll have like a Miss Disneyland, which which morphed into the ambassador. It was not ever to be a beauty contest. You didn't do bathing, so and it was strictly to be kind of the girl next door that would talk on Walt's behalf and on the company's behalf. and promote everything going on. When Frank got came to get me that morning, and walked into Disneyland and I have to say that.
00:39:19
Speaker
When we walked in and made it into town square, all I can tell you was I felt like my life, it's kind of Wizard of Oz. I felt like Dorothy. My life had been black and white. And then here I am in this unbelievable world that I could not have found. And that's why they sent me out. They're like, good, she doesn't know anything. So, you know, I i walk in and and and I'm just amazed at the wonder of it all. and i have to say
00:39:51
Speaker
that that was, so that was so four years after Walt's passing. He was still, it was very much a palpable feeling that Walt was around still. You still felt that. It was still very, his his presence was enormous there. So anyway, going into Disneyland was just what I needed to to really be able to tell anybody how great Walt Disney World was gonna be. They, I trained, I did give a tour. They put me as a tour guide. I had 48 hours to learn the spiel. My friend Inez, who had been one of the first 14 preview center hostesses, they had brought her out to California a few weeks before me to train. She was going to be a supervisor in guest relations.
00:40:41
Speaker
So they they tasked Inez with teaching me the spiel. And I always felt that the people that I had on that one tour really needed to have a lifetime pass or something. I was awful. I could not. I couldn't remember at all. I couldn't. I was I could have been in China or anywhere else in the United States. It was it was I was awful. They I did. I did the plaid. That's what they they they call them. Did you ever wear plaid? Well, yes, I did one time. no I certainly did not shine. yeah So I do have listening to your story. I wrote this down earlier. I always say all the time to the point where it's annoying. I think I say story shapes life.
00:41:26
Speaker
You know, and and sometimes the story, you know, the story of Disney and all this stuff, it just, it shapes just our lives in general. So it was, there's something part of that experience, um, or whatever lessons you learned during that time that, that you still carry with you today.
00:41:44
Speaker
Definitely, definitely. Let me think about that a minute because that's really multi-layered, so much to talk about there. you know Dreams do come true. yeah I always felt like anywhere I went, and whether it was Canada or Central America, Panama, the Eastern United States, and then and foreign dignities or you know just people from other countries that I would meet We all really, we we love our families. We love hope.
00:42:18
Speaker
we We want to be happy. And the fact that Walt created this wonderful Disneyland and the movies, ah part of my training too, I spent time at WED, I spent time at the studio um and I get ah off the the subject a little bit, but I remember going to WED and meeting Herb Ryan and just saw some of these wonderful legends that hired Walt and worked closely with Walt. they um they had They said, Debbie, you're going to love this. And they had the one of the alligators from Walt Disney World, it's a small world, that they were working on. And he was going to be shipped soon to Walt Disney World. And that that was just so big for me to actually see that. I had i mean, I had no idea what an audio animatronic was, ah except from my training at the preview center.
00:43:14
Speaker
But to see it is a lot different once you experience that. Some ah some of the other things I just loved, Mrs. Lillian, Miss Lillian. I met her several occasions and I had the grand dedication weekend. I had some opportunity with her and a lovely, wonderful lady and Roy and Edna and they the leadership to me just was so outstanding. And again, I can't remember ever being exposed to that prior. And but when and Rick and I started our own business, we tried to use those same principles of the customer's always always right right, even when they're not. And, you know, how do you make, how do you, we were in the vet business. So it was like, how
Customer Service Lessons from Disney
00:44:01
Speaker
do you make them happy? And what can you provide and to give them a little extra boost that I absolutely learned from my time um at Disney?
00:44:11
Speaker
I'm trying to just think there's no that's great that's good enough that's well said hey that's that's all I that was above and beyond for me I thank you yeah absolutely well if we're just jumping into questions that we're just popping in our heads during the story I got one for you as well So you mentioned, you know, how you feel like you kind of birthed Disney World. You saw it when it was just dirt and holes. And then you get to go over to Disneyland and you see, you know, what it looks like complete. What was that first time walking into an open, complete Walt Disney World like?
00:44:46
Speaker
oh when i had well Interestingly, when I would come back from um these press tours, that they would get me out. and I had my own hard hat. I had to have Dick Nunes' approval to to actually be there. I have some incredible photos of me on Main Street ah ah during construction with you know the scaffolding, the roads still dirt. the first time well one about six months before we opened we were behind uh our construction we were lagging terribly it was well now we know why it's because you guys got off the bus and they all stopped working
00:45:27
Speaker
We only got off the bus that one time, right? It was enough. It was, I guess. So, well, you know, we did, we changed ah construction companies and all that towards the end. So, and and Dick was going to get this open no matter what. What an amazing, brilliant, dedicated man he was. But when he would come to that, we would always get word somehow that Rover 1 was coming to the preview center. And literally, we would like start shaking. And we would we would go make sure our lipstick was on. And I i always hoped that I wasn't at the door. well I either wanted to be at the door because then he would just kind of breeze by and say hello. But I didn't want to be spilling in the theater.
00:46:12
Speaker
I didn't want I just that was the really the only thing. So I always hoped I was on a break when he would come. But and he was always so wonderful to us. But we knew how a very fair taskmaster he was. But he was always great to us. So about six months before we were behind and and Charlie Ridgway had got Dick's permission for Mickey and I to climb up in the castle. And you know where the balcony is. Yeah. So literally, things were still just dirt and mud. But it was I think it was it was either Bill Spidell or um Alan Boniac, who were the two main photographers at the time that I usually worked with. So one of them, Mickey and I had to climb over dirt up a
00:46:57
Speaker
wood ladder, I mean, not a wood, I mean, a not a real ladder, just some somebody had put together for us to climb up. I'm in my costume, which is a skirt and a vest and long sleeve and heels, stockings and heels. Every day I wear that. up we went. How mickey ever did it. I don't know. We got up there and then there was this banner that said remember opening soon. And I do have pictures of that which is really special to me because I as I was up there and I looked out and I remember looking out from
00:47:36
Speaker
I remember from being on the buses in the early days and what and seeing that there was a balloon that was going to be the castle. And now I'm standing on the balcony of that. And the photographer was genius. He he shot it. So it looked like it was completed because it went out with me on press on some of my press trips was part of my portfolio. he he shot it so great. And we gave those to all that that photo to all of the ah construction workers, which there was 5000 or more of them. They also were invited once we open or open and they came with their families to see right before we opened, which was to even get them to work harder to really do the finishing touches.
00:48:23
Speaker
The first time I came in was one morning. There was quite a bit of hustle and bustle going on. Things were being moved in. I would say it was probably at that point, maybe 80 to 90% completed, not inside buildings, but out. And I just felt like it was the most special place so magical, so wonderful that I i just shed tears.
First Impressions of Disney World
00:48:53
Speaker
It it was so beautiful. it was I could never have imagined it. you know you know as a previous set it's Starting out as a preview center hostess in 69, I never could have imagined it. and It's just so beautiful. and Even now, I find as I age,
00:49:10
Speaker
that when I go, I'm very sentimental about it. And and I but get all emotional. with The night before we opened, we had a walkthrough. The next morning, I would be at the ticket and transportation center. We had to be there at five o'clock at the at the Polynesian in the press room. we would, not me personally, but Jack and some of the other leaders would select the first family. Although I was very tickled that Jack came up and he said, this is Jack Lindquist I'm talking about. He said, Debbie, he said, what do you think there's this family and like turn to style two and that one and six, what do you, what do you think? And the one I can't, and that's not the right turnstile numbers I'm sure, but
00:49:57
Speaker
There was one family that literally just, oh, they were perfect. I mean, it was the dad and it was the mom and it was the two little blond-haired darlings that one was like eight months and three. It was Lee and Jay and Marty and Bill, the Winzers. I just looked at them and when I thought, Well, they don't know what's going to happen to them. But as soon as they were selected and it was a big hoopla and then press and we walked up to the Montero because we were the ticket and transportation center. We walked up to the Montero and then we rode over to the Magic Kingdom. And when I went in with them also, but then i like oh but the night before that, I got to I was in there and I was able to sit and ah in the in the
00:50:44
Speaker
near the at the end of Main Street right before the hub. And of course, there's the castle. I just sat there. I was fortunate was by myself. I can't remember was after we had our walkthrough. and you but You know, when you get in, it just smells. So it's like, oh, this is, this is what pixie dust is. This is, you know, this is what the magic is. And you can smell it and you breathe it in. That night, the night before was one of my best nights. So the next day, then, of course, bringing the Windsor's in was what I had been working for since 1969.
00:51:20
Speaker
to get guests in and we walked down Main Street, the the cast or cast member came, they came out and one thing I was always aware of was how fortunate I was but that I represented my cast. And I represented them from the beginning. ah One shot that life cover that you may have seen um ah the two about,000 of us or 2,500 of us in front of the castle that came out October, maybe 25th. It was the cover of life. but
00:51:53
Speaker
I have always was aware and am still aware of how hard the cast members work and i I call my cast the my cast members the ones from the beginning and through all this time and and even those to come their mind they work so hard to make the guests have a incredible time they and they you can't even imagine unless you work it you just can't imagine and i mean it's so fulfilling and it makes you happy to make these guests happy you know people some guests i mean they'll stay forever to get their kids there uh and it's it's um a beauty it's really a beautiful thing that walt wanted such a
00:52:38
Speaker
it's almost like intangible to tangible or something it you know it was i knew the process it knew what's gonna happen and then there it was it happened it really. Was that's a beautiful thing so that would that day i mean i had tears in my eyes although frank my chaperone was like You're going to get raccoon eyes, you know, when you're mad. You said right now, and I'm like, OK, you know, but it was ah it was so beautiful. The cast walked and just clapping and cheering when these first guests came in, you know, it just really.
00:53:11
Speaker
It was it was awesome. I mean, I have so many memories to just be covered in. ah I mean, literally, if you brought your jammies, we could talk till the morning. But yes, somebody would ask have to bring donuts to me or some coffee. I don't know. But I feel like you could talk and and tell us so many great stories. I don't even know what to ask, which is strange for me because you have so many good stories. I have to say, Debbie, you've been one of the most amazing people just to sit and listen to because your your views from seeing literally nothing. You're one of the few people that literally saw it from, you know, the orange groves into what it became. And, you know, your history of being from here, having such a big role. You know, I'm curious to say, like, what's the one lesson
00:54:07
Speaker
that you learned as an ambassador that you hope is never lost from Disney in the journey of of moving on. What is the one take you have that can just never go away? o that That's big. That's a big question. good I like it. Just keep Walt's magic going. I think that is, that that is you can even stop there. Yeah, because that that kind of question needs to be like, whatever pops in your head right away, that's it, that's it. we best get is That's such a great explanation because I think so many of the Walt purists that are out there that loved what the company was founded upon and the story behind it, just want that to continue.
Keeping Walt's Legacy Alive
00:54:57
Speaker
And I think that's a beautiful, beautiful thing that I hope does always continue.
00:55:02
Speaker
and Oh, I hope so, too. I want his legacy because it was such a beautiful, pure legacy. you know i just He was genius. And i but I will say this one quick thing. um Dedication weekend. So we had opening October 1st, and then the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of October was dedication. And I had the great honor, not lost on me, to ride with Miss Lillian, Disney, Tryance, to the dedication VIP site where Roy would dedicate Walt Disney World. and I had met her previously and not that didn't never had lunch with her or anything, although I would have loved to. But she was so emotionally filled. And I could not imagine what it was like to be her and see Walt's dream.
00:55:57
Speaker
Walt's legacy, the inspiration that How brilliant, yeah but just for her to see it come alive, for me to have the opportunity to ride with her on one of the electrical cards, stalemate, and people didn't know who she was. Most people didn't. And then we get, and she was so sweet, but I could tell she was very emotional about it, which I was too big, but I couldn't even imagine again how she felt. And I i touched her hand and she sighed and smiled.
00:56:31
Speaker
and then And then she touched my hair and said it was pretty. But anyway, it was such a ah beautiful moment. i mean I felt like, wow, I really feel like you know i've I've got part of Walt here. you know As Mickey is Walt, it was a real special moment to be with Miss Lillian. The contacts that you had with the Disney family, that that just blows my mind. Have you been to, let's say, the Walt Disney Family Museum and and just went, you know, just have memories flood? I can't even imagine. and
00:57:09
Speaker
I have not yet. i I've been invited to come out to Marceline, but I haven't been to the family museum in, are you talking about the one in San Francisco? Right. Have you been there? I have not. I have a really good friend that volunteers there. So I just, I can't even imagine all of the memories that you would be inundated with. And just your story is remarkable. Do you have you like recorded videos? Have you written some of these things down to keep this to keep this alive? Right. We need a book. We need some kind of a series.
00:57:47
Speaker
but ah kind of say that I have, um Lisa, i I've been asked, you know, you really should write a book, you really should write it down. but And I was, I don't know, I i always go, I'm just me. I'm just a little girl from Forest City, luckiest girl in the world. But, you know, I mean, is is it really something that anybody wants to hear or read or whatever? But I am doing more. For hours and hours, for sure. All of us, at least, hours and hours. That's so kind and sweet to say. So I don't know. There's um i I do hope to get out to Marceline at some point. I would love to get to San Francisco and and see the museum. Occasionally, I will have an interview. Someone will want to hear about my story, my Debbie's Disney adventure, which was so amazing.
00:58:41
Speaker
You know, sometimes I still feel like I just have pixie dust in my pockets. You don't, when you give that much, you really, it's a lasting love affair with Disney and and Walt Disney World and Disneyland. I just heard two possible titles, pixie dust in my pocket. There we go. Debbie's amazing adventure. Not not that I'm looking for a book, but you know, even the photographs that you have, you know, you have a piece of Walt Disney World that, and a perspective that so many of our guests have not yet seen, and you know, not even told us. So I, I'm absolutely loving this and I'll be quiet for a minute, but again, thank you so much for saying that. I wouldn't
00:59:29
Speaker
I was a bit but and nervous today thinking, oh, you know, there's just so so much in my head. Will it come out? what Can I actually yeah share with you so that you can feel some of the the beauty of what it was, the charm of it all? The answer is yes. but but you Absolutely. ever Yes. Yes. chance Yes. It's really I mean, it's it's sounding. Yes. It changed my life. It did change my life. I would love to have you back on to the share more with us because and we'll make sure we bring the jammies next time. We'll be we'll be ready. OK. OK, that sounds good. We'll have a pajama party episode for Debbie's return.
01:00:14
Speaker
bit on notebook. We'll just have a pajama party episode and tell stories. That's committed right now. That's great. ah Debbie, it's been an absolute pleasure talking with you all night and we could go for it for much longer, but we do have to, we have to have you back on. because like Jeff said, we interview a lot of great guests, and we've had ones that are just as enthusiastic or have a lot of information, but the pure joy that you exude when you are talking about this, you can tell that you are a true Disney fan. It was not just a job, it was who you are. It's an experience. It was all in, oh my gosh, it was even a bad way to say it. It's more than that. It was just something, whatever it was, I feel it. Yeah, and we can feel it, yeah.
01:01:02
Speaker
Again, a real honor to be with all of you and, you know, I hope just thank you for the opportunity. It was fun. Yeah. Come back. yeah it it was yeah It was our pleasure. It was our pleasure. Thank you. Well folks, that's all for this week's episode. We want to thank our guest Debbie Dame Brown for joining us this week, and we want to thank all of you for listening. Be sure to hit that follow button to stay up to date on our latest episodes as they come out. We also invite you to follow us on our social media platforms over on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at SharingTheMagicPod. Thank you all for tuning in, and until next time, keep sharing the magic.
01:01:47
Speaker
again