An ode to the Dreamfinder...

The first time I rode Kongfrontation, I was in the sixth grade. My first year of middle school was coming to an end and my dad and step-mother had decided that a long weekend in Orlando was in order. Mind you, I was fairly disappointed that our final destination did not involve my favorite mouse, but I was willing to give this new place a try.

It's no secret that I'm a huge chicken. This little problem of mine has actually improved over the years. This trip occured when getting me on any ride I had never experienced before was a long, daunting task. These were the days when even the drop on POTC turned me into a big bundle of nerves.

After being assured over and over again that there were no drops, just a big monkey with a bad case of banana breath, I psyched myself up to face the beast. I still remember freaking out walking through that haggard queue, my stomach in knots. I also remember holding onto my dads arm for dear life as the tram started off. It was the girl holding the mic at the front of the tram that caught my attention, though. She was amazing.

Exiting the ride, I was a completely different girl. The ride quickly became a favorite. More importantly, I wanted to operate that tram. I wanted to read that cheesey ass script and make peoples days the way that girl had made mine. That was what I wanted to be when I grew up. And so, dear readers, began my fascination with working at a theme park.

As most of us know, we lost King Kong to Brendan Fraser in the early 2000’s. I, like so many others was devastated by the loss. It was just prior to that time, however, that I had recently graduated high school and started rediscovering my love for the Jungle Cruise. I had also discovered The Adventure’s Club. My options were expanding! Ha! I’ve said it a million times, I’m now thirty years old and if I could survive life working on The Jungle Cruise and delivering cheesey puns all day, I’d pack my bags and head for Kissimmee in a heartbeat.

The fact of the matter is that I love to perform. I adore entertaining. I fell head over heels in love with the theater at a very young age and it’s stuck with me ever since. If I had the chance to make others smile and laugh, to share a bit of that magic that I love so very much, I’d be on cloud nine.  Maybe it’s growing up in Florida, maybe it’s my insane love of theme parks, or maybe it’s just my love of all things dripping with cheese, but the thought of working at Universal or Disney has been almost every bit as appealing to me as Broadway or Hollywood is. I know. I’m weird. Deal with it.

I tell these stories because I recently read From Dreamer to Dreamfinder by Ron Schneider. I guess you could say that I’ve been a fan of Ron’s for the majority of my life, I just never realized it. Ron was the first to portray one of my favorite Disney icons. The Dreamfinder. He brought that character to life along with that devious little purple dragon the way no one else could. While I had recently learned of some of his other work, I still knew little when I anxiously purchased his book.  I had no clue that he had been so involved with so many of the attractions that I had grown up with and loved. That it had been his voice leading me around on that darn train I love so much for years. Or that he was partially responsible for the way I love to remember Universal Studios as it was. Dripping with old Hollywood goodness.

 The book just struck so many chords with me on a personal level, it really hit home hard.  I’ve found myself recommending it to all sorts of people. It’s filled with awesome stories for theme park fanatics, bursting with inspiring information and advice for performers. Even if you’re the average Fred, George, Joe, Bob, or Sue…get it. Read it. I promise you’ll be entertained.

I seriously can’t tell you enough how thoroughly I connected to this book personally. Seriously. I’m adopted. If I hadn’t already met my birth parents, I’d have myself convinced Ron is my father. Is that creepy? I don’t care.

Prior to reading his book, Ron had been a hero to me strictly for his portrayal of Dreamfinder. I wasn’t even a few chapters in when this started to change. As a girl who grew up wanting nothing more than to make others smile and laugh, he quickly became an inspiration. We may only have a small statue in a room full of mummies to remember Kong by. My hopes of cracking Jokes at the Adventure's Club may have been dashed out by Disney's new idea of "progress". And alright, Jungle Cruise Skipper may not be the most lucrative of career choices for a grown adult. But at the end of the day, I still find myself keeping an eye out for auditions. I keep dreaming, and Ron's words have encouraged me to do just that. After all, you never know what adventure is waiting for you next. 

(Side story!) 

I always love telling this story. The King Kong queue was one of the most awesomely themed queues that there ever was. It was also one of the most disgusting. It smelled like asshole. The whole thing. It just stunk. I don't know if this was on purpose, but I now like to think so. It was a recreation of Penn Station. Grafitti on the walls, dank and icky. I had never been in a subway before, but that was how I had imagined it.

I was 22 before I finally made it on my first trip to New York. We took the train from New Jersey and arrived at Penn Station. I will never ever forget getting out of that train, getting a whiff of the air, and the look that crossed my face.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed. Totally dumbstruck. "I know, it smells as unpleasant as everyone says it does." Someone in my party remarked. "No." I replied, standing in the crowd for a moment. "Holy shit it smells exactly like King Kong!"