Stories of the Magic

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

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Episode 018 – Jill Burke, Part 1

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Randy Crane

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Jill Burke

Stories of the Magic, Episode 18

Interview Guest: Jill Burke

Sponsored by Leaving Conformity Coaching.

On this show, I’m delighted to share with you part 1 of my interview with Jill Burke, and this was another one I got to do in person. In fact, at a few different times throughout the interview, you’ll hear some background noise. We were in a lobby area of the Grand Californian Hotel, so what you’ll be hearing is mainly guests going to and from their rooms. I’ve reduced it as much as I could, but there’s still some in there.

Jill’s work as a professional entertainer began at the Disneyland Resort, portraying such characters as Princess Jasmine, Ariel, and Pocahontas in stage shows. That’s not where she got her start at Disneyland, though, and you’ll hear more about that shortly. In fact, she has such a fantastic history with Disney that this is just about as far as we get in Part 1. I think you’ll be as fascinated as I was.

Her recent achievement was wrapping up post-production as Executive Producer and co-star on the short film “Huckleberry Dreams,” also starring the Emmy & Tony Award winning Robert Morse. She can still be heard screaming the popular “Priceline Negotiator!” jingle. She was thrilled to work closely with Stephen Schwartz in a workshop of his new musical Snapshots. Currently she performs in a variety of projects: she’s a proud company member of The Musical Theater Guild in Los Angeles, she stars in the cabaret revue entitled Hollywood Revisited, is a member of the a cappella band Vybration (which you may recognize from a previous episode as GROOVE 66), and she frequently belts out our National Anthem for the Anaheim Angels, Ducks and L.A. Lakers. On top of all that, she enjoys teaching private voice lessons at Vibe Performing Arts Studio in Santa Clarita, and you’ll get to hear about several of these in Part 2 next week.

Jill talks to us about:

How she started working at Disneyland;
Her time on the various Tomorrowland attractions before she moved into what she really wanted to do;
Being Jasmine as a “newbie”, surrounded by an experienced cast–and some extra fun she had in her last show;
Being Miss Anaheim 1991 while also being a Disneyland Cast Member;
Her roles in Animazement;
Performing at the El Capitan Theater;
What it’s like to perform on a cruise ship;
Performing as a caroler during the Christmas season;
Her two shows at Disney California Adventure (Chance to Shine and Groove 66);

Also hear Jill sing What it Means to be a Friend, from the musical “13”.

Find Jill:

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

Lost Flight 815
Take Him With You
Stories of the Magic episodes with Laura Dickinson (Part 1 and Part 2)

I want to hear from you, so please email me, leave a comment below, or call the Listener Feedback line at (734) 23-STORY.

If you want to submit a story anonymously, for whatever reason you may have, email it to me and tell you me you wanted it shared that way. I’ll read it on the podcast, but keep your name private.

Thanks for listening!

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Posted in Cast Members, Disneyland, Music, Podcast | 2 Comments

Episode 017– Lynn Barron & Laura Gannon, Part 2

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Randy Crane

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Stories of the Magic, Episode 17

Interview Guests: Lynn Barron & Laura Gannon

Sponsored by Leaving Conformity Coaching.

This week, we have part 2 of my interview with Lynn Barron and Laura Gannon both of whom worked in Custodial at Disneyland and who now co-host The Sweep Spot podcast (which I was privileged to be a guest on for Episode 68).

Last time, Lynn and Laura told us how they each got started working at Disneyland (and why they wanted to), the job that’s really one of the most thankless in the parks, the time they each first realized they were part of the magic and the pride Custodial Cast Members have in their jobs, including the connection to Walt Disney they feel, and more.

This time, the conversation is more about some magical things they did for guests, their podcast, tips, inspiration, and more.

Rather than the usual request for stories from you, the listeners, I’d like to see if we can do something a little different. I’d like to have the Friday after Thanksgiving’s show, November 23, as an all-gratitude show. No matter who you are, call or write in and express your gratitude and appreciation for anyone or anything Disney. I need lots of help on this, but I know there’s enough of you listening that we can make it happen.

If you’ve had a special experience with a Cast Member or guest at a theme park, call or write in and say thank you! If you’ve got a favorite character, call or write in and thank the people who brought that character to life. If you have a special place in your heart for a certain movie—animated or live action—call or write in and express your gratitude to the people involved.

As always, you’re welcome to remain anonymous if you wish to, but on the other hand if you have your own blog or podcast, feel free to mention it when you call or write in! You have until November 20 to get those in to me, but if one came to mind already—and I’ll bet it did for many of you—don’t wait! And feel free to send in as many as you want!

Lynn & Laura talk about:

Not a single specific story, but two types of situations that they felt allowed them to make magic for guests;
Why they started podcasting about Disneyland;
Thoughts on some of their favorite episodes, especially interviews with:
Things they’d still like to do (or re-do) on The Sweep Spot;
What they’d most like to do for Disney;
Some tips to you, as theme park guests, to make your visits more enjoyable;
What inspires them;
Their advice to you when it comes to following your dreams.

Find Lynn & Laura:

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

I want to hear from you, so please email me, leave a comment below, or call the Listener Feedback line at (734) 23-STORY.

If you call in, don’t worry about having to sound perfect. If you ask me to, I’ll edit out any mistakes if needed so you sound as good as you possibly can. You’re even welcome to start your entire story over again and I’ll use the “take” you want!

If you want to submit a story anonymously, for whatever reason you may have, email it to me and tell you me you wanted it shared that way. I’ll read it on the podcast, but keep your name private.

Thanks for listening!

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Posted in Cast Members, Disneyland, Podcast, Podcasters | Leave a comment

Episode 016 – Lynn Barron & Laura Gannon, Part 1

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Randy Crane

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Stories of the Magic, Episode 16

Interview Guests: Lynn Barron & Laura Gannon

Sponsored by Leaving Conformity Coaching.

I’ve always thought of theme park custodial cast members as some of the most underappreciated Cast Members in the parks. Think about how often you see someone sweeping, cleaning restrooms, emptying the trash, or taking care of some other…unpleasantness. How many do you see in a typical visit? What would Disneyland and the other parks be like without them? But have you ever thanked one of them?

This week, we get to hear from two of those people. Lynn Barron worked at Disneyland, first as a busser, then later in custodial, and Laura Gannon also worked in custodial. Between them, they have almost 15 years of experience in these positions, so we get a real behind the scenes (but without spoiling the magic) look at one of the most crucial roles at the Disney parks.

Similar to Nate Parrish back in episode 12 (and with part 2 of his interview coming soon),Lynn wanted to share his appreciation for Disneyland and its great history, so he started The Sweep Spot podcast along with Laura.

We’ll be talking about their podcast in part 2 of their interview next week. In this episode, though, you’ll get to hear about why they wanted to work at Disneyland, and in Custodial specifically, what they liked best about it, and what some of their biggest challenges were. They tell us how often people really did thank them (and I was surprised by their answer), and we even have some “bathroom humor”…but probably not the kind you’re thinking of.

Lynn & Laura talk about:

How they each got started working at Disneyland…and why they wanted to;
The job that’s really one of the most thankless ones in the parks;
Their interest in the details of Disneyland, even as teenagers;
The time they each first realized they were part of the magic;
The pride Custodial Cast Members have in their jobs, and the connection to Walt Disney they feel;
Why they wanted to work in Custodial;
The two most important parts of any Disney bathroom to be kept clean;
Why cleaning the bathrooms is so challenging;
Their preferred Custodial job & area when they weren’t assigned to the bathrooms.

Find Lynn & Laura:

The Sweep Spot Podcast

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

I want to hear from you, so please email me, leave a comment below, or call the Listener Feedback line at (734) 23-STORY.

If you want to submit a story anonymously, for whatever reason you may have, email it to me and tell you me you wanted it shared that way. I’ll read it on the podcast, but keep your name private.

Thanks for listening!

Music and voiceovers provided by Rick Moyer.

Posted in Cast Members, Disneyland, Podcast, Podcasters | Leave a comment

Episode 015 – Dean Gaschler, Part 2

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Randy Crane

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Stories of the Magic, Episode 15

Interview Guest: Dean Gaschler

Sponsored by Leaving Conformity Coaching.

This week, we’re picking up with last week’s discussion about Give Kids the World and then move forward from there. Dean shares a special, memorable story about each main job he did: barbering in the Harmony Barber Shop, selecting Grand Marshals for the parade, and selecting the Veteran of the Day for the Flag Retreat ceremony. He’s even got a couple of extra stories for the Flag Retreat. It’s a wonderful daily event at the Magic Kingdom, and you’ll love what he has to say. Be sure you have your tissues handy for all of these, just in case!

We finish up with one more story (keep the tissues out) and information on how to find him and his blog online. I received some amazing positive feedback from part 1 with Dean, and I think you’ll love part 2 just as much!

Dean talks about:

Give Kids the World–please consider volunteering there (the link to the Volunteer page is here!);
Some wonderful stories from his time at the Harmony Barbershop and as the Grand Marshal Coordinator;
What he would most want to do for Disney (here’s a hint: you won’t be surprised at all);
His tips for getting the most out of a visit to Walt Disney World;
What inspires him;
His advice to you for following your dreams.

Find Dean:

Main Street U.S.A. Memories – DeanGaschler.com

Podcasts Spotlighted in this Episode:

And a special thank you again to Debbie Robertson from Making Magic and Memories for introducing me to Dean.

I want to hear from you, so please email me, leave a comment below, or call the Listener Feedback line at (734) 23-STORY.

If you want to submit a story anonymously, for whatever reason you may have, email it to me and tell you me you wanted it shared that way. I’ll read it on the podcast, but keep your name private.

Thanks for listening!