The inspiration of and appreciation for Walt Disney knows no boundaries. The membership at The Walt Disney Family Museum certainly reflects this diversity. Each month, we’ll introduce you to one of our Members, so you can see the varied and frequently fascinating people, who have come together to learn and experience more about the life, work, philosophies, and ideals of Walt Disney. This month, we’d like you to meet Tim and Jane Jinks, who have a dual membership!
Tim and Jane Jinks live in Livermore, California but are originally from Napa and Santa Rosa, respectively. The Jinks have been married for 27 years and first started their Disney journey on their honeymoon. Tim and Jane have been to Disney World twice and Disneyland yearly since their oldest son was born in 1990. They have also attended the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet in the Seattle area, and the August meetup would have been their second time. Now that their sons (Ian and Tyler) are in college, Tim and Jane have enjoyed going to Disneyland as a couple, which, they say has persevered though it was "weird the first time." Tim is a Software Engineer and Jane is a Library Substitute.
Why did you become a member of the Walt Disney Family Museum?
In August 2010, we took our sons to the WDFM for the first time. We are not big fans of crowds so we wanted the newness of the museum to wear off a bit before we made a visit. After spending a few hours experiencing the museum, we knew once was not enough, so we traded in our tickets and became members that day. We are at the beginning phase of being empty-nesters and realized this was something wonderful we could do as a couple.
What do you find the most enjoyable about your membership?
The opportunity to continually learn. Not only does the Museum include a vast amount of information but the Events have such diversified topics that it expands our knowledge not only of Walt Disney as a man, but also his thought process when he and his team were creating the movies, the television show, and Disneyland. Many of the Events help us feel like we “knew” Walt Disney even though we never were able to meet him.
What do you enjoy most about the Museum?
This is a hard question to answer since there are so many wonderful things we have experienced at the Museum. The people we have met are sure one of our most treasured experiences. Everyone at the museum, both staff and guests we have met (even some celebrities), who also have a love of Walt Disney are fantastic. They understand our love of all things Disney, they “get” us. Finally the Events have been our date day. We enjoy lunch on the beautiful veranda before the Events, browse the shop and spend a few minutes in the museum. What a wonderful way to spend a day.
How does Walt Disney inspire you?
Walt Disney’s love for his family and his insatiable curiosity. We have been Disney fans since we were married and have exposed our two sons to our love of Walt Disney and the gifts he has given us. Our annual (and sometimes more) trips to Disneyland as a family have drawn us closer as a family and we still enjoy going to Disneyland and other places. In 2007 we took a seven-week trip across the United States and spent 10 days in Disney World. In our travels as a family, we have met many fascinating people and learned many new and interesting things. Now after going through the Museum, we have found new places that we would like to visit that combine our love of Disney and camping; such as in Marceline, MO.
What was your first Disney inspiration or memory?
For both of us, it would probably be The Wonderful World of Disney. We both remember as children anxiously waiting for Sunday night when our favorite show of the week would be on.
For more information on membership at The Walt Disney Family Museum, or to join today, please visit our membership page!