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 Wes Hansen.
Wes Hansen is unusual among museum membership, in that he is what we might call an “Absentee Member.” He is currently finishing up a second degree in Travel and Tourism (after an initial degree in is Public Relations) at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. “It’s the school where David Letterman and Jim Davis of Garfield fame attended,” Wes says. He has spent ten seasons working at an amusement park and resort, so when he has been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, Wes finds himself looking for things that most “normal” Guests would never look for. “My goal is to find a job at a year-round resort or park, and work with Guests,” he says. “It’s a thrill and a challenge to interact with people on their vacations.”
Recently, our Membership Coordinator Pam Spedus sat down and had a brief conversation with Wes about Walt, the Museum, and Membership.
PAM: Why did you become a member of The Walt Disney Family Museum?
WES: I first learned about the museum a couple of years ago during the D23 Convention at Disneyland. I picked up some info, and once I got to reading it, I thought the concept was a great idea. I feel like a lot (well most of the people I know, anyway) know about Walt Disney just from what they have seen on TV shows, or have heard through hearsay. So I thought, “What better way for me to learn more about the man than to join the museum!”
What do you find most enjoyable about your Membership?
I enjoy the Member Newsletter. If I had to pick one part of the Company that I find the most fascinating, it would be Parks and Resorts. I love reading about the history of the different parks, and the attractions and shows that have been placed there, but the fact that the newsletter covers all aspects of not only The Walt Disney Company, but also the man who founded it, is very enjoyable.
What do you enjoy most about The Walt Disney Family Museum?
I haven’t actually been to the museum! But it is one of my goals to get to it in the near future. I am currently living in Indiana, and California is a pretty long trip to make, but over the last couple of years, I have told many of my friends who were making little trips out to the coast to look it up. I am not sure if anyone has yet, but I always try to pass along the good word. From what I have seen online, it looks amazing. I am a sucker for a good museum as it is, and The Walt Disney Family Museum looks like I could spend days in it.
How does Walt Disney inspire you?
I appreciate the fact that here was a person who set out to do something and no matter what other people told him, he knew what he wanted—and he did it. I have read before where people told him that adding sound and color to the early animated cartoons was silly, making a feature length animated movie was crazy, and building Disneyland would be a disaster—but here was a man who knew what he wanted, and was willing to gamble that other people might enjoy it also. It turns out his gambles were right. In a way, that should be an inspiration to all of us. Just because someone else doesn’t believe in something doesn’t make it worth not trying for. Also, the fact that he was from the Midwest, and even once he became one of the biggest names in Hollywood, he still retained his “Midwestern Ways,” both as a person and in the way he ran his company, is pretty cool.
What is your first Disney memory?
My first Disney memory would have to be watching reruns of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. My parents were growing up during the sixties and were around for the first fun of such movies as The Parent Trap, Blackbeard’s Ghost and The Love Bug, so they passed down that enjoyment of the films during this time period. If one of those movies finds its way onto TV, I will still try to watch what I can of it. I also had a lunchbox that had scenes of Walt Disney World on it. I really didn’t know how Mickey Mouse riding a train next to a pirate and some hippos went together, but after my family’s first visit Walt Disney World in 1992, it all made sense!
Membership in The Walt Disney Family Museum has many benefits, including admission, complimentary film tickets, a quarterly newsletter, and a membership card that grants a 10% discount in the Museum Store—as well as discounts on selected educational and public programs. In addition, several times a year, special events for Members only are held within the Museum itself. You can purchase immediate membership at the Reception and Member Services Desk at our museum during regular operating hours (Wednesday through Monday, 10am-6pm), or online at www.waltdisney.org.
Image above: Wes Hansen and friend. Photo courtesy of Wes Hansen.