MY GRANDFATHER AND THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RAILROAD
My Grandfather and the Walt Disney World Railroad
One of my favorite sights in all of Walt Disney World is as I walk up to the ticket touchpoints at the entrance to Magic Kingdom, only to see the Walt Disney World Railroad pulling into Main Street Station. The whistle blows, the engineer of the train leans out of the window to wave at you and the guests below, and then come those iconic words: “Your attention, please: The Walt Disney World Railroad now boarding for a scenic trip about the Magic Kingdom.”
For me, those words elicit pure joy, not only because I love taking that grand circle tour around the park, but because, for many years, that meant I likely got to see my grandpa at work. Yes, my grandpa was one of the lucky Cast Members who worked as the engineer — and sometimes conductor — of the Walt Disney World Railroad.
MY GRANDPA’S DREAM JOB
Like Walt Disney, my grandpa loved trains, which is why he started working at Walt Disney World in the first place. One of his life goals was to drive the trains at Magic Kingdom.
But his Disney journey didn’t start with his dream job. Instead, it started across the property at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where he worked in merchandise, then as a trainer helping new International Program students get acquainted with the park. My grandpa waited patiently, and after years, he finally got the call that there was an opening on the train. I can only imagine how excited he must have been to move parks and get into that unmistakable costume to make magic for guests aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad.
Grandpa loved handing out train stickers to kids, letting them be “guest conductors,” and making magic for families by sharing fun facts and the history of the bright red steam engines.
MY FAVORITE TRAIN MOMENT
On a particularly hot August day, my mom and I went to Magic Kingdom, and my grandpa happened to be working. I asked the Cast Member at the Main Street Station loading area which train my grandpa was on and said we would wait for his train to come around to ride. Once the train pulled into the station, my grandpa was elated to see us waiting for him.
I couldn’t wait to ride around Magic Kingdom, not only to cool off from the train going a blazing 10 to 12 miles an hour, but to hang out with my grandpa doing what he’s always wanted to do. We settled into the back row of the train and waited. Before the whistle of the train blew, my grandpa came over the intercom system with a special announcement that I will never forget.
He told the entire train there was a VIP guest onboard — his only granddaughter. As far as I could see, everyone turned around and looked at me and started clapping. I really did feel like a VIP! And as we were getting ready to pull away from the station, Grandpa let me say those two iconic words — “Aaaallll aboard!” — over the intercom system.
When our train ride came to an end back at Main Street Station, Grandpa gave me a guest conductor certificate with the date, my name, and his name all filled out. Now that he’s passed away, that certificate, along with his Disney name tags and a pocket watch he used as part of his costume, are all prized possessions.
HE’S GOT A TICKET TO RIDE
While I have my favorite memories of riding the Magic Kingdom train with Grandpa, one of his favorite stories he would share centered on Disneyland Park. As he told it, one morning he was working at the Main Street Station when a guest walked up to him and started a conversation about the history of the trains at Disney World and Disneyland.
After a few minutes, the guest revealed they were a Cast Member at Disneyland who drove the trains around Walt’s original Magic Kingdom. Just before the Disneyland train engineer boarded the Walt Disney World Railroad, they handed Grandpa a special red-and-white ticket.
That ticket was an actual entry ticket to ride in the exclusive Lilly Belle train car at Disneyland. The car has a unique history; it was converted in 1974 from the Grand Canyon observation car to the Victorian Era parlor car. The car’s design and interior accessories, like Disney family photos, were all overseen by Walt’s wife, Lillian Disney.
Although my grandpa never made it out to Disneyland to turn the ticket in for a ride, I still have it. It’s a treasured piece of Disney train history and a fun story that I like to share when people ask about Grandpa.
MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME
My grandpa passed away a few years ago, but every time I hear the train whistle or see the candy-apple red engine drive by, I think of him and how he chased his dreams and made them come true. In a way, the story of my grandpa is the story of many of Disney’s own characters — and a reminder that there’s a “dream come true” out there for us all.