"I want to work for Walt Disney"

I think I always wanted to work for Walt Disney ever since I was a kid watching Disney's wonderful world of color. I remember telling my mom,  "I'm going to work for Walt Disney someday."

     I worked at a restaurant called SIMM'S LANDING west of Denver as a busboy in 1977.  Simm's Landing was newly opened when I got my first job there.   I had survived 9 months as a busboy when I felt the itch to try something else.   I was aware that CSC was owned by Disney and with my sights set on working for "The Mouse" someday, I thought I would take a shot at getting a job there. 

     I interviewed with Susan Humphries.  Susan had what I call that "Disney Look".  She could have been Annette Funicello's Sister.  She called me the next day and offered me the job of "Bowling Host."  What the Heck is a Bowling Host?  Well I didn't care if that meant cleaning out ashtrays and toilets....I accepted the job.  It turned out that I would be cleaning ashtrays and on occasion, a toilet or two.

     I was a teenage "Laneman".  I was to work the evening shift 6 to closing.  My job consisted of cleaning up after the beer swigging rowdy League bowlers.  Throwing away empty beer cups, dumping and wiping out dirty ashtrays,  mopping up spilled beer.  You can imagine what I smelled like at the end of the evening.  But, I was sure proud to wear the uniform.  Navy blue pants and tie, white short-sleeve shirt and best of all a red white and blue striped polyester vest with my official Disney issue name tag with Mickey on it.  Man was I cool!  

     The guy in charge of my training was Doug Horton.  Doug was a piece of art.  He was a cigar chomping, sloppy dressed woman chaser.  He had a spray gun bottle of window cleaner hooked on his belt like a gunslinger.  He always had a filthy ashtray rag hanging over his shoulder ready for action.  He could whip out that rag and spray bottle faster than Wyatt Earp. Doug had no trouble wiping down a score table, lighting a cigar and flirting with a lady bowler at the same time.

     The bowling Supervisor was Fred.  Fred was a cool boss.  I was so nervous about my new job and he always made me feel at ease.  After 3 months or so, Fred promoted me to the glorious job of "Lane Supervisor".  That meant that I could work the cash register an tell the Lanemen what to do including Doug Horton who was not too pleased to have this teenage punk bossing him about.