Disney Legend Ridgway Spins Terrific Mouse Tails, er Tales
Tuesday March 27, 2007
I had the good fortune to meet Charles Ridgway, a retired publicity agent for Disneyland and Walt Disney World and a "Disney Legend," at a Disney press event recently. I was able to express my gratitude for the personal letter he had sent to me 38 years earlier when I was an 11-year-old, wide-eyed lad seeking information about the Happiest Place on Earth after my first visit to Disneyland. In a small way, he helped set me on my own journey as a journalist covering the theme park industry. Ridgway has penned a wonderful book, "Spinning Disney's World," that chronicles his more than four decades of adventures with the parks. With his folksy, engaging storytelling style, Ridgway writes about events such as the time Walt Disney lost his temper with him (as the official arranger of Disneyland's publicity shots, he angered Disney during a shoot) and his role in blowing the company's cover when it was trying to keep the Walt Disney World project under wraps. "Spinning Disney's World" will enthrall anyone who wants a front-row seat to the inner workings of Disney's publicity machine.
Comments
After seeing this posted on the about.com website a few weeks ago I ordered it and really enjoyed it. It’s light hearted, interesting, and full of stories that I would have never known otherwise.