A MOMENT WITH WALT DISNEY

Physically, Disneyland would be a small world in itself – it would encompass the essence of the things that were good and true in American life.  It would reflect the faith and challenge of the future, the entertainment, the interest in intelligently presented facts, the stimulation of the imagination, the standards of health and achievement, and above all, a sense of strength, contentment, and well-being. 

ONE PERSPECTIVE: Why I miss the Disney Gallery

A MOMENT WITH WALT DISNEY

"The American child is sensitive, humorous, open-minded, eager to learn, and has a strong sense of excitement, energy, and healthy curiousity about the world in which he lives. Lucky indeed is the grown-up who manages to carry these same characteristics into adult life. That's the real trouble with the world. Too many people grow up."

1963

ONE PERSPECTIVE: Knotts Berry Farm Ghost Town

REACTION: Imagineer Marty Sklar Retires

On April 24, legendary Imagineer Marty Sklar announced his retirement after 53 years at the Walt Disney Company. Not only is he the one guy who has seen the grand opening of all Disney parks, Mr. Sklar is the guy who put the words into Walt’s mouth.

Shortly before Walt’s death in 1966 he made a short film that outlined his vision for EPCOT. In his mind it was a real city, a fresh start, and a different way to do things just like he did at Disneyland. Would it have worked? I might touch on that in latter articles but the pitch was so powerful the Florida legislature granted the Walt Disney Company unprecedented government powers to develop his little property down in Florida.

Marty Sklar wrote that script.

I ran into Mr. Sklar in the music shop one day. I introduced myself and said thank you for all he has done. Here is a little tidbit. When developing the Vision Statement for the City of Riverside, I used that script as the organization hook. That Vision Statement and General Plan went on to win an American Planning Award.

Thank you Mr. Sklar.

ACTIVITY: DCA Food and Wine Event Review

For the second year in a row I attended The Introduction to Wine Tasting class with Master Sommelier Michael Jordon of Napa Rose. Novice or pro, if you are a wine lover you should take this class.

Michael stated in his opening, no matter if you are king or the guy who sweeps the floor for the king, both enjoy the wine equally. And Michael should know. He is one of only 85 Master Sommeliers in North America. Even more impressive is the fact that he is only one of 10 Master Sommeliers in the world who are at his level of wine education. He has recently been promoted to King of all Wine for Disney Worldwide or some very long title. So whether you are at Napa Rose, Club 33, Jiko, California Grill or any of the high-end Disney restaurants Michael has a big part.

This fast paced 2-hour class taught the basics of the Deductive Tasting process. To become a Sommelier you must be able to identify any wine in a blind taste test. You should be able to name the grape or blend, the country/region/appellation, the quality level and vintage. Sounds impossible right? Apparently not! And that is the brilliance of Michael as your tour guide.

The interactive class taught a step-by-step process whereby the color of the wine, then the smell, and finally the taste will narrow down the possibilities to the precise, correct wine. The good-natured way that Michael worked with the guests, making sure you were never really far off from the correct answer, was extremely well done.

Got my checklist in hand. Have my brand new Food and Wine glass. Hmmm. Time to pop another bottle and practice what I learned today.

ACTIVITY: DCA Food and Wine Festival

At last year's Disney's California Adventure Food and Wine festival, I participated in one of the signature events called Tasting Wine Like a Professional. It was an informative and very funny 2 hours with Michael Jordan, Master Sommelier of Napa Rose.

To become a sommelier, which is a requirement of all servers at Napa Rose, you have to be able to take a glass of wine, determine if it is a new world or old world wine, guess the region in which the grapes were grown, identify the varietal, and guess its age within 3 years.

Now, of course, we did not learn all the skills within 2 hours to become a pro but we certainly got the idea of what to look for. But what really made the event was Mr. Jordan himself. He is an engaging, funny, enthusiastic man who certainly has a passion for wine. In fact, he is at the top of his field with only 130 other sommeliers at his level worldwide. We got to taste 4 different wines and the class was very interactive.

On Saturday, April 25, 2009 I will be doing it all over again. It was that good.

The DCA Food and Wine Festival continues until June 7, 2009.

genneway