Monthly archives: December 2008

The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
Part 3

Posted by Trevor on December 18, 2008

Looking around Egg House Break Area at the crowd of cartoon characters in front of me, I asked the nearest person, without a head, "Are you Harry?" The gray half-man, half-donkey guy wearing a blue handkerchief skullcap gave me a look like I'd just asked him if he kicked puppies for fun.

"Why?"

"He's my buddy."

"Wrong jackass," he laughed, and then he dove forward into the costume and flipped his huge head up. "You can call me Josh," a muffled voice from somewhere under the fur echoed.

"Oh, hi. I'm Alan. I'm new."

"Couldn't tell." He spun around and called out, "Zip up!"

Continue Reading...

mini cone

The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
Part 2

Posted by Trevor on December 18, 2008

Now during high school I had spent three summers as a Character at Great America in Silicon Valley, and I thought I could cut it in the big time. So in my senior year I made the trip down south to audition for the Entertainment and Parades Department cattle call. But, I didn't make the cut. Partly because I had two left feet. No, really. When my big moment came, after they taught us the basic dance routine that we were supposed to do in partial costume, the paws I was given were not only too big, but also both left feet. I did my best and I tried to explain as I tripped over the big fluffy things, but the dance captain was not amused. Still, I got a lot of laughs. So they told me to come back for the Atmosphere Characters auditions in a couple of weeks. They were all nonunion, minimum wage, the usual. But I didn't care. I was floating on air. I was one step closer to my dream.

Continue Reading...

mini cone

The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
Part 1

Posted by Trevor on December 18, 2008

"Hello, this is Casual Seasonal Pageant Helper, Alan, I'm five foot five and a half, and I'm fully available!"

It's 5:30 in the morning and I'm calling in my availability for today, like I do everyday. You see, I grew up in the shadow of the Matterhorn, not the one in the Alps, the other one, in Anaheim. I climbed to the top of the Swiss Family Treehouse, all by myself, before I could ever climb a real tree. Pirate ships and castles and cartoon characters that came to life were all part of my childhood. Because, for a few days every year, I lived at the Happiest Place on Earth. In the late '80s when I graduated from high school at the age of 17 I did the next best thing I could think of to running away and joining the circus. I got a job at the Magic Kingdom in the Entertainment and Atmosphere Department Number 384 as a Casual Seasonal Pageant Helper. Yes, I was a Character. Not the Mouse himself, but many others, and for a little while my dream of never having to grow up seemed like an attainable goal.