You know, when people usually talk about what happened on 9/11, the focus (for obvious reasons) is on New York, Washington D.C. and that field just outside of Shanksville, PA. But — as was proven by this past Wednesday's story on JHM — the impact of these tragic events was felt the world 'round.
And given we've already discussed what it was like to be at Walt Disney World on that fateful day (Though — given the number of e-mails that I have received over the past two days from other cast members & guests who were also at the resort on September 11, 2001 that have stories that they'd like to share — I'm now giving some semi-serious thought to doing a WDW 9/11 follow-up article), I thought that I might now try to show you just how far reaching the effects of these planes crashes actually were.
Let's start with Disneyland-Paris. Colin W. now talks about what his family experienced on 9/11:
I had planned a family visit at the Park for late September 2001 — but then came 9/11. I was unable to make that trip, but we did not want to let our pre-paid vacation go to waste so my wife and three kids went alone and gave me updates by phone from the park.
From the moment of their arrival they were amazed — the parking lot was completely empty, something we had never experienced. The family stepped onto the moving sidewalk that carries guests to the entrance, but they were totally alone — and this was several hours after opening time. The Disney music echoed a bit eerily from the walls and the first workers they saw (who seemed quite bored) were waiting to search the family's bags. That was definitely something new.
Inside the park, the family found absolutely no lines — all attractions were open for immediate boarding. They and the other rare visitors could wander to the Pirates and have a whole boat for each family. The Fantasyland rides could be repeated as often as the kids wanted.
The Cafe Hyperion (where we prefiously had stopped a number of times for a hamburger, while watching a visiting Chinese acrobatic group perform "Mulan") was now like a vast nearly empty theater.
My wife said that I could have spent the whole day at the wonderful walk-through display of Captain Nemo's Nautilus (one of my favorites) without being disturbed by other visitors.
It was a unique experience but naturally it was also depressing when one recalled the reason for the absence of the normal crowd.
Then Joe in Japan shares a melancholy memory of what it was like to be at Tokyo Disneyland Resort right after 9/11:
It's fascinating to read the accounts of people who were at WDW the morning of 9-11. For us in Japan, the attacks occurred at around 10:30 p.m. local time…
My wife and I had been preparing for our visit to the recently-opened Tokyo DisneySea the next day and stay at the MiraCosta Hotel. It was in the late evening while we were watching FOX NEWS at home when the report came of an airplane crash in NYC. While we couldn't take our eyes off the screen, the next plane struck. We just sat there silently gazing at the TV set. We stayed up until very late watching the updates, then we realized: "We're supposed to start our Disney vacation tomorrow morning!"
We discussed it for a while and decided to go through with our plans. We got up early the next morning and made our way to Tokyo Disney Resort an hour from our home. When we registered at the hotel, they told us that the Parks would open an hour or two later than originally scheduled. Later I learned that Disney told OLC to take pre-cautionary measures.
TDR being located between two major airports, we could see airplanes flying above us (since no flight bans were implemented that time) and just thinking how creepy it felt. Well, the gates opened late but even with Japanese cast members, there seemed to be a sense of "something didn't feel right." Many of that CM friends that I saw (and knew I was an American) came up to me and asked how I was.
One of the more strange moments was going into the American Waterfront area of early-1900s New York City. It just felt awkward walking through there. It's not really the city and it doesn't feature buildings like the WTC. However, it was just unpleasant. We saw the Broadway show "Encore!" and one of the sets did feature a silhouette of the WTC (which has since been removed). Many of the performers in that show are American and European. You can see the expressions on their faces that their minds were elsewhere. At the end of the show, there is a big salute to the USA with "76 Trombones" and "Give My Regards to Broadway". There were many a tear being shed that day, and not just by the performers.
We stayed the full four days we had planned. Our TV inside the hotel remained on CNN and other Japanese stations for more information. The Parks didn't close here like they did in the US. There we were in the land of fantasy and make-believe, but the harsh realities of world events made for a not so "Happiest Place on Earth."
Speaking of the "Happiest Place on Earth" … We now arrive back in Anaheim. Which — because of the three-hour-time-difference involved here — 9/11 allegedly didn't quite have the same impact on the Disneyland Resort's guests and cast members as it did back in Orlando.
But — as the following trio of stories will prove — how you felt the impact of what had happened in NYC, Washington D.C. and Shanksville pretty much depended on where you were standing that morning: On the outside of the theme parks …
(On the morning of 9/11, both Disneyland & Disney's California Adventure were) already closed when I drove out to the Anaheim Convention Center for a computer conference ([Which was] also postponed). There were a couple of cast members at the gates to answer questions. But most people responded to being told that (the theme parks were closed for the day) with "Oh, sure."
Inside of a Disney hotel …
I was staying at the Grand Californian the night of Sept. 10, 2001, and I can tell you the message the hotel sent to our voicemail the next morning *did* say the parks would be closed "due to the events that occurred in New York and Washington, DC this morning." I'd overslept (probably because Downtown Disney, which was just outside my window, was unusually quiet), and the voicemail had me frantic, wondering what had happened. I called the front desk and was told "They're bombing New York and Washington DC!" The hotel offered discounted rates to departing guests stranded in Southern California, but those of us who could pack up headed for home. At the time it seemed that the Disney theme parks might be the next target, since they have such a high profile. As I was checking out, I had the daylights scared out of me by a costumed Rafiki character who came up behind me and patted my shoulder — probably not the cuddliest character to have roaming the halls during a tense morning!
Or backstage …
(Back in the Fall of 2001), I … (had) … a Backstage role (at Disneyland). I was fortunate enough to live close enough to the Resort to ride my bicycle to work each day (there are showers and locker rooms in the building I worked in).
Believe it or not, I rode my bicycle through the gate right before the first plane hit (I had no idea what was happening at the time). I showered and dressed for what I thought would be a normal day. When I got to my office, I went through the break room and found EVERYONE in the building watching the TV. Again, not knowing what was going on, I asked why people were not working. Someone in the room told me what had happened. I too, sat and watched the TV.
Soon after that, we received word that the Parks would not be opened at all that day and that we all would need to start calling Cast Members who were not already at work to stay home.
Several members of my staff were taken to the scheduling area to begin calling several hundred Cast Members. In the middle of that, the decision was made that we needed to do something for the Guests who were staying in on-site hotels (preferably Characters). Some folks were called back (I.E. Performers, technicians, drivers, etc.) to come in after all.
All was going OK (People were getting their jobs done; no one was freaking out), until about 8:50 a.m. At that point, an emergency call went out over the Park radios to evacuate every building in both Parks.
You see, there was a report that came in that airplanes were headed for the Resort at 9:00 a.m. too. I vividly remember RUNNING through the building with my boss searching every room, opening every door, and yelling to get OUT of the building NOW (Park Security was tied up in other locations and many officers were not yet at work).
At 8:59, my boss and I ran out of the building, satisfied that we were the last to leave. We joined the others in the pre-designated evacuation area to wait. And wait. And wait …
I thought the clock was standing still …
9:05 …
9:10 …
9:15 …
Someone thought they heard a jet, but no one could see one …
9:30 …
Still waiting for the all-clear …
At about 9:45 we were finally let back into the building to keep making calls.
Shortly after that, all of the management folks were called into a meeting at Lincoln Theatre to be briefed on what was going on.
My boss and I along with another manager went to the meeting. At that meeting, we were giving information verifying that the Parks would remain closed for the day. Everyone was briefed about Characters and Guests at the hotels. We were given additional security information that I should really not go into.
The meeting was very emotional. It may have been the first time for many of those people to realize that this was serious. This was not a drill or a test.
After the meeting, we joined other Cast Members at the Inn Between (I.E. he Cast Cafeteria behind Main Street U.S.A.) for lunch. Other managers were actually doing the cooking and serving. Mickey paid for lunch.
I remember walking back to my office down Main Street U.S.A. It was the middle of the day. Main Street was completely empty. The BGM (I.E. Background music) had been turned off. It was by far the strangest sight I remember seeing.
One more thing I remember: When I got back to my office, I had no sooner sat down than we got another emergency call to come to the warehouse immediately. At the same time, the fire alarm started to go off. It seems that a forklift driver — trying to get a pallet of something that was needed — hit and sheared off a fire sprinkler. The warehouse was flooded. The fire department was able to get the water off, and we spent the next couple of hours cleaning up.
At the end of that, my boss sent us home to be with our families. I climbed on my bike and rode out the gate for the last time (Personal vehicles were no longer allowed Backstage after that).
Isn't that just an amazingly-surreal-though-ultimately-sad story?
Anyway … I want to thank all of the JHM readers who were kind enough to write in & share their stories about what it was actually like to be at the Tokyo Disney Resort, the Disneyland-Paris Resort as well as the Disneyland Resort on 9/11.
You know, when tragic events like this unfold … Well, isn't it ironic to discover that — in this incredibly jaded day & age — that the Sherman Brothers were right all along? That it really is "… a small world after all"?
Your thoughts?