PSSSST, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY MAGIC:

Keepers of the Magic Kingdom: Watch closely among Disneyland’s tourists and you might spot the Disneyana people, protecting Walt’s vision and living most of their waking lives in the happiest place on Earth (Adam Davidson, 9/05/03, LA Weekly)

Benji Breitbart doesn’t go to Disneyland every day.

“I wasn’t here last Thursday,” he says as we walk down Main Street. “I usually come six days a week.”

We’re moving quickly. “I have things I need to do,” Benji says. He’s canvassing the park, looking for anything new or out of place.

“We’re reopening the Electric Parade, so they’re getting ready,” he says, indicating some people in white uniforms scurrying about. I hadn’t noticed them, and it’s hard to tell exactly what they’re doing. But Benji knows. He knows everything that happens here almost as soon as it happens.

We hustle down Main Street, take a left into Adventureland. He notes that the Tiki Room needs a paint job. At the Haunted Mansion, on the far side of New Orleans Square, he stops suddenly. “This guy is new.” A speaker has been built into the gate around the Mansion. “When they change something, it’s jarring.”

Benji’s running commentary on Disneyland includes park history (“The Mansion is the last thing Walt worked on before he died”), labor politics, new plans. He uses the pronoun “we” when talking about the place. “We’re planning a big new E-ticket ride for DCA [Disney’s California Adventure park, adjacent to Disneyland].” “We’re doing a good job on paint in New Orleans Square.” I ask him why he says “we,” since he doesn’t work for Disney and has no official role here. The question surprises him. After a pause, he replies: “I’m an owner. I own 500 shares of Disney stock.”

But that’s not why I think he says “we.” He says “we” because Disneyland is the central force in his life. Most of his friends are Disneyland regulars, people like him who don’t work here but come to the park several times a week. Most of his clothes are Disney clothes. When he worked briefly at DCA, he would get his hair cut at the Disney cast-member barbershop. “I go to Angels games, because they [used to be] owned by Disney. I never liked baseball before. I watch ABC because it’s owned by Disney. But I don’t watch TV usually. Why watch TV when I can come here and watch Fantasmic?”

Makes the Wife seem less deranged anyway.

Posted by orrinj at September 4, 2003 7:03 PM