FindingMickey.com

Ray Van De Warker

Location: The Mad Hatter, Town Square - Main Street USA, Disneyland.

In June 1955, Anaheim High School graduates Ray Van De Warker & Robert Penfield applied for summer jobs at Disneyland. When Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, Van De Warker's first job was in Fantasyland, operating the carousel. He held jobs all over the park, in attractions, security, concessions and management.

As foreman of the Indian Canoe ride on the Rivers of America, Van De Warker helped create a Disneyland tradition. In 1963, Jungle Cruise foreman Bob Penfield, issued a friendly challenge. Penfield suggested a canoe race between the Indian War Canoe Cast Members and Cast Members from Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise. Van De Warker's team won and Disneyland's Annual Cast Canoe Races were born.

Van De Warker retired in 1996, after working at Disneyland for more than forty years.

Robert Washo

Location: Market House, Main Street USA, Disneyland.

Robert "Bud" Washo was a senior designer for WED Enterprises or Imagineering. He headed the Disneyland Staff Shop, where he supervised concrete and plastic modeling. Bud Washo would go on to manage the Architectural Ornamentation Department at Walt Disney World. Bud Washo and his departments were responsible for modeling pieces used for Animatronics, building facades and sculpting details for specific attractions.

Disney Imagineer, Robert Jerome Washo, died September 22, 1999, in Yalaha, Florida.

For years this window was mistakenly inscribed with the name, Robert Wisky. It was corrected and restored in March 2008.

Robert Washo - Robert Wisky

Location: Market House, Main Street USA, Disneyland.

For some unknown reason, the window honoring Robert "Bud" Washo window was altered, instead featuring the name, Robert Wisky. The name Wisky was visible for years, leading Disney fans and authors to believe that Wisky was a real name, or part of an inside joke. In March 2008, Disneyland discovered the mistake and restored the window to read Robert Washo.

Photo courtesy of Intercot West.

Frank G. Wells

Location: Disney Gallery, Town Square - Main Street USA, Disneyland.

Frank G. Wells became the Walt Disney Company's President and Chief Operating Officer in 1984. Recruited with Michael Eisner - Disney Chairman & Chief Executive, Wells and Eisner were hired to stabilize Disney's corporate offices. As president, Wells was very hands on, handling most the Disney Company's daily operations. Together, Wells and Eisner re-established the Disney name, increasing annual revenues from $1.5 billion in 1984, to $8.5 billion in 1994. During that same ten year span, the Walt Disney Company's value jumped from $2 billion to $22 billion.

A tireless worker, Wells was also an avid adventurer. Having climbed six of the seven continent's tallest peaks, two failed attempts at Asia's Mount Everest kept him from summiting all seven. Disney President & COO Frank G. Wells died in a helicopter crash on April 3, 1994, during a back-country ski expedition in central Nevada.

Note: A wooden crate labeled Wells Expedition is part of a scene inside the Matterhorn, the crate and climbing equipment are a tribute to the late Frank G. Wells.

William T. Wheeler

Location: Disney Gallery, Town Square - Main Street USA, Disneyland.

William T. Wheeler was the founder of the engineering firm Wheeler & Gray, the firm hired as consultants for Disneyland's construction. The firm was such an integral part of Disneyland's creation, that Wheeler & Gray continues to consult on Disney Company's projects, which have included the construction of Walt Disney World
and the realignment of Disneyland's Monorail tracks. Disney Imagineers Don Edgren & John Wise were originally engineers from Wheeler & Gray.

Originally from Oklahoma, Bill Wheeler's family moved to California in 1922. He received his Civil Engineering degree from the California Institute of Technology and in 1946, Wheeler founded his firm, Wheeler & Gray Consulting Engineers.

For 54 years William T. Wheeler headed the California-based Wheeler & Gray, until his death on October 7, 2000 in Pasadena, California.

George K. Whitney Jr.

Location: Market House, Main Street USA, Disneyland.

Early in Disneyland's planning, Walt Disney recruited George K. Whitney Jr., as a consultant because of his amusement park experience. George's father and uncle owned the Whitney Properties in San Francisco, California, which included Playland at the Beach (Whitney's Playland), the Cliff House, Sutro Museum, and the various supporting concessions. 

Whitney served as Director of Ride Operations for Disneyland, from 1954 to 1958. His practical expertise was used to plan and place attraction queues, as well as mapping out the locations for entrances & exits. Whitney's overall planning created more efficient loading on attractions and better flow of guest foot traffic.

Disneyland's seventh employee, George K. Whitney Jr., died September 25, 2002 in Friday Harbor, Washington.

Ed Winger

Location: Blue Ribbon Bakery, Center Street - Main Street USA, Disneyland.

Ed Winger was the supervisor in charge of Disneyland's Paint Department, Mill and Sign Shop. Employed during Disneyland's early construction, Winger is a member of Club 55 - a club made up of Cast Members employed at Disneyland in 1955 or earlier.

According to City Hall, the inebriated Old Settler that used to be laid out in front of Tom Sawyer Island's burning cabin, was modeled after Ed Winger.

John Wise

Location: Disney Gallery, Town Square - Main Street USA, Disneyland.

John Wise was assigned to the Disneyland Construction project by the firm Wheeler & Gray - Consulting Engineers. A Structural Engineer, Wise designed the simple modular support structures used for many of the buildings on Main Street and elsewhere in Disneyland. The simple supports gave the buildings the necessary support and structure, allowing Disneyland's art directors to create artistic, non-structural facades.

Assigned by Wheeler & Gray, Wise was a Project Design Engineer during Disneyland's initial construction from 1954-55. In 1957, Wise became Disneyland's Chief Engineer. Wise would leave Wheeler & Gray to join WED Enterprises (later known as Imagineering), becoming a WED Project Engineer in April 1965. In 1969 Wise was named Vice President of Engineering for WED Enterprises in California. Working with Don Edgren, Wise helped coordinate engineering design & planning during Walt Disney World's construction, beginning in the late 1960's, through the resort's opening on October 1, 1971.

Gordon Youngman

Location: Disneyana, Main Street USA, Disneyland.

The window dedicated to Youngman & Leopold, refers to lawyers Gordon Youngman and Fredric Leopold. Representing Walt Disney and Disneyland, Youngman & Leopold cleared any legal roadblocks, helping make Disneyland a reality. After Disneyland opening in 1955, both Youngman & Leopold continued to serve as legal counsels to the Walt Disney Company.

In 1954, Youngman, Huntgate & Leopold was founded, practicing in the entertainment industry. Youngman would also go on to serve on the Disney Board of directors. Gordon E. Youngman practiced law until his death in 1983.