The Last Original Disneylander: Stories & Secrets from the Last to Retire of the First to Be Hired

by Bob Penfield

Bob Penfield is convinced his life has been charmed: during his 42 years with Disneyland, he always seemed to find himself in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. “The Last Original Disneylander” shares his journey, and the story of the world famous theme park he grew up with. Similar to Walt Disney’s humble beginnings, Bob was raised in a small Midwestern town, then headed for the sunshine and opportunity out West. Blessed with an insatiable curiosity, days after graduating from Anaheim High School, he went looking for summer work at the strange new amusement park being built down the road. He lucked into a job days before it opened, starting in July of 1955 as a ride operator on Disneyland’s Carrousel. Three days later, he was named foreman of the Snow White ride and, as soon as he turned 21, was promoted to management. He later transferred into the Facilities Division, where he got the opportunity to explore and examine every square inch of the park. Along the way, he also enjoyed side trips to help open Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics, and the New York World’s Fair. He retired in July of 1997, as the last of the original employees. His intimate knowledge of the park, its history, and its amazing cast of characters provides a unique, up-close look at the creation and operation of the world’s most beloved vacation destination. Robert Dale Penfield started at Disneyland before it opened in July of 1955, serving as a ride operator on Opening Day before being promoted to supervision. He later moved to Custodial and then Maintenance Services, rising to superintendent of Area Supervision. In 1988 he was named long range program coordinator and ended his career in Construction Services, retiring in July of 1997 as the park’s final original cast member. Nonetheless, he continues to be actively involved with Disney, regularly participating in promotional events for the Company, organizing a monthly breakfast club for retirees, and serving as “keeper of the flame” for “Club 55,” the group comprised of fellow longtime cast members who started in 1955. Today, much of his efforts go into promoting the Walt Disney Birthplace Museum in Marceline, Missouri.

Genres: Nonfiction

198 pages, Paperback

Published December 6, 2016

Reviews

[Aylin Houle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. From learning about Bob Penfield who was there at Disneyland from 1955, and learning so much about him and his career at the parks was incredible. You find things out about Disneyland through his perspective. And he delves a bit into the other Disney parks he had the opportunity of working at as well. Among other events! Truly full of great stories and secrets!

[Alex Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former Disney cast member it is always interesting reading and hearing stories from other cast members and seeing what experiences they had working in the parks. After working at Disneyland for over 40 years Bob Penfield has a lot of stories to share and I found many of them really interesting and entertaining. In particular was hearing about the park during the early years. Since Penfield worked from opening day onward he is able to share with the reader his experiences as the staff at Disneyland tried to work out all the opening day kinks and challenges. I found it great to hear about how some Disneyland traditions such as the cast member canoe races initially got started.

Penfield has had a diverse career as he worked at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics, helped open the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, and worked at the 1964 New York World's Fair. In the book he writes about each of these experiences and what made them great and not so great. However, it is clear that Penfield truly loved Disneyland, as he shares with the reader many stories about the park. This includes little details like the tunnels that run under some parts of Disneyland or the underground pipes that connect some of the waterways. And Penfield also reveals what he secretly placed in the time capsule vault for the park's 40th birthday in 1995.

Overall, I think that Disney fans and especially those that are interested in Disneyland will truly appreciate this book. Penfield tells many stories about his friends and coworkers, much more than most Disney books do. However, it reminds the reader what wonderful and hardworking people are at the parks everyday, making the magic come to life.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at D23 after meeting and talking to the author for a bit at one of the booths. He's a very nice guy (I was wearing a fake pregnancy belly as part of my costume and he asked when I was due!) and he's led a fascinating life. He gets down into the specifics , which at times can make this book boring, but I think it's balanced by the fact that he's not afraid to tell the truth about his job and how he felt about it (even if it's not very nice), and it's a short book. Worth a read if you're interested in some behind-the-scenes info from someone who's been there since the beginning :)