HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 3

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  “Ah, the innocence of youth.” Lance gave a low chuckle as the rest of their group turned and headed for the exit on Main Street and the trams that would take them to the parking structure.

  Yorba Linda

  Margaret had calmed down by the time her family arrived. Positive Omah wouldn’t be back until the three days were up, she saw no need to fret and worry. The boys were sitting in the kitchen having a snack when their parents arrived. Lance grabbed a couple of cookies only to receive an angry chorus of “Hey!” by the boys who had already carefully proportioned the treats out amongst themselves.

  Thrusting one of the cookies into the hand of an oblivious Adam, Lance pointed at his friend. “Hey, it was all his idea.”

  “What?”

  “See? He admits everything.”

  The boys laughed at the confused look on Adam’s face. After having given Alex a hug hello, his mind focused on the problem at hand, Adam had immediately started to question his mother. He hadn’t paid any attention to what was going on around him. With Lance, he should have known better. To keep the mood light for the sake of Catie, he gave a grin and popped the chocolate chip cookie into his mouth. “What can I say? I love cookies. Got any more?”

  The younger boys gave a yell and dove to cover over their personal stash.

  The ringing doorbell proved to be Wolf and Peter. With a silent glance, all the adults went into the living room to talk. Peter was instructed to leave his backpack and join Alex, Catie, and his brothers in the kitchen.

  His curiosity at the next clue already high, Peter was about to argue.

  Knowing his son, his dad cut him off before he could get started. “I know you want to check out your find, Pete, but we all need to talk first. We’ll call you in when we’re done.” He left no room for discussion or argument.

  With a silent groan, Peter walked out of the room as if his feet were weighted down with lead.

  “Acting lessons, Lance. I told you that boy needs acting lessons.”

  Lance gave a sideways glance at Wolf. “Oh, I think he was emoting exactly what he was thinking. I shudder to think what it would be like if he had formal training. Now, let’s get down to business.” He shot a brief look at the kitchen door. It wasn’t too far a stretch to imagine Peter on the other side listening. With a lowered voice he continued. “Even though I know this won’t go over well, I think we should open the next clue and see where this is leading. Then we’ll talk about that mermaid.”

  “Don’t you think Peter and Catie should at least be in on the opening?”

  Lance looked up from digging through Peter’s messy backpack. “Gosh, how does he find anything in here…. I know, Kimberly, but this is getting to be way over their heads. We don’t always get what we want.” He finally pulled out the board that Peter had yanked off the Small World set.

  Adam came over when he saw the glitter-covered item. “Hey! That looks a lot like the two-by-four we found in Walt’s first garage studio in Kansas City. Remember, Lance? It was up in the rafters and had been painted to blend in perfectly with its surroundings.” He took the light blue piece of wood from Lance’s hands and turned it over. “If Walt had it made the same way, there should be a secret opening back here. A little sliding door or something.” He stopped and looked at his fingers that were now covered with sparkling blue glitter. “Great. I look like Catie’s school binder….”

  “Are you going to reminisce forever or are you going to open it?”

  At Lance’s impatient remark, Margaret, Beth and Kimberly rolled their eyes at each other. Boys.

  “Gosh, give me a minute. Wow, to think this has been hanging there since the 1960’s. Walt sure knew what he was doing. Hiding in plain sight. Just like….”

  “Open it.”

  All eyes turned to the usually silent Wolf after his terse two-word command. They knew he was taking the appearances and vanishings of Omah personally.

  “Yes, boss.” Adam took a small folding knife out of his pocket and ran it under a barely-noticeable notch.

  “You went to Disneyland armed? Planning on defending the Castle with that tiny thing?”

  Hearing the amusement in Lance’s voice, Adam glanced up. “Tiny but deadly in the hands of an expert.”

  “Too bad we didn’t bring an ex….”

  “Will you two knock it off and open it?”

  “Yes, dear.” Adam glanced up and his smile faded a little. “Oh, sorry, Kimberly. You sounded just like….”

  “Open it!”

  “Hey, you all don’t have to gang up on me at once! Sheesh. Remember, I am armed.” He held up the one-inch blade and received a unanimous round of indifference. “Fine. I’ll open it. Wow, this is really jammed in there.”

  All five of the adults in the room leaned forward as the blade of the knife lifted a small, fitted panel off the back of the wooden board. The first thing to fall out was a ring and it immediately fell to the carpet.

  Seated next to her son, Margaret leaned over and scooped up the golden object. “Why, that’s a claddagh ring! How beautiful! Oh, look at the tiny diamonds circling the heart.”

  Always up on his Disney trivia, Adam stopped trying to pull a couple pieces of paper out of the small opening. “A claddagh ring? Really? That’s what Walt and Lillian both wore. You can see Walt’s on his right hand if you look at the Partner’s Statue at Disneyland.” He looked around at the faces that stared at him and gave a sigh. “Fine, I’ll finish what I’m doing.”

  “While we’re still alive to appreciate it.” They all heard Lance’s muttered remark—as he had intended.

  The painted two-by-four had been hollowed out and smoothed on the inside. Various coats of paint and glitter had protected it against detection. Adam still marveled—silently—that it had remained unfound for over forty years. The Small World attraction had been built for the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and was moved to Disneyland after the Fair closed in 1965. It opened to the public in May of 1966. As he carefully finagled the paper stuck inside so it didn’t rip, he kept his facts to himself. “Got it. It looks like another page out of the diary. And this is some kind of brochure.” He handed the colorful artwork to his wife as he eagerly read the handwritten note. When he was done he looked up at his family and friends who were expecting to be told what he had silently read to himself. Lips dry, he saw that they were impatient and would turn on him at a moment’s notice. “Uhm, this is unexpected. Beth, let me see the front of that brochure.” When she held it and he saw the artwork, he grimaced. “I don’t know if it is good news or bad.”

  Flashback — Disneyland — 1965

  Walt glanced at his visitor who had finally quit his persistent pacing. The blonde-haired man now stood motionless as he stared out of Walt’s apartment window that overlooked Main Street. Walt set his pen down and rubbed his tired eyes. “You nervous or something?”

  His right-hand man didn’t turn from his place as he watched the Fire Engine slow to a stop in front of City Hall. “What? Oh, no. Just thinking.”

  “Anything deep and thought-provoking?”

  There was a light laugh. “Oh, I don’t know about that. Maybe. I was just thinking about the future. Where I’ll be and all that.”

  At the mention of the future, Walt startled a little and his hand moved to cover what he had been writing. He hadn’t shared this particular venture with his friend yet, only one other person. After tapping his index finger on the piece of paper, he gave a mental shrug. Why not? It might be good to have a second opinion. “Maybe you could take a look at something I’ve been working on and tell me what you think.”

  “You writing a story, Walt?” As the man turned to face his boss, a smile crossed his face.

  “Well, I am a storyteller. Of all the things I’ve ever done, I’d like to be remembered as a storyteller.”

  The smile broadened. “I think that’s a safe thing to want. You’re known around the whole world as a storyteller.”

  Walt’s expression turned thought
ful. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, but will it last?” He glanced down at the table in front of him. “That’s kinda what I’m working on now. You know that girl Omah from the Lagoon?”

  Tall. Shapely. Red hair. Dark, almost exotic features. “Yeah, she’s one of the mermaids.”

  There was a pause before Walt responded. “Yeah, she’s a mermaid. Too.” At the confused look on his friend’s face, Walt continued. “I haven’t told you about her yet, but she works for me, too. Besides being a mermaid, I mean.”

  “Works doing what?”

  “Well, kinda like you, only not so much.” Walt stood from the table and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. Stiff from a polo injury, it was giving him trouble today. “I have an idea for a…well…I guess you could call it a treasure hunt I’m setting into place. I haven’t bothered you with it because it doesn’t amount to much. If things go well….” Walt broke off and gave a shrug. Who knows with something like this? How long would it take to see if it worked or not? He shrugged again and walked back to his chair. “Well, if I see the need, I’ll come to you with something even bigger, more involved.”

  “I don’t understand. What treasure hunt? What are you planning to hide?”

  Walt looked down at the paper on which he had been writing. “Why don’t you read this and I’ll fill in the missing pieces of what I’ve already done when you’re finished.” Walt handed the sheet to the outstretched hand and then walked out onto the covered patio. Beneath the overhang was the walkway into the City Hall. Behind him he could hear the occasional shots from the Jungle Cruise skippers. But, he wasn’t thinking about this jewel of a park. He, too, was thinking about the future.

  “Hi, there.

  I hope you have been enjoying the Mermaid’s Tale. Didn’t know there were so many mermaids in my little Park, did you? Or, if you’ve gotten this far, perhaps you did.

  There is one more step in this Tale before you’re finished. You might have heard me say that I don’t like to repeat successes. I like to go on to other things. Well, you’ll be going to a new place next and do something you probably have never done before. Be careful!

  I hope you’ve been paying attention to where you’ve gone. Each place has been special to me and, I hope, loved by thousands of guests. Remember the fun you have had in each of these places and remember the old man who created them all for you! It’s my sincerest hope that my legacy will continue long after I’m gone. This little quest you have been on is one way of seeing who is tenacious enough, strong enough to see it through. There is something special for you at the end. Use it as you will.

  Mermaids have always been special to me. Some legends have them as dark and ugly. Mine, in my mind, have always been beautiful creatures. I have owned The Little Mermaid since way back in 1941. I had even thought about doing a film right after Snow White, but there were problems—as there commonly are—and it was put on hold. When there were problems at the studio and then the wartime efforts, another project featuring The Little Mermaid was shelved in 1943. Even after all this time, I still haven’t gotten around to it. But, it is always in the back of my mind. I see her with red hair, a spunky little thing. Who knows? I might just bring her back to the drawing board in a year or two!

  By now you have met a few of my Disneyland mermaids. I want you to meet one more. This is a special golden-haired beauty and she even has her own ship! She will point the way to the next clue herself, and, as the crow flies, you will know where to go.”

  The note was taken out on the patio and handed back to Walt. As he did in all matters, the right-hand man thought about what he had read before he spoke. “That’s quite an idea, Walt. What is it that you’ve already put into place? What’s the end result?”

  Walt recounted the steps he had taken. He then paused as he stared at his friend. “You don’t mind that I had Omah helping me with this? I wanted to test her on something simple to see how she did. The first piece of this puzzle goes into the Lagoon pretty soon.”

  “No, I don’t mind. You have lots of things going on that I don’t know about.” There was a mischievous sparkle in his green eyes. “And lots of people to do them. Does Wolf know about this, too?”

  “Wolf? No, not this one. If things go well, or if I think they’re going well, I’ll have both of you involved in the next, bigger one.”

  There was a broad smile. “There’s always a next, bigger one, isn’t there, Walt?”

  Walt stood and motioned inside. From inside the small kitchenette cabinet he pulled a blue-colored piece of wood and a gray, molded canister usually used for electrical conduit. In a specially-cut opening in the wood, he carefully inserted the handwritten note and what looked like a brochure and something round. One of the ends of the gray canister was then opened and another note inserted. There was a clink as something else was dropped in at the last moment before it was sealed. The curious blonde-haired man was handed a couple of brass screws and a small screwdriver, a hammer and two nails. “You might want to put those out of sight,” were Walt’s cryptic words as he picked up the French cradle phone and dialed a number. “Can you please clear the workers from the South Seas portion of Small World for the next half hour? Thank you.”

  Walt now led the way down the stairs outside his apartment. “Since you’re willing, I need you to help me with these last two pieces. You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

  His mind going over and over what he had just seen and read, he wasn’t sure he heard Walt correctly. “What?”

  “Don’t sound so alarmed.” Walt gave a low chuckle. “It’s not that high. I’d do it myself but everyone would have a heart attack.”

  “Now I really am concerned.”

  Walt didn’t respond but quickly walked the pathway behind Main Street that housed the cast members’ lockers. They emerged behind the small Refreshment Corner restaurant, the ragtime piano player banging out “In the Good Old Summertime.” With the hope he wouldn’t be recognized or interrupted, Walt tugged his fedora a little lower on his forehead as they headed for Fantasyland. This was important and, now that he had made his decision, he wanted to get it into place immediately. “We have to go to the Small World show building first. It should be cleared out by now.”

  They bypassed the Castle and walked between the Matterhorn Mountain and the Alice in Wonderland ride. The Storybook Land Canal Boats had a large line of guests as did Autopia and the Motor Boat Cruise. As they neared the back end of the Park, Walt stopped for a minute to look at his latest masterpiece that could be partially seen over the blockade of construction walls. The white façade of It’s a Small World was incomplete, but one could still see the whimsical, worldwide appeal of the building.

  There was no water in the unfinished canal and there were a few walkways over it. Walt nodded hello to various workers who stopped to gape at their boss. Even though they saw him often as he checked on the progress, it was still a surprise to see him walk through the clutter and debris. Always inconspicuous, his companion was unnoticed as he trailed behind Walt.

  Keeping to the west side of the building, Walt led him unerringly to the South Seas display. The dolls were not in place yet, but the backgrounds for most of the scenes were in position. Plain blue, wavy pieces of wood stood upright in a cluster. “This is where the three mermaids will be.” Walt pointed upwards. “The queen mermaid will be up there. There’ll be a couple of turtles hovering up near her, too. Well, you remember what it looked like in New York.” Walt walked behind the unadorned set. “Let me have the screwdriver and screws. This one will go right here.”

  As Walt happily got to work setting the new piece of wood, his companion had a question. “How do you know it won’t be moved?”

  Humming the Small World theme song, Walt gave a short chuckle. “It won’t be moved. These pieces are here to stay. And, once it gets a spraying of glitter, it won’t even be seen.”

  “You’re pretty sure of yourself, Walt.”

  Arms folded, Walt stood back to admir
e his handiwork. “Yeah, I am. A lot of people…a LOT of people said Disneyland would be closed and forgotten after the first year. And here we are ten years later. I’m sure. Come on. Your job is next.”

  Five minutes later, Walt and the blonde-haired man stood in a different part of Fantasyland. Every few moments, a Skyway bucket would cast a quick shadow over the two men. The screams and laughter coming from the spinning Tea Cup ride behind them were unheard as one man looked confident, almost smug, and the other man looked confused.

  “Where am I supposed to be looking?”

  Walt patted the pocket of his cardigan. “Remember the brochure that went into this gray capsule?”

  The man’s eyes widened. “Yes.” The word was drawn out so long that it sounded like two syllables.

  A big smile on his face, Walt looked upward and pointed. His friend went pale. “It goes right there.”

  Yorba Linda

  “Look for me in the Pirate Ship Restaurant at Disneyland…in Walt Disney’s Wonderful, Magic Kingdom in Anaheim, California.” A petite, yellow-haired mermaid smiled from the front of the brochure. Holding a long diamond-tipped wand in one hand, her other hand invited guests to her unique red and yellow, four-masted ship moored in the heart of Fantasyland.

  An unrolled scroll on the side welcomed people aboard the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant…one of the most colorful creations to come from the genius of Walt Disney! They were encouraged to try salads and sandwiches that featured Tender Tuna Cuts that were served in delicious, different, tempting ways. The blonde mermaid, it continued, was on the label of America’s Greatest Names in Sea Food. A smiling peg-legged pirate in full regalia used his sword to point at the prominent can of tuna.

  “Wow, other than being folded to fit inside the wooden beam, the brochure is in perfect condition. Does it say what year it was printed?”

  At Lance’s question, Beth turned over the bright ad for the restaurant. “No, but I read somewhere that the pirate ship had been in Disneyland from 1955 to around 1982. They added Skull Rock and some beautiful waterfalls in 1960, if I remember right.” She held up the paper. “This could have been printed at any point during that time.”