by Dixon, Jeff
The short walk from the Contemporary to the entrance bypassed the monorail ride and he strode briskly along the redbricked walkway under the monorail track. In a few moments his walk was complete and he was sliding his annual pass into the ticket turnstile. Below the Train Station, he stepped through the entrance that led to the Mickey Mouse face that was made entirely of flowers. Choosing the tunnel on the left he emerged into the Town Square on Main Street, USA with City Hall right in front of him. Climbing the steps while glancing at his watch, he knew the tour was already gathering and preparing to leave. A cast member working behind the counter at City Hall helpfully pointed Hawk through the door where the tour was meeting just outside. The group of people looked like any other group of tourists ready for a day in the theme park. Hawk noticed that the tour guide appeared as if she had just stepped out of a classic Walt Disney brochure. Dressed in a blue jacket, plaid skirt, and dark hat, she was checking a list and making preparations to begin. Her name tag let everyone know her name was Brooke. With a smile she opened her mouth to speak.
“Hold on just a moment please, Brooke,” a pleasant but commanding voice interrupted. Brooke turned and watched the approach of another cast member.
This interrupting cast member was not dressed as a tour guide. She had shoulder-length dark hair and wore a professional-looking black skirt, a white long-sleeved blouse, and a pair of heels. Hawk assumed she held a position of authority and was Brooke’s supervisor, or “lead,” as they were known among cast members. This woman’s name tag revealed her name was Kiran, and she and Brooke seemed to be going back over the list that Brooke had been looking at before. As their conversation continued they would occasionally glance up at the slightly curious crowd that watched their discussion and waited to begin the tour. Both Brooke and Kiran would be quick to smile and then would continue to work. As Kiran glanced up Hawk noticed her green eyes and was struck by how attractive she was. Stepping away from Brooke, Kiran addressed the group.
“Good morning, my name is Kiran and this is Brooke. We are so excited that you have chosen to take the Keys to the Kingdom tour. We apologize for the slight delay but we had some last-minute additions to the tour so we’ve had to reorganize just a little bit.”
While Kiran continued to talk to the group, Hawk realized that he was the last-minute addition to the tour and wondered if he was the source of this problem. He tuned back in as Kiran explained what was happening.
“Because there are so many of you, we’ll divide this group into two separate tours. Through the course of the day you’ll see the same things, but this just allows us to provide you a better guest experience and give you the personal attention that makes these tours more enjoyable. So if you will listen closely for your name, that would help us tremendously.”
Kiran read a list of names clearly and concisely. She stopped and again spoke to the group. “If I read your name, I’m going to ask you to go with Brooke. She will be your tour guide and show you the Keys to the Kingdom. Have a great time!” Kiran watched as Brooke began to speak to the group, and soon their tour was underway. Turning back to the remaining guests, she smiled and read off the list of names of the people who should now be in her group. The last name on her list was Grayson Hawkes. Hawk thought she stared an extra moment at him before she began to explain what their day was going to include. If his last-minute reservation had been the reason that she had arrived and split the group in two, he imagined she wasn’t real thrilled that she had to spend a chunk of the day leading them around, especially if she hadn’t originally planned on doing so. Regardless, she was a true Disney cast member and was now completely committed to doing her best to create a memorable guest experience for the tour group.
Kiran rattled off facts, insights, and bits of trivia about the background and creation of the Magic Kingdom.
She revealed that if you look closely as you walk down Main Street, USA, you will see a series of discs embedded into the street. These are sensors that identify and locate floats during the Magic Kingdom parades. When a float passes over a disc information is transmitted to “Pageant,” which is a central computer that keeps the float synchronized with the appropriate music. Strolling down Main Street the group began to spot these discs easily once they knew what they were looking for.
As Kiran explained how the Magic Kingdom covered 107 acres with a capacity of one hundred thousand guests, Hawk remembered a Christmas Day trip he had taken to the park. It was the first time he had ever been alone on Christmas. He had planned a quiet distracting day but was stunned by the massive crowds.
Kiran often paused and allowed the tour guests the chance to ask any questions they wished. Most of Hawk’s questions were different than the inquiries from the rest of the group.
Hawk said, “Kiran, I’ve heard that Walt kept an apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street in Disneyland.”
“You are correct,” she responded.
“Did he have anything like that built into the plans for the Magic Kingdom?”
“He certainly did.” She smiled. Pointing toward Cinderella Castle, she guided the group to a window that was indistinguishable from the others incorporated into the design of the castle. “Look at those three long windows right up there,” she instructed, allowing time for the entire group to get focused on the correct windows. “Behind those arched windows is an apartment that was originally designed for Walt and his family to use anytime they were here in the Magic Kingdom. The plans were changed after Walt’s death. The apartment was something that Roy didn’t seem interested in pursuing. Apparently even as the castle was designed it became a bit of a sacred subject and no other plans were ever put into motion to use that space effectively.”
“I don’t understand. Why was it a sacred subject?” Hawk wondered.
“Maybe sacred subject isn’t the best way to describe it.” She paused. “The designers and builders wanted to be sensitive to building what Walt wanted—after all, this was his big dream. Since he had planned to build an apartment, no one wanted to be the person to knock that out of the plan for the castle. As a result, they did nothing. They just built the space without ever finishing it. Depending on what year you might have been inside the castle, you could have seen it used as a big storage area, a large empty space, a housing area of material used in remodeling, or even a telephone switchboard, but it was never more than just an unfinished room. It wasn’t until the Year of Million Dreams celebration that it was finally finished and guests were allowed to stay there as a part of the event.”
“Do we get to look at it now since it is finished?” Hawk asked.
“No, that is not a part of our tour . . . sorry,” she replied. “But I will let you in on a secret. I have been in it and it is breathtaking!”
“So there is no chance you can sneak us in as an added bonus to the tour?” Hawk kidded.
“Afraid not.” She quickly changed the subject with a trivia question. “Does anyone know Cinderella’s last name?”
The group chatted among themselves and offered no answers. Hawk’s attention was still on the window, trying to imagine what kind of view you would have of the Magic Kingdom, and what the park would look like from that vantage point. Almost as an afterthought he quietly answered the trivia question.
“Tremaine,” he said, not intending for anyone in particular to hear him.
“Correct again!” Kiran excitedly replied. This launched her into a follow-up question. “Now here is your bonus question. The restaurant in Cinderella Castle was originally called King Stefan’s Banquet Hall. What is one of the reasons it was changed to Cinderella’s Royal Table?”
Hawk turned back from gazing at the castle toward Kiran and the group. He waited for someone else to answer. No one did and most of the group was staring at him waiting to hear what he had to say. Kiran was looking at him as well and he assumed that the question had been intended for him alone. He inclined his head.
“King Stefan was actually Sleeping Beauty’s fath
er. Cinderella’s father was not a part of her story since she lived with her stepmother and stepsisters. So I suppose it was the wrong king’s name in the wrong castle,” he surmised.
Kiran’s face broke into a broad smile as she proclaimed to the group, “This gentleman knows his trivia.”
There was a smattering of applause from the band of tour takers. One elderly gentleman patted him on the shoulder in a gesture of congratulations. The tour progressed and Hawk found himself going on his own tour of thoughts that were trampling through his brain. Hawk had now personally bought into the mystery of the key Rales had given him, which was what prompted him to take the Keys to the Kingdom tour. But other than the phrase key to the kingdom, he had found no other connection to the key he now possessed. In retrospect, thinking he could find answers on the tour and been foolhardy. However, Kiran’s beauty was a pleasant bonus if not a distraction to Hawk as he tried to sort out some of the things rolling around his noggin.
“Notice how Walt and his alter ego, Mickey Mouse, look down Main Street,” Kiran was saying as Hawk’s attention reconnected with the tour.
They were standing in front of the Partners statue situated in Central Plaza near Cinderella Castle. The statue featured a life-sized version of Walt Disney holding hands with Mickey. Disney’s right hand was extended as if sharing with Mickey a vision of what the future could hold. It was a powerful visual image of the man whose dreams had changed the world.
“Some people look at Partners and think that Walt is sharing his latest dream with Mickey. Others think he is pointing out some of the intricate details of something they are looking at.” Kiran gazed up admiringly at the two figures. “Whatever they are talking about, this has become one of the most photographed places in the Magic Kingdom. If you would like I will give you a moment to take a few pictures.”
She stepped back out of the way as some of the group gathered their parties for a photograph. Kiran helped some of the guests take their pictures by acting as their photographer. After handing a camera back to its owner she stepped backward, her heel digging into Hawk’s foot.
“Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Hawkes,” she apologized as she quickly turned toward him.
“No damage done,” he reassured her as a twinge of pain danced across his foot.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” he confirmed.
“Then let’s keep moving.” She smiled and moved away to herd up the group.
As she moved away, the pain subsided and Hawk caught a whiff of a pleasant scent. She not only looked good, she also smelled good, and she knew a truckload about Disney World. She was practically perfect, but what else would one expect inside the Magic Kingdom?
CHAPTER SEVEN
* * *
Day Three
Noon
THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM TOUR included lunch, and the group made their way to the Columbia Harbour House to eat. Nestled between the edge of Fantasyland and Liberty Square, it offered a variety of choices at reasonable theme park prices. Hawk allowed most of their party to order before him. By the time he carried his tray toward the upstairs dining area where they were eating, most of the others were heavily involved in consuming their meals. He found a table adjacent to the clump of tables their tour group had settled in. He loaded his soft drink with a straw and took a slug, unfolded a napkin, and prepared to eat.
“Mind if I join you?” Kiran stood next to him holding her own lunch tray.
“No, not at—” Hawk answered before completely swallowing and nearly strangled on his soft drink.
“Thanks,” she bubbled as she slid into the chair across from him. Setting her tray on the table, she fixed her gaze on him as if calculating what she was going to say next. “All right, Mr. Hawkes, I want to know why you are on this tour. I have a gnawing feeling that you already know most of the things I am saying.”
“Well . . . uh, I always wanted to take the tour and finally decided to do it.” There was a bit of truth in the statement. He had thought about taking the tour in the past. “I also heard the tour guides were excellent.” Hawk meant the remark to sound complimentary and smooth, but it landed with a silly, dorky thud on their lunch trays. If Kiran noticed she didn’t show it.
“You were a last-minute addition to our group. As a matter of fact the tour was already overbooked. We were thinking about dividing it into two separate tours. Our reservation specialist gave you a slot and made our decision for us.”
“Normally you don’t have to lead the tours, do you?”
“Not anymore. I used to years ago. Now I’m a manager in Guest Relations. So I suppose it’s your fault I’m a tour guide today.”
“Should I apologize?”
“No,” she quickly said. “They gave you a reservation instead of saying the tour was already full. But you could answer my question and tell me why you wanted to take the Keys to the Kingdom tour today.”
There was no way he could tell her why he was really there. On some level he didn’t really know himself. He paused perhaps longer than he should have.
“It’s complicated,” he offered.
“Is it now?” She waited to see if he was going to continue. When it became apparent that there was nothing more forthcoming, she lobbed another question toward him. “So, Mr. Hawkes, what do you do for a living?”
“I’m a pastor in Celebration,” he told her, relieved to be out of the uncomfortable territory her previous questioning had taken them into.
“A preacher?” Kiran studied him with raised brows. “Somehow you don’t strike me as a preacher.” Her cheeks colored. “Please don’t take that wrong. I didn’t mean it like it might have sounded.”
“No offense taken,” Hawk rescued her. He had heard it before. He didn’t look like the stereotypical preacher. Usually in need of a haircut and much more comfortable in denim jeans, he only wore a suit if he was forced to do so. “Please, call me Hawk. That’s what everyone calls me.”
“Okay, Hawk, tell me about being a preacher.”
Hawk began to tell Kiran about his passion for the church. They talked about how hard the church had to fight to carve a niche in the culture and how the church had lost some of its identity in the world. She asked probing questions about why Hawk had become a pastor and why he enjoyed it. The conversation focused for a short time on what made the Celebration Community Church so special. He asked her about her role at Walt Disney World. Kiran revealed that working for Disney was something she had always wanted to do. While in high school she had auditioned for a part in a Christmas parade and had gotten the job. Disney World was the only place she had ever worked. She had steadily advanced through the years and now had a bit of position and seniority with the company. Hawk assumed she also had a bit more authority and power than she was letting on. The dialogue volleyed back and forth across the table until their lunches were gone and the rest of the tour group was growing restless waiting. The touring troop began to file down the stairs as Kiran and Hawk were dumping the remains of their lunch in the trash receptacle.
“I really enjoyed chatting with you, Hawk. I’ll have to visit your church sometime.” Kiran paused as she waited for him to throw away his trash.
“I enjoyed it as well. Sorry I was the reason you had to spend your day leading a tour.”
“I’m not sorry at all.” She smiled and allowed her eyes to lock onto his for just a moment longer than he had anticipated.
Returning her smile, Hawk felt a moment of awkwardness over not knowing what to say. She walked away and headed down the stairs to continue the tour. Hawk shook his head slightly from side to side and followed in the same direction. When he joined the reassembled group outside the restaurant, he heard a voice come from over his shoulder.
“She is very pretty, son.”
Hawk looked back and saw the elderly gentleman who had congratulated him for being a trivia expert. The man winked, nodded, and then shuffled away to keep pace with the group as Kiran led them out into the street headed
toward Frontierland. On their walk they paused in front of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. She pointed out that although this was a single store that specialized in Christmas items, it also was a great example of the amazing design that was poured into every corner of the Magic Kingdom.
“Notice that from the outside this looks like three distinct time-period-specific storefronts. But once you walk inside, if you look closely, you will see three very different shops that are tied together with a Christmas theme. The Imagineers created a backstory for each shop. The first is a Music Teacher’s Shop; if you look at the decorations, you will see a variety of instruments ready for the holiday celebration. The second shop is a Woodcarver’s Shop. It’s more rustic looking, as if the woodcarver is making toys for gifts.” Kiran pointed to the last shop. “The final shop is not a shop at all. Instead it’s like a home decorated for the holidays, warm and inviting for guests and family. The family is identified as the Kepple family. Now here is a question for you trivia buffs.” She paused to allow them to listen closely. “Why was the name Kepple chosen for this shop?”
Silence was the answer of choice for the tourists. A few couples whispered to each other, trying to figure out the reason for the name. Eventually a few of the tourists looked toward Hawk, who had proven to be an endless stream of trivia facts throughout the tour. Even Kiran looked toward him and cracked a grin as she watched him try to remember the answer. Momentarily he brought the silence to an end.