Interview: Chuck Corson (Fred Waring; Big Bands; Disneyland’s nighttime entertainment)

Chuck Corson
Chuck Corson (left), Chuck and jazz legend Pete Fountain (right)

Chuck Corson was the director of entertainment for Disneyland and Walt Disney World beginning in 1959.

AUDIO INDEX
:59 Production stage manager for Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians,

1:35 Disney Night at the Hollywood Bowl and “Tinker Bell,” Tommy Walker, casting shows such as “Mickey Mouse Club,” and “Elfego Baca,” Jimmie Dodd

3:40 Disneyland’s start of nighttime entertainment, the first fireworks at Disneyland

5:44 The big bands at Disneyland, Benny Goodman, a surprise for Benny wife

8:00 His start with Disney as an apprentice in casting at the studio

10:15 Working with Walt Disney, the Squaw Valley Olympics, getting stranded with Walt, getting big name performers for Disneyland, big band festivals

Interview: Cicely Rigdon (The Disneyland Ambassador Program; ticket sellers)

Cicely Rigdon

Cicely Rigdon began working at Disneyland as a ticket seller in 1957 and would later be responsible for Disneyland’s Guest Relations and the Disneyland Ambassador program.

AUDIO INDEX
:48 Helping Disneyland Ambassador candidates and the Ambassador process

4:47 The Ambassador ceremonies

6:00 What makes a good Ambassador, explaining the park to people as Ambassador or tour guides

Interview: Cicely Rigdon (Ticket seller; tour guide; Guest Relations; Walt Disney)

Cicely Rigdon interview

Cicely Rigdon began working at Disneyland as a ticket seller in 1957 and would later be responsible for Disneyland’s Guest Relations and the Disneyland Ambassador program.

AUDIO INDEX
:53 How she came to work at Disneyland

2:56 Working as a ticket seller, working with Disneyland’s new tour guide program, working with Walt Disney who would call her Mother Hen, tour guide tags

10:08 VIP hostesses, being in charge of Guest Relations

12:15 Invited to the New York World’s Fair by Walt, Walt wanted people to get their money’s worth at Disneyland, becoming the “keeper of the keys” for Walt’s apartment at Disneyland

Mouse Clubhouse: Starting new

Although Mouse Clubhouse has been in existence online since 2007, I recently had a technical error which caused me to lose much of my original content. I am taking this as an opportunity to begin rebuilding my website, and I hope you enjoy it!

One of the biggest changes is the interviews that I used to post textual transcriptions of will now appear with the original audio so that you may listen to the actual voices of some of the most amazing people in Disney history.

Thank you for all your support over the years, and I hope you continue to enjoy Mouse Clubhouse!

-Scott Wolf