Disneyoholic

Just in case you have ever wondered why we have all the Disney memorabilia around the office there is a reason.  In 1968 when I was an undergraduate at UC Irvine, I needed a part time job to supplement my scholarships, grants and student loans so I went to Disneyland to get a job.  I was hired in the food services department and as a casual seasonal employee (Christmas, Easter, grad nights and summer) and eventually a permanent part time employee through 1972, when I was married to my wife Karen, and it was between my freshman and sophomore years at UCLA dental school when I started working as a dishwasher and moved up to line cook after the first summer and eventually to lead chef for the Tahitian Terrace restaurant (between the Tiki Room and the Jungle Cruise ride now known as Aladdin’s Oasis).  When I was working weekends as a part time employee I worked at the Plaza Pavilion on Main Street and Club 33 the private club above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square.  During the winter months I would go in on Friday after classes and work 10 hours and then work 12 to 14 hours on Saturday and Sunday to pick up as many hours as I could.  I learned to work very hard and to be efficient, but most importantly I learned the Disney concepts of “host” and “guest.”  The concept is to treat both parties with respect and gratitude.  If you want to see a contemporary representation of that, watch the Disney film, “Saving Mr. Banks” with Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. That time frame is the time that I worked for Disney and I believe that it accurately betrays the Disney concept of how the “hosts” respect the needs of the “guest” P.L. Travers, no matter how she harasses them.  Although I never did meet Walt Disney as he passed away in 1964, I count his brother Roy as one of my friends.  In fact we watched the Armstrong Moon landing together on a 12 inch black and white TV set at “Station 13” at the Terrace.  Needless to say it is difficult to “outgrow” these types of experiences and training.  Thus I have been a Disneyoholic since then, as can be easily proven with my over 40 Mickey Mouse watches.  But what does this have to do with dentistry and our office?  Well I have utilized these Disney concepts in my practice with all of my staff (hosts) and patients (guests) trying to do the best that I could do for every one every day.  In the end you will have to forgive me for all the Disney stuff that I have around the office, but that is me.