"From Dreamer to Dreaminder" - review

[Mendelson]

Okay, maybe not a review, but did anyone else read this, by Ron Schneider?

I didn't intimately know JII nor Dreamfinder, but the book goes far, far beyond that. (As some of you may know, Ron played Dreamfinder in Epcot in the 80s).

He had a variety of jobs in many, many parks and themed entertainment settings over the years (from Magic Mountain to Disney parks to Chuck E. Cheese). The book is thus full of great anecdotes and great insights on how themed entertainment should and can work (and, alternatively, shouldn't and doesn't). It is, of course, a breezy read and generally good-natured and entertaining.

Many of his employment experiences follow a similar trend: he gets hired, has freedom, things go great, then the suits/management change/evolve and they have no idea what's going on and make bad decisions and then he leaves or gets fired. Which leaves me wonder what sort of personality things are going on that aren't discussed. In one situation - playing Santa in an environment he thought was ill-conceived - he leaves his seat and starts engaging with guests in ways he is not instructed to...and then gets fired. My guess is that knowing the right way to do things, and being impolitic about it, probably rubbed some of his supervisors the wrong way over the years.

He also makes a few jabs at various people (generally and anonymously), including online Disney fan communities!! but not in an overly vituperative way. But every memoir is allowed that opportunity.

I think Ron generally probably IS a true expert at creating great guest experiences and I've experienced some of them first-hand (as have all of you). If you like Disney enough to be on Intercot, you'll probably enjoy the book...I recommend it.

[brownie]

You'll see my review in a future issue of the INTERCOT Insider. In the meantime, if you'd like to read the book, purchasing through the following link will help to support INTERCOT: From Dreamer to Dreamfinder: A Life and Lessons Learned in 40 Years Behind a Name Tag.