Scoop Sanderson

[LuckyMum22]

I just read this story on the Disney Insider and it made me interested to hear more stories about Scoop Sanderson.
Read this and tell everyone your "scoop"!


Scoop Sanderson Personifies Disney Ideals
by Patrick, 43, Katy, TX

The first year of Disney Pin Trading I was on the Disney World Trolley and a gentleman jumped aboard who caught my interest. This fellow was right out of the past and it turns out he was a newspaper reporter. I could tell by the "PRESS" ticket stuck in his hat.

This kindly fellow introduced himself as none other than Scoop Sanderson! He filled me in on the local "scoop" and going-ons for the day when he noticed a few pins I had begun to collect. We chatted about this and other things for a while when we got off the trolley by the Exhibition Hall. He asked me if I was looking for any special pins and I told him which I was looking for. He said "Stay put! I'll be right back" and ran into the hall, only to return with the pin I had been searching high and low for. He made my day!

I always enjoyed looking up Scoop on future visits, catching up on the goings-on about Disney and pin talk. I had gotten married and introduced him to my wife. Much to my surprise, he graced me with a Scoop Sanderson pin trading pin -- #737 of 750! Wow! Fast forward a few visits to our recent 4th anniversary. We had stopped by Scoop's pin talk to say hello. During the talk, he presented me with a prototype of the Scoop Sanderson Pin Trading Pin -- unbeknownst to me, my wife had purchased the pin and arranged for Scoop to present it to me for our anniversary. Wow again!

As thrilled as I was, I remembered what Scoop had taught me that first day. Pin trading is not about what you have, but about what you give and how you can use something as simple as a little metal pin to bring a bit of joy and friendship into others' lives. So many times I have seen Scoop carrying on his duties as Gazette Reporter and as Pin Ambassador putting a little light into people's days big and small. He may not realize it, but these little seeds of happiness he plants grow and spread. To me Scoop represents the best of what Disney is about. Having fun, making new friends, and leaving your cares behind. By a chance meeting on the Trolley he has become a wonderful ray of light in our lives.

[LuckyMum22]

We first met Scoop on Main Street. It was just after park opening and we stopped to chat while hoards of people pushed past. The kids were laughing and playing with his puppy, (the wooden rolling pull-along toy). He had all of our attention as he tried to get our oldest to get the little ball on a string into the cup with his game. We so enjoyed his humor and character. Another cast member got in on the fun and it was such a great interaction. While the kids traded pins and I scanned his collection inside the vest he was wearing, the cast member pulled my husband aside and asked what we were doing around 2pm. He then came over to the rest of us gathered around Scoop and presented us with a special "Continuing the Tradition Pin". I was ecstatic! Then Dean Glaser (the other cast member) asked us if we would like to be Grand Marshals in the afternoon parade! This was May of 2005, before the "year of a million dreams". It was such a special day and a very memorable time for our children. Dean told us that we were the happiest family in the park and that is why we were chosen! We were then indeed the happiest family!!!
We stop by and see Scoop on every trip. He always seems to remember us but I can't imagine he could! He seems to know everyone and makes everyone feel like a special friend he knows so well. He is such a warm caring person and reminds everyone what pin trading is really about...stopping to talk and meet someone new and exchange something about each other and be better for it-taking the time to be friendly!
I think Mr. Disney would be proud to have Scoop as a representative of Main Street U.S.A!

[PrincessEmmasMommy]

As of July, he is just making random unscheduled appearances, not each week anymore.
Sorry,
Jen

[LuckyMum22]

I'll be in the MK on Wednesday 9/26 and I'll find out what's up! Hope everything is OK!! After hearing Main Street Jim's saga ...I worry! I'll post when I get back to keep everyone up to date with the scoop on Scoop!

[teresa955]

What happened to Main Street Jim?
We got back a couple of weeks ago. We saw Scoop on Main Street on three different days. We really miss the pin talks. He was traveling around with the other main street performers and everything was kind of rushed. He also seemed kind of blue or not himself or something. I asked him about it and he said he was really tired. It made me kind of sad.

[LuckyMum22]

We are home now and I did see Scoop last week. We went to Exhibition Hall and asked about the "Pin Talk" and the cast members there looked at us like we had two heads each! We finally caught up with Scoop on Main Street and told him we had been looking for him at 1:00 pm. He joked around a bit, constantly in character, and told us we need to write our congressman. I discreetly asked if he meant Guest Relations and he remained in character, and said, "write the mayor, your representative, your congressman...." Then he continued to involve the kids in pin trading games. We also attended the pin trading evening event at the Contemporary Resort on Friday, Sept. 28 th, where I asked about Scoop and explained how disappointed I was with the fact that the 1:00 Pin Talk was no more. The cast member encouraged me to write to Guest Relations.
I certainly intend to! I am hoping others who love Scoop and all he does for continuing the pin trading tradition do the same! I wonder if there is some sort of pulling back going on with Disney management and the whole pin trading experience? Why would they halt Scoop's pin talk after all this time?
Please write to Guest Relations! I have the e-mail address for them but I'm not sure I am allowed to post it here so PM me if you want and I'll pass it along.
Thanks!
Barb