Disneyana - Admiral Joe Fowler
Rich Koster
come to the final presentation of the convention, except for what
happened at the Dinner Show Banquet and the informal presentations
that went on in things like the Disneyana Fair, trade show, and the
artists who were set up in various locations throughout the theme
parks and Disney Village Marketplace.
Here are highlights of the "Conversation with Admiral Joe Fowler by
Bob Matheison" held in the Contemporary Resort's Fantasia ballroom at
Walt Disney World on the morning of Saturday, September 26, 1992.
Admiral Joe Fowler is 98 years old but in spite of his age walks (with
a cane) without anyone's help and his thinking is still clear. You
can find many details about his contributions to Disneyland and Walt
Disney World in many books about the Disney empire. He confirmed the
story about how he was hired to supervise Disneyland's construction
just months before it opened and was put to work even before the
"interview" was over. Admiral Fowler was interviewed by Bob Matheison
who is the Executive Vice President of Parks for Disney.
Admiral Fowler had nothing but good things to say about Walt Disney.
He called him the kindest man he ever knew and said Walt never raised
his voice to him. He was quite glowing in his praise of Walt and said
while Walt didn't like to hear that something couldn't be done, Walt
respected his advice when an idea for the park could not practically
be carried out. One example was when Walt wanted Main Street covered
with real snow for Christmas -- Admiral Fowler pointed out the expense
as well as the mess and hazard when all that snow would melt in the
warm California weather. Walt dropped the idea.
Another bit of advice Admiral Fowler gave Walt was that there would
need to be an area for the servicing of the Rivers of America
steamboat. Walt didn't want to take up space for something that the
guests couldn't use, but agreed to the Admiral's plan -- although Walt
jokingly referred to it as "Fowler's Harbor".
The very first ride for the public on the Disneyland Monorail was
described. Walt Disney was on board along with 50 kids and Richard
Nixon. A problem developed with the Monorail while they were riding
on it and it stopped over Tomorrowland. Some of the kids grew a
little impatient waiting for the Monorail to start up again, and a
few of the boys told Walt that they had to pee. Walt had the doors
open up and told them to do it from there! Admiral Fowler said you
would think that the astonished crowd below would have complained
about that, but they didn't receive one complaint and apparently
thought it was great!
There was a place called Johnny's Corner on 535 that used to serve
beer and food to the construction workers who were building Walt
Disney World. The Admiral said this place was on the most important
piece of property that was needed fo WDW. Johnny wanted to go back to
Vermont and was tired of running Johnny's Corner. He told Admiral
Fowler one day "If anyone offered me $2000 for this property, I'm so
fed up I'd sell it!" Admiral Fowler arranged to have him paid that
very day!!
Bob Matheison thanked Admiral Fowler for coming to the convention and,
remarking on his age, invited him back to the 3rd Disneyana Convention
when it returned to Walt Disney World in two years -- when Admiral
Fowler will be 100 years old.
Questions from the audience were allowed following the talk. Carol my
wife asked the Admiral if anyone had ever asked Walt Disney to stop
smoking, since as it turned out his life was shortened by cancer. The
Admiral replied that he once had asked Walt to do that, and that he
himself had given up smoking cigarettes at an early age and told Walt
that he should do the same. Walt told the Admiral that he would quit,
but later that day he saw Walt was indeed not smoking cigarettes but
had switched to a cigar! And he soon went back to smoking cigarettes
again.
Someone asked if the Admiral had any advice for young people just
starting out, and he replied that they would do well working in the
Walt Disney organization and he enjoyed his years working for Disney.
Autographs and photos were allowed after the presentation, and we were
glad to personally talk with Admiral Fowler and get his autograph.
End of the Conversation with Admiral Joe Fowler. Next: The Banquet.
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Rich Koster
Admiral Joe Fowler:
Another of his unsung accomplishments is the "water bridge" located
adjacent to the Contemporary Resort. It was the first of it's kind,
built for the specific purpose of allowing water to cross a road,
rather than the reverse. It's uniqueness is due to the fact that a
bridge over the water at this point would either be too low to allow
boats to pass under, or too high-thus hampering plans for the monorail
to travel over and still be able to pass thru the Contemporary Hotel.
A wee bit of trivia.. the lowest point under this water bridge is
actually the original elevation of the area. The higher elevation
around it, including the MK, is built up from the soil removed from
what is now Seven Seas Lagoon. The Utilidor system beneath the MK was
built on ground level, then covered with this fill dirt, raising the
elevation of the area. The MK was then built atop it.
I met Adm. Fowler a couple of months prior to the opening of the
Yacht/Beach Club Resorts, as he stopped by to see the "twin" water
bridge that connects EPCOT Center to the Y/B Resort. He related the
story of how all this was accomplished. An amazing "imagineer" at any
age. <g>
(The above was Ed Sterrett's words).
Kate Dudding
|> Over on Fidonet's Disney echo, Ed Sterrett passed this along about
|> Admiral Joe Fowler:
|>
|> Another of his unsung accomplishments is the "water bridge" located
|> adjacent to the Contemporary Resort. It was the first of it's kind,
There was at least one water bridge as part of the Erie Canal, ca. 1850,
where the canal was moved from the north side of the Mohawk River
to the south side at the town of Rexford, New York. (The canal had to be at the
side of the river so the mules towing the barges would have somewhere to walk.)
I drive over the newer Rexford (car) Bridge on my way to work, and some of the
supports for this canal-aquaduct are still there. Kids jump off them now for
summer fun BTW.
--
Kate Dudding dud...@crd.ge.com
GE Corporate Research and Development
Bldg. KW, Room C315
PO Box 8, Schenectady, NY 12301 (518) 387-7164
Ron Huber
>In article <Rich_Kos...@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US>, Rich_...@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Rich Koster) writes:
>|> Over on Fidonet's Disney echo, Ed Sterrett passed this along about
>|> Admiral Joe Fowler:
>|>
>|> Another of his unsung accomplishments is the "water bridge" located
>|> adjacent to the Contemporary Resort. It was the first of it's kind,
>
--
-- Ron Huber | Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories
-- Eastman Kodak Company | Internet: hu...@Kodak.COM
-- 6/69/RL MC: 01925 | Phone: (716) 722-9336
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MegaZone23
>There was at least one water bridge as part of the Erie Canal, ca. 1850,
>where the canal was moved from the north side of the Mohawk River
Ah, the old aqueduct next to 146 (Balltoen Rd.) I used to pass it everyday on
the way to High School. But there is a big difference. Aqueducts like that are
no nw device. It crosses the Mohawk river. But the one at Disney is carrying
a water way over a road. (I always got a kick out of that.) And the
construction is very different. The Erie bridge was stone arches all across the
river, while the Disney bridge is a long single span, very much like a road
bridge. (Still, the most impressive to me is the one at an airport for aircraft
to cross a road... I think it is Philly...)
>I drive over the newer Rexford (car) Bridge on my way to work, and some of the
>supports for this canal-aquaduct are still there. Kids jump off them now for
>summer fun BTW.
Schenectady was a major town along the Erie canal. It was the 'City that Lights
and Moves America' Since it was a major town on the canal, home to Edison
Electric (later General Electric), and the Schenectady Locomotive Works (later
absorbed into Alco.) Hell, the main road through town is Erie Blvd.. ie a
filled in canal... I read too much and local history interested me... But this
is far afield from Disney so...
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Jad Jordan
>In article <1992Dec2.1...@crd.ge.com>, dud...@sallyride.crd.ge.com (Kate Dudding) writes:
>>In article <Rich_Kos...@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US>, Rich_...@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Rich Koster) writes:
>>|> Over on Fidonet's Disney echo, Ed Sterrett passed this along about
>>|> Admiral Joe Fowler:
>>|>
>>|> Another of his unsung accomplishments is the "water bridge" located
>>|> adjacent to the Contemporary Resort. It was the first of it's kind,
>>
>There was another water bridge on the Erie canal in Rochester, NY. Oddly enough, it carried the Erie Canal over the Genessee River!
That does raise an interesting question. Exactly how is a water bridge different
than an aqueduct? Than Disney has no claim to inventing it. If it is different,
how? Anyone got any ideas?
"Oh, Isn't this amazing?
It's my favorite part Jad R. J. Jordan
Because, you see, MOSCOM Corporation.
Here's where she meets jr...@moscom.com
Prince Charming! ()_()
But she won't discover that it's him (_)
'Til Chapter Three."
Sean Alan Squier
>In article <1992Dec2.1...@kodak.kodak.com> hu...@Kodak.COM (Ron Huber) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec2.1...@crd.ge.com>, dud...@sallyride.crd.ge.com (Kate Dudding) writes:
>>>In article <Rich_Kos...@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US>, Rich_...@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Rich Koster) writes:
>>>|> Over on Fidonet's Disney echo, Ed Sterrett passed this along about
>>>|> Admiral Joe Fowler:
>>>|>
>>>|> Another of his unsung accomplishments is the "water bridge" located
>>>|> adjacent to the Contemporary Resort. It was the first of it's kind,
>>>
>>There was another water bridge on the Erie canal in Rochester, NY. Oddly enough, it carried the Erie Canal over the Genessee River!
>
>That does raise an interesting question. Exactly how is a water bridge different
>than an aqueduct? Than Disney has no claim to inventing it. If it is different,
>how? Anyone got any ideas?
>
Well, can you pilot a boat across an aqueduct? I suppose the water
bridge is 'designed' for water traffic..It is a legitimate bridge
between two larger bodies of water. Isn't an aqueduct just used for
transporting water for A to B? Can you guess which author of this
post is not an engineer?
Sean Squier
(Future CEO - The Walt Disney Company)
ssq...@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Wm. Douglas Withers -- math FACULTY <wdw@sma.usna.navy.mil>
>In article <47...@moscom.com> jr...@moscom.com (Jad Jordan) writes:
>>That does raise an interesting question. Exactly how is a water bridge different
>>than an aqueduct? Than Disney has no claim to inventing it. If it is different,
>>how? Anyone got any ideas?
Try this one: How is a water bridge over a road different from a road tunnel
under a river?
--
Els Withers email: w...@math2.sma.usna.navy.mil
Department of Mathematics phone: (410)267-3192 / fax: (410)267-4883
United States Naval Academy
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