FROM: From the Mouth of the Mouse Published Wednesdays
Interview - Mary, Pecos Bill Cafe
What a surprise for Jeff Heimbuch when he learned that a lady he sees every day at his 'day job' is a former Disney World Cast Member. They're everywhere! He did not let the opportunity slip by, and sat down with Mary for some Pecos Bill tall tales.
Sometimes, you meet Disney Cast Members in the most unexpected places.
I work for a health care system in New Jersey. For the entire time that I've worked here, I've known today's interviewee, Mary, who sits at the front desk, always smiling, and always quick with a friendly "Hello" for whomever walks through the door.
I've often stopped to speak with her, but didn't know until just recently that she was a former Cast Member at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.
Of course, I immediately grilled her about her experience, and asked her if she'd be interested in sharing for this week's column.
What did you do at the Magic Kingdom?
MARY: I had the pleasure of working at the park pretty much when it first opened. I had lived in Florida all my life, and tried to get a job at the theme park for awhile. By early 1972, I was working in Frontierland, at Pecos Bill Cafe! This was before it was redone and renamed in the 90s. Back then it was Pecos Bill Cafe.
What did you do at the restaurant?
MARY: Pretty much everything. I started out as a counter girl, taking orders and money from guests. Eventually, I worked my way up to manager, and was overseeing everything going on. It was a lot of work back then, a lot of running around. Of course, I was a lot younger back then, so I didn't really mind that at all.
How long were you there?
MARY: Total? I couldn't even tell you at this point. I've worked on and off there for a long time.
I probably worked that first time until about 1975, before moving away for a few years. I was back in the area by '79, and of course, reapplied for a job there. I was placed at The Adventureland Veranda for that stint. You're probably too young to remember, but we had these crazy turquoise and green costumes to wear. It was like straight out of the 1960s, those things.
I'm pretty sure those were the official costumes all the way up until the place closed in the 90s, but I can't be 100% sure. I had been away for those few years, though, so things changed a bit, and I wasn't able to be a manager straight away again. But I worked hard, and eventually worked my way up once more!
Did they have the Teriyaki Burgers when you worked there?
MARY: Oh, yes, they did! It was like the best kept secret in the World, back then. Not like the 'best kept secret' nowadays, with the Vacation Club. I think Kikkoman took over the sponsorship of the restaurant just before I started working again, and they added that delicious little delicacy to the menu. I had many of those while I was there.
And their fries! Oh, boy... they were so good, but looking back, they were definitely so unhealthy!
I vaguely remember the burgers from when I was a kid, before the restaurant closed. But I do remember the fries. They were so thin and greasy! How could you go wrong with that?
MARY: Exactly! They were fantastic!
What happened after that?
MARY: Well, I left again in 1985. Like most kids my age, I got married and had to get a 'real' job to help with the bills. My husband and I moved to NJ for a few years, because that's where his job took him. But, when they were relocating him again in 1994, guess where we went?
I'm going to assume back to Florida!
MARY: Exactly! And back to Disney for me. This time, I was assigned to Pecos Bill Cafe, my old home. Because of my experience in the past, and my former job just before that managing a restaurant in NJ, I went straight to manager this time.
I was there in 1998 when it went through that massive refurbishment, becoming Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe. I was working at the Columbia Harbour House during the refurbishment, but went back and forth to help out when needed. They really expanded the place, especially by absorbing the Mile Long Bar.
They used several styles of architecture for the outside of the restaurant. It has a more 'classic western' feel at the front end, in the middle of Frontierland, and then it transitions into a more adobe-like structure like you'd find in the American Southwest on the other end. This made the transition between Frontierland and Adventureland more seamless to the guests as they pass from between those two lands.
I really love the theming of the restaurant now. They feature more of the legend of Pecos Bill and his friends.
MARY: Yes, I think they did a great job of it. I love all the little souvenirs and artifacts they have on the walls from the tall tales and legends. They made it seem like Pecos Bill's friends 'donated' all that stuff, so it's very nice. My favorite is the mask of The Lone Ranger, with a card beneath it that says "Donated by...". And that's all it says! It's such a clever in-joke, and it makes me laugh every time!
How did you wind up back in NJ again?
MARY: Well, again, jobs change, and my husband was relocated back here in 2001, so away I went. And that's when I got this job here with you.
You're the front line of the hospital, pretty much. You're the first person guests see when they walk in. Does your Disney experience help you in this role?
MARY: Oh, absolutely! The guest service training I got at Disney was top notch, and definitely something I carried over into my role here. I dealt with guests on a daily basis while at Disney, so something like this comes naturally to me now. I know our hospital takes a very 'Disney' approach to their customer service, so it's almost like being back in Disney World again.
Do you have plans to return one day?
MARY: What a silly question. Of COURSE I do. Even if my husband's job doesn't take us back, there is always retirement!
Thanks, Mary, for sharing with us, and for a welcoming smile every day when I get to work!
If you haven't done so already, please don't forget to subscribe to our podcast! We have lots more interviews coming your way, and you don't want to miss them.
If you are (or know) a Cast Member who would like to share some of their stories and be featured here on Disney Dispatch, email me at jeff@bamferproductions.com. I'd love to hear from you!
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