A Lawyer and the Magic Kingdom

   Although I didn't have a bidded post, a post that I applied for and where I worked every day, I did work the Magic Kingdom on occasion.
   One afternoon I was working swing shift at the front entrance to Magic Kingdom when I was dispatched to the Guest Services building at the front. I was informed that there was a man making a disturbance.
   Dutifully I went over and approached the man with open palms extended and asked, "Good afternoon sir, how can I help you?"
   Well, he proceeded to tell me quite loudly that Walt Disney World was not allowing him to add days on his ticket or something like that and that he was an attorney in New York and knew his rights. He was getting closer to me and getting in my face as it were, but I stood there and didn't move. You know, kind of like a baseball manager and an umpire.
   As I'm looking up at this tall rather angry man, I noticed in my peripheral vision a group of fellow Security Hosts standing discreetly around us.
   Then the guy did something that I wasn't expecting, using two fingers of each hand, he pushed my shoulders and said something like, "What are you going to do about it?"
  Well, as I made a quick thought as to a response and before I could answer, he did it again! His version of the two finger point, I guess.
   That's when the sherrif's deputy arrived at my right side and said to me, "Officer what would you like me to do? I just witnessed two counts of assault and battery, but I leave it to you." The deputy said this while never taking his eyes off of the guy who was now looking back and forth between me and the deputy.
   Beyond this guy was a woman holding a child by the hand in each of her hands. She looked absolutely horrified or scared, it could have been both.
   "Well, deputy, I think this gentleman should rejoin his family and have a Magical Day."
    The guy went with his wife and entered the park but not before trying to say something and the deputy held up a hand and said, "You heard the officer, have a magical day."
   The lawyer looked at me and realized he wasn't going to win that case and went to his wife and
children. She lit into him and I actually felt sorry for him.
   As we dispersed the Security Hosts went back to their posts and the deputy started going back to where he came from, but not before telling me that he was robbed.
   I looked at him and asked him what he meant.
   "I really wanted to arrest that guy and take him to Railroad St. (the Orlando jail), I was robbed," he said with a smile.
   Three hours later after the front end had closed several Security Hosts and I went inside the park to be a visible presence and that's when I saw them. They were over by Toontown Fair and I guess the kids were on a ride and she was still going at him! I never saw a guy look so defeated. Lawyers.

  




  

An Exuberant Little Boy and the Magic Kingdom

It was a nice warm evening, actually late afternoon, when one of the boats coming over from the Ticket and Transportation Center arrived at the dock at Magic Kingdom.
From our vantage point at Magic Kingdom bag check, it looked like a tsunami of humanity coming towards us.
I was at the last security table on the left as you look at the boats and I noticed a little boy maybe six or seven years old running ahead of the pack. When he ran towards us, he came to my table and his parents were right behind him. They had to pick up the pace to catch up to him.
As he approached, I squatted down to his eye level like we're trained to do and said, "How ya doin' little buddy?" He proceeded to give me the strongest bear hug I've gotten in a long time. I looked up at his parents and asked if it would be OK to hug him back, also as we're trained to do, and they both nodded yes, so I did an open hug where you pat the back, but your elbows are up and away. I had to ask him to let go so I could give him a security sticker and he did.
After I gave him the sticker he kept looking up at me grinning ear to ear, but he never said a word.
I started going through Mom's bag and while I was chatting I noticed tears running down her cheeks and I looked at Dad and he was filling up with tears too.
"Is everything alright?" I asked in a kind of whisper not to draw attention to the couple.
They both nodded yes and Mom started to say something but couldn't get it out and Dad said, "Our son is autistic and has never showed any emotion. He associates you with Mickey Mouse, I guess. This is a real breakthrough."
I finished looking through their bags and squatted to the little boy's eye level again and through misting eyes of my own wished him a Magical Day and got another bear hug for my efforts. I loved my job.
So until next time--Have a Magical Day!! Below is the last remaining sticker I own