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Disney and Mineral King

All photos in this post are courtesy of Dr. Christopher Tremblay of Western Michigan University. He is a 1994 graduate of the Lee Honors College and has been fascinated by Disney since his parents took him to Disneyworld at age 5. Now he gets to share that love with other honors students at his alma mater.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Walt Disney wanted to build a ski resort in Mineral King. It was under the jurisdiction of the National Forest Service, and they were inviting people to put in bids for the project.

The ski resort didn’t happen. That’s a whole other blog post (or 2 or 12).

At Western Michigan University, there is a special summer class that participates in something called “Walt’s Pilgrimage”. One of their stops was Mineral King last year, and they liked it so much that they returned this year.

News Advisory-Mineral King

From left to right (front row only): Walt Disney, Cathy's Mom, Cathy's grandfather Ray Buckman
From left to right (front row only): Walt Disney, Cathy’s Mom, Cathy’s grandfather Ray Buckman
Cathy in the Honeymoon Cabin, the museum of the Mineral King Preservation Society.
Cathy in the Honeymoon Cabin, the museum of the Mineral King Preservation Society.

 

disney grp

Participants of the Disney class, all honors students in the Lee Honors College of Western Michigan University. Dr. Christopher Tremblay is kneeling in the front left.
Participants of the Disney class, all honors students in the Lee Honors College of Western Michigan University. Dr. Christopher Tremblay is kneeling in the front left.
Cathy and Michael
Trail Guy and Tall Cathy were a very compatible teaching duo.

6 Comments

  1. No … dad took his camera, but no photos were allowed.

    • Wow, can you imagine the indignation in today’s photo-happy climate if no photos are allowed somewhere??

  2. Awesome … I met Walt Disney in Porterville at the Forest Service office when the presentations were being made. Delighted the project never happened …

    • Wow, Diane, you MET HIM??? Were you charmed, disgusted, mesmerized, bored, something else? You were probably just a little girl.

      • I was 13 or 14 years old. Actually more interested in the scale models his group presented. Wow! Janet Leigh also a bidder. Don’t remember the third bidder … I’d have to dig through dad’s papers. He kept everything!

        • Were you a bidder on a scale model of the proposed ski resort? Who got it?


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