I’ve written frequently about my love for the original EPCOT Center stemming from trips as a kid during the 1980s. With additions like the Norway pavilion, Wonders of Life, and The Living Seas, the park had grown even stronger by the early ‘90s. There were already hints that the tide had turned, with classic rides like Horizons and World of Motion targeted for removal. Even so, there was still so much to enjoy at EPCOT beyond the food and shops. My interest in this era inspired me to check out Mike Rhodes’ new book Working at Disney’s EPCOT During the Golden Age. His up-close account was an easy read for this theme park fan.
Rhodes worked at the UK pavilion in World Showcase for a year starting in the fall of 1993. He traveled across the pond from England as part of Disney’s Fellowship Programme that helped staff the park. I didn’t even know this program once existed, so it was interesting to learn about the complicated process for gaining a prized slot. Mike was just out of college and a Disney fan, so it made sense to take a shot even if it meant leaving home. His description reminds me of what I’ve heard of the Disney College Program, but it seems more structured. One reason is that the international participants are a few years older.
This book functions more like a personal diary than an insider’s look. Rhodes uses anecdotes to help explain the experience of spending a year behind the counter. It’s easy for me to take a rosy view of working for Disney. This book does a nice job showing the fun without making it seem like a fantasy. Disney is a company that still focuses on its business, and that fact is part of everything they do. Rhodes’ thoughts on how his own feelings changed after working at the park were intriguing. He remains a Disney fan yet had to try harder to experience Walt Disney World like a normal guest.
I enjoyed the sections where Mike spoke about visiting the parks on his time away from work. These chapters were fairly brief and didn’t go into huge depth about the rides. Even so, the limited attention didn’t bother me because it wasn’t really the focus of the book. It was a nice bonus without distracting from the look at Mike’s daily experiences. He also discussed day trips around Florida and other states, and those bring you inside the mind of an international traveler discovering this country in the pre-Internet age. The book focuses on Disney World but goes beyond the parks.
One downside of the book was a surprising number of typos, including EPCOT being misspelled in the first page of the introduction. This error appears a few times but doesn’t really bring down the content. However, it does show that maybe another edit was needed before the release. I also would have liked to see a bit more organization in the chapters. While the story mostly flowed chronologically, it did jump around between topics. It wasn’t a huge issue and didn’t lose me, but a tighter structure might have led to an even stronger impact.
Even with those concerns, I found this book quite engaging. Another key aspect is Rhodes’ experience working at Disney as a gay cast member. The company is well-known for having an inclusive culture, even 20 years ago. Rhodes’ perspective as a gay man at Disney was one that I hadn’t read before in a theme park book. It’s this personal take that helps the story overcome any minor issues.
Unlike some other cast memoirs, Rhodes doesn’t try to be sensational or take cheap shots. He seemed to have a positive experience in a whirlwind year living abroad. There were some big adjustments for Mike, and it’s interesting to learn about that side of his experience. If you’re curious to discover more about Walt Disney World than the usual trivia and history, this engaging book offers a different side of the story.
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