Greetings family, friends and Disney buddies! We have crossed paths with several Imagineers through the years including Disney Legend Tony Baxter. I hope that you enjoy this little vignette about spending an evening with him at Knott's Berry Farm.........Bill
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TONY BAXTER - Disney Legend
If you look very very closely from your ore car as the Big Thunder Railroad rumbles through the protruding dinosaur bones, splashes through the small pond and rounds the corner entering Disneyland’s little mining town of Rainbow Ridge, and if you look in the window of the first building.....or if you look overhead as the slow moving queue for Florida’s Walt Disney World version of Big Thunder Mountain winds down to the trains loading area you will see formal framed portraits of a bearded Tony Baxter dressed as a Comstock Barron.
Tony Baxter was at Knott’s Berry Farm in July of 1969 for the inauguration of the Calico Log Ride along with thousands of other fans packed in Calico Square to see John Wayne and his youngest son arrive by helicopter, be escorted through Ghost Town and join the Knott’s family and ride designer Bud Hurlbut to dedicate the groundbreaking attraction. Influenced by his childhood visits to the Farm and an early desire to become a ride designer, Baxter went on to have a life long career with the Disney Company. He began as an ice cream scooper in Disneyland and moved on to being a ride operator while taking classes in Theater Design and getting the attention of WED Enterprises. Landing a position in Creative Development Department were he ultimately became Senior Vice President, Baxter is responsible for the design of dozens of iconic attractions in multiple Disney parks worldwide including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the remodel of Fantasyland, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure and the rebooting of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
We had the unique opportunity to walk with Tony through the darkened streets of an nearly empty Knott’s Ghost Town after hours following the inauguration of the remodeled Calico Mine Train attraction, and listen to him reminisce about about Knott’s Berry Farm and it’s influenced on his career with Disney and the creation of attractions that are enjoyed by millions.
-Bill
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