Disneyland Disses Second Dissident Author

Published April 20, 2005

By C. W. Oberleitner

This past Sunday, a little less than a month after halting author and webmaster Jim Hill's walking tours of Disneyland, park security and Guest Relations management confronted Mouse Tales author David Koenig as he prepared to lead a small group of fans around Disneyland for a nostalgic look back at the park as it was in 1955. On the eve of Team Disney Anaheim's grand media rollout of its Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebration of Disneyland's 50^th Anniversary, the question becomes why the crack down on authors of "unofficial" Disneyland tales?

Does This Sound Familiar?

ANAHEIM, Ca.—For fans of unauthorized tales about Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, it was déjà vu all over again Sunday, April 17. That's the day that David Koenig, author of the popular series of Mouse Tales: A Behind-The-Ears Look at Disneyland books, found himself first being shadowed and then questioned by Disneyland security and guest relations personnel.

Koenig was at Disneyland early that day preparing for a walking tour of the park that was to follow a book signing at Downtown Disney's Compass Books, for his latest tome Mouse Tales: Golden Anniversary Special Edition.

"I was first given a hard time by a sweeper of all people, who then rushed into the Disneyana shop to point me out to two hostesses," said Koenig. "He then got on a phone, and then continued to watch me. He did no sweeping."

Koenig had reason to keep his eyes open while jotting down notes for his tour. Just a month earlier, fellow Disney scribe Jim Hill was interrupted by Disneyland security personnel and an Anaheim police officer while conducting an unofficial tour of the Magic Kingdom. Hill's tour was stopped. Hill decided to leave the park after being told by the police officer that he was at risk of being arrested for trespassing.

When asked if what happened with the Jim Hill tour concerned him while preparing for his own tour, Koenig said, "Yes, which is why if I could have killed it, I would have." Koenig went on to say that despite the fact that Disneyland Resort management knew of his pending tour, no one from the resort ever attempted to contact him to discuss his plans prior to his arrival at Disneyland.

Koenig's initial experience with Disneyland security was somewhat less dramatic than Hill's. Shortly after his encounter with the Disneyland street sweeper, Koenig realized that a uniformed Disneyland security officer, whom he eventually confronted, was following him.

"He was polite, but very stern," Koenig said. "He asked many questions about my clipboard, made several phone calls, and detained me for probably 10 minutes before I was allowed to continue. Although the whole episode was a hassle, the only thing that really bugged me was the sweeper. He seemed really gruff and nosy for a sweeper."

All of this took place before the book signing at Compass Books. When asked if at this time he was considering calling off the tour Koenig said, "Overall, the initial encounters were just a little irritating, since I was really pressed for time and seemed to be detained for far longer than I thought necessary.

But, to finally answer your question, no. It didn't make me want to call the tour off, but did increase my nervous level."

Koenig's apprehension was well placed. "Ever since the Jim Hill Incident, I stopped promoting my event in the hope that only a few people with good memories would show up," Koenig said. It worked; there were only nine people on the tour. Shortly after leading his small group, all of whom had attended his low-key book signing, into Disneyland, Koenig and his group were stopped by a Disneyland Guest Relations manager, just as Jim Hill and his group had been by Disneyland security a month earlier.

There on Main Street, just off of Town Square, in full view and earshot of passersby, Koenig was informed by a Disneyland guest relations manager that she believed he was charging the park's guests for his unauthorized tour. She was adamant in this belief despite Koenig's earlier assurances to the contrary during his conversation with the uniformed Disneyland security officer.

In addition, the management representative of Disneyland Guest Relations interrogated each member of Koenig's group pointedly asking each member of the group what they paid for the tour. After being told by all nine-tour members that they hadn't paid anything for the tours, other than Disneyland admission, she next asked about the '50s era map of Disneyland each was carrying.

Koenig's tour group told the Disneyland Guest Relations manager that they hadn't paid for the maps in question either. Fearing that Disneyland might suspend his tour, like Jim Hill's, Koenig had planned ahead. "I would continue the presentation outside the park. That's one reason I gave everyone a 1955 map of Disneyland, in case I had to prep them on the outside so they could enjoy the tour on their own."

Echoing statements made by Disneyland public relations following the Jim Hill incident, the Disneyland Guest Relations manager went on to say that what Koenig was doing was like, "setting up your own t-shirt shop inside our theme park, which then prevents Disney from being able to sell our own t-shirts."

The Disneyland representative finally relented, and Koenig and his group were able to finish their nostalgic look back at the original Disneyland without further incident.

"Everything worked out fine," Koenig told o-meon.com. "My original plan—until being stopped by security earlier in the day—was to pull a Spartacus. When Disney stopped us and asked who was in charge, we'd all step forward and say, 'I'm David Koenig!'

The tour was brief, small, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. In hindsight, all the inconveniences made the experience even more memorable."

All Tours are Not Created Equal

There has been no comment from Disneyland regarding the David Koenig Mouse Tales tour incident. Calls to the Disneyland Resort Media Relations department were not returned.

Following the earlier Jim Hill encounter, Disneyland spokesmen said that, "This is a basic fundamental of business. He's (Jim Hill) coming on property selling what we sell in direct competition with our tours."

At first glance, given the preceding statement and Disneyland Guest Relations asking the members of Koenig's tour group what, not if, they paid for their tour, it would appear that Disneyland is just out to protect its business interests. Disneyland may, however, have an alternative motive for halting tours given by unauthorized Disney authors.

After the Jim Hill incident, when asked about the large tour groups that frequent the Disneyland Resort, who charge for their services, a resort spokesperson said, "That's a totally different thing. It's comparing apples and oranges. Those groups, mostly international visitors, don't duplicate the Disneyland tours. They have guides who are simply leading them from point A to point B."

Almost immediately, Disneyland regulars reading these remarks on Internet Disney fan discussion boards began taking exception to them. Foreign language speakers reported following one or more of these groups around Disneyland listening "to all the stories" the guides would offer their groups. Some discussion board posters suggested that a few of these guides, in addition to offering their own take on Disneyland history, would slip in outrageous stories about Walt Disney's personal life. Several reported hearing foreign tour guides telling the "Walt's body is frozen and buried under the town square flag pole" story.

Furthermore, no one disputes that neither Hill nor Koenig's tours come anywhere near duplicating the official Disneyland tours. Both men, however, readily admit to relating stories about Disneyland and its history that you'll never find in the glossy, official Disney canons of the park's past.

Perhaps it is because both of these authors specialize in a "warts-and-all" story-telling style that more than the loss of a few dollars is what is really upsetting Disneyland management. When he was first stopped by Disneyland security, Hill was told by a uniformed Disneyland security person, "We have concerns that you're telling unflattering stories about the park."

One thing is certain, based on Koenig's experience; Disneyland Resort management isn't taking any chances with letting unattended writers wander about the Magic Kingdom. As he was leaving the park following the conclusion of his tour, Koenig noticed the street sweeper who first accosted him:

"I…noticed him hanging out near Tour Guide Gardens, still not sweeping. At that point, my enormous brain finally figured out that he was probably an undercover security officer, which explained his earlier aggressive behavior."

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According to a Disneyland spokesman, "Only qualified Disneyland Resort cast members are authorized to provide tours of Disneyland".