Ever glance at that big Train Bulletin on the inside east wall of the Main Street Train Station in Magic Kingdom Park? Some of you probably guessed that the arrivals and departures have historic Disney connections.

The top listing, appropriately, refers to Disney Legend and master animator Ward Kimball, who shared Walt Disney’s love of trains. Ward and his lovely wife Betty kept a lovingly restored private railroad train, Grizzly Flats, in their backyard.

The remaining listings are each a nod to classic live-action Disney movies, all of which share a small town, early 20th century setting not unlike Main Street, U.S.A. In the film Follow Me, Boys!, Fred MacMurray played Lem Siddons, who settled in the town of Hickory.

The next one is easy for Kurt Russell fans: Medfield was the college where Dexter Riley’s wacky experiments always saved the school in three comedies starting with The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes – and it was also the college where Fred MacMurray, as The Absent-Minded Professor, used “Flubber” to win a basketball game against rival college, Rutledge. Dean Jones ran for District Attorney of the town of Medfield in The Shaggy D.A. and Robin Williams saved its college in his Flubber remake.

Special Oscar-winner Hayley Mills might be so very “glad” that you recognized “Harrington” as the last name of Pollyanna’s Aunt Polly (Jane Wyman, also an Oscar winner). The town is named for her very prominent family. And Mr. Pendergast (Adolphe Menjou) was the mean old recluse who turned out to be a kind-hearted adoptive father to Jimmy Bean (Kevin “Moochie” Corcoran).

Last but not least, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin starred Roddy McDowall as an English butler who finds himself in the wild west.

Feel free to point these out to amaze and dazzle your friends and family!

See the posts below for more “Sights & Sounds at Disney Parks”:

• Sights & Sounds of Disney Parks: Mouseketeer Sherry Answers Your Questions
• Sights & Sounds of Disney Parks: A Mouseketeer’s Visit
• Sights & Sounds at Disney Parks: More Movie Mirth on Main Street, U.S.A.

Tagged: MK, WDW

Filed: Disney History, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort

Thanks for all the nice responses — and “likes” — for our Disney Parks Blog post about charming Mouseketeer/pop culture princess Sherry Alberoni Van Meter. She was thrilled and impressed with your questions. Here are some of her answers:

Q: “Georgina,” “David” and “Barb” asked about being part of the Mickey Mouse Club and meeting Walt Disney.
A: “The first time I met Walt Disney, he saw me on the studio lot and said, ‘Why hello, Sherry!’,” she recalled. “I was so excited, I told my mother, “MOM! WALT DISNEY KNEW ME BY NAME!!’ Then we both realized that I had been wearing my Mouseketeer shirt – the one with my name right on it! It was amazing to be in Walt Disney’s presence. He was involved with so many projects, but he stopped by our set to see how we were doing, too. It was a thrill to be in the same room with him.”

Q: “Brooke,” asked advice Sherry would give someone who wants to become as immersed in all things Disney as possible.
A:“Brooke sounds like me!” she laughed. “I go to Disney Parks all the time with my family. And if Brooke feels the same way, then I’d have to sing: ‘Step right up, time is near! You’re an honorary Mouseketeer!’”

Q: Lots of fans wanted to see the original Mouseketeers get together for another TV reunion, or at least to see the earlier reunions on Blu-ray and DVD.
A:To “Patrick, “Anthony” and others: there aren’t any current plans to do so, but with the ever-changing world of home entertainment, you never know!

Q: “Thomas” asked after the well-being of Annette Funicello and her husband Glen Holt.
A:“All of us are family,” said Sherry. “So Annette is always in our prayers. She and Glen are taking things one day at time. Annette has great courage. I love her so much. And you know, she’s established the Annette Funicello Fund For Neurological Disorders so that others might overcome their battles with Multiple Sclerosis.”

There isn’t room for all the responses, but Sherry wanted to make sure to thank folks who wrote so many lovely comments, including “Denise,” “Edward,” “Jennifer,” “Gary,” “Joyce” and “Miranda,” plus all the many readers who clicked through to enjoy her story. (Hope we got everybody!)

“It’s gratifying to know you’re a happy part of people’s lives,” Sherry said. “That’s a true gift and I never take it for granted, not for one day.”

Tagged: DLR, WDW

Filed: Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort

If you happened to be at Walt Disney World recently, you might have recognized a face among the crowd from a classic TV show when original “Mickey Mouse Club” Mouseketeer Sherry Van Meter (née Alberoni) was here on vacation. (Even if you didn’t, read on, because we have an opportunity for some of you).

“I had the greatest time here,” Sherry told me. “I love Disneyland. I literally grew up there, but Walt Disney World is so big and there’s so much to see.”

This time around, the focus of her visit was to enjoy Walt Disney World with one of her best friends and their respective granddaughters. Sherry was impressed with how much there was for young children to do and see at Epcot and was particularly delighted to experience Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the first time.

“The safaris are incredible, both the riding and walking ones. I had no idea how many things there are to do here.”

As she was saying this, I marveled to myself how cool it was to hear that crisp, familiar voice, sounding just as it did when she played the irresistibly snarky Alexandra Cabot on “Josie and the Pussycats” and hero-in-training Wendy on “Super Friends” cartoons. I also recalled her numerous on-camera TV and movie appearances, including the role of “giant” Glumdalclitch in the big-screen fantasy classic, “The Three Worlds of Gulliver.” But according to Sherry, being one of Walt Disney’s Mouseketeers transcended performing any other film or television role.

“The great thing about the ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ is that it really is ongoing, for those of us on the show and all the viewers at home,” she explained. “It was such a unique, special show – more than a show, really. To this day, we’re still meeting new people who remember us. We bring them such happy memories.”

The friendships among the original Mouseketeers have also continued.

“[The Mouseketeers] were – and are – like my family,” Sherry said. “These are people I knew long before I knew my husband or my kids. We knew each other’s parents. When my daughter Kelly got married, Bobby [Burgess], Sharon [Baird] and Cheryl [Holdridge] were there. The friendships we’ve kept all these years are really special.”

Naturally, during Sherry’s recent Magic Kingdom visit, she caught up with dear friends Minnie and Mickey at Town Square Theater, where guests and cast members alike were abuzz witnessing this magical reunion.

When she’s not visiting a Disney theme park with her family (including her children and grandchildren, who are all Disney fans), Sherry focuses on helping others through fundraising efforts and speaking engagements on behalf of worldwide charitable organizations.

Now here’s the opportunity: Do you have a question for Mouseketeer Sherry? Send it in the comments section below. A selection of her answers will appear in a future Disney Parks Blog entry!

Tagged: DLR, WDW

Filed: Disney History, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort