Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Being a Disney Legend is an honor only some people ever achieve. It’s not enough to be famous or significantly contribute to the company’s success in film or tourism.
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What’s a Disney Legend?
To be a “Legend,” you must be selected by a committee. It includes celebrities and Imagineers such as Barbara Walters, Angela Lansbury, Alice Davis, Chadwick Boseman, and Idina Menzel.
Credit: Disney
Related: Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke Suffers Injuries in Car Collision
But another Disney Legend has graced Main Street, U.S.A., earlier this week.
Dick Van Dyke’s Career
Legend, icon, and celebrity Dick Van Dyke visited the original Disney Park in Anaheim. The famous 97-year-old actor has been a television, film, and the Walt Disney Company staple for decades.
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His career involved working alongside Disney greats like Julie Andrews in films such as Mary Poppins (1964).
He has also starred in lesser-known Disney films such as Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966), and Never A Dull Moment (1968). Van Dyke has also won a Grammy for his work on the Mary Poppins album, a Tony for Bye Bye Birdie, and multiple Emmys for his work on the Dick Van Dyke Show.
Credit: Disney
Dick Van Dyke was also featured in Disney’s 1981’s Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, where Van Dyke gave fans a sneak peek at the work underway at EPCOT (the new theme park).
Dick Van Dyke at Disney
In 2015, Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 90th birthday at Disneyland Park, and he hopes to return to the theme park on his 100th birthday. But apparently, the Disney great couldn’t wait!
Related: EPCOT’s ‘Mary Poppins’ Ride Finally Revealed And It’s Disappointing Fans
Although he visited in a wheelchair, Dick Van Dyke looked fantastic as he enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Dapper Dans and Disneyland Park.
He was captured by TikTok user @magicallymccalister hanging out above the train station, waving at guests as they walked by, adding magic to everyone’s Disney day.
@magicallymccallister Cast member friend sent me this video and im so beyond sad i didnt get to witness this in person🐧 #dickvandyke #marypoppins #celebritysighting #waltdisneyworld #disneycelebritysighting
It’s not uncommon for celebrities to show up unannounced at Disneyland Park (since it’s so close to Hollywood). But it’s always a fun and rare treat to see a Disney legend, and heartwarming to see him interact with theme park guests.
Related: Oscar Winner and Disney Star Visits Magic Kingdom
One of Dick Van Dyke’s favorite things to do at a Disney Park is watch the Dapper Dans perform. And on his latest surprise visit to Disneyland Park, TikTok user @tomasinatatterson caught the legend taking in a show.
@tomasinatatterson Drop your video or pic below if you captured him having a jolly holiday at disneyland! Yesterday was also 52 years since Disney World opened! Credit @alauraimageryanddesign for this amaizng video! Follow & Check out her photos and videos!! #dickvandyke #jollyholiday #jollyholidaywithmary #burt #marypoppins #disney #disneyworld #disneyparks #disneytips #disneymom #awishisadream #disneymyway #disneyvacation
Once, Walt Disney Company vice chairman, and brother to Walt Disney, Roy O. Disney, had this to say about Dick Van Dyke’s performance in the 1964 classic film.
“Every time I see Mary Poppins, I’m amazed at how Dick’s brilliant performance effortlessly ties this film together. After all, it is Dick who first welcomes us to number 17 Cherry Tree Lane. It is his chalk pavement picture that provides entry into one of the great fantasy sequences of all time. And, it is Dick who bids Mary Poppins goodbye at the end of the movie.”
Credit: ABC
Dick Van Dyke was officially named “Disney Legend” in 2021.
