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Aurora couple to present the adventures of working at Walt Disney World

What was it like to work at the "Happiest Place on Earth?"

Aurora residents R.J. and Suzanne Ogren know. They each held positions at Walt Disney World in its first decades of operation. The Magic Kingdom opened on Oct. 1, 1971. The Ogrens, who were living in Miami at the time, moved to Orlando in 1973 in hopes of gaining employment there.

"It took us three years to get hired," R.J., who has a degree in art education, said. He was hired in early 1976 as a monorail pilot. Six weeks into his career at Walt Disney World, R.J. answered a job ad for a Disney artist. He had no idea if he would be painting masterpieces or walls, but he didn't care.

The Ogrens will tell their story from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28 in the John C. Dunham Atrium at the Santori Library at 101 S. River St. in Aurora. They will present a behind-the-scenes look at their experiences as actors, designers, artists and characters during the early years of the park. There also will be an opportunity to purchase one of the Ogrens' books about their experiences. A meet-and-greet/book signing will follow the program.

After five weeks of interviewing for the artist position, R.J. was hired, and to his delight, began working with a team of three other artists on Audio-Animatronic figures in a studio located behind "It's a Small World." (Walt Disney Imagineering created and trademarked Audio-Animatronics.)

Suzanne was the next member of the Ogren family (by then they had two small children) to don a monorail jumpsuit and settle into the pilot's seat.

During the Jan. 28 program, R.J. said he will show off a couple of interesting mementos from Walt Disney World, including an apple from Snow White's Adventure that was the bane of R.J.'s stint in animatronics. R.J. explains the problem of the missing apples in Chapter 15 of "Together in the Dream - The Unique Careers of a Husband and Wife in the Early Decades of Walt Disney World":

"The witch had a poisonous apple. She would dangle it over her cauldron, then turn to the guests passing by in the mine cart, and offer it to them, saying, "Want an apple, dearie?" Well, apparently, the temptation was too great for some guests. They'd lean way outside their mine cart and manage to pop the apple off …"

R.J. also has the hands and feet the Mickey Mouse character wore in 1979.

"It gives you an idea of how heavy the costumes were that we had to wear," said Suzanne, who played a number of Disney characters in the park. She recalls that the boots she wore as one of the Seven Dwarfs (she was usually Sleepy), weighed 11 pounds each.

Although Suzanne started out as a monorail pilot, her dream was to be a Disney character.

"All the characters had to be dancers then," she said. She had been involved in theater since the age of 7 and dancing since age 8, and entertaining was her first love. It took some time to get an audition, but eventually she realized her dream. Her very first role as a character was the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland."

"It was a very hot costume," she said. "I never wanted to wear it again." She also played Mr. Smee from Peter Pan, Bernard and Bianca from "The Rescuers," all of Snow White's dwarfs at one time or another, Robin Hood, and "lots of mice." She performed in Electrical Light Parades and in Mickey Mouse's 50th Birthday Parade.

Suzanne later worked in Entertainment management, but decided to relinquish that position in her last years at Walt Disney World. She returned to the Magic Kingdom and was a "ghost host" at the Haunted Mansion.

R.J. Ogren wears a Mickey Mouse watch and ring. The couple's home is decorated with Disney characters in every room. Listening to the Ogrens recount their time as Disney employees, it's easy to understand why they were so happy there.

"I have so many memories and friends from those days as a character," Suzanne said. "There is a bond to having done this incredibly physical job. You share a bond that nobody else knows about or could possibly understand."

R.J. speaks about his artist colleagues as a fun-loving group of practical jokers who were perfectionists at what they did, whether it was repairing animatronic Dopey after his fiberglass head was torn off or fashioning a peashooter out of metal electrical conduit.

The Ogrens are still involved in theater, this time with their son, Sean, who started the Shakespeare Theatre "Bard in the Burbs."

The Ogrens are working on a fourth Disney-related book that will come out in late spring: "It will Always be WALT Disney World." Suzanne also wrote a novel, "Ribbons," published in 2016. She writes a blog which can be found at srogren.blogspot.com.

R.J. paints commissioned, one-of-a-kind Disney themed works of art and keeps up four Facebook pages, including Paintings and Stories with R.J. Ogren, which can be viewed live at 2 p.m. Fridays. He also penned "The Design of Fear: An Artist's Hauntings and Creations, From Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion and Beyond."

No registration is required for the Jan. 28 program. Visit www.aurorapubliclibrary.org.

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