Ray Van de Warker - my 400th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Long-time Disneyland Employee Ray Van de Warker is my 400th pick to be named a Disney Legend. He has a window on Main street in Disneyland above Mad Hatter. The inscription reads: Ragin Ray’s – River Rafting Expeditions – Experienced Guides Since ’55 – Ray Van De Warker – Owner-Guide

Warker was one of the original Disneyland opening day Cast Members. The canoe races began in 1963 when Ray, foreman of the Indian War Canoes attraction, observed a guest canoe filled with athletes charging around the Rivers of America. Ray and Jungle Cruise foreman Bob Penfield debated how fast their teams could get around the river and a challenge was set forth between the Frontierland cast and Adventureland cast. That summer ignited a cast tradition that has spread to the Walt Disney World Resort, Toyko Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. He retired in 1996 after 41 years.

He was also a member of  the exclusive Club 55 (those who started in 1955 and stayed on at least 15 years). He was the second to the last “Club 55er” to retire from Disneyland. In total he worked for Disneyland for 41 years.

Van De Warker was manager of key control in the security division. (Disneyland, which now requires a 12,000-member peak season work force, has at least 1,500 doors "and for every door you've got 10 keys at least," he said.)

 In an interview with the LA Times, he said, he's "worked in just about everything there is to do here at Disneyland." He's been in attractions, merchandise, food and security. He also supervised the behind-the-scenes pony farm where all the park's horses are boarded, managed the Disneyland-owned Heidi Motel on Katella Avenue and managed Disneyland's since-demolished Gulf gasoline station at Katella and West Street.
"I was even Santa Claus one year for the employees' Christmas party," said Van De Warker, who was dubbed "Catfish Jones" by a fellow keel boat operator when they raced their boats for a segment of "The Mickey Mouse Club" filmed at the park.

The nickname stuck, he said, though only old-timers know him as Catfish Jones.
During his decades as a Disneyland cast member--as employees are called--Van De Warker says he never considered working anywhere else.