Ted Crowell - my 194th choice to be named a Disney Legend

Ted Crowell, an engineer who became vice president of facilities at Walt Disney World during his 34-year career with the company, is my 194th pick to be named a Disney Legend. Crowell started as an engineer at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., in 1958.

When he was asked to design a way to get more people into less space, he came up with the compact "Q" lines that snake visitors into rides and attractions, his son said. Today, Q lines are an industry standard.
He also designed the E-ticket, which was used to admit visitors to the hottest rides during the early years when Disney World visitors used coupon books to access park attractions, his son said.
Hired in California by now-retired Disney executive Dick Nunis, Ted Crowell was a key player in what was called"the Florida Project."
"He was sent to Orlando before the park was built to check road access," his son said. "He sat in his car off I-4 at Lake Buena Vista, counting cars in both directions."
Ted Crowell began moving to Orlando in 1969 to oversee park construction and was named a vice president in the early 1970s. He was in charge of ride engineers and maintenance and janitorial staffs.
When he retired in 1992, he immersed himself in volunteer work, dividing his time among Meals on Wheels, Sand Lake Hospital, Give Kids the World and House of Hope.

Crowell was the only Disney person to hold a board position with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). He has a window in his honor on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.