In the footsteps of Walt Disney
Plainfield college student completes unique pilgrimage
Lifelong Disney fan Brianna Borger, 18, of Plainfield, just returned from a Disney pilgrimage.
For college credit. Travel expenses paid.
Borger, a biomedical science (pre-med) major who recently completed her freshman year at Western Michigan University, learned about the pilgrimage when she attended an informational session for “Study in the States,” a place-based course for students who are members of the WMU Lee Honors College.
When Borger learned one of her options was “Walt’s Pilgrimage,” Borger applied for it, realizing her chances of being accepted her slim, especially since she was a freshman.
“They’re pretty selective,” Borger said. “Only eight people are allowed to go. When I found out, I was just so excited that I got in.”
She’s always loved Disney World, hasn’t seen a Disney movie she didn’t like, citing “Aladdin” as her favorite.
“I grew up loving how independent Jasmine and that she speaks to her mind,” Borger said. “She’s my absolute favorite Disney princess.”
But until the pilgrimage, Borger’s fascination was with the Disney company.
“Now I’m a fan of Walt himself,” Borger said.
From July 18 to July 26, the students traveled from Michigan to Chicago (Walt Disney’s birthplace) to Marceline, Missouri (home of the Disney family farm and the Walt Disney Hometown Museum), Kansas City, Missouri (the site of Disney’s childhood home and the short-lived Laugh-O-Gram Studio ), San Francisco, California (location of the Walt Disney Family Museum, Los Angeles, California (where Disney worked on his creations in his uncle’s barn), Disneyland, and Burbank and Glendale, California (Disney studios).
The idea was for students to learn about the Disney's risks and struggles en route to success, while seeing first-hand the impact Disney had on United States culture, In all, the pilgrimage included 40 destinations with connections to Disney, visited in chronological order as much as possible. Borger was surprised at what she learned, especially Disney’s “humble beginnings.”
“He came to Los Angeles with $40 in his pocket,” Borger said. “He took a one-way ticket from Kansas City to Los Angeles and his uncle was kind enough to let him borrow his garage to practice his drawing in.”
As Borger learned more about Disney, she enjoyed seeing the places that had meaning for him, such as his hometown, Marceline.
“We met a woman there, Kay, who actually knew Walt in person,” Borger said. “He actually stayed in her house when he came to the town and we got to meet her and her mother. She lives in Walt’s old house and she invited us over just to hang out and get a private tour of the house. Not many people get to do that.”
In addition to learning about Disney’s successes, Borger also learned about Disney’s struggles, such as when Disney animators went on strike, and his failures – Laugh-O-Gram Studio.
“The building is still here today, so we got to see that,” Borger said.
Each student was responsible for presenting on different parts of the trip, which they did along the way in the 12-passenger van, Borger said.
The final portion of the class was due Aug. 9. Borger had to create, on paper, a pilgrimage of her own based on a real person. Borger chose Marie Curie.
KNOW MORE
Disneyland versus Disney World: "They have a lot of similarities, but they also have their own uniqueness They have a different fireworks show at Disneyland than at Disney World. Disney World reminded me a lot more of my childhood than Disneyland.”
Inspiration: “He was very much in debt in the early years, but he continued to push and push because he wanted the best quality for the films he was making. So he would do anything. He put every single cent he had in them and hoped for the best they would succeed.”
Takeaway: It made me feel like I can accomplish anything I set my mind to if I have the determination to do it. Learning about the struggles and risks he took – and he made it just fine – really shows you what it means to be a hard worker, and that hard work will pay off if I set my mind to it and never give up.”
About the instructor
According to a news release from Western Michigan University, Christopher Tremblay is a graduate of the WMU Lee Honors College and past participant of the Walt Disney World College Program, where Tremblay spent semester learning about the Disney enterprise and earned his “Ducktorate Degree.”
One upper level honors course in that program was “American Pop Culture.” In that course, Tremblay wrote how the opening of Disneyland in 1955 impacted culture. His honors college thesis was entitled, “Promoting Square Feet with Character: The Influence of Fantasy on Meetings and Conventions at Walt Disney World.”
For more information, visit waltspilgrimage.com.