By now, everyone knows that Doctor Disney was once a Cast Member (on a few occasions) and was a part of two Walt Disney World College Programs. My first summer was spent working the Outdoor Food wagons at the Magic Kingdom, and there were some interesting happenings such as the meeting with Robin Williams and the infamous…Itzakadoozie incident with Michael Douglas.
It was another day over at “Popcorn 18,” or as guests know it…the popcorn cart in front of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.
There had been a few sales that morning, and this was early on in the trial of having an ice cream wagon out with the popcorn wagon. This was the summer of 1999 so things were different way back then.
I stuck my head into my ice cream wagon and began organizing things because I’ve got OCD, and things needed to be in order. There were no guests anywhere to be seen and it was just a dead morning.
All of a sudden, I heard a voice say, “I’d like one of these…these popsicle things.”
For those that read one of my other “Tales of a Former Cast Member” pieces, I always enjoyed playing around with guests that didn’t know how to pronounce an “Itzakadoozie.”
Before lifting my head out of the freezer, my mouth stupidly opens and laughingly says, “You’ve got to say it before I can give it to you.”
As my head comes fully out, I shut the freezer door, and my big smile quickly fades as Michael Douglas is staring at me directly in my eyes. My body completely froze and there was Michael Douglas, without Disney security or CM, and fiddling with his money clip as her looked at me as if I was a blooming idiot.
I literally didn’t say another word and idiotically froze. He stared right back at me…flipped the clip back on his money, and leaned in with one hand on the ice cream wagon. He took his other hand and pointed it right under the picture on the sign and said in his overly noticeable and familiar voice:
“Itz-a…..ka….Itzakad….Itzakadoozie. That right?”
My head slightly nodded as my stare just stayed put.
“Well. Let me have an Itzakadoozie for myself. And Catherine is over there…but she will have one of those Mickey Bars, please.”
Still starstruck, I glanced over toward Carousel of Progress where Catherine Zeta-Jones was sitting on a bench with some security around her and a Guest Relations Cast Member. She waved and I waved back.
It was then that I handed Michael Douglas his Itzakadoozie and Mickey Bar. He paid and I handed him his change, smiled, and told him to have a great day.
Douglas looked at the Itzakadoozie, smiled to himself, and then looked at me and said:
“That’s a cute game you play there, kid. Have a good one.”
Needless to say, but Michael Douglas’ iconic voice saying “Itzakadoozie” will forever be burned in my memory.
My buddy was down in WDW on vacation (not a CM) in the late 90’s or early 00’s and ran into Drew Carey at the Adventurers Club. My buddy bought him a drink and chatted a while. Drew was apparently a big fan of the AC.