We'll Miss You Diane Disney Miller!

Wow...I am at a complete loss of words.  Last night, we lost Ms. Diane Disney Miller.  My heart is heavy.

Because of her, we all have the love of the Disney company and Walt Disney that we do.  Because of her and her sister's "Daddy Days" as Walt would call them, and his time on the park bench in Griffith Park, watching his two little girls go around on the merry-go-round, Walt was able to come up with one of his greatest ideas, Disneyland. It's hard to fathom that such a simple and wonderful idea could turn into the wonderful experience that we all know and love today, both in Orlando and in Anaheim.

©Disney

I also feel as though we have lost Walt again in a way. I of course, wasn't even a thought yet when Walt Disney passed.  (Heck, I'm not even sure my parents had even met yet.) But with this loss, coupled with the loss of Roy E. Disney back in 2009, the two remaining hard and fast links to Walt Disney are now gone.  Both of them had helped to preserve Walt's memory and remind everyone that he was indeed, a person, a wonderfully, creative person, and not just another made up corporate symbol.

I appreciate Diane's efforts to create the Walt Disney Family Museum, a place I would love to get to experience at some point, because it is a place where real artifacts and pieces of history about this incredible family are able to be shared with the masses.  This wasn't something that HAD to be done.  Diane could have kept these memories to herself, but she wanted to share them.  She wanted to fight to protect the Disney name and legacy. 

I feel as though she has been sharing her daddy with us Disney fanatics for her whole life and for that I am eternally grateful.  She was an inspiration to him, which in turn, made her an inspiration to us.  Because of her, we all get to experience Walt's warmth and creativity on a daily basis.

So, Diane Disney Miller...thank you for being so gracious and allowing us to love your dad too.  We are all so very lucky because of it.

I extend my condolence to the friends and family of Diane Disney Miller.  I ask now that we all participate in a moment of silence to honor this amazing woman.


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