Disney Goodwill Tour

Disney Goodwill Tour
Image source;
Performers	Walt Disney Trader Sam El Grupo Lillian Marie Disney Ted Sears Mary Blair Walt Disney Company
Date	1941
Location	South America Brazil Argentina Chile

Disney's Goodwill Tour is a real-world event which occurred in 1941.

History

Origins

This event was a, "Goodwill Tour" arranged by the government of the United States of America in early 1941. The US government sent Walt Disney, his wife Lillian Marie Disney, and various of their Walt Disney Company affiliates (nicknamed, "El Grupo") to South America. This event was done by president Franklin D. Roosevelt's government as a, "Good Neighbor policy", a means of promoting the US government during WW2 when much of Brazil's sympathies were believed to be turning to nazism. An unknown party hired the ancient Amazon rainforest native, "Trader Sam" to be the tour-guide for the goodwill tour.

Events

By the time they departed from their plane in Rio de Janeiro, the party was met by Trader Sam. Other confirmed members include Lillian Disney, Ted Sears, Norm Ferguson, Hazel Cottrell, Bill Cottrell, and Frank Thomas. El Grupo took a photograph with Sam while departing from the airplane.

Aftermath

Walt was inspired by the tour to create the 1942 hybrid animated/live-action feature-film Saludos Amigos, starring Donald Duck. Sam and Walt became good friends following this event with Walt having even been the, "Best customer" of Sam's bar in a village of Polynesia.

Jungle Cruise appearances

Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

A photograph of Walt and El Grupo departing from a plane in Brazil is framed in the Enchanted Tiki Bar. A message from Sam reads, "I was hired to guide these animated amigos on an expedition south of the border", identifying him as having been El Grupo's guide in the Jungle Cruise's lore. Scribbled onto the photo is a message in Walt Disney's signature reading, "Saludos Sam -Walt". The bar is also known to contain Donald Duck memorabilia such as a stuffy of Donald or tiki carved in real-life by Kevin Kidney.

Other connections

True-Life Adventures

One of the Goodwill Tour members shown in Trader Sam's is Ted Sears, a writer for several of the True-Life Adventures nature films where he was often partnered with one Winston Hibler. These films are what Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise were initially inspired by.

Differences from history

• Trader Sam is a fictional character, not involved in the historic event.

History

As several Latin American countries had ties to Nazi Germany, the US government asked Walt Disney to travel to the continent as Disney cartoons were popular there. A major factor for Walt and his close affiliates going on the tour was that their animators were protesting for fair pay and treatment, leading to Walt leaving the country to ignore the demands of his employees. The Walt Disney Company's tour was coordinated by Nelson Rockefeller (1908- 1979), the recently appointed Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (CIAA).

Trivia

• One of the members of El Grupo was Mary Blair, a legendary artist referenced as a character in Jungle River Cruise: Curse of the Emerald Trinity.
• In real-life, the government's coordinator for the tour was Nelson Rockefeller , a relative of the Rockefellers referenced in the Skipper Canteen as connected to Dr. Albert Falls.

Gallery

The real-life photo, edited for the Tiki Bar