“Miss Disneyland” As Guide For Hospital Children

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 2

“Miss Disneyland” As Guide For Hospital Children

All the thrills, the wonders, and the fun of Disneyland came briefly before the children in Ward 9B of Christchurch Hospital yesterday.

They were whisked through the Matter horn and taken on a bobsled ride into Tomorrowland. There, submarines took them into the ' waters above the lost city of Atlantis where mermaids frollicked and divers searched for treasures.

Next came a cruise on a ■ jungle river steamer past' lions with fresh kills, trum-1 peting elephants and dancing tribesmen. Some more adventures, a procession along Main street U.S.A., and the colour film: was over. But there on hand as their guide was “Miss Disneyland,” Miss Julie Reihm. CONFIDENCES Miss Reihm has a brother and sister herself and when she went round the ward speaking to the children she soon had the shyest child laughing and whispering in her ear.

I Miss Reihm, who will be :21 on Friday, arrived in I Christchurch yesterday and : besides the film brought the children a book on Disneyland, a mounted colour cartoon of Goofy—one signed • by Walt Disney—and a small Mary Poppins doll. Miss Reihm, a slim attractive brunette, with a natural charm and an outgoing personality, is studying English literature and speech at the University of California, Long Beach. She worked in her spare time as a tour guide at Disneyland and last year was selected as Disneyland’s ambassador for its

tenth anniversary celebrations.

She arrived in Christchurch wearing her uniform —a Black Watch tartan skirt with a white blouse and a dark green waistcoat piped with gold. On her shoulder w’as a gold badge in the form of the Fantasyland castle—“the symbol of Disneyland all over the world”—with Tinkerbell the fairy in “Peter Pan,” flying above. She wore matching cuff-links. Knee-length green hose and black shoes and a dark green cape completed her outfit. CALL ON MAYOR Miss Reihm wears her uniform at public appearances and carries six of them in her baggage. Her first call yesterday was to present the Mayor (Mr G. Manning) with a scroll giving him honorary citizenship of Disneyland. In return he gave a book on the Botanic Gardens, “A Century of Gardens.” Although she has had little opportunity to take any photographs with the camera she brought with her, Miss Reihm does not really mind. She loves meeting people. Besides the Mayor, In Christchurch yesterday she visited the manager of a drapery store, had lunch with the travel club, gave a newspaper interview, visited the hospital, had some more interviews, visited a store and then attended a cocktail party given in her honour by Qantas Empire Airways, Ltd. where she met about 60 representatives of the travel industry and public relations, Miss Reihm hopes to go into public relations work when she graduates. She has two more years at college to complete. “I want to learn more and more about people. They have different customs, but to me they are the same all over the world.” said Miss Reihm. She leaves for Auckland tomorrow where she will attend the Auckland premiere of “Mary Poppins.” Miss Reihm said that as she had uever attended a film premiere in Australia or New Zealand she did not know what dress people wore. But she came prepared and has both a semi-formal dress and a long white gown somewhere in her luggage with all those uniforms.