Walt’s Right-Hand Man: Remembering Dick Nunis, Keeper of the Magic!

This one hurts. Dick Nunis was the closest thing we had to Walt left. He was Walt’s apprentice, his right-hand man and the keeper of the flame for Disney quality. He started out as one of Walt’s son-in-law’s friends and made it to the top of the Parks division. He went to Tokyo when they were developing a new Disneyland-style park and taught them how Walt had done it. They’re still doing it Walt’s Way today over there and the difference in quality shows. Although he was 91, it still seems like it’s too soon. 

“Today, we mourn the passing of Dick Nunis, a true Disney Legend whose contributions to The Walt Disney Company have touched the lives of millions of people all over the world,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “What started as a summer job training future Disneyland employees would ultimately become a storied 44-year career at Disney. Dick took the values and philosophies he learned directly from Walt and incorporated them into everything he did at Disney. We are grateful for his many achievements and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones.”

“On behalf of every Cast Member, Crew Member, Imagineer and employee of Disney Experiences, I want to express my gratitude to Disney Legend Dick Nunis… and my condolences to his family following the sad news of his passing,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences. “Dick’s impact on our theme parks business is everlasting. Along with our founder, Walt Disney, Dick helped shape our business, create happiness for millions of families around the world… and set a standard that an entire industry must now live up to.”

Dick was born May 30, 1932 in Cedartown, GA, but moved to Southern California to play football for the University of Southern California (USC) in his late teens. He seemed to be headed for football fame, but a freak accident on the field left him with a broken neck, and he ended up receiving his Master’s in Education instead. 

Walt was looking for someone to train his recruits for the opening cast of Disneyland when Ron Miller introduced Dick to Van France, who ran all of the training that later became Disney University. Van France knew a good worker when he saw him, hired him part-time to train the new cast, and the rest is history. 

Van France and Dick Nunis successfully trained all of the “Class of ’55” who were starting with the park opening – even Walt Disney himself took the training! 

Dick was promoted to Attractions Supervisor and developed many of the S.O.P.s (standard operating procedures) for Disneyland’s attractions, many of which are still used today in the park. 

In 1961, he became Director of Park Operations and started working on the mysterious Project X, which later became known as Walt Disney World. His fingerprints are all over early Walt Disney World, up until his retirement in 1999. Up until that point, the quality of the Disney parks was unmatched. Within a few years, a new crop of executives had cut Disney University from five days to one day and made many more changes at Walt Disney World. 

On opening day, running behind, he corralled a group of Disney executives to help him lay the lawn on the Contemporary Resort. When they said they’d never done anything like that, Dick cheered them on: “Green side up!” and he got right to work with them. It was finished in time for the first guest to drive by.

Guests always meant a lot to Dick. He and his wife had a saying that there is a mirror to your smile, that is, when you smile at people, they’re more prone to smile back. It’s part of why it was so important for Cast Members to be so friendly.

Dick moved to Orlando for the opening of Walt Disney World and lived there until his dying day. He was surrounded by loved ones in his home at the time of his death.

Dick’s’ window, located above Disney Showcase, on Main Street, USA, reads: “Coast to Coast Peoplemoving, World Leader in Leisure Management, Dick Nunis, Proprietor, Founded 1955, Offices Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, Wave Machines a Specialty.”

The wave machine refers to the wave machine that Dick had installed in the water in front of the Polynesian Village Resort, back when it was safe to swim in Seven Seas Lagoon, but it led to erosion and was shut off. He finally got his wave machine when Typhoon Lagoon opened in 1989. 

Dick released a fantastic book about his life and career with Disney, from working with Walt all the way to Disneyland Paris. It’s called Walt’s Apprentice. 

I was lucky to meet Dick several times. He said my daughter Alice was the most beautiful child he’d ever seen when she was two. His presence can still be felt in the parks and is there whenever a Cast Member gives someone a smile to mirror.

I think we can all agree that Disney Parks’ needs a Dick Nunis today. May his legacy inspire a new generation to follow in his footsteps and reinvigorate what made the Disney Parks experience so unique and special.