Disney Legend William “Sully” Sullivan Passes Away at 88
Disney Legend William “Sully” Sullivan, who dedicated 38 years to The Walt Disney Company and contributed significantly to Disney Parks in California and Florida, passed away on Tuesday, July 16, at his home in Windermere, Florida. He was 88 years old.
“Few people have contributed as much to Disney theme parks as Bill Sullivan,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences. “His personal connection with Walt Disney and his incredible career spanning multiple decades and several destinations helped pass along Disney heritage to generations of cast members and guests around the world.”
Born on April 18, 1936, in Fullerton, California, Sullivan initially pursued architecture and began his career in the aircraft industry. His path changed on Sunday, July 17, 1955, when he watched the opening ceremonies for Disneyland on ABC-TV. “The following Saturday I went down and applied for a job. Monday I quit Northrop Aircraft, and Tuesday I reported to work as a ticket-taker at the Jungle Cruise,” Sullivan recalled. He was 19 years old.
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While working as a Jungle Cruise skipper, Sullivan met his future wife at Waltah Clarke’s Hawaiian Shop, located near the attraction. He progressed from ride operator to operations supervisor at Disneyland, gaining comprehensive knowledge of park operations. “I took a summer job, and I’ve been here ever since,” Sullivan said in an interview before his retirement.
Sullivan’s career included various notable assignments, such as serving on the operations team for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Northern California, where Walt Disney oversaw Pageantry, and assisting with the Disney-designed attractions at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair.
“Walt was a really warm individual,” Sullivan fondly remembered. “He had a great sense of humor, and he loved people. He was an executive, but not what you perceive as an ‘executive.’ He was a real team guy.”
Sullivan also managed operations for several high-profile Disney film premieres, including Mary Poppins (1964) and The Happiest Millionaire (1967).
In 1968, Sullivan joined the project management team for the Walt Disney World Resort project near Orlando, Florida. He established the resort’s first security force and developed operational layouts for Main Street, U.S.A.; Fantasyland; and the Transportation and Ticket Center. He later helped set up the company’s first hotel division.
“I moved to Orlando in 1969 and moved the family here the following year,” Sullivan said. “We reached an agreement to manage the Hilton Inn South on International Drive with [Walt Disney World’s first hotel employee] John Curry. It gave us a base of operations to understand the hotel business because we didn’t know anything about it. We also tried our hands at operating laundry facilities and food purchasing. It was really a whole new world for us.”
By the time Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, Sullivan was overseeing operations for Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland; and Liberty Square.
Sullivan later served as director of PICO (Project Installation and Coordination Office), coordinating the operational design and installation of equipment at EPCOT Center, and as director of EPCOT Center operations. In 1987, he was named vice president of Magic Kingdom Park, overseeing all aspects of park operations.
After contributing to the opening of Euro Disneyland (now Disneyland Paris) in 1992, Sullivan retired in 1993 after a 38-year career with Disney. “If I had to do it all over,” he said, “I’d do it all again tomorrow.”
Named a Disney Legend in 2005, Sullivan published a memoir in 2015 titled From Jungle Cruise Skipper to Disney Legend: 40 Years of Magical Memories at Disney.
Two windows on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park honor Sullivan’s contributions: one, above the Crystal Arts shop, lists him among the charter members of the “Windermere Fraternal Hall,” alongside fellow Walt Disney World opening team leaders Bob Allen, Pete Crimmings, Dick Evans, Bill Hoelscher, and Bob Matheison. The second, above the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, references Sullivan’s love of hunting and fishing: “Sully’s Safaris & Guide Service / Chief Guide / Bill Sullivan.”
Sullivan is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jacqueline Sullivan; children Laurie (Jeffrey) Wallace, Elizabeth (Paul) Hoffman, Matt (Stacey) Sullivan, and Kathleen (Dave) Riordan; grandchildren Joe Coleman, Jessica (Eric) Gomez, Jake (Tara) Coleman, Briana (Jon Teasley) Hoffman, Kellan (Dahlia) Hoffman, Madeline Hoffman, Zachary Sullivan, Noah Sullivan, Matthew Sullivan, Luc Riordan, Nico Riordan, and Gabriel Riordan; and great-grandchildren Addison Coleman, Logan Coleman, Jackson Teasley, Piper Gomez, and Sadie Gomez; and sister Virginia Gass.
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