normally get noticed ,” she says . “ That ’ s where the magic is . You can tell when people don ’ t expect to be a part of the magic , so you can really surprise them with it .” With that directive in mind , the performers would often choose to interact with the grandmas or older brothers of a group rather than the little princesses in tiaras .
And their effort paid off in big ways . Tapestry of Nations ran twice each evening — once clockwise around the lagoon and once counterclockwise . In between the runs , leadership would often call meetings while the crew waited to go back “ on stage .” Sometimes those meetings involved costume repairs or show notes . Other times , they read letters from guests who had been emotionally moved by the performance .
Wollbrinck remembers those letters vividly . “ There was a genuine sense of love and inspiration . It was enthusiasm on a level I had never seen . The show sparked imagination and drew people in with its unbridled creativity and messages of unity and peace .”
THE PERFORMERS “ The amazing thing about Tapestry was how different everyone was and the way we came together ,” says William Campbell , who served as Sage of Time , in various puppeteer roles , and as a float driver . “ It didn ’ t matter where you ’ d come from , what you ’ d done before , or how much time you ’ d spent in entertainment . Literally everyone was welcome and we are still a family 20 years later .”
Maybe that sense of authenticity came from relating to guests in other ways . Because the show only took up a few hours in the evening , many Tapestry performers held other positions throughout Walt Disney World . For example , Wollbrinck was a Kilimanjaro Safari driver by day , and Sittler worked in outdoor foods , where she says guests sometimes recognized her from Tapestry .
Tapestry of Nations required 30 experienced drummers for each performance — two for each of the 15 floats — so producers had to get
Performers interact with the crowd . PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY PARKS BLOG