[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 24230-24231]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          HONORING WALT DISNEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a man who has shown 
people all over the world that ``when you wish upon a star, dreams 
really can come true.''
  One hundred years ago yesterday, on December 5, 1901, Walt Elias 
Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois. One hundred years later his 
legacy lives in the hearts and in the minds of children of all ages. 
Walt has impacted people from all over the world through his films, his 
theme parks and his incredible imagination.
  Growing up in Anaheim, California, I was fortunate to have Disneyland 
in my own backyard. Now, as the Congresswoman from the Forty-sixth 
Congressional District, I get to represent Disneyland to the rest of 
the world.

[[Page 24231]]

  I can still remember my first visit to Disneyland. One of my fondest 
memories was riding in the ``It's a Small World'' ride, a bunch of 
little dolls dancing around, singing in different languages, getting 
along together in perfect harmony. What a way to view the world, and 
what a way to teach a child about what the world is that we aspire to.
  Imagine, people in the world sharing this laughter, their tears, 
their hopes, their fears. Walt envisioned a world where happiness 
transcended borders, a world where hate was nonexistent, and where joy 
and laughter cured all things.
  After September 11, America has lost its innocence. And, 
unfortunately, the terrorist attacks have had a terrible toll on 
America's psyche and tourism in general. However, in this time of 
hardship, the hopes and the dreams of Americans are stronger than ever, 
and, thanks to Walt, Americans will always believe that ``anything 
their hearts desire will come to them.''

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