When our dear friend Will Koch passed away unexpectedly in June, the outpouring of love and support was amazing.
"He was the next Walt Disney" we heard over and over.
Indeed, Will's wife, Lori, had long ago given him a wonderful portrait of Walt Disney (with a shadow of Mickey) which hung in his office throughout the two decades he was our leader.
She told me recently she knew how inspired Will was by Disney, and she wanted her husband to always feel his presence as he made decisions and plans.
This morning, Will joined Mr. Disney in the Theme Park Hall of Fame.
This tremendous honor was bestowed upon him this morning in Orlando, at the start of the gigantic trade show, called the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA) Expo. With more that 25,000 industry members on hand this week to plan for the future of fun, we all paused for a moment to honor our friend Will.
Here's a video that was shot from the audience of the packed hall.
