John Bettis
publication date: Friday, July 18, 2025 (part of July 2025)
category: 
Music
clue: This hit-making songwriter is best known for his collaboration with the Carpenters, particularly lifelong friend Richard Carpenter, with whom he played live music in the Coke Corner (now Refreshment Corner) restaurant on Main Street, USA while they were just starting out. The duo was fired after four months for playing contemporary hits instead of old-timey music, but his career turned out just fine, seeing as he went on to write hits for Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, George Strait, and others. He also wrote many theme songs for TV shows, including Growing Pains starring Joanna Kerns, who herself once worked at Disneyland, playing Pinocchio's Blue Fairy in the Main Street Electrical Parade.
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and LaVonne Lemler
The Happiest Place on Earth: Since its opening on July 17, 1955, Disneyland has been an iconic theme park, famous the world over. It has enchanted generations of devoted fans, some of whom were inspired to seek employment there. These seven celebrities all worked in Disneyland before doing what made them famous (or more famous, in one case). Take a walk around the park and try to name all seven, and remember: When you guess upon these stars, it makes a difference who they are.Similar Goos
FKA Twigs
In her sexy live performances and in her resilience to chronic pain, this singer is neither as wooden nor as breakable as her stage name implies. Go »
Peggy Lee
This jazz singer may have inspired a tequila-and-lime cocktail, a self-centered puppet diva, and a beautiful American rose, all of which share versions of her name. Go »
Ronald Reagan
Disneyland's addition of an audio-animatronic of Walt Disney for its 70th anniversary is turning out to be controversial, but Walt wouldn't be the first company employee recreated in audio-animatronic form: This man was reaching the end of his first career as a film actor when he was hired to host the live television broadcast of Disneyland's opening day from spots all over the park, before he embarked on a second career that eventually reached such heights that his likeness was added to the Magic Kingdom's Hall of Presidents. Go »
John Lasseter
Prior to becoming one of Disney's most bankable directors with the likes of Toy Story and Cars—and one of their most high-profile separations in the wake of a #MeToo scandal—he spent summers working as a skipper aboard the Jungle Cruise attraction in Adventureland. What was he studying in college at the time? Character animation at CalArts, as taught by veteran Disney animators including Eric Larson, Frank Tomas, and Ollie Johnston. Go »
LL Cool J
This performer does coke and listens to his momma. Go »
