A lady that really deserves this honor

[LittleDollClaudia]

Kingston woman is Queen for a Day at Disney World
By Kathryn Heidecker
Daily Freeman

Mary Berardi, 91, never dreamed she'd be plucked from a crowd of hundreds of people based on her looks.
But the lifelong Kingston resident got the surprise of a century when she was chosen to become a Queen for the Day last month at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

"That's a cute little woman," a Disney World employee, who approached her after dinner at Epcot Center, told her by way of explaining the selection process.

"I never expected it, at my age anyway," Berardi said.

For Berardi, the royal treatment meant she got to go to the front of the line at many of Disney's attractions, along with her son, the Rev. Thomas Berardi of Troy, and two friends who joined them for the trip.

The day after she was picked to be queen, another Disney employee spotted her waiting in line to see the musical, "Beauty and the Beast." Like a celebrity, Berardi was escorted past lines of waiting customers to exclusive front row seats. Then, at the conclusion of the performance, an actor called her onstage.

"This is Mary Berardi from Kingston and she is celebrating her 91st birthday," the performer told the audience of thousands. The crowd responded by chanting, "Go Mary! Happy Birthday," over and over, Berardi recalled. "I was laughing," she said.

Berardi said the trip was a belated present; she actually celebrated her 91st birthday Dec. 19.

The daughter of Anna and Fred Perry, Berardi was one of 19 children in a French-Irish family. After attending Kingston High School for a time, she dropped out of school to work in a shirt factory to help support her family.

Married at age 19, Berardi celebrated 60 years of marriage with her husband, Amelio Berardi, before he died in 1996.

Now retired from Rotron, she has seen Kingston go through many changes. She recalls gas prices at 39 cents a gallon and watching the local economic base shift from textiles and brick manufacturing to computer technology.

"I look back today and say, 'Where did those years go?' I've never seen life pass so fast," Berardi said.

The Disney trip, Berardi's fourth visit to the resort, was but a pit stop in an active life. Other favorite adventures include visits to Brazil, London, Switzerland, Ireland and Nova Scotia.

"I love to see how people live in other countries, but I've found we have the best country in the world," she said.

A mantelpiece at home displays a poster-size print of a grinning Berardi manning a sporty kayak on the Ogunquit River in Ogunquit, Maine, where she tried her luck at kayaking for the first time at 89.

Asked the secret of her longevity and zest for life, Berardi was quick to point out she exercises daily, doesn't smoke or drink, and eats "lots of vegetables."

But what keeps her motivated? "I just do my thing," she said with a laugh.

[DisKarma]

Love this story. Now that is Disney Magic.

[vixen101485]

AWWWW! Cute

[DisneyMom]

Being able to go and enjoy Disney World at age 91 :)
Definitely the way I'd like it to be for me!
GO MARY! :D:

[Syndrome]

Awww, how sweet! Reminds me of cruise clients I had last year. The matriarch of the clan, who was in her 90s, had been diagnosed with an illness that made it likely to be her last Christmas. The whole clan decided they were going to create a magical memory for that last holiday, so they all booked a Disney cruise. There were literally enough of them to fill an entire bus. The cruise line CMs were awesome. Even tho' there is no official "queen for a day," they treated the grandma like a queen for her whole trip. She even got to light the atrium Christmas tree.

Recently, I got word that she did indeed pass away. I couldn't help but get misty eyed when I read how she had talked up that trip up until the end and just how special it made her feel. A little magic really went a long way.

[Big Wallaby]

Recently, I got word that she did indeed pass away. I couldn't help but get misty eyed when I read how she had talked up that trip up until the end and just how special it made her feel. A little magic really went a long way.

If you are a Cast Member and this doesn't do anything for you, I'd like to be the one to accept your resignation, effective immediately.

[Syndrome]

I know it's tough to be a CM because you hear mainly from the complainers, so here is the actual email that I referenced above. You might not always get feedback, but I think it's a great demonstration on how much of an impact making magic for a guest can have:

"I wanted to let you know that my mother passed this afternoon. She had done remarkably well since the cruise and in fact, had continued to work right up until 15th of April. She became ill with the flu and it accelerated her heart failure. We’ve had a remarkable experience caring for her the last five weeks – one that I know I will cherish always. The reason I’m writing is that we promised we would keep the Magic crew informed of her progress and I thought they might want to know of her passing. More importantly however is that I want you and the crew of the Magic to know how much they continued to be part of her happiness. Not a week has passed since the cruise that she didn’t talk about the royal treatment she received and how special she felt while on board. As late as Monday she continued to tell her stories of the tree lighting, unsolicited food trays in her room and the general loving embrace she felt from everyone who made her cruise possible. As a family we just want to say thank you again for all you did and to deliver one last grateful acknowledgement to the crew of the Disney Magic for truly letting Grandma Tic Tock be the queen of the week on her Sailabration."

[KidAtHeart]

You know, it's times like these I hate having leaky eyes...