In 1964, Dick Van Dyke starred in Disney’s “Mary Poppins” as Bert. Now, over 50 years later, longtime Malibu resident and fan favorite Dick kept his Disney roots close with a 90th birthday party, complete with a full day of celebrations, at Disneyland.
Dick explained to The Malibu Times that when waking up at Disneyland, “I felt better than I thought I would at 90.”
The festivities, which were arranged by Dick’s wife, Arlene Van Dyke, included a dedication, a birthday serenade in New Orleans Square by Queenie and her Dixieland Band, a performance by Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix, and a pre-Christmas parade cavalcade.
“They had a dedication for him — a silhouette of Bert — to hang in the Jolly Holiday Bakery,” Arlene explained to The Malibu Times.
The dedication, which was the first event of the day, was an idea Arlene pitched to Disney to do as part of the celebration.
“I noticed that there was no representation of Bert in the Jolly Holiday Bakery,” she said. “Mary, the children, even the penguins are in there, but no Bert, and he even sings most of the song. His 90th birthday was the perfect opportunity to change that.”
Dick said that “it felt great,” and Arlene shared that she “couldn’t stop tears of joy” during the dedication. Two silhouettes were made — one for Dick to take home and one to hang in the shop.
Dick and Arlene were surrounded by family throughout the day, including Dick’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. During the cavalcade, the two were followed by a fire truck filled with some of Dick’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In addition to family at the event, local Maggie Luckerath organized a bus to depart from Malibu Playhouse for residents who were interested in attending.
“It was truly a magical day at Disneyland,” Luckerath said. “[It] was wonderful being at the happiest place on earth with old friends, new friends … My favorite part of the day was seeing Arlene and Dick truly so happy … looking like the happiest couple in the world.”
Local Linda Thompson, who also traveled to Disneyland on the bus, shared that she found the day inspiring.
“The biggest takeaway from Dick Van Dyke’s 90th birthday celebration is inspiration,” Thompson said. “He exudes an indomitable cheerfulness, charm, friendliness and positive attitude that is infectious. And, as he says, ‘keep moving’ — that’s the secret to his youthfulness.”
Fans from all over made their way to the park to get a glimpse of the man they have grown to love in “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and many, many more. Sheri Roy, who came to the park dressed as a doll, won a costume contest that was organized by Arlene and Christina Karlin — a fan who runs the “NerdPoppins” shop on Etsy.
“I love that scene because it showed his performing skills as he convinced the audience with his doll-like moves,” Roy said of her costume choice. “To me it was, is and always will be a masterpiece.”
Roy explained that a standout moment from the celebration was “seeing how happy the event and all of the love seemed to make Dick.”
Arlene had a harder time picking out a favorite part of the day.
“Every moment of the day was pretty spectacular,” Arlene said, “but being able to share it with his and my family and some close friends was pretty special … I was surprised by how many people thanked me for creating an opportunity to celebrate a man that has brought so much joy to their life.”
“If she had it her way, she would make it a national holiday!” Dick shared about everything Arlene planned for the day. “She even got birthday buttons made! She is a force of nature and was determined to make it happen … I have to say that it was the cherry on top of my lucky life. I wonder what she’s going to do for my 100th?”
