Featured Attractions

Monday, September 15, 2014

DISNEYLAND Sponsors: Bank of America


When DISNEYLAND first opened, the bank located on Town Square wasn't just a facade, it was a real bank- the Bank of America. This branch was unusual in that it was open seven days a week and was a full branch; guests could actually setup bank accounts, make deposits and buy money orders, all printed with the most magical address of all bank branches- DISNEYLAND, U.S.A.

Bank of America later sponsored it's a small world in Fantasyland. Its sponsorship lasted until 1993. Disney parks management was looking to consolidate sponsorships and wanted it's a small world to be sponsored by the same company in both DISNEYLAND and at Walt Disney World. At the time, Bank of America had no branches in Florida, (their nearest branches at the time were in NYC) so they were uninterested in paying to sponsor both attractions. Florida's sponsor had no bank branches outside that state, so they were not large enough to even consider sponsoring an attraction way out in California.

So in June 1993, DISNEYLAND quietly lost its bank. Overnight, all signage was removed and the location became The Bank of Main Street, an empty storefront that would be used for various purposes, but mostly as an Annual Pass processing center. It now lives on as "Disneyana", a Disney collectibles gift shop. The bank's vault is used to store the most expensive paintings for sale at the shop.