Mickey Mouse was always near and dear to Walt Disney's heart. No matter what amazing projects Mr. Disney embarked on, Mickey was always a part of them. That's why when Mr. Disney began to dream about a magical theme park built across the street from his Burbank studio, the first name he thought of to grace the modest plan was "Mickey Mouse Park."
The small eight acre parcel would have a train, a small town, a lake and of course, Mickey Mouse. Mr. Disney's original plan was to place statues of Mickey and friends that guests could pose next to for pictures. The centerpiece of the park, however, would be the Mickey statue.
Walt Disney's dreams soon grew, however, and it became obvious that he would need much more land. His mere park had become a Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom soon found a new home many miles south and would have a new name- DISNEYLAND. Despite this new name, the park would still feature Walt's famous friend. And to leave no doubt as to who ruled over this Magic Kingdom, Mickey Mouse's smiling face would welcome the millions of guests who would make the trek to DISNEYLAND from around the world.
