Walt Wednesdays: Designing Frontierland

 

Walt Wednesdays

 

Walt Wednesdays: 30 Years at DISNEYLAND

 

Walt Wednesdays: Down With Sir

 

Walt Wednesdays: Retlaw Enterprises

Many people know that Walt Disney had an apartment over the Main Street Fire Station, an apartment that has been preserved to this day.

 

What most people might not know, however, is that the building was officially not owned by DISNEYLAND. In fact, the park didn't own the DISNEYLAND Railroad or the DISNEYLAND Monorail. These attractions were owned and operated by Retlaw Enterprises- Walt Disney's personal company.

 

When Roy Disney finally agreed to have Walt Disney Productions be a part of the DISNEYLAND project, he kept a close eye on expenses. Walt didn't think he could build the railroad he dreamed of with his brother's interference, so he came up with a solution- he would own and operate the railroad through Retlaw and rent space from DISNEYLAND. A similar deal was setup for the DISNEYLAND Monorail.

 

Walt's ownership of the Fire Station was intended to solve the problem of him having a private space on what was essentially company property. All three enterprises were purchased by the company in 1982 when Ticket books were eliminated and the park began selling pay one price passports.

Walt Wednesdays: Jeopardy Week Answer

Walt Disney arrived in California with $40 and a suitcase filled with all of his possessions.

 

Walt Wednesdays: Jeopardy Week

 

(Check back at 6PM PDT for the answer!)

Walt Wednesdays: The Plaza Inn

People often ask about Walt Disney's favorite spots in DISNEYLAND. The park was his pride and joy, his most favorite place on earth. He loved every corner of his Magic Kingdom and could often be seen enjoying the sights. He most of all loved to sit and people watch. He sincerely loved watching his guests enjoy this world he had created for them.

 

However, if you want to visit a location in the park frequented by Mr. Disney most of all, take a peek inside Main Street's Plaza Inn. It was always one of his favorite places to eat inside DISNEYLAND.

 

Walt Wednesdays: The Disney Family

 

Walt Wednesdays: California Dreaming

Longtime DISNEYLAND staff have recalled running into Walt Disney in the park, deep in thought. There was a spot in Frontierland where they would often see him intently staring off into the distance.

 

What was he thinking about? Since nobody wanted to interrupt him, we don't really know. Many have guessed that, like his childhood dreaming tree in Marceline, this was a place where he came up with new ideas and dreams. Surrounded by his biggest dream come true, it's probably the best explanation.

 

Mr. Disney often said that he would walk around the park looking for ways to improve it. He never mentioned a favorite spot, but it is fairly certain that he could find inspiration anywhere in DISNEYLAND.

Walt Wednesdays: What's in a Name?

 

Walt Wednesdays: Mr. Disney's Private Property

 

Walt Wednesdays: Walt's Favorite Snack

 

Walt Wednesdays: Walt Disney and Ray Kroc

 

Walt Wednesdays- A Magical Place

 

Walt Wednesdays: Mr. Disney's Backyard

When Walt Disney added a train to his Holmby Hills estate, it wasn't just a dry run for DISNEYLAND or a place to satisfy his passion for trains (Though it was those things too.) As it turned out, Walt was concerned about his daughters since he was often busy at the studio.

 

So he wanted to build a wonderful backyard that would become the center of the neighborhood; a place where their friends would want to hang out. (That way it would be easier to keep an eye on them.) In addition to the train and barn, there was a soda fountain, private ice cream parlor and a place where the girls could entertain their friends. It would create wonderful memories and serve as a test run for a bigger project that he would eventually share with the world.

 

Walt Wednesdays: A Gift For Annette

When Annette Funicello became a pop sensation, Walt Disney wanted to give her a special gift to honor her achievements. He settled on a special charm bracelet with custom built charms. Even the Sherman Brothers got in on the fun, commissioning this one after she hit with Pineapple Princess.

Annette always felt blessed to have been discovered by Walt Disney and to be a part of his organization.

"In 1966, the world was saddened hearing of his death. But it's such a comfort to know his soul lives on, together with his dreams. And his memory will live forever in my heart."

-Annette Funicello

Walt Wednesdays: Around the Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney personally supervised the construction and planning of every nook and cranny of DISNEYLAND. As a result, there are pictures of him just about everywhere in his Magic Kingdom.

He often prowled the park looking for things to improve and dreaming new dreams. He literally lived inside the park in his own private apartment above the firehouse.

Mr. Disney passed away before he was able to leave much of an imprint on the Disney World resort in Florida. In fact, there is only one picture of him onsite, doubtless made while planning out EPCOT. While his plans were largely discarded, his fully realized vision remains alive at DISNEYLAND in California.

Walt Wednesdays: Walt Disney and the Queen Mary

Walt Disney rarely took vacations. He was always worrying about something or other at the studio. It's somewhat ironic that he would build and design a theme park in which hundreds of millions of people would spend their vacations. Whenever his family could get him to take a trip, they often found a cruise to be the best way to make him break away from the stress of the studio. His favorite ship was the Queen Mary.

Mrs. Disney loved spending time with Walt on the ship, where he was mostly free from the grind of work. In 1969 when the ship was ready for retirement, Jack Wrather, who coincidentally owned and operated the DISNEYLAND Hotel, brought the ship to Long Beach where he planned to permanently dock it and operate it as a tourist attraction and hotel.

Mrs. Wrather personally oversaw the redecoration of the ship, preserving its historic look and feel. The company ran the ship until the late 1980's when it sold the DISNEYLAND Hotel to the Walt Disney Company. Bonita Wrather didn't want to deal with the various other companies her husband had amassed, so she required Disney to buy everything, including the Queen Mary. Walt Disney's favorite ship was now part of the Disney family.

DISNEYLAND planned a huge expansion of the area surrounding the ship called Port Disney. Guests would take a monorail between the two projects to make one Disney vacation. The project fell through and Disney lost interest in the properties. The ship is now owned by the city of Long Beach and operated by a non-profit historic group.

Walt Wednesdays: Grandpa Walt

To the world, he was an amazing man who always turned his dreams into reality. To his grandchildren he was "grandpa".