Cameron Boyce, 1999 - 2019

DISNEYLAND Anniversary Month

DISNEYLAND Anniversary Month: Herb Ryman

When Walt Disney first began talking about his plans for a theme park, his biggest hurdle was trying to explain what his Magic Kingdom would be like. Would it be like a carnival or a fair? Maybe a recreational area? It soon became clear that Mr. Disney would need a visual guide to show financiers, bankers and others just what DISNEYLAND would look like. Pressed for time, Walt turned to the one person he felt was up to the task- Herb Ryman.

Herb Ryman wasn’t working for Walt Disney Productions at the time. After serving as the art director for several animated features, Mr. Ryman had grown restless and moved over to Twentieth-Century-Fox where he could design actual, practical sets. By the early 1950’s, Herb’s skillset had grown to become ideal for a project like DISNEYLAND. Walt Disney just had to convince him to join this admittedly risky endeavor. Herb was a bit skeptical when Walt first described the project to him and asked to see the plans. Of course, they didn’t exist outside of Walt Disney’s head; Herb discovered that Walt wanted HIM to create the first draft. Herb agreed as long as Walt Disney stayed to supervise. Thus began the “lost weekend” in which Walt Disney described the DISNEYLAND of his dreams and Herb got it all down on paper. That historic map is pictured below. 

By the end of the weekend, Walt Disney had the map he needed and Herb Ryman was sold on the idea of joining DISNEYLAND, Inc. Herb would go on to design so many familiar icons such as Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Golden Horseshoe. A tribute to him is planted near the beloved castle that he designed.

The Simpsons Go Mad!

The Simpsons Go Mad!

Happy Fourth of July!

DISNEYLAND Anniversary Month: Admiral Joe Fowler

Admiral Joe Fowler was an American hero. Having majored in naval engineering, it was he who oversaw the construction of the United States’ warships during World War II, ensuring that they were built efficiently, structurally sound and finished on time. He retired from the U.S. Navy after the war, but his reputation for getting things done earned him an appointment from President Eisenhower to locate and remove wasteful spending from the military.

Admiral Joe Fowler, Pictured left

By 1954, Admiral Fowler was working in the San Francisco Bay Area as a project manager for a company building tract homes. His reputation for getting things done quickly, on time and under budget had made him highly sought after in the construction business. When Walt Disney flew up to meet with him, however, Mr. Disney was only looking for someone to oversee the construction of the Mark Twain Steamboat. By the end of the impromptu interview, however, Walt knew that he had found his construction manager for DISNEYLAND. If anyone could make sure that this complicated, never before attempted project would get done quickly, it was Admiral Fowler.

Admiral Fowler showing a visiting dignitary Disneyland’s next project.

Walt’s decision to hire Admiral Fowler was a great one. Fowler took control of the project and made sure it was ready to open by the summer of 1955. Admiral Fowler was so good at his job that he became known as “Mr. Can Do” around the park. Admiral Fowler would become the General Manager at DISNEYLAND and would turn so many of Walt Disney’s dreams into reality. It was because of this American hero that, as Mr. Disney once noted, anything was possible in DISNEYLAND.

DISNEYLAND Anniversary Month: Aunt Maggie

Long before Walt Disney moved out to California to follow his dreams, he was a young boy stuck in the Midwest without an outlet for his creativity. To his stern father, art and creative enterprises were a waste of time. How could a young boy in such a situation get the tools he needed to keep his imagination stimulated? In Walt’s case, he’d get them from a special aunt- Margaret Disney.

“Aunt Maggie” saw the spark in her young nephew’s eye and bought him plenty of sketch pads, crayons, pencils and other art supplies to help him nurture his burgeoning artistic talents. Even when Walt’s father discouraged it, Aunt Maggie would sneak him art supplies to encourage his creative endeavors. While Aunt Maggie would live to see Mickey Mouse, she would not see the opening of DISNEYLAND. While we might have still gotten a Magic Kingdom if she hadn’t intervened, Aunt Maggie’s simple gifts to her nephew sparked a creative streak in her nephew that directly led to him building DISNEYLAND. And the world was definitely better because of it.

DISNEYLAND Anniversary Month: The Reas

Not everyone who contributed to the success of DISNEYLAND knew that their hard work would eventually make the Happiest Place on Earth a happier place. In fact, some people would never even know that such a place as DISNEYLAND would ever exist, much less that they would contribute anything to it. One such person was John Rea.

(From Left, Kate, Margaret, Ella and John Rea)

John Rea was born in Canada in 1848. He found the cold weather to be bad for his health and made his way to Southern California and settled in El Cajon, where he eventually started up a lucrative business. He moved his Canadian sweetheart Margaret Wilkie to Southern California, married her and established their family. In the 1890’s, John decided to buy a ranch up north and try his luck at farming. The ranch was located in Anaheim, California and he gave it a name that should be familiar to anyone who lives in or has visited Anaheim- ‘Katella Ranch.’ You’ve most likely visited his ranch without even knowing it- John Rea’s Ranch would become DISNEYLAND.

While only one of John Rea’s orange trees would survive the park’s construction and was previously located on the grounds of the DISNEYLAND Hotel, he planted the large trees that would shield the bustling Main Street, U.S.A from the jungles of Adventureland. They are most visible from Main Street’s Town Square behind City Hall. John’s daughters, however, would provide the family’s most enduring legacy- their names are forever immortalized in the name of one of Anaheim’s busiest streets- Katella Avenue.

While their parents would not live to see DISNEYLAND, both Kate and Ella Rea would live long enough to see the Magic Kingdom, though it is not known whether they ever visited the park.

DISNEYLAND Anniversary Month: The Legends

On July 17, 1955 Walt Disney’s greatest dream- DISNEYLAND- opened to the world. While it appeared that Mr. Disney had singlehandedly willed the park into existence, there were so many people who helped bring the park to life; even if they didn’t quite realize it. Walt Disney fully acknowledged the contributions of those who had helped him make his dream come true; as he once said-

“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

On this, DISNEYLAND’s Anniversary Month, we will feature the stories of the people who helped make Walt Disney’s dream come true, as well as those whose contributions continue to ensure that DISNEYLAND is and always will be the one and only “Happiest Place On Earth”.