(NOTE: Hello all! I jumped the gun a bit, but here is the first part of my multi-part history of Disneyland. I had some trouble's adding pics to this first chapter, but I will be posting them soon. Enjoy!)
Fifty years ago, a magical place called Disneyland, was born in a orange grove in the farming town of Anahiem. They didnt know it then, but this place would grow to become one of the most beloved places to visit of all time. Disneyland is many things to many people. For some its a place to go on rides not offered at traditional amusement parks. For others, its a place that holds special memories and moments shared with loved ones. For others, it's the only place to see Mickey Mouse and other favorite Disney characters. Disneyland's history is as rich and colorful as the place itself. Over the next serveral days, I will be sharing with you the story behind the Magic Kingdom. You'll learn what spurred Walt Disney to take such a risky venture and how the park came to be. So sit back and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Over the years I have read tons of stories concerning Disneyland and its history. This is the first time I will attempt to cram all the tidbits and stories into one cohesive story. So if I tend to lose my train of thought or not make sense, please bear with me. On with the show:
IT ALL STARTED WITH A MOUSE
The year is 1953. Walt Disney and Walt Disney Productions (Now known as The Walt Disney Co.) is flying high as the number one family studio in town. One Sunday afternoon, Walt took his two daughters down to Griffith Park to ride the carousel there as he always did. As he sat down at a nearby bench and watched other parents watch their kids go round and round he thought to himself, "There should be a place built, where the kids and grownups can have fun together." Keep in mind, there were amusement parks around at this time. But he felt that those places were too shady and run by individuals that were more interested in making money than providing wholesome entertainment for a family. Walt began thinking that maybe he should be the one to solve this dilema. He rounded up a research team and set them out to interview various amusement park operatorson their opinions about running a family friendly park without the traditional carnival rides and midway games and such. They of course all told him that such a park would fail.
Undaunted, Walt pressed on with his idea. He and some of his artists began sketching out ideas for a small theme park that would be built adjacent to the Disney Studio lot in Burbank. Walt dubbed the park "Mickey Mouse Park". The reason Walt wanted the park built next to the studio was to also incorporate a lot tour into the total experience. Walt felt that people could come see how their favorite cartoon characters are brought to life and then go next door to the park and visit the real life version of them.
Walt wanted his theme park to be different from other parks in the area. The original idea's included a train, a steamboat ride, a petting zoo and an island for children to run around and play. Walt wanted the park to be broken up into different themed "lands". These included a western style town and tribue to midwestern main streets.
As his ideas and dreams grew, it became apparent that the parcel of land across from the studio would be too small to accomodate this ambitious undertaking.
A new site would have to be found and soon. In July 1953, Walt commissioned the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to help choose a location. One location Walt DIDNT want for his park is by the beach. He wanted his park to have nothing to do with the image of boardwalks and ferris wheels and such. Things like freeway access, smog, future population growth and local government support were all factors in deciding a spot. The SRI searched all of Southern California looking for the ideal locationa and sites as varied as Chatsworth, Tustin and Balboa were all considered, but passed on for various reasons.
Finally, they settled on four locations: An Orange grove in Anahiem, Santa Ana, La Mirada and an area that is now where Valley View Ave and the I-5 South meet.
Anahiem was selected due to is future population growth potential and the fact that newly constructed Santa Ana Freeway stood just blocks from where the main entrance of Disneyland would be. Keep in mind that at this time, Anahiem is nothing but orange groves and country roads. Why in the world would anyone want to build a theme park out here in the middle of nowhere? How would Walt convince people to drive from Los Angeles to farmland in Anahiem? Walt's dream may just turn out to be that. A dream.
(Coming Up Next: The Saga Begins)
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