“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will…
Author: Dave Tavres
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
On June 23, 1963 Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room opened – which is the only attraction at the park that contains Walt’s name. The location was originally planned as a restaurant but that never came to be… the kitchen entrance is immediately to the left as soon as you enter the building.
Club 33 “facts” and comments
Many sites publish ‘little known facts’ about Club 33, Royal Street. Here are some comments and responses to some of those lists. (These are opinions, just as the articles I’m referencing are opinions, and this is not intended to be a debate about “who’s more correct” or not – this just just for fun.) Club…
The Matterhorn Mountain basketball hoop
by Pepper Santos-Bozung Many of you may already know about the basket ball hoop that resides inside Matterhorn Mountain, but as far as I can tell, very few know how it got there… The current hoop was introduced back in 1985 by a young gentleman named Keith Wing. He was a free spirited guy who…
"American Experience : Walt Disney"
On Monday and Tuesday, September 14th and 15th, 2015 (at 9p ET) on PBS, “American Experience : Walt Disney” will air, giving an unprecedented look at the life and legacy of Walt. It will feature rare footage from the Disney vault, scenes from some of his greatest films and interviews with those who worked his…
Walt Disney Goes To War
This August 31, 1942 edition of LIFE magazine features an article about Walt Disney and his 550 employees’ war efforts. Click the images to view the full PDF.
Walt’s first freight car
On March 15, 1950, the first freight car for Walt Disney’s Carolwood Pacific Railroad was finished at the Studios and delivered to Walt’s Carolwood Drive home. The #173 Lilly Belle locomotive didn’t get to the track until later in the project. If you haven’t read this book, it is truly a wonderful and beautiful book…
Cicely Rigdon
Cicely began at Disneyland in 1957 as a ticket seller. In 1959, she joined the Tour Guide Department and was responsible for initiating its growth. It was a quality that Walt Disney had, and obviously Cicely Rigdon had it, too: persistence. “When they first opened the Park,” Cicely admits, “I made five attempts to get…
Walt Disney and the American Dream
Walt Disney and the American Dream from the Barnes Review…