Smoke Tree Ranch Walt Disney agreed to buy a lot at this Palm Springs, California ranch in 1946, with the deed signed in 1949 and the architect hired in April 1950. In order to help fund Disneyland, Walt Disney sold his vacation home, but after the park proved successful, he moved into his second home on the ranch in 1957. Over the years, the Disney family enjoyed horseback riding on the ranch, and Walt became an avid lawn bowler, sponsoring tournaments and having trophies made for the winners. The ranch was considered Walt’s getaway, and he frequented the property for the rest of his life. He often wore a necktie emblazoned with the stylized “STR” emblem; sculptor Blaine Gibson even incorporated the logo onto Walt’s tie in the Partners statue found in the Disney theme parks.
