In honor of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, which continues throughout the summer, read on for a quick recap of D23’s special Spotlight Series event with the Walt Disney Archives highlighting the park’s early years. “Disneyland: Fond Memories of the Past” was one of ommemorating the occasion that week. With a specific focus on history and legacy—it’s time to turn back the clock!
On the week of the historic anniversary, D23 welcomed members to the Anaheim Packing District for foodie fun and gave fans a special preview of the new Walt Disney – A Magical Life Audio-Animatronics® attraction. Our commemorative conclusion found D23 returning to the Grand Central Air Terminal for our nostalgic Spotlight event, hosted by Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline and Disney artist and historian Stacia Martin. Archival images and footage were displayed for fans on the big screen, creating an atmosphere of Disneyland lore galore. The hosts began by sharing some personal early memories of the park, including Becky getting to see Walt himself! Stacia elaborated on a somewhat spooky childhood memory involving moving trees while visiting the former Babes in Toyland Exhibit at the Main Street, U.S.A. Opera House, which invited guests to walk through elaborate sets from the 1961 musical. Would you call that p-“tree”-sd?
Speaking of trees and sets, the presentation branched off into a highlight reel of the early buildings on Main Street, U.S.A., revealing that the park once hosted the “official headquarters” of the iconic Mickey Mouse Club television series (1955–1959). We even learned that Disneyland guests could take a piece of Hollywood history home, as original animation cels from the Disney studio’s most popular titles were once offered! Becky, for one, lamented she opted for a lollipop over one of these incredibly valuable works of art. In the near-present, guests attending the event had the opportunity to shop at The Walt Disney Company Store, snagging pins, pastel tote bags, and more for their next trip to the parks (and beyond)!
Of course, a retrospective session on Disneyland included journeys beyond Main Street, U.S.A. Becky and Stacia took D23 Members on a fact-filled field trip through Disneyland’s four original lands, with plenty of opportunities to compare past and present. We discovered that Adventureland, for example, was inspired by Walt Disney’s Academy Award®-winning series of nature documentaries, True-Life Adventures, and that Frontierland embodied the spirit of adventure with former attraction Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, which transported guests through the American wilderness. Over in Fantasyland, Becky and Stacia confirmed how many Mouseketeers once fit in a motor car on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (you had to be there). We also learned how Tomorrowland once hosted an ingeniously amusing Dairy Bar that educated guests on the importance and future of dairy products. Anyone up to fly via rocket to the moo-n?
Much of the rarely seen footage Becky and Stacia revealed included advertising media for the park, which was designed to attract visitors and generate buzz. Fans also got to hear an early jingle from the Mickey Mouse Club (“Disneyland Birthday”) about a young Mouseketeer’s wish to visit the park and even a rarely seen clip of Walt Disney speaking about the evolution of Disneyland. To loosely borrow his words, to all D23 Gold Members who came to (our) happy place… thanks a bunch for spending Disneyland’s anniversary week with us and reliving some fond memories of the past!