Town Square, March 1960
There are plenty of vintage photos of Town Square; it makes sense - it was the first thing a guest would see upon entering the park through the tunnels beneath the train tracks. It also makes sense that the enterprising photographer would want to climb some of the steps up to Main Street Station for a better look. I find that I enjoy these sorts of photos a lot.
There it is, or at least the western part of Town Square... with City Hall, and the Fire Station (looking very pink here), the Bekins-sponsored storage lockers, and a few vehicles for some kinetic movement. I like being able to see the "mini-berm" behind Bekins. Beyond that... the jungle!
A Surrey is stopped in front of City Hall, but there don't seem to be any takers at that moment. It's nothing personal, Mr. Driver! A family is huddled in the shade, can it be that warm in March?
The park looks so neat and tidy, I need to figure out a way to step into this scene. Look at the angle of that hanging Bekins sign, there must have some gusts. I always enjoy seeing the horse-head sculpture on the Bekins façade.
Now we're down at ground level, and the Firetruck has been parked at the curb in near the the Fire Station. Measly crowds might mean that the driver (and his pal in the Surrey) will have to be patient!
20 comments:
Major-
"Measly crowds". I'll take 'em-! Let's go NOW.
Thanks, Major.
Those pinto horses pulling the Surrey sure look small! Almost like St. Bernard dogs.
I have no idea if Walt is in his apartment in this photo. Did people know about that apartment since the early days? Or is that something that got leaked to the general public in later years?
In that last pic, if you place your ear really close to your screen you can hear organ music coming from the building across the street. It's kinda neat how they put ladders on the side of the Fire Wagon. It adds to the illusion that this is a fire truck, and not a 'fantasy' vehicle built to carry passengers.
Thanks for the Town Square pics, Major. Now lets hurry down to the Hub and get in line for the Bobsleds!
When I was there in late January/ early Februrary this year, it was a tad busier. Just a tad. Like a LOT.
Still, it was charming even filled with people!
And yes, I did go into Walt's apartment. Thanks for asking!
Stu, when you were in Walt’s apartment, did you see his grilled-cheese-sandwich press?? ;o)
JB, yes, Walt is definitely in. See the chili bean on the ledge beneath the window?
Thanks, Major, for a relaxing day on Main Street.
This first pic could be a publicity shot. Certainly we will never see the Park so clean or quiet again. It’s certainly “clean” in the sanitary sense today, but now it’s so much more “buzzy” and “jangly” with competing colors and textures and sounds. This photo is almost serene.
And there’s a Main Street trash can or two to start my day, just what I needed.
JB, those ladders were not props, they were to help guests climb down from the vehicle in case of emergency exit.
I seem to remember the “Walt’s Apartment” info from early youth. I think there was a TV segment about it, and of course, the famous 1963 National Geographic article had interior photos.
Thanks for these Main Street appetizers Major!
JG
I don't remember seeing it, but I was pretty much in awe the whole time, lol! I did like the pink tile bathroom though!
Nanook, I can’t even imagine how nice it would be to visit an uncrowded park as seen in today’s pix!
JB, those horses were given a bottle of gin every day of their lives to keep them small, and it worked great. None of the windows is open in the apartment, but it might have been cool outside. Walt’s up there alright! Watching. Always watching. I’m not sure people knew about the apartment until the 1963 National Geographic issue. I put my ear to the screen, but just heard AC/DC blasting. Should I have turned off iTunes?
Stu29573, they have people figuring out how to keep the park full of people 365 days a year! I hope that you, like me, “used” the bathroom in Walt’s apartment.
Lou and Sue, the grilled cheese sandwich press still had grease on it! Genuine Walt grease!
JG, you’re right, the first shot does resemble a number of vintage postcards, though they typically drop in an ultra-blue sky (not always, though). I know what you mean about the “buzzy” effect now. Gosh, I don’t think I ever saw a TV segment about the apartment back in the old days, but (see my comment to JB) I vividly remember reading that NatGeo issue - I now have two or three copies of it!
Anon, the pink bathroom reminded me of my grandma's house in Encino - each bathroom had a different tile (and toilet) color. Yellow, blue, and pink!
Major is correct : the first time Walt’s apartment was shown to the public was in the 1963 National Geographic issue …. However some DL tour guide scripts that predate that mention Walt has an apartment he can stay the night in if necessary ….. but not much info is given. Disneyland was still to new and Walt was very visible to people Thru media so “myths & legends and trivia “ about Disneyland hadn’t caught on.
I think the first real batch of trivia began in a countdown series in THE DISNEYLAND LINE moving towards Disneyland’s 25th …. Each issue featured a very unique or never-heard off trivia fact about the park . The segment was so popular with cast , it continued for another year . Cast and employees began to share these trivia segments with guests ….
You have to remember there was a time not much info was out there on Disneyland … people didn’t skip work then to buy popcorn buckets or make up crap ( although there were incorrect and misinterpreted Disneyland stories ) to drive content .
The Walt apartment has been refurbished many times … including a BIG refurbishment in the mid 1990’s after severe water damage from a series of strong Californian rainstorms. The accessories and interior furnishings are mostly replicas or same period stand-ins as Lillian Disney removed EVERYTHING after being mistreated by Disneyland management ( Bu can probably go into depth on that fiasco…) over time employees and decorating added sone things … like the vintage Disney board games in the hall dresser cabinet : this were games the Disney grave children played with … and are the same ones and period …. But NOT the actual ones ( those are lone gone) I believe a few Walt items have been re-Introduced ..
JB I agree - those horses look smaller than usual for some reason.
I don't think I've ever noticed the hill behind the Bekins locker building. I assume to keep the sound from the JC and Main Street from mixing.
^ and to keep the animals from escaping
That’s the BACKSIDE of Schweitzer Falls!!
I enjoy these photos a lot too! Very much so! That berm behind Bekins is new to me as well...as to the left of that berm backstage is the streetcar barn and where horsies take a little break, and to the right is where Jungle boats take little breaks in a canal. Soooo...not sure if the berm is there anymore, and if so: it's covered with vegetation. Something to look at in the next visit. I concur with all that Walt's Apartment was no one's business except those who worked in the park: and then that Nat. Geo article came out, and made it public. I think at that time having a bed or something at your office was normal for an exec...my grandfather had a little apartment at the studio in Elstree as he was commuting a great distance from the countryside, (or escaping my Grandmother :) hee hee...maybe a bit of both. The details surrounding the apartment and it's use, and the Mrs. Disney story.. I do know a lot about, but don't share it too much: other than: as Mike said: there's nothing too authentic about the apartment, other than "the general vibe" . As someone who went into the space when it was used by the family: with Walts clothes still hanging in the closet, and some other Walt things...like slippers, etc. around....the vibe is similar: but now it is way more "decorated" than what Mrs. Disney had in there. It wasn't minimalist by any means, but it wasn't "maximist hoarding grandma" with junk all over the place either. I never saw a "game" in there at all...the kids had grown....however, booze and cigarettes seemed to be the order of the day. I feel a bit special that I saw a bit of Walt "frozen in time" in a place that literally NO ONE was allowed into: only the custodial person...(and the same custodial person every time since the Walt days)...and us GR leads that checked on the space when Lucille (One of Walt's secretaries, then Ron Millers, then Michael Eisners....) told us the family was coming: we had to pick up the keys from security and inspect after custodial. Mrs. Disney rarely came...it was mostly grandkids...There was one fourth of July that a lot of the family came, and that was Mrs. Disney's last visit to the apartment. Diane, Ron, et al....did make trips after that however, until Ron was reduced from his service, and subsequently before Mrs. Disney cleared everything out. Note that personal items from the Lilly Belle and Club 33 were also returned to the family. Also note that the Roy Disney/Sharon Disney Lund part of the family were not regular attendees to the apartment. In fact, I never saw Sharon in person at all...with her mom or otherwise... I'm not sure if Roy E. Disney ever went up there either....perhaps someone knows: but definitely not in my time. Note that Roy E. looked and SOUNDED very much like Walt. A bit creepy to experience, but he was an OK guy: to us TG's anyway: it's easy to be nice to a bunch of plaids :) . Thanks Major for the awesome photos: definitely "keepers".
Mike Cozart, I wonder if Walt and Lily had any misgivings about letting the cat out of the bag regarding their apartment above the firehouse? Obviously they let the NG photographer take that famous image, so it’s not like it was done without their permission. When I think of the trip from Burbank to Anaheim (and back), it is no surprise that Walt would not want to necessarily make that drive every time. Or even from Anaheim to Holmby HIlls. Wow, I’d love to see some of that Disneyland Line trivia, sounds fun. My friends always think I know the answers to everything (like “How tall is the Matterhorn?”), and I find that I hardly know anything. I feel like I can’t “throw stones” at people who love the new collectibles, since I have spent so much on old paper ephemera. Even friends of mine scratch their heads in puzzlement when I show them my latest treasure. It’s so crummy that the company mistreated Lillian and the apartment, I have to wonder if it would still be full of the Disney family’s stuff to this day? Probably not, but wouldn’t it be cool to see that apartment?
Dean Finder, ah, interesting, I didn’t even consider the idea that the small berm would block sound.
Lou and Sue, I heard that a rhino once ran up Main Street!
Mike Cozart, the backside is the best side. I mean… never mind.
Bu, I wish I’d thought to look to see if that berm was still there when I visited Walt’s Apartment. But there was too much to look at! There is something great about the thought that there used to be this little “secret” hideaway that was full of the Disney family’s belongings. When you describe the closets still full of clothes and the liquor shelf still FULLY stocked, it sounds awesome! You are lucky that you got to see it that way. You and I both had a laugh about the pink-framed reading glasses that were so carefully placed on a table. “Lillian was just here, reading Colliers magazine!”. My guess is that back in the day they had a maid or even a whole crew to keep the apartment tidy and not too cluttered. And I can’t help picturing you subtly shaking your head as an enthusiastic guide describes each item that Walt actually used, such as Sue’s beloved grilled cheese sandwich press (my favorite too)! I truly wonder if those guides know the truth (that all of this stuff is just “pretend”), or if they believe that all of it was once used by Walt and Co.? The first time I went, our guide was so young I’m sure he had no clue. I have no idea what was going on with Sharon or Roy E., you’d think she would have gone with her kids sometimes (with a guide of course), and same with Roy. I’ve seen interviews with Roy E., the resemblance to his uncle really was uncanny; the mustache helped!
Sue, HA! There IS a chili bean on the window ledge! I suppose it could be something else but that would be highly unlikely.
JG, good to know that the ladders weren't just props! ;-)
Major, ginned up horsies. We always knew the horses were treated well, now we have proof! (70%)
You need to switch to the Lawrence Welk iTunes channel to hear the organ music. Or maybe the Lenny Dee channel.
Bu, "I saw a bit of Walt "frozen in time"" an apt choice of words!
That first picture reminds me of the Main Street reels of the early View-Master Disneyland packets.
I've read that Walt didn't always drive between the Studio & Disneyland due to the time commitment required. He sometimes flew by helicopter out of Hollywood Burbank Airport (less than 4 miles from the Studio) direct to the Disneyland Heliport. But an apartment at the Park would still be more convenient, especially when he wanted to check out overnight operations or take the family.
Sue & Major, your exchange reminded me of this.
I guess Hollywood Burbank Airport was called "Lockheed Air Terminal" when Walt was flying out of there. It was renamed "Hollywood Burbank" in 1967, "Burbank–Glendale–Pasadena Airport" in 1978, and "Bob Hope Airport" in 2003, although it was rebranded back to "Hollywood Burbank" in 2017 because there was no location recognition for "Bob Hope Airport" (which remains its legal name).
“GDB Gold”
"Walt is definitely in. See the chili bean on the ledge beneath the window?"
Sue, yes...everyone knows that when Walt wasn't "flicking" chili out of the window, he often dribbled chili all over the apartment, including onto the window sill and the ledge below. Lillian Disney actually removed the chili-stained rugs, along with all of the furniture, when she cleared out the apartment.
Nice stories around the apartment, thanks all. Remember too that Walt already had an apartment at the studio, for when he just didn’t want to go home, which in 1940-50 was a few short miles away through Griffith Park.
Also, the helicopter… apparently, officially was for getting Fred Joerger to work on time, probably looked better as a business expense.
MS
Post a Comment