MAIN STREET U.S.A. |
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MAIN STREET U.S.A. | ADVENTURELAND | FRONTIERLAND | NEW ORLEANS SQUARE | CRITTER COUNTRY | FANTASYLAND | TOONTOWN | TOMORROWLAND | DCA | WDW |
| “For those of us who remember the carefree time it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is an adventure in turning back the calendar to the days of their grandfather’s youth.” Walt Disney (July 17, 1955–Present) BACKSTORY: Inspired by Walt’s hometown of Marceline, Missouri & “Lady and the Tramp,” Main Street, U.S.A. is designed to resemble the center of a turn-of-the-century American town. According to Harper Goff (who worked on Main Street with Walt), Walt liked the photos of Goff’s childhood home of Fort Collins, CO., and many of the features of the town were incorporated. Walt’s personal apartment is above the firehouse; fully furnished but off-limits to the public. A lamp is kept burning in the front window as a tribute to his memory. Guest Relations is next door in the City Hall building. The buildings along Main Street, U.S.A. use forced perspective to appear taller than they really are. The false second stories of all the buildings are slightly smaller than the first stories, a few feet short of full size, and the third stories are even smaller than the second. If the original Disneyland architects had made the buildings a full two stories high, they would have looked incongruously tall compared to the castle in view at the end of the street. The shops are planned to take advantage of the fact that people tend to walk on the right side of the street: along the right of the street (as guests enter the park) are shops selling cameras and film, hats, and other items more likely to be purchased by someone starting their day at the park; along the other side of the street are shops selling toys and souvenirs and other items more likely to be purchased before departing. The names painted in the windows are credits for some of the many people who contributed to the creation of Disneyland. Largely they appear as fictional businesses (gyms, realtors, dentists and the like), and they often refer to a hobby or interest that the person in question had.
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1950’s |
TOM VISITS DISNEYLAND |
| Tom E. contacted me and shared a number of fantastic vintage photos from his trips to Disneyland as a little tyke. Here’s Tom’s story: I was born in Glendale, grew up in La Canada, and then Placentia in Orange County. My wife and I had 4 kids and had season passes for 16 years—I still love Disneyland. The wife and I go and sit on Main Street and just watch as the thousands of happy people stroll by on their way to different spots in the park. We sit there for hours and hours watching humanity pass by—everyone is so excited to be there. It’s pretty hard to have a bad day at the Magic Kingdom! We live in Valencia, so we still go as often as we can. I still remember these early trips to Disneyland; I fell in love with the place instantly. I am the little dufus standing on the wall about to fall in the water (1961 photo, top row far right) by the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant. Just seconds after the photo was taken, I DID fall in the water. I was yanked out quickly and taken backstage to a first aid station. They were all so nice to me, but my parents later confessed that the cast members were pissed at them. I guess I was one of the reasons they raised the walls and fences around the river! I’m the smaller driver in the Midget Autopia photo (1959 photo, top row, #3). I was 4 and my brother Jerry in the car with me was 6.I remember thinking I was actually driving the car and that Jerry had the dummy wheel. I am including a shot of me with my LA Dodgers hat on taken with a KODAK Instamatic (polaroid ripoff attempt ) on Main Street in the Kodak Shop (1959 photo, top row, #4). The photo is still perfect 51 years later. The color pic is my family at the Magic Kingdom on June 28th 1999 for our oldest son Zane's 10th Birthday. He is now a 21 year old Marine Sniper with the Ist Battalion, 9th Marines Weapons Co. |
) 1959 |
) 1959 |
) 1959 |
) 1959 |
) 1961 |
) 1961 |
) 1961 |
) 1965 |
) 1965 |
) 1965 |
) 1999 |
1960’s |
GUIDED TOUR SCRIPT, SEPT. 26, 1962 |
| Here is the text from the Live Narration of a Guided Tour, circa 1962 (previously started on this page): MAIN STREET Main Street is patterned after a typical, small American town at the turn of the century. All of the business establishments on Main Street were in business at the turn of the century or are of the same type as those found then. The gaslights are authentic and were brought from cities as Philadelphia, Baltirmore and some older sections of Los Angeles. There are many interesting and unusual shops along Main Street I'm sure you'll want to visit later. You might also like to stop by Carefree Corner, the official information and registration center here in the park. They have a registration book from each of the 50 states. They will be happy to present you with a souvenir copy of the Declaration of Independence. Incidentally, if you are just a bit worn out at the end of your tour, remember to stop by the Upjohn Pharmacy for your free vitamin pills. As we walk up Main Street I will point out the many shops to you so you may visit them after the tour if you like. A small sign above the east tunnel entrance states: Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy. Let's now go up Main Street U.S.A. for a look at the world of yesterday. To resume your vintage tour, please go to the Adventureland page. |
1970’s–PRESENT |
) July 1970 |
) Nov. 1970 |
) Nov. 1970 |
) 1974 |
) Date unknown |
) March 1975 |
) Nov. 1978 |
) 1979 |
) 1979 |
) 1980 |
) Nov.1980 |
) 1985 |
) August 1986 |
2000+ |
) 50th Anniversary Light Fixture, June 2005 |
) Feb. 2007 |
) June 2008 |
) April 2009 |
) March 2010 |
) Aug. 2010 |
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EAST MAIN STREET | WEST MAIN STREET | CENTRAL PLAZA | TOWN SQUARE |
^RETURN TO TOP |
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