Isn't it a strange feeling when you reach the end of a good book and then have to part with it? It's like having a fun day at Disneyland and then going home at the end of the day. It's bittersweet, but you come out of it happily. That's how I felt after reading Richard Snow's historical book, Disney's Land.
You may have visited Disneyland once in your life, or at least one of the Disney parks around the world. Even if you have not yet, it's definitely worth a visit. All are welcome to this happy place as Walt Disney said when he opened the gates to the original park on July 17, 1955. It didn't matter how old you were or where you were from, Disneyland was and still is for everyone.
There is a forever kind of magic about Disneyland that provides a sense of wonderful escapism from the realities of the world. It's a special place where you can live out your greatest adventures in Adventureland, or travel back in time to the American Old West in Frontierland, to even venturing into the future in Tomorrowland, or living out a tale as old as time in Fantasyland. What makes Disneyland so special compared to other theme parks or amusement parks is the promise and hope that can inspire you and take you to places beyond your imagination.
In Disney's Land, Richard Snow takes us back in time to the origins of the park and how Walt Disney came up with the idea and went on to create it. You may have heard about one of the early influences of the park, which was Disney's own working train set in his backyard that he invited people to ride around. It turns out however that there was more to the story as Richard Snow reveals.
It all started when Disney's good friend and studio nurse, Hazel George, suggested that he visit the Chicago Railroad Fair, knowing how much Disney loved trains as well as a way to help take his mind off of giving up polo and the painful injuries he endured from it. Disney invited animator, Ward Kimball, who was also a train aficionado, to the fair where they both had a great time. Much of what they witnessed and experienced, such as its Wheels a-Rolling pageant, the detailed themed exhibits, and recreations of the past through little villages inspired Disney. Following this trip, he began drafting his own little Railroad Fair roughly calling it "Mickey Mouse Park" that would have its own railroad station in a main village with a town built around it. From this, Disney developed his own miniature working train, the Lilly Belle, that was up and running in his backyard, the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. The Lilly Belle was a beloved model that could carry about six passengers, some of which included Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, and a young Candice Bergen. It was a success until a five-year-old girl was injured and Disney packed up the train set. However, this was only the beginning.
During the 1937 Christmastime premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Disney had built a replica of the dwarves' cottage including its forrest exterior that became known to the press as "Dwarf Land." It became an instant hit with guests, further solidifying Disney's decision into creating his own amusement park everyone can visit and enjoy despite some people's apprehensions.
Before Disneyland, amusement parks in the 1950s were a declining industry as urban decay and crime influenced a cultural shift in those who visited, attracting the wrong kind of crowds than it did during its heyday. You can even see an example of this in Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, where Farley Granger's promiscuous wife played by Laura Elliot goes to an amusement park for her dalliances only to be murdered by Robert Walker's Bruno Antony. Even the final conflict happens at an amusement park. So, when Walt Disney - the very same creator who brought joy to audiences with his movies and the beloved Mickey Mouse - wanted to build an amusement park, people thought he was foolish with some even concerned that he was going to waste his money. They didn't understand Disney's vision and how his park would be different than all the other amusement parks they knew. It took a lot of work, effort, and teamwork from a number of important people into making his vision a reality. Money was also a crucial factor that made even Walt Disney's brother Roy Disney anxious, but also led to the beginning of Disney's partnership with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) that would help finance the park in exchange for Disney programming.
What I really loved about this book was how much Richard Snow went into detail behind Disneyland's entire creation, from the planning and execution leaving no stone left unturned. Some of the history he covers includes how Anaheim, California was selected to be the park's location, the creation of the Mark Twain river boat, how the Jungle Cruise came to be, to even the mechanism behind Autopia, Dumbo, and the leaping horses in King Arthur's Carousel. At times some of the history became a little too dense, but after getting passed it the narrative continues to move forward.
I also really appreciated that the author took the time to highlight a lot of the people integral to the park's creation giving them their overdue recognition. A few include Harper Goff who began sketching the buildings for Main Street inspired by his own hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado; Herb Ryman who worked with Disney in designing the initial layout of Disneyland for television executives; the original Buzz and Woody, Harrison "Buzz" Price and C.V. Wood, also known as "Woody", from the Stanford Research Institute who helped put together all the park's details and business dealings, despite how much Disney butted heads with Wood; Edward Morgan and Karl Bacon who founded Arrow Development Company that created the attractions; Harriet Burns and Fred Joerger who designed models of the park's shops and attractions; Van Arsdale France, who basically created Disney University for those who would be working at Disneyland (it should also be noted that him and Marty Sklar were also the ones who invented the Disneyland vocabulary of using theatre labels such as customers being referred to as "guests" and employees referred to as "hosts" to even rides being known as "attractions"); and Ruth Shellhorn, who along with Jack and Bill Evans, designed the park's landscaping (you can actually tell that the author had a soft spot for her because of how important her contribution was but how overlooked she was for it).
The whole narrative essentially builds up to the climatic chapter covering Dateline: Disneyland, which was the live telecast of the park's opening day that featured host Art Linklater, and co-hosts Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan (yes, that Ronald Reagan). I actually read Richard Snow's breakdown of the telecast along with watching it on YouTube. It's amazing to see how raw Disneyland was when it first opened compared to how we know it today.
What is also interesting is how much of a disaster opening day was, as you couldn't really tell based on the telecast. In the flap of the hardcover I own, it already foretells that opening day was terrible but I couldn't believe it or understand how until I read about it. As the author explains, there were issues with crowd control whether it be the those who entered with fake invitations or long lines to the attractions or the bathrooms, to even the traffic jams that accumulated in Orange County. It didn't help that the California heat also affected crowd tolerance let alone the fresh asphalt on Main Street. Despite it all, including some early bad press reviews, it only pushed Disney and his team to focus on improvements. This all eventually leads to not only resolving those initial issues, but creating new attractions such as the Matterhorn and the monorail (the story behind the Matterhorn's conception is strangely quirky). These improvements all culminated to the next live telecast, Disneyland '59, which was again hosted by Art Linklater but also featured a then Vice President Richard Nixon.
As I reached the end of the book, which talks about Walt Disney's death before ever getting the chance to see the completion of Disney World and Epcot in Florida, I found myself left with that similar bittersweet feeling of leaving Disneyland after a great day. Richard Snow's Disney's Land brings you along on this journey that is as wild and fun as any attraction found at Disneyland. It leaves you with a better understanding of how everything came to be and appreciative of everyone involved who helped make Walt Disney's dream come true. You never want to leave, but you're glad you came along for the ride.
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 promise and challenge 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 be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. Thank you.
- Walt Disney, July 17, 1955
We are not a cure for cancer, we are not going to save the world, but if we can make people that happy for a few hours of a day, then we are doing something worthwhile.
- Jack Lindquist, first President of Disneyland
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