On the blog this week, I'm featuring segments from articles on the new DisneyShawn.com, currently showcasing the attractions of early Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. Be sure to follow the link for more.
Walt Disney once said, “I don’t want the public to see the world they live in while they’re in the Park. I want them to feel they’re in another world.” To that end, Disneyland is surrounded by a 20-foot high earthen berm. The trains of the Disneyland Railroad travel atop that berm, offering passengers prime views of everything inside – and nothing outside – the Park.
Of course, in the early days there wasn’t all that much to see: hills of dirt, scrappy little trees, unpaved service roads, distant power lines. As Disneyland matured and expanded, so did the view, but at first the tour focused almost exclusively on everything you ever wanted to know (and some things you didn’t) about the creation of this newest “Wonder of the World.” How much cement was poured? How much earth was moved? How many cars could you park in that big lot out front? (Oh, in case you’re wondering, the answers were: 32,000 sacks, 300,000 cubic yards, and 12,175. There, don’t you feel better now?)
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