The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (59 page)

The three misfits retreat to an abandoned Hollywood hills mansion and create their own warm
if odd family circle, an arrangement that prefigures the communes and cults and “free-to-be-you-and-me” philosophies of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

In the strangely
, abruptly optimistic final moments of the film, Dean’s parents
finally
figure out that Jim and his generation appear to need
emotional connections
and meaning
far more than money and goods (and all it took for his folks to tune in was a police shoot-out at Griffith Observatory!).

When
Disneyland
opened in the summer of 1955, extremely prosperous, proper, and anxiety-ridden middle-class Americans who reverently worshipped the family unit had more disposable income and more leisure time than previous generations could have imagined possible.  What to do with that money, and that time?  How and where to spend it with their restless, emotionally hungry progeny?

Disneyland
was one perfect answer.  It provided, and continues to provide, an almost sacred space where it is permissible and safe to let one’s guard down, take a risk, rediscover imagination, have fun, express emotion, play, and deepen familial ties.  This is powerful stuff even today, in our nation of workaholics and two-working-parent households, and it was certainly powerful in the anxious 1950’s.

There
’s poignancy to the 1950’s post-war fascination with innocence, the insistence on clear-cut roles and the sublimation of the unpleasant.  It’s as if the population which had fought so hard and suffered so much during the war was striving to recapture a more innocent world in the wake of wartime violence and brutalities.  They had earned a house in the suburbs, a barbecue grill, a refrigerator full of food, a kitchen stocked with labor-saving gadgets, a new car, a stable job, clear-cut moral codes, a perfect family, and a better and newly innocent world.

Among many other American ideals,
Disneyland
celebrated and still celebrates innocence hand-in-hand with progress.  Particularly for Guests of the 1950’s
Disneyland
served in part as a vehicle for delivering adults battered and disillusioned by war back to childhood and back to the uplifting core principles of the American spirit and American dream.

* * *

Disneyland
was a perfect hyperreality for the 1950’s Guest, and its turn-of-the-20
th
-century
Main Street
provided the perfect welcome. 
Main Street
’s aura of progress, invention, and success spoke to 1950’s material abundance and surface optimism, while its quaintness and nostalgia reminded Guests of what they perceived to be simpler and safer pre-war and pre-atomic times, calming their anxious modern souls.

Disney Legend John Hench
has spoken and written about what he calls “the architecture of reassurance”. 
Disneyland
’s
Imagineers
purposely scaled down building sizes and used colors and patterns that would make Guests feel happy and never overwhelmed by their surroundings.  A great deal of social engineering went into the park, and much of it starts on the park’s main street.

Everything about
Main Street
, from its train station to its town square, shops, restaurants and central hub, communicates logic, order, and stability–all characteristics dear to the typical 1950’s psyche.

Everything is intelligently and clearly laid out,
from the
Town Square
that welcomes Guests, to the central
Hub
from which they disperse to various lands, and everywhere there are the minimalist, clearly labeled signs at which
Disneyland
excels.  There is no possible ambiguity or confusion in this world.

The streets and sidewalks are clean enough to eat off of.  Windows sparkle and brass shine
s.  Flowers are perfectly arranged.  The grass is perfectly trimmed.  There’s no litter.  Everyone was skeptical that the park could be kept clean, even
Walt
’s wife
Lillian
, but he
knew it could be done.  With legions of custodians and phalanxes of handsome, conveniently spaced trash receptacle,
Walt
presented the public with a park so clean they were ashamed to litter, and trash bins so ubiquitous there was no reason to.

The
scents of popcorn, coffee, pastries, and vanilla waft through
Main Street
at any hour of the day or night.

Civic buildings project authority but also warmth.  On opening day, there was a police station, a city hall, a fire station, a bank, and an opera house.
All but the police station still exist today (the police station now houses
Guided Tour
and
Guest Research
functions). Shops large and small beckon invitingly.  The abundance of merchandise arranged in perfect displays behind immaculate windows, and the tantalizing scents drifting from the restaurants, communicate the bottomless cornucopia of American goods and foods.

Symbolizing a country and a people in constant forward motion, stately omnibuses
, bright yellow and red jalopies, and horse-drawn streetcars ply the street, ring their bells and honk their horns.

Above all of this activity, the American flag flutters proudly from its
tall flag pole in
Town Square
.

There are those who consider
Main Street
corny.  There are those who consider
Main Street
manipulative.  But by and large,
Main Street
has an undeniably positive impact on those that tread its pavement.  The overwhelming achievement of
Main Street
is its ability to embrace Guests in a healing and inspiring space where everything has always been and will always be all right.

It’s not a real place, or a place that you can stay for long
; it’s a somewhere-over-the-rainbow archetype, but it’s rooted in very real emotions, ideals, values and aspirations, and it’s staffed by warm people who are now a diverse crew reflective of the integrated landscape of the modern world.

No matter
what Guests’ care might be, when they step onto
Main Street
they enter an evocation of the ideal home town.  This is, in a sense, the “home” that Dorothy Gale wanted to return to, the ideal of “home” that every soldier and every civilian would give their last ounce of blood and sweat to preserve.

Main Street
welcomes all Guests with an enveloping warmth as comforting today as it was to the unique post-war society of the 1950’s for which it was originally created.

Whether on the heels of
war, conflict, recessions, energy crises, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, economic implosions–no matter the trauma, every generation of Guests has found new reason to be glad to step through the looking glass into
Main Street
, to revisit what makes us great as humans, and to be inspired to heal and move forward into that eternal, imaginative “wonder moment” of now.

Main Street Amenities

Annual Passport Processing Center
 
(Closed 2011)

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.  This entry appears here for those interested in park history.
]

If you live in California and will be visiting the park more than a couple of times during the year, purchasing an
Annual Passport
makes sound economic sense.  Depending on the type of pass you purchase, you’ll be able to enter
Disneyland Park
and
Disney California Adventure Park
for free, or, on
Blockout Days
, for less than the normal entrance fee.  You’ll also save 10 – 20% at many of the resort’s shops, eateries, and hotels.  The more often you visit the park, the more you really need a pass; it’ll end up saving you literally hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

Passes
are sold at different price points.  More expensive
Passes
have fewer
Blockout Days
. 
Disneyland Premium Passes
are the priciest and provide free access to both parks 365 days during the year.

Once you’ve purchased your
Annual Pass
at one of the
Main Ticket Booths
, you need to have your photo taken and your
Passport
produced.  This used to happen at the
Annual Passport Processing Center
at the
Plaza Pavillion
on the northeast corner of
Main Street
, or at the
Main Street Bank
.  Now, thanks to modern technology, your pass is produced at the
Main Ticket Booths
, any
Disneyland Photographer
can take your photo and electronically load it onto your pass in mere seconds!

Wondering what happened to the
Annual Passport Processing Center
that was housed in the
Main Street Bank
?  In 2009 the space was renovated and re-opened as the new home of the
Disney Gallery.
  And the
Plaza Pavillion
now hosts the
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café
.

For more about
Annual Passports
, visit
www.disneyland.com/AP
.
 
Did You Know?
  It’s no myth.  There
is
a special pass that allows Guests unlimited access to
Disneyland
,
DCA
, all four
Walt Disney World
parks, and
WDW
’s water parks and
Oak Trail Golf Course
.  What is this
magical
pass?  The
Premier Passport
, available for about $900.

Baby Care Station

[
FastView:
 
A haven for parents and tots!  Formula, diapers, tiny furniture, and tiny potties.  Also the
Lost Children
station for lost kids 10 or younger.  Can you spot
Walt
’s baby picture on the wall?
]

If you have infants or toddlers, you might appreciate the resources available at
Disneyland
’s
Baby Care Station
.  Located behind a very handsome period façade east of the
Main Street Photo Supply Co
., across from the
Plaza Inn
and near
First Aid
, the
Baby Care Station
offers a degree of privacy and comfy chairs for mothers feeding or nursing their babies, deluxe changing tables, and scaled-down furniture and potties for the toddler set.  The
Baby Care Station
also sells diapers, powder, ointment, formula, bottles, baby food, and other baby necessities you’ll need if you forget, lose, or run out of those you brought with you.  This is also the park’s
Lost Children
location.  It’s a peaceful, clean environment with attentive Cast Members.  Expect a crowd, though, on peak days, when you might have to wait a while to be admitted.  Soothing, baby aspirin-orange walls, handsome wallpaper, adorable little tables and miniature wicker chairs–it’s classy as well as comfy and children will feel well-cared-for here.  One Cast Member related that children who have spent time at the
Baby Care Station
sometimes return to say “Hello” when they are in their college and even adult years. 
Did You Know?
  That handsome little baby in the old-fashioned photo on your left as you enter the
Baby Care Station
is none other than a
very
young
Walt Disney
!

Center Street

[
FastView:
 
Charming and timeless side street in
Main Street U.S.A.
  Expect crowds to increase now that
Starbucks
has moved into the adjacent
Market House
.  Stow your excess gear in the lockers here—look for the golden key.
]

This small street that intersects
Main Street
used to provide a calm oasis even on days when the park was extremely crowded, but with
Starbucks
now anchoring the southeast side of the street, expect more Guests milling about than in the past.

Crowds or no,
East Center Street
still offers a number of amenities and charming touches. Guests in a hurry to get to the heart of the park when they arrive, or to leave the park at the end of a busy day, sometimes rush right past
East Center
without noticing it.

The
little
cul-de-sac
has been screened from the casual observer by the
Main Street Fruit Cart
, with its awning and bins of healthy fruits, snacks, and beverages.

Surround
ed by lovely Victorian-style buildings housing a variety of shops and businesses (some real, some fictitious),
East Center Street
offers multiple entrances to the
Market House
(now a
Starbucks
) at the southeast corner of
Main
and
Center
, and to
Disney Clothiers LTD
on the northeast corner.  Observant Guests will also notice turn-of-the-19
th
-century signs for fictional businesses like a music school, dentist, and hotel.

Picturesque
tables shaded by umbrellas provide a comfortable place to relax with your
Starbucks
treat (although there is plenty of seating inside the beautifully refurbished
Market House
) or the ice cream waffle cone you purchase across the street at the
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor
.

A
giant golden key handle protrudes from the wall above the
Main Street Lockers
.  Rental prices start at $7 for small lockers, and there are now
charging lockers
for cell phones and electronics.  Charging lockers cost $2 for the first hour and an additional $2 for every hour thereafter—so keep track of how long your device is in the locker, or be prepared to pay a pretty penny! The locker facility displays a large, colorful map of the park.

East Center Street
used to boast a quaint ice cream shop (the
Main Street Cone Shop
) next to the locker facility.  However, with the
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor
across the street, and the brand new
Starbucks
at the
Market House
, the cone shop was deemed superfluous and was closed.  The bank of payphones next to the cone shop were moved to
Main Street Lockers
.

Wh
en you visit
East Center Street
, whether to stow your gear in a locker or grab a cup of coffee, glance upward to view some of the many
Disneyland
tribute windows
which honor
Disney Legends
.  Listen, too, for the entertaining music, sound effects, and voices emanating from the dental office, piano school, and
Hotel Marceline
(named after
Walt
’s
Missouri
home town). 
Signs of the Times:
  The delights of
Disneyland
are broad, exciting, and dynamic enough to be appreciated by hurried Type A’s, but if you’re the leisurely, thoughtful sort that likes perusing details,
Disneyland
is for you too.  One reason the park is so immersive is that every last detail is richly imagined and presented. 
East Center Street
is a prime example.  During your visit there, note the period architecture, the vintage fonts and color palettes of the signs, and the humorous names and slogans.  The local dentist is one
E.S. Bitz, D.D.S.
(as in drill bits, one supposes) and he or she is “
Licensed To Use Laughing Gas
”.  (The periodic audio show makes you wonder how rigorous the licensing exam was!)  The
Marceline Hotel
sign promises “
Clean Rooms
;” this might seem like a simple promise, but it’s a reference to
Walt
’s passion for cleanly premises for his Guests.  He and his team went to great pains to ensure that the park would remain spotless, and that Guests would be drawn into the pervading spirit of neatness and cleanliness.  Armies of Cast Members are dedicated to keeping the park spotless during operating hours, and even more scrub, paint, and steam-clean the park when it’s closed during the wee hours.  Trash cans are placed at calculated intervals based on the distance that a typical Guest will walk before littering.  The promise of “
Clean Rooms
” echoes
Walt
’s promise of a pristine park, a promise that has been kept.

Disney
Rewards Visa Window
(Closed)

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.  This entry remains only for historical interest.
]

Located in
Town Square
, next to the
Opera House
, the
Disney Rewards Visa
office was staffed by Cast Members who helped Guests apply for
Disney Rewards Visa
credit cards.

The window is gone, but the cards still exist.  They are issued
by Chase Bank.  Guests who use
Disney Rewards Visa Cards
to make purchases at the resort receive discounts based on the most current promotion.  They also accrue
Rewards Points
which can be translated into
Disney Dollars
; card holders use the website to request
Disney Rewards Cards
loaded with the
Disney Dollars
they’ve earned. 
Rewards Cards
can be re-loaded as more
Reward Points
are earned.

Card holders also enjoy perks like private meet-and-greets with
Disney
characters in
Hollywood Land
at
DCA
, where they can pose for a
free
5” x 7” photo.  As rewards go, you really can’t beat that one!

For more details, Guests can call (800) 436-7999, or
visit
www.disneyrewards.com
.

Disneyland City Hall 
(
Opening Day
Amenity)

[
FastView:
 
Friendly service,
Disney Dollars
, foreign currency exchange, celebratory buttons or stickers, and a wealth of information.
]

Any efficiently run community needs a place where one can speak to someone in charge, and in
Disneyland
, that’s
City Hall
.  Not surprisingly,
City Hall
has served
Disneyland
since
Opening Day
. An impressive but inviting brick building on the west side of
Town Square
,
City Hall
is an indispensable resource for Guests.  The interior, with its high counters, memorabilia, bookshelves, and smiling Cast Members has a reassuring air of both competency and warmth.

Do you have questions about the park?  Do you need special accommodations for a disability?  Do you want to buy
Disney Dollars
, or exchange foreign currency?  Do you want to report incredibly good (or bad) service?  For information, assistance, and all civic matters,
City Hall
is the place to go.

City Hall
Cast Members are particularly attentive and knowledgeable.  If they don’t have an answer or solution for you, they’ll find one and route you in the right direction.

If it’s your birthday, drop
by
City Hall
and let them know.  Cast Members will present you with a
Birthday Button
and print your name on it.  Pin the button to your shirt or jacket, and as you walk throughout the park, Cast Members and even other Guests will wish you “Happy Birthday”.

The button won’t let you
skip lines or get discounts, but it adds an extra layer of “happy” to your happy birthday.  You might even get a birthday phone call from a
Disney Character
while you’re in
City Hall
!  There are also buttons or stickers for special events like weddings and anniversaries!

City Hall
houses maps and information about all of the park’s attractions, and is the park’s
Press
as well as
Guest Relations
office.

W
onderful as
City Hall
is, it’s not the only resource in the park.  In the event of any emergency, for example, don’t take the time to hurry to
City Hall
; report it to the nearest Cast Member, who will set the proper actions in motion.  For minor injuries, you can seek attention at
First Aid
behind the
Main Street
Photo Supply Co
. 
Lost Children
aged 10 and younger are safeguarded at the
Baby Care Station
near
First Aid
.
Lost Children
older than 10, however, do leave messages at
City Hall
.
Kid’s Eye View:
 
City Hall
is pretty cool.  If it’s your birthday they give you a birthday pin and put you on the phone with
Goofy
.

Disneyland Guided Tours

[
FastView:
 
Tour the park with an expert
Disney
guide.  Learn secrets and enjoy insider glimpses of locations like private
Club 33
.
]

Located south of
City Hall
, just as you emerge from the
West Entrance Tunnel
,
Guided Tours
operate from a lovely kiosk and garden next to what used to be called the
Disneyland Police Station
.

It made sense
from a thematic and storytelling standpoint to have a
Police Station
next to
City Hall
and the
Fire Station
. However, it was only a sign; the site was never a
real
police or security center.  The building was used by
Disneyland
’s Publicity staff; back-in-the-day,
Disney Legend
Marty Sklar
worked here. Presently it bears a
Guided Tours
sign and is used for purposes such as
Guest Research
.

The
Guided Tours
kiosk is staffed by one or two Cast Members who can explain different park tour packages to Guests, and book their tour reservations.  If you’re considering a tour, review the brochures and feel free to ask plenty of questions to decide which package is best for you.  Price points vary, as do tour lengths and the park locations and the
Disneyland
history covered.  Cast Members will be happy to help you select the experience that will be most rewarding for you and your group.

When you and your party arrive to take a tour, you check in at the kiosk and then assemble in the adjoining garden. 
It’s important to be on time, even early.  When everyone’s ready, your
Disneyland Tour Guide
will start the tour.

Present tours include
A Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps
(visit the apartment over the
Fire Station
, open for the first time in years, and
Club 33
) for $109;
Cultivating the Magic
for $49;
Discover the Magic
costs $59 for the first two tickets and $49 for subsequent tickets; and
Welcome to the Disneyland Resort
for $25.  Seasonal tours include
Disney’s Happiest Haunts
for $75;
Disney’s Happiest Haunts Ultimate Experience
for $140 - $145 (including
Mickey’s Halloween Party
, and a special chance to meet a
Disney Villain
), and
Holiday Time at Disneyland Park
during the Christmas season.