The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (68 page)

Partners Statue

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FastView:
 
A tribute to
Walt
, the power of imagination, and the little mouse who started it all.
]

Blaine Gibson
was
the
sculptor for
Disneyland
, hand-picked by
Walt
in 1954 to craft and oversee the creation of park sculptures, both those for usage behind-the-scenes and those in the public eye. 
Gibson
contributed mightily to scores of attractions, perhaps most notably the
Haunted Mansion
and
Pirates of the Caribbean
, and of course,
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
.

It’s only fitting th
at
Gibson
sculpted the
Partners Statue
that was unveiled at the heart of the
Central Plaza
, or
Hub
, in 1993.  Except for Guests taking the
Monorail
directly to and from
Tomorrowland
and
Downtown Disney
, all Guests must pass through the
Central Plaza
at some point during their visit, and there they will see the
Partners Statue
in all its dignified yet playful glory.

The statue is
surrounded by lovely, perfectly tended flowers that change seasonally, and is well placed, with
Main Street
stretching to the south, and the iconic
Sleeping Beauty Castle
rising up directly behind the two partners to the north.

Cast in bronze, a life-size
Walt
gestures south, toward
Main Street
, with his right hand lifted palm outward almost as if in benediction, and he hold’s one of
Mickey
’s gloved hands with his left hand. 
Mickey
is portrayed as about half
Walt
’s height (ears and all!)  They’re both smiling and clearly pleased with what they see.

The statue beautifully captures
Walt
’s optimism, and vision, and also portrays the relationship between the famous creator and his famous creations, not only
Mickey
, of course, but also the park they’re surveying.  There’s something about
Walt
’s smiling mouth, opened as if mid-word, and his stance, and his eyes, that conveys that he’s not only gesturing at and appreciating the park as it presently exists, but is describing to
Mickey
some brilliant new idea that the
Imagineers
are working on, some new achievement on the horizon to
plus
the park once again and make it even more delightful for Guests.  The statue’s eyes are the eyes of a man looking to the future.

The
Partners Statue
is interesting in its masterful rendering of the connection between the two figures;
Mickey
seems at once to be
Walt
’s child, his muse, and his business partner. 
Walt
is
Mickey
’s dad, business partner, and pal.  It’s a beautiful statue that captures the heart of
Walt
’s best qualities and his love of storytelling.  Only a master sculptor who knew
Walt
–and
Mickey
–so well could have created it.

Within the park, only in
Mickey’s Toontown
or at the
Main Street Cinema
do we so clearly feel the profound connection between
Walt
and
Mickey
that this work of art conveys.

Guests who want to be photographed near
Partners
are in luck, since there’s usually a
Disneyland Photographer
on hand.  Have them take your photo with your own camera, or ask them about the
Disneyland PhotoPass
.

Guests who a
want to own a replica of the
Partners
statue are also in luck, as such replicas have been crafted and are for sale online at venues as varied as LaughingPlaceStore, ThemeParkShopper, and eBay. 
Did You Know?
 
Walt
is famously and frequently quoted as reminding folks that “It was all started by a mouse.”  By “it” he meant his entire empire.
Did You Also Know?
  For another interpretation of
Walt
and
Mickey
, visit the
Storytellers Statue
in
Buena Vista Street
at
DCA
.
FastPass:
  No.  This statue is visible at the center of the park’s
Central Plaza
(or
Hub
) for all Guests who want to view or photograph it. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  [The statue]’s so cute!  It resembles
Disney
.  It’s like
Walt
’s self on the inside. 
Mickey
’s holding the hand of his creator.  And there are cute little statues around it.

Penny Arcade
 
(Opening Day
Attraction
)

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FastView:
 
“Relive fond memories of the past” at this old-time penny arcade and candy shop.
]

The
Penny Arcade
on
Main Street
is one of the park’s
Opening Day
attractions.  Long before there were video game arcades, penny arcades offered everyday folks some light amusement for only a penny per game or activity.  Occupying the deliriously delicious-scented real estate between the
Carnation Café
and
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor
to the south, and the recently refurbished
Candy Palace
to the north, the
Penny Arcade
is a wonderful place to while away a few moments and spend a few pennies and dimes (and quarters too–inflation, you know!)

Like many of the buildings on
Main Street
, and like the real old-time penny parlors,
Disneyland
’s
Penny Arcade
has a colorful façade and a sign and arch stippled with popcorn lights.  It’s an inviting exterior, particularly at night when the lights are twinkling.

If you look carefully, you’ll see that there’s a giant image of a penny, rather than
a window, in the window frame on the second level.  At the turn of the century, not everyone could read, and not everyone who could read knew English, so such visual cues would’ve invited everyone, whether they could read the sign or not, into the penny arcades.  The date on this Indian Head penny is 1901, the year that
Walt
was born.  Indian Head pennies were struck from 1859 to 1909; some of them are very valuable, worth hundreds of dollars today.

At the
Disneyland Penny Arcade
, an old-fashioned mechanical fortune-telling machine greets Guests at the threshold. 
Esmeralda
, in the satins, silks, kerchief, and golden trinkets of a classic Gypsy character, waits patiently in a wood-and-glass cabinet for Guests to request their fortune.  Once a quarter has been inserted into the machine, the mechanical figure slowly begins to wave its hand over the Tarot cards.  What does the Guest’s future hold?  The fortune card that is eventually dispensed from the cabinet will give them a shadowy glimpse of events on the horizon.

Esmeralda
is the greeter, the hostess, the priestess of this emporium, which celebrates the Victorian and Edwardian fascination with mechanical gizmos, for entertainment as much as for efficiency and industry.  She has counterparts around the park, like
Fortune Red
, the clairvoyant buccaneer in
New Orleans Square
, and
Shrunken Ned
, the prescient headliner in
Adventureland
.  Coincidentally,
Main Street
’s
Esmeralda
has the same name as the gypsy voiced by
Demi Moore
in
Disney
’s 1996 animated feature
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
.

After having their fortune told by
Esmeralda
, Guests can weigh themselves on an old-time scale, view early, hand-cranked film footage, play mechanical sports games, test their grip, play pinball, and make a little
Pinocchio
puppet dance.  It’s still only a penny to view “The Adventures of Charlie Chaplin” on an old mutoscope.  Guests can also have a penny imprinted with one of many
Disneyland
designs at one of the penny presses in the
Penny Arcade
.

With
the ice cream parlor and restaurant to the south and the candy store to the north, there’s no shortage of sweet treats in the vicinity, but the
Penny Arcade
has its own spotless candy counter, where you can purchase taffy and fudge and candy apples from Cast Members in crisp, immaculate white uniforms.

With the
Penny Arcade
,
Walt
and his team hit a home run in recreating the wholesome, delightful elements of simple old-time fun.  And after the 2012 refurbishment along this block, the
Penny Arcade
feels even more spacious, bright and open. 
Did You Know?
  At some points during
Walt
’s childhood and youth, his family struggled to make ends meet.  He started working as a child, running a newspaper route, and had to wake up at 4:30 am every morning to deliver papers.  For
Walt
, getting to go to a penny arcade in
Kansas City
,
Missouri
, where his family moved after
Marceline
, would’ve been a big treat.  It was in
Kansas City
that he first saw tall buildings blinking with rows of electric lights.  As much as he’d adored, and would always adore, the quiet beauty of
Marceline
, he found the city’s hustle and bustle thrilling.  He loved entertainment but couldn’t always afford it.  According to biographer
Bob Thomas
in
Walt Disney:  An American Original
, when the
Disney
family moved to
Kansas City
in 1910, there wasn’t a penny to spare for nine-year-old
Walt
to go to the
Fairmont Park
amusement establishment two blocks from their home.
Kansas City
had a number of amusement parks in those days, featuring diversions and marvels like strands of electric lights, thrill rides of the times, fun houses, fountains, carousels, Ferris wheels, trains, and games. While
Walt
couldn’t afford to frequent places like
Fairmont Park
,
Walt
could walk past and
Walt
could dream.  Luckily for him (and for the world) he knew how to create entertainment too! 
Walt
started small as a child, with his drawings, his magic tricks, and the neighborhood parades and skits he put together. Ultimately his ideas would create the most imaginative and successful entertainment empire in the world. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  I don’t care much for the
Penny Arcade
, but it does sell candy and it’s next to the
Gibson Girl
Ice Cream Shop
, which is my favorite.

Main Street Gear and Grub

Gear:

Candy Palace

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FastView:
 
Scrumptious candies, many hand-crafted while you watch.  Toffee is a stand-out.
]

According to
Zagat Disneyland Insider’s Guide
(2010), the
Candy Palace
is the fifth most popular store in the entire resort, and the third most popular in the park.  Perhaps one reason is the shop’s intoxicating candy scent; it vents onto
Main Street
, an elixir of vanilla and molten chocolate that entices Guests to enter the premises and then entices them to remain, poring over the bins, shelves, and racks of traditional and unique candies.

Like all of
Main Street
, the
Candy Palace
has an old-time, turn-of-the-20
th
-century look and feel.  It’s a
Disneyland
classic; the shop opened on July 22, 1955, just five days after the park
debuted.