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Windows to the souls of Disney Imagineers

Image: DisneyWalt Disney was a firm believer in the practice of crediting employees for their hard work. Uncle Walt led a team whose everyday triumphs delivered him a great deal of personal satisfaction. One of the ways he noted their contributions was through the windows of Main Street, U.S.A. And he started with a name that meant everything to him.

The second and third story windows of buildings on Main Street, U.S.A. are honorifics to those who helped Walt Disney bring Disneyland to life. In one instance, that’s a literal statement. Elias Disney fathered a boy named Walt, and his son later thanked his dad with a simple word: Contractor. The sign in the window on Main Street, U.S.A. lists the name of Uncle Walt’s father, his job title, and the year which Elias started working at the job that would pay for the upbringing of his children. It’s a humble, elegantly simple sign of gratitude from a son to his father.

More than 60 of these windows at Disneyland reflect the contributions of cast members. Ken Anderson, whose designs are instrumental to the timeless popularity of Fantasyland, is the Bait Co guy. X. Atencio is the operator of The Musical Quill – Lyrics and Librettos. This is a cheeky reference to the fact that Uncle Walt forced Atencio to change jobs, becoming a lyricist. Within a few months at the new gig, the man nicknamed X had already written Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me), a timeless classic still played today.

Some of the windows acknowledge people who never even worked for Disney. H. Draegart Barnard was one of Walt’s doctors who still had an integral part to play in the construction of Disneyland. He helped his friend/patient buy the land needed to construct Disneyland. For this reason, Dr. Barnard’s contribution is described as Real Estate! Houses Bought and Sold!

Image: DisneyFinally, perhaps the most appropriate tribute of all went to someone who never worked directly with Walt Disney and didn’t even join the company until long after Walt Disney’s death. His nephew, Roy E. Disney, recruited a proven Warner Bros. studio boss named Frank Wells to become President of Disney in 1984. For a decade, he worked tirelessly to improve the bottom line of the company. Wells is also credited with redeeming Disney animation after a significant down period. In 1994, Wells died in a helicopter crash, and his partner, Michael Eisner, was never really the same after that. Disneyland pays tribute to the contributions of Wells with a window over the Disneyana store that celebrates his hobbies as an avid adventurer. It reads, “Seven Summits Expeditions – Frank G. Wells – President.” In this manner, Disney continues to recognize the cast members responsible for the creation and upkeep of the Happiest Place on Earth.

Main Street, U.S.A. is a kind of comfort food to theme park tourists. We have a tendency to take it for granted since we’ve walked the pathways so many times before. Still, the sights and smells originating from this area reinforce the fact that we’re at a Disney theme park. Once we enter this themed land, we know that we’re about to leave all the struggles of the outside world behind, entering the Disney Bubble for a few glorious hours of escapism. It’s the place that puts us all on the path to pure joy, and that’s exactly how Walt Disney planned it. More than 60 years later, his design ideas still resonate, yet another credit to his amazing foresight.

 
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