I recently had the honor and the great privilege of visiting the Disneyland Resort for the first time ever with my family. We spent a week surrounded by Disney magic, in the midst of amazing experiences that were brand new to us; and, best of all, we came away with an even more profound sense of appreciation and admiration for all of Walt Disney’s dreams and accomplishments. Needless to say, our time in California did not disappoint – it was a truly wonderful stay!
Perhaps the most special part of our stay at the Disneyland Resort was to finally have the opportunity to be in Walt Disney’s first theme park. From the minute we first stepped foot into Disneyland Park, there was no shortage of “pinch me” and “I’m about to cry any second now” moments. Walt created and brought to fruition almost everything there is to experience there; and he, himself, was often a visitor in his own park. It is, in fact, the only Disney theme park that he designed and personally enjoyed in his lifetime. Walt’s presence can be felt everywhere in Disneyland Park, and that is something that just cannot be replicated anywhere else. It was surreal to spend time walking in his footsteps!
There is charm and incredible history and loads of Disney goodness at each and every turn in Walt’s original park. One of my favorite parts of the park to soak all of this in was Town Square. Though most guests typically skip right past Town Square when the park opens, in favor of heading straightway to the attractions, it is absolutely worth setting some time aside to take in and savor the magic here.
Just after entering the park, on the left-hand side of Town Square, is the Disneyland Fire Department. And just above the sign for the fire station is a window – but it is not just any ordinary window, it is the window of Walt Disney’s very own apartment inside of Disneyland Park! Walt would often stay here with his wife and girls, watching park goers arrive in the mornings and later enjoying the attractions themselves. Whenever Walt and his family were staying at the apartment, he’d keep a lamp lit in the window signifying to Cast Members and guests that he was nearby. Since his passing in 1966, the lamp has remained on to honor his memory. I was totally overcome with emotion seeing his apartment for the first time! And I loved seeing how often Disneyland fans would look up and give a quick nod as they passed Walt’s home away from home. It was so touching to see so many people taking a moment to pay homage to this dear man. I am forever thankful to finally have had the opportunity to do so myself, as well.
Across the street from the Disneyland Fire Department, also in Town Square, you’ll find the Main Street Opera House. The Opera House is home to an impressive collection of memorabilia that showcases the history and development of Disneyland Park.
I could have happily spent hours wandering about the exhibits at the Main Street Opera House. I loved being surrounded by all of the history on display! But the icing on the cake of the entire experience for me was getting to see Walt’s park bench – THE actual bench Walt was sitting on at Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles when he first envisioned Disneyland Park. Among the many moments that took my breath away during our visit, seeing his bench for the first time was quite possibly my favorite.
Walt once said,
“The idea for Disneyland came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy’s day with the two daughters. So, we’d start out and try to go someplace…and as I’d sit there while they rode the merry-go-round and did all these things, I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise built, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started…I started with many ideas, threw them away, started all over again. And eventually it evolved into what you see today at Disneyland. But it all started from a daddy with two daughters wondering where he could take them where he could have a little fun with them, too.”
Walt has given the world so many gifts to enjoy time and time again – an abundance of characters to love and cherish from childhood and beyond, cartoons and feature-length films that continue to stand the test of time; and, perhaps his greatest gift of all, a place for family and friends of all ages to gather and spend time together having fun and making memories. And I got to see with my very own eyes the legendary bench that started it all! It was there that he dreamt of creating Disneyland Park – a destination that has brought joy to so many since it opened in 1955, and a destination that was the gateway to all of the dearly loved Disney theme parks around the world. It was humbling, to say the least, and I left filled with more gratitude than ever before for Walt’s lofty ambitions inspired by his love for his family and his yearning to spend quality time together.
Prior to this vacation, my family and I had only ever visited the Walt Disney World theme parks. I will be the first to admit that I was quite nervous about going somewhere new; but in retrospect, I most definitely need not have been. It was an experience like no other! We had an exceptional time at Walt’s first park and left California with a richer and deeper love of all things Disney. And, if my kids have anything to say about it, we will be returning as soon as we possibly can!
