“Let’s dine at Disneyland,” on the 600 block of Main Street U.S.A.), in Town Square at Disneyland® Park!

“Participant Sponsorship”

Our story begins in 1951, when Walt Disney and Art Linkletter visited the famous entertainment complex Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. He was researching and talking notes to build a family entertainment center and Tivoli was much like what he envisioned. It was clean, directed to the entire family, fun, entertaining and educational. Walt noted how important it was to have a lot of places for guests to sit down and a wide variety of eating spots that served excellent meals.

Fast forward to 1954 when Walt was searching for participants to lease shop and restaurant spaces at Disneyland, and help generate the necessary capital to fund construction of Disneyland. In a synergistic relationship, the companies (in turn) could sell their products and advertise their corporate names in the Park. Disneyland Participant Corporate Sponsors were carefully selected. High quality, long term corporate sponsors would provide incremental income that enabled Disneyland to enhance its show and attractions, offset some operating expenses, and capitalize on marketing opportunities.

Several of these turn-of-the-century pioneers, “reliable old firms” sponsored the “abundance of restaurants devoted to pleasing all tastes and all budgets,” according to “The Story of Disneyland,” published 1955. Ultimately, Maxwell Coffee House Division of General Foods became one of those forty-seven lessees to sign a contract with Walt Disney Productions (regarding creating happiness at Walt Disney’s Disneyland)!

It was estimated that the table service facility would have the capacity to serve about 400 guests per hour. Despite the fact that Maxwell Coffee House Restaurant did not open in July of 1955, it became reckoned among Disneyland’s twenty eating facilities which were predicted to contribute to accommodating “15,000 persons daily, hitting a peak of 60,000 o holidays and week-ends…” and one of “twenty restaurants and snack bars, capable of saving 8,000 hourly,” at least according to “Building A Dream” (prepared by the Disneyland, Inc. Public Relations Department). Years later in 1958, Bank of America appraisers figured of the total income received from leases, 16.02% was derived from the selling of advertising rights and 40.12% from the leasing of space to concerns whose main reason for occupancy is for advertising purposes. The remaining 43.86% of the lease income was derived from stores that sell various products and food. It is this income that supported the construction and growth of Disneyland. Clearly, these participant corporate sponsors were not here to make money, but to create happiness!

“Initial Concept Designs by Disneyland, Inc.”

According to “THE DISNEY THEME SHOW - an introduction to the art of Disney outdoor entertainment: Volume II”: Of all the guests’ senses that come into play at Disneyland, the most difficult response to predict was taste. If 70,000 guests were to arrive on a single day, there would probably be 70,000 different ideas about food. Generally speaking, Disneyland food locations fall into three categories - sit-down restaurant service, “buffeteria,” and fast-food categories. The most extensive theming has always been found in the sit-down restaurant locations but all locations were housed in authentically motified facilities.

As Walt described to Bob Thomas (of Associated Press), “some industries will have exhibits, but all of them must be in keeping with the era.” Soon (c. 1954-1955), Sam McKim (with audiences in mind) and possibly other contributing artists were creating designs for the Maxwell Coffee House Restaurant Show Building Facade. This building would camouflage a construction wall.

Early thumbnail sketches and other concept artwork of Disneyland seemed to be unencumbered by restrictions of budget, schedule or the laws of nature and physics. Though guided by Walt, his artists appeared to engage in “free-thinking,” as if implementing the modern “Blue Sky” Imagineering process. Like some advanced “High Concept,” final designs were quickly generated and approved.

Next, architectural drawings helped define all designs, production and construction strategies, costs, schedule, and resource requirements. “Disneyland is unique in that some of the world's foremost creative artists and architects control all design at Disneyland.“ Models explored the various dimensional relationships, site-lines, flow patterns, ergonomics, and visual appeal to convey the desired creative intent.

“Architectural Designs by Lessees”

Disneyland, Inc. printed materials for Lessees detailing specifications for architectural designs of exhibit spaces. These were revised by March 16, 1955 and issued to Lessees.

All of the interior architectural drawings were done by competent registered architects or an approved display house of the lessee's choice. All of the designs submitted by the lessee's architect, whether for buildings or construction of interiors in DISNEYLAND, were approved as to the theme and general plan of DISNEYLAND as established by WED Enterprises, Inc.

Three sets of preliminary drawings were furnished DISNEYLAND, Inc. as soon as possible after signing of the lease. Two sets were retained by DISNEYLAND and one set was returned to the lessee’s architect with any revisions noted thereon and stamped “APPROVAL TO PROCEED TO FINAL DESIGN.” This stamp when properly signed and dated constituted the lessee’s authority to proceed with the final drawings.

The Lessees revised their final drawings to incorporate any revisions noted on the approved preliminary drawings, and submitted three sets of the revised drawings to DISNEYLAND. One set was returned to the lessee’s architect and any revisions noted thereon are to be incorporated on the original drawings. When the lessee had incorporated the final revisions on the drawings, two sets of transparent ozalids were forwarded to DISNEYLAND for approval. DISNEYLAND would stamp both sets “FINAL DESIGN APPROVED” and “LESSEE’S CONTRACT DRAWINGS”, and return one set to the lessee who could then release drawings for bid and/or construction.

“Construction”

“When the giant earth-moving undertaking was completed, the building crews took over. Soon, the rat-tat-tat of riveters was shattering the air, and sparks were flying from welders’ torches as the steel frameworks, capable of withstanding the ravages of time and the elements rose above the newly formed ground. While carpenters hammered and masons laid row upon row of brick and stone and mortar, the permanent buildings began to take shape and form,” according to “The Disneyland Story” published 1955. One of the first buildings to be constructed was the Main Street Opera House, which was used as the Mill. Here, the woodwork of Disneyland was generated - from the functional to the aesthetic! Approximately three and one-half million board feet of lumber went into the Park’s construction. Much of the wood was processed here by McNeil Construction (which formerly constructed Walt Disney Studio sound stages in 1947 and 1953), and under the direction of George Mills Sr. (the Prime General Contractor and Mill Foreman).

Then, under the direction of Joe Fowler (Construction Supervisor), as well as Charles Alexander and Ray Conway (Construction Field Supervisors), the lumber was soon fashioned into the framing belonging to the very first buildings constructed at Disneyland - primarily the Main Street Complexes (on each side of the street).

In constructing each building, a concrete foundation and slab floors were prepared, followed by wood frame construction (while store units would have a combination wood and rigid steel frame). ”The first fabricated steel for the Main Street buildings arrived November 8 and was erected,” according to the narrator of “Disneyland - The Park,” a Disneyland anthology television series excerpt, first aired 1957 and Disneyland LINE (November 22, 1979). The roof covering was a variable, dependent on the architectural design.

As of June 2, 1955, C.V. Wood Jr. sent an Inter-Office Memorandum to Walt Disney regarding the best estimates that could be obtained at the time regarding the completion status of individual sections of the Park and Opening Day. C.V. wrote: “Building #612 - Maxwell House. Will not be completed. We will have to dress. Electric Signs: All are in work - with the exception of the shoe store and the Bank of America, all will be completed.“

The building (as each on Main Street U.S.A.) possessed complete fire sprinkling systems. By June 30, 1955, related Disneyland Site Work Fire Protection Utilities Plot Plans were prepared for Disneyland Inc., by J.E. Thomasson of WED Enterprises Inc.

All fixtures were placed in their correct motif and many light fixtures of Disneyland were authentic antiques. The Disneyland News added: “From its wrought iron and old stonework exterior to the patio-type serving area, the Maxwell House represents all that was fine and gracious in turn-of-the-century life in the New Orleans section of the Old South. Built to resemble a hotel of that time and place, it offers a jewel-like lobby sumptuously dec orated with crystal chandeliers and velvet and plush furnishings. Past the lobby is the intimate coffee shop, serving coffee and pastries. Although indoors, the coffee shop ceiling fades away to a midnight blue and stars twinkle above.”

The wrought iron work and staff work was also performed right on the jobsite by Lawrence G. and Bruce McNeil’s forces.

Food service equipment was provided by Coast Distributing Company of Los Angeles (who ran a “Congratulations” message to Walt Disney and Staff in “The Disneyland News”, Vol. 1, No.2 ; August 10, 1955).

“The Press Preview Day of Disneyland”

Bob Milek recalled: “Opening day was very exciting...a big parade with movie stars…and I took pictures from the roof of Hills Bros.” But Maxwell Coffee House was not ready by July 17, 1955. Disneyland Mill Foreman Scotty Cribbes remembered: “On opening day, I was walking down Main Street with a cup of coffee in each hand, when I ran into Walt Disney. Walt stopped me and I thought I was going to be fired, but Walt just wanted to know where HE could get a cup of coffee!”

In the meantime there were several places that served Maxwell House coffee. In a move of corporate synergy, the fabulous Disneyland exclusively served Maxwell House Coffee at 16 eating locations (i.e. Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen, UPT Food Stands, Carnation Ice Cream Parlor, Chicken Plantation, Railroad Station, Red Wagon Inn, Space Bar, Pirate Ship, Frito House, and the Tropical Saloon, to name but a few). The price for a cup of coffee? Maynard Swenson recalled that “Coffee was 5¢ a cup then!”

“The Maxwell Coffee House Grand Opening”

After Disneyland opened, the Disneyland News (of August, 1955) began advertising a Maxwell House opening soon in Disneyland. One advertisement (published in The Disneyland News, September 1955, page 22) announced that the Maxwell House would open soon on Main Street U.S.A.! It would be a few more months before the official opening occurred on December 1st, 1955, to “all the excitement of a Hollywood premier,” with “celebrities from the business and entertainment world” joining Walt Disney and Russell Kramer, General Manager of the Institutional Products Division of General Foods! “Some 1000 American Hotel Association conventioners were also on hand to mark the event, guests of General Foods and Maxwell House for the evening.” According to another headline added, “Televisions stars Eve Arden (‘Our Miss Brooks’), Spring Byington, and Dean Miller (‘December Bride’) were on hand to assist with the opening.”

Guests had the opportunity to meet “The Greatest Guy In The World, the Man Who Takes His Family Out to Dine, central figure in General Foods’ national advertising - the most dramatic promotion in the history of the food service industry,” according to The Disneyland News (Vol.1 -No.6 ; published December 10, 1955).

Marcy Smothers (in her book “Eat Like Walt - The Wonderful World of Disney Food”) adds that Walt attended “though he had a terrible case of laryngitis. Despite buckets of rain, the cancellation of the planned parade, and the postponement of Walt’s award as the ‘Greatest Guy In The World’, the dedication ceremonies in Town Square went off without a hitch. Following the ceremonies, two hundred of the Guests boarded the train at the Main Street Station for the brief ride to the Frontierland Station, while others followed the Disneyland Band to the Plaza. Everyone came together again for dinner and entertainment at the Chicken Plantation Restaurant. Maxwell House VIPs were then treated to an after-party at the Red Wagon Inn.”

The story “New Maxwell House Graces Main Street” covering the opening of the new Maxwell Coffee House (and the full-page advertisement “Maxwell House Welcomes American Hotel Association”) were both published in The Disneyland News (Vol.1 -No.6 ; for December 10, 1955).

Now, Maxwell House Restaurant became the prime table-service restaurant of two Town Square locations where guests would to “tarry for a moment’s relaxation” before the rest of the Park opened in the morning, and enjoy a delicious cup of “good ‘til the last drop” Maxwell House Coffee (with superior flavor, aroma, and body)!

After setting foot inside the “turn-of-the-century hotel lobby, complete with an authentic registration desk,” guests “may choose a table in the starlight dining room, or be seated on the open-air patio,” according to “Food Showmanship Disney Style.”

“The Greatest Guy In The World - The Man Who Takes His Family Out To Dine”

We are (of course) referring to another individual (in addition to Walt), who was key to the placement of the Disneyland lessee. The Maxwell Coffee House (as other restaurants and concessions) was strategically placed by Mister James D’Arcy. Owning to this, Ron D’Arcy would become part of the opening Maxwell House crew. Long before New Orleans Square, the decor of the Maxwell House represented “the New Orleans section of the ‘Old South’. Built to resemble a hotel of that time and place, it offers a jewel-like lobby sumptuously decorated with crystal chandeliers and velvet and plush furnishings. Past the lobby is the intimate coffee shop, serving coffee and pastries. Although indoors the coffee shop ceiling fades away to a midnight blue and stars twinkle above.” If some of the “railing and cresting (found here and other places on Main Street U.S.A. and Frontierland)” look authentic, its because some of them actually “came from old plantations in Nashville, Memphis, Tennessee, and some came from San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento, California, dating back to the ‘49 days,” according to “News From Disneyland” (a Press Release document published c. 1956).

Maxwell Coffee House at Disneyland offered guests a variety of Maxwell House beverages including delicious Maxwell House Coffee, refreshing Maxwell House Iced Coffee, steaming Maxwell House Tea, refreshing Maxwell House Iced Tea, Baker’s rich Hot Cocoa, and Baker’s Ice Cold Chocolate Flavored Drink. Though the restaurant did not serve meals, it did carry a variety of light snacks (or, “Specialty items”) including Apple Sauce Cake, Homemade Danish pastry (served warm), Superb Cheese Cake (which paired well with a cup of Maxwell House Coffee), Old Fashioned Strawberry Short Cake, Assorted French Pastries, Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake, and a fancy Jell-O gelatin dessert topped with whipped cream!

On December 10, 1956, George Banning, distributor of Maxwell House coffee provided beverages for the First Annual Christmas Party.

Both Walt Disney and those who held his business ethics, principles, and standards for Disneyland, made sure that the price of coffee was always economical and reasonable. Walt assured that coffee was “only worth a dime.” This was true during Maxwell’s participation and during participation of the following sponsor. After Walt’s passing, “Card Walker, Vice President of advertising and sales, further insisted, ‘Disneyland will always have a ten-cent cup of coffee.’ It wasn’t until after Walt’s passing in 1966 that the price increased,” according to “Eat Like Walt - The Wonderful World of Disney Food” by Marcy Smothers.

The corporate synergy was good for a time. Institutional lessee Maxwell House Coffee yielded some revenue for Disneyland Inc. - $28,599 for the fiscal year ending September 29, 1957 and $79 for the remainder of its occupation during the fiscal year ending September 28, 1958. The synergy was also beneficial for both. For instance, when the Disneyland Recreational Club and Athletic Coordinator Frank Smith sponsored a new Gun Club, Maxwell House Coffee Shop hosted Disneylanders attending the first meeting on January 10, 1958.

Future additions to Maxwell were soon planned for Building 600, which would have included a large room and an office.

However (by September 28, 1958), Disneyland Participant Affairs (or, “Industry Sales”) and Maxwell House could not negotiate a cooperative agreement to maintain their ongoing relationship. So Maxwell House would depart from Disneyland at a lease termination expense of $34,730.

If you would like to read more about Maxwell Coffee House, it’s my pleasure to recommend adding Marcy Smothers’ “Eat Like Walt - The Wonderful World of Disney Food” to your personal Disney Home Library! If you would like to bring the magic of Disneyland restaurants and concessions to your dining room table, “please step this way” toward www.eatlikewalt.com where Marcy has shared a few recipes for memorable Disneyland menu options, including that of the Santa Fe Express Sundae, so that you too, can “Eat Like Walt!”

A number of Disneyland Participants sweetened the coffee of guests through the years! When Disneyland first opened in 1955, the “extra-fluffy and silky-soft” powdered sugar of Spreckels Sugar Company (of San Francisco, California) was the exclusive sugar of Disneyland. Creamy frostings were whipped up using Spreckels and guests dining at the Hills Bros. Coffee House would often sweeten their coffee with Spreckels sugar cubes and Spreckles sugar packets. Advertisements for Spreckels Sugar even ran in the earliest issues of “The Disneyland News.”

By 1972, Dixie Crystals became the official sugar of the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World. Soon, there was another “No. 1 Sugar on Main Street in Disneyland” - C and H Pure Cane Sugar from Hawaii. C&H became the official sugar of Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom, in 1962! Still other sugar brands (like Domino Sugar) could be found contemporaneously at Wrather Corporation’s Disneyland Hotel.

The corporate synergy continued for less than two years, but was “good ‘til the last drop,” until Participant sponsor Maxwell Coffee departed from Disneyland. After that, the restaurant experienced a brief period of seeming “vacancy”.

But by January 1, 1958, Hills Bros. Coffee stepped in to sponsor the 1,340 square-foot space and additional 180 square-foot kitchen. Any remaining Maxwell Coffee House interiors were sold to Hills Bros. at a cost of $27,500.

Then, from 1958-1959, the leaseholder - Hills Bros. - made numerous improvements. Disneyland Inc. opened Hills Bros. Patio Job #032-50-26 for the construction of an addition to the Kitchen and dishwashing area of the building, and an open patio adjoining Hills Bros. premises on the East side of building and facing Town Square.

Preliminary Designs were created by the Studio at the cost of $1,549.47, and working drawings were created (by the studio at $390.65; and by another party at $438.88). Curtains, shades, awnings & canopy were fabricated at a cost of $301.27. Including the Studio EB (part before direct distribution), Studio overhead @ 25%, Studio charges, Construction Overhead, Subcontracts (in the IBM job file), total costs for Job #032-50-26 totaled $26,144.47. After a portion of the job was billed to Hills Bros., the cost was $4,255.00, with a $21,889.47 net to capital.

The additions of enlarging both the kitchen and dish-washing areas were later appraised at $4,000. An 8’x12’ women’s dressing room (Job #032-50-50; constructed at $1,248.02) was also attached to the Hills Brothers storeroom in the service area.

But before long, “a taste of San Francisco” arrived at Disneyland, with the Hills Brothers Coffee Shop and Coffee Garden operated by Food Service, Inc. Guests were soon welcomed “to the garden of ‘Ahh!’” It was still decorated in a “southern garden motif with an adjacent dining patio,” according to the “Disneyland Dictionary” (compiled by WED Enterprises, Inc. and WED Public Relations Department, c. 1968).

Hills Bros. remained the sponsor of the Hills Bros. Coffee Garden for almost twenty memorable years! During this time, the Hills Bros. Coffee Garden offered waitress service, with a maximum guest capacity of 125. Many Disneylanders instantly warmed up to Hills Bros. Coffee, as Publicist Marty Sklar, who had established it as part of his own morning ritual by Fall 1959. Marty recalled around that time having a cup of coffee with his boss Eddie Meck, when Walt Disney joined them for a cup of coffee, and began to discuss the next big project for Disneyland.

After the Park closed, the staff would take over with brooms, mops and dustcloths. Special attention was given to marred walls, posts and furniture. Items with marks that didn’t wash off were replaced or repainted. Floors were waxed and buffed to preserve their beauty and protect them from the thousands of feet that scuffled over them each day.

These guests prefer to brighten their “morning with a cup of delicious Hills Bros. Coffee!” The Town Square tradition of enjoying a cup of coffee in the garden continues as guests were invited to start their morning with a refreshing cup of Hills Bros. Coffee.

Disneyland visitors are welcome to relax with a Hills Bros. Coffee prepared either piping hot or icy cold. Youngsters can also recharge with nourishing drinks. Where the Maxwell Coffee House offered light snacks, Hills Bros. Coffee Garden offered meal items. According to one Disneyland Guide, guests could now “pause to enjoy freshly-made sandwiches and a variety of delectable desserts and beverages” at Hills Bros. Coffee Garden. Yes, in addition to beverages, doughnuts, breakfasts, and sandwiches were offered.

The option described as the “Delicious and Crunchy” suggestion was (on other menus) also referred to as the “Surprisingly Good” sandwich! But this sandwich was in like most - toasted fruit on a nut bread, with a Philadelphia Cream Cheese spread.

If all these delicious options weren’t enough, guests could also schedule direct reservations for dining at the Disneyland Hotel Gourmet Restaurant and Coffee Shop from the Hills Bros. Coffee House.

While relaxing with a cup of Hills Bros. Coffee, guests could pick up a menu and read the success story of Austin H. and Rubin W. Hill, as well as their innovations - “Instant Coffee” and vacuum-packaged coffee beans!

The corporate synergy was good for a time. Institutional lessee Hills Bros. Coffee, Inc. yielded some revenue for Disneyland Inc. - $9,626 for the fiscal year ending September 28, 1958.

Not far from where Mickey Mouse greeted guests, the Disneyland Christmas Carolers (under the direction of Dr. Charles C. Hirt and lead by Mr. Robert G. Hasty), also known to perform near “Hills Bros.” during various times of the day, from December 16th, 1967 thru January 1st, 1968. [“Disneyland Holiday Talent Master Schedule,” prepared for the period of December 16, 1967 through January 1, 1968]

DISNEYLAND, INC. opened Job #032-50-26, for a Hills Bros. Patio. Construction was to include an addition to the Kitchen and dishwashing area of the building, and an open patio adjoining Hills Bros. premises on the East side of the building and facing Town Square. The job called for new Curtains, Shades, Awnings & Canopy.

The first Disneyland Dictionary (printed in October of 1959) noted “Hills Brothers Coffee Shop and Coffee Garden operated by Food Service, Inc.” served “Hills Brothers' Coffee and light refreshments.” Owning to Jack Sayers (of Lessee Relations), Hills Bros. Coffee was a proud and contributing sponsor of “Disneyland ‘59”! In fact by October of 1959, Hills Bros. was (1) of over sixty-eight other firms playing a vital part in the team effort to bring happiness to Disneyland’s Guests. Some were small, specialized individual operators; some were huge companies such as Swift & Co. - the Bank of America - United Paramount Theaters (which you hear as UPT) - Carnation - Richfield - General Dynamics - Crane - and many others. These companies used the park to publicize their wares, leased space in the Park to sell their wares, and Disneyland collected advertising fees from them.

The Hills Bros. Coffee House would have stood at the gateway to the planned “Future Attraction” of Liberty Square.

Sponsored by Hills Bros. Coffee Co., Hills Brothers Coffee House and Restaurant featured famous Hills Bros. coffee. The restaurant also offered tempting sandwiches and desserts within an interior that was in a southern garden motif with an adjacent dining patio.

(July 14, 1978 - September 30, 1983)

The American Egg House (presented by the newest Disneyland Participant - the American Egg Board) opened next door to the Disney Showcase on Friday, July 14th, 1978. The restaurant was renowned for its Victorian Decor, Demonstration Chef, and Breakfast and Lunch Menus.

Much like its predecessor, the new restaurant offered table service in the dining room and on the patio and was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Grand Opening Ceremonies (on Friday, July 14, 1978) included culinary demonstrations by World Champion Omelet Maker - Chef Howard Helmer (of the American Egg Board), who prepared 217 two-egg omelets in 30 minutes, breaking the previous Guinness World Record of 188. [Disneyland LINE, July 20, 1978] The same writer continued: “The American Egg Board, sponsors of the American Egg House, has found a position here at Disneyland as the Park's latest member of the Participant Development Program. The new restaurant will be featuring a wide variety of egg dishes, from omelets to quisches to sandwiches.”

The American Egg Board advertised the highlight of their menu this way : “Eggs are nature’s most nearly perfect food. Low in calories and high in protein, eggs are economical - especially important in preparing nutritious meals at low cost. Eggs are versatile, too. They’re good at any time of the day…in an elegant soufflé or a quick and easy omelet…delicious any way you fix them. The Incredible Edible Egg - a natural wonder incredibly good so many different ways.” By 1981, the restaurant offered a few sandwiches, but their predominant focus was on egg-related dishes - the American Egg House Deluxe

Two Large Farm Fresh Eggs or Eggs and Steak (served any style), the Omelet Extraordinaire, Egg Salad Sandwich, California Omelet, the Spanish Omelet, the Omelet Delight, Egg Sandwich Supreme, Eggs Benedict, The American Egg Burger, Grilled Steak and Cheese Omelet, and the American Egg Burger (one fried egg on Canadian bacon, topped with American cheese, tomato and mushrooms, served in a sesame seed bun). Even the “Luncheon and Dinner Menu” offered many egg options - omelets, salads, sandwiches, quiches, merengues, and custards containing healthy American eggs.

A particularly popular specialty beverage was “The Instant Egg Pick-up” - “a blend of fresh egg, orange juice, and honey”! There were also plenty of Belgian waffle menu options as well as fruit dishes which included grapefruit, fresh melon, strawberries, fresh orange juice and tomato juice. Pastries and baked goods offered included warm danishes, blueberry muffins, English muffins, cherry pie a La mode, strawberry and ambrosia crepe, and cheesecake with strawberry topping.

In 1981, the American Egg House with its Victorian decor, demonstration chef, and breakfast and lunch menus produced $518,000 in revenue for Main Street Food. This was owning to VIPs of Disneyland (guests), its Main Street Foods hosts and hostesses (totaling 176 summer/118 fall), two Main Street Foods Stage Supervisors, and Main Street Foods Area Stage Supervisor.

Ultimately, Disneyland Participant Affairs and Disneyland Participant and Lessee American Egg Board could not negotiate a new cooperative agreement to maintain their ongoing relationship regarding this Location, so the two “reliable firms parted ways.” Though there were three sponsors in this location since 1955, the American Egg House would live on when this location would be referred to as the “Egg Gate.”

Town Square Cafe (winter, 1976 - spring, 1978)

The first incarnation of Town Square Cafe opened for lunch and dinner with a number of omelets - Omelet Extraordinaire (three farm fresh eggs, ham, American cheese, mushrooms, green onions, and chili salsa), the California Omelet (three farm fresh eggs, sliced avocado, diced tomato, alfalfa sprouts, sour creme, and pine nuts), the Spanish Omelet (three farm fresh eggs, diced tomato, green Ortega chilis, Spanish sausage, green onions and cheese), and the Omelet Delight (three farm fresh eggs, ham, and American cheese)! Town Square Cafe also offered salads including the Seafood Louis (with pink shrimp, tuna, crisp greens, Louis dressing, hard-boiled egg, and lemon wedges). Other offerings included several choices of burgers (Ortega Cheese, Avocado and Bacon, Bacon Cheese, and the Original Hamburger Platter), the Fire House Favorite hot dog, a couple of sandwiches (Steak Sandwich and the Club Sandwich), desserts (Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Cheesecake with cherry topping, Cinema Sundae), and plenty of beverages (including coffee, soft drinks, tea, hot cocoa, and milk).

Town Square Cafe (October 1, 1983 - August 23, 1992)

The new Town Square Cafe restaurant offered table waitress service, and was “a great place for breakfast and lunch with a menu featuring eggs, omelets, hamburgers, specialty sandwiches, salads, and desserts.” In addition, healthier menu options - Chicken Breast Sandwich, Chef’s Salad, Seafood Louis, and Omelettes with less cholesterol - were now available to guests! The Town Square Cafe occasionally hosted special events, like Private Parties (e.g. GM and Hughes Employees, January of 1986).

The Disney Characters often walked close-by the Town Square Cafe Patio.

The Town Square Cafe Patio also offered a fantastic view of parade units (as in this Vintage View which may have preserved a moment of Roger Rabbit’s very first Christmas, during December of 1988). Through the years, Parade Units would often headed from the “Parade Formation Area” and out of the old Hills Bros. Gate (also known as the Egg House Gate).

*Some sources (as “Disneyland Admission Media Rides and Attractions” report, page 40, published 1971; “Disneyland Rides & Attractions and Attendance Report,” 1981, page 50) cite April 13th, while other sources state April 27th as the opening date.

One can easily slip into the jargon of “ride,” but at Disneyland there is a "story behind the story" of every attraction, every attraction is a living experience for the guest. Disneyland ride-through attractions or adventures have officially been defined as an “individual show, ride, or exhibit designed to produce an entertaining Guest experience. Disney attractions stir the imagination, enliven the senses, and provide the participants with positive, innovative entertainment, which is the essence of the DISNEYLAND Show.” It is important to review the story of the attraction, tell the story, explain it, and create interest. This is the story of the Midget Autopia.

While the term “Midget” is antiquated, “midget” racing was popular during the 1950s and 1960s! There were racing tracks in places (like the San Fernando Valley, California), where kids brought their “quarter midget race cars” in order to compete. Testifying to the popularity of “midget” race cars, Walt Disney’s Magazine (Vol. IV, No. 1) contains a story on one eleven-year-old “Quarter Midget Champion” who had won more than 200 racing trophies by the time the article was published.

Back on the eve of Disneyland’s first day of operation, Walt Disney had promised that “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow, to add new things, as long as there is imagination left in the world.” One new attraction (one of the smallest) would be accounted among the major additions to the Park. In 1957 it would open the Midget Autopia in Fantasyland. This would be the third Autopia track - and the smallest one. It’s a fact that the "little things" can make a big impression, as was proven by the memorable Midget Autopia at Disneyland!

Many other contemporaneous amusement parks (across the United States and Alaska) had already installed Arrow-Flite “Tracked Auto Rides” by 1957. There was Easbey Amusement (in Palo Alto, California), Gold Coast Shows (in San Jose, California), Woodland Park (in Seattle, Washington), Nu-Pike (of Long Beach, California), Peppermint Parks (of Houston, Texas), Shanahan (of Anchorage, Alaska), and Wards (of Coney Island). So, from that standpoint, this wasn’t a new attraction, but the custom cars and other imaginative story elements along the track made the Midget Autopia a truly unique Disneyland adventure!

Remember that Walt Disney had earlier said : “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow, always adding new things to provide its visitors with exceptional and entertaining attractions.” In Walt’s eyes, Disneyland was “like a piece of clay,” because if there was something he didn’t like, he wasn’t stuck with it. He could reshape and revamp it. After years of personally reshaping and revamping, Walt divulged: “I’m not the perfectionist anymore. It’s my staff - they’re the ones always insisting on doing something better and better.”

Bruce Bushman created an untold number of concept illustrations of “Mouseketopia”, a Mickey Mouse-themed Autopia track.

The ten Midget Autopia vehicles were manufactured by Arrow Development (who had built another fleet of these “Arrowflite” series vehicles for Idlewild Park in Pennsylvania).

Additionally, the Disneyland Midget Autopia would hold the record for the first Autopia track to have a center Guide Rail. The A/C power ran along one side of the rail, powering the electric motors of the vehicles. Joe Fowler (Disneyland Operations Committee) oversaw the Construction & Maintenance division including Engineering, New Construction, Maintenance, and Janitorial related to the installation of the attraction.

Once complete, the “ride structure” (passageways and sets) of this amusing adventure was appraised at a value between $25,300 and $27,600, while the equipment was valued between $5,250 and $6,300.

In this map excerpt (pictured above), we can see that the Midget Autopia was one of the first attractions to greet younger guests near the Fantasyland Station. It was located near another “lilliputian” attraction - the Storybook Land Canal Boats! According to 1959 advertisements, the Midget Autopia was “a special ‘auto’ ride” for “the ‘small fry’ too young to drive the Super Autopias.” Yes, Disneyland guests that were too small to drive the Tomorrowland and Fantasyland Autopia cars, could sit behind the wheels of their very own two-passenger car.

Skyway Cabins once offered an aerial preview of Fantasyland attractions and adventures, including the Santa Fe & Disneyland Viewliner train and Midget Autopia.

“Follow the leader, obey all the rules,

You're driving Autopia style.

This highway is play,

All the traffic's one way,

And the rule of the road is smile.”

The Midget Autopia was featured in several pieces of promotional media including “An Adventure in the Magic Kingdom” (April 9, 1958) and one Mickey Mouse Club Newsreel.

The former Walt Disney Imagineering Principal Creative Executive Marty Sklar would probably agree that the small details like these make the story appealing. One such detail was the garage. The memorable and climactic end of the Midget Autopia Show - crashing through a barn! This aspect of the attraction was even preserved on Souvenir Postcards during the Midget Autopia’s era of operation at Disneyland.

During 1957, admission for a ride aboard 1 of 10 Midget Autopia vehicles was one “jumbo” “B” coupon (or, 25 cents, for one adult), the same as a round of ammunition in the Main Street Shooting Gallery, entry into the Mickey Mouse Club Theater, or a ride aboard the Fantasyland or Tomorrowland & Fantasyland Viewliner! Based on the response of guests who recollect riding the Midget Autopia, it was well worth the price of admission!

By 1959, Joe Fowler was Vice President of Disneyland Operations Committee and Doc Lemmon of Disneyland Operations was overseeing Operators of Rides & Amusements (like the Midget Autopia), Livestock, Parking Lot, and Ticket Sellers. Quite a few memorable Disneylanders operated the Midget Autopia (like Earl Roy Archer), “who had a wonderful way with kids,” according to Backstage Disneyland (Summer, 1965). Roy Brem also operated the Midget Autopia.

Contrary to rumors, guests of all ages were allowed aboard Midget Autopia vehicles (depending on their height and weight). Yes, if they met the height requirement and did not exceed the weight limit, Adult Disneyland guests could exchange the corresponding admission coupon for a ride! Just look at the following “Vintage View”!

The Midget Autopia was closed weekdays during the winter season of 1962, operating only on weekends.

Many notable Disneylanders had a privileged part in the Midget Autopia rotation - the set order of Midget Control panel operating positions established by the attraction's Working Lead.

The Midget Autopia was still as popular than ever during its final year of operation at Disneyland. According to Mike O’Brien of Backstage Disneyland (Vol.4, No.4 ; December 1965) :

“Ron Osbon is the Man on Midgets. In fact, you could call him Mr, Midgets. He, as well as your scribe, will mourn the passing of Midget Autopia to a never-never land somewhere over the rainbow. The sheer delight of the little kiddies when they get behind that wheel is something to behold. Just recently, Ron was operating the ride when he looked up and saw Walt Disney waiting in line with his grandchildren. Ron invited him to come in the back way, but Walt said no, that he would wait in line like the other people. He expressed the fondness that he and his grand-kiddies have for Midget Autopia and said that he would like to see it relocated and remodeled in another area.” This is reminiscent of something else that Walt once said : “Disneyland is like a piece of clay : if there is something I don’t like, I’m not stuck with it. I can reshape and revamp.” And a fantastic example is the Midget Autopia once located in this little section of Fantasyland.

At a Walt Disney Productions Stockholders meeting (held on February 1, 1966), “Mr. Tatum pointed out - 50% of all visitors to Disneyland return later to see the Park’s new attractions.” Next, a need for an increased capacity was stressed, by “more facilities - rides, attractions, food and merchandising, to handle properly and efficiently our ever increasing guests.” And so, the Midget Autopia would yield to progress and efficiency, and make way for fantastic new Disneyland adventures by Imagineers who knew their audience!

According to one Disneyland Admission Media Rides and Attractions Report [prepared in April 1971, by Disneyland Research Department], by the time the Midget Autopia ceased operation in Disneyland, a grand total of 2,461,589 Disneyland guests (like Walt and his grandchildren) had sat behind the wheels of a Midget Autopia roadster. Though the smallest of the Autopia tracks was eventually removed to widen the pathways for the installation of it’s a small world, it wasn’t the end of the road for this Disneyland adventure!

So while many other parks (around North and South America) had an Arrow-Flite Tracked Auto Ride, the most famous of them all - the Midget Autopia -would soon find new life in Walt Disney’s hometown of Marceline, Missouri. The Midget Autopia would hold the record as the only Disneyland attraction to ever be donated and relocated outside a Disney Park, by Walt Disney! Please step this way, as we understand how this happened, courtesy of artifacts preserved through The Walt Disney Hometown Museum of Marceline, Missouri.

As early as 1961, Walt (through private communications with his friend Rush Johnson) furthered his intentions to give the Disneyland Midget Autopia attraction to the children of his beloved hometown. By offering drawings and photographs of the Fantasyland attraction to the Marceline City Council members, Walt hoped to give them a better understanding of what the gift would look like.

Admiral Joe Fowler was sent to Marceline for the installation of the attraction.

Over the next four years, plans would be made official, with the following press release from WED Imagineering! A WED Imagineering memo stated: “Donation of this ride is unprecedented in Disneyland's historv and will probably be the only one ever taken to a new location from the us Magic Kingdom in Anaheim, California.” The Midget Autopia would relocate to Marceline, Missouri, and a festive dedication was scheduled to take place on July 4th, 1966.

During 1966, workers finished adapting the Disneyland Midget Autopia Track layout for the town of Marceline, in preparation for the arrival of the rails, cars, and other attraction parts!

The big day arrived! The entire town of Marceline awaited the special pre-recorded Dedication Speech spoken by Walt Disney!

The following program facsimile gives an idea of the scheduled events planned for the Grand Opening Dedication Ceremony of Walt Disney Municipal Park. Festivities would include a beauty pageant (in which future Walt Disney Hometown Museum Director Kaye Malins would participate). A ribbon-cutting ceremony also occurred after a brief history of The Midget Autopia was recounted.

Walt wanted to dedicate his gift in person, but was forced to cancel his trip just a few days prior due to a cough he “couldn’t shake”. It later turned out to be cancer. Instead, his dedication speech was recorded and forwarded to Marceline in time for the ceremony. As you read Walt’s words, note his blessing upon the people of the small town, the children, and the Midget Autopia attraction itself!

During (and after) the Dedication Ceremony, the children of Marceline await the Grand Opening!

A few lucky children of Marceline take a spin around the curves of Walt’s “little” gift!

The Governor of Missouri praised the new state attraction, and congratulated Marceline’s Mayor Young and the Citizens of Marceline!

Photographs and accounts surrounding the dedication of Walt Disney Municipal Park and its main attraction (The Midget Autopia) were sent to Walt, so he could share in the joy of the festivities. Walt appreciated this gesture so much that he thanked the Mayor by writing this letter dated July 22, 1966. The attraction operated a year longer in Marceline than it operated at Disneyland.

If you visit the site today, you may notice a plaque near the former location of the Midget Autopia track commemorating Walt’s historic gesture this way :

”Relocated from the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland as a gift to the children of this community from Marceline’s favorite sons Walt and Roy Disney. Accepted in appreciation July 1966, Mayor C.A. Young”

Walt passed on December of 1966. The Midget Autopia continued operation for 11 years.

“Once located in Marceline's Walt Disney Municipal Park, the beloved ride was operational from 1966 through 1977. When the city retired Walt and Roy's gift from day to day operation the concrete track remained as a playground for local children, and a visual reminder of the Disneys' generosity. Sadly the 1966 track was removed from its park location by the City of Marceline due to maintenance and safety concerns.”

This museum restoration was very faithful to the original Midget Autopia vehicles that once ran through Marceline, Missouri and Disneyland. Circa 1957 Chevy hood ornaments were used for the Midget Autopia hood ornaments, while 1956 Pontiac “running lights” were used for the Midget Autopia vehicles’ headlight housings.

Whatever happened to the Midget Autopia, once it was removed? Lee Hoover (Walt Disney Hometown Museum) takes us “under the hood” of the Midget Autopia, as he shares the next exciting chapter of the beloved attraction, as well as current efforts to restore the only Disneyland attraction to ever be “relocated” outside the park by special permission of Walt Disney!

It’s all here in this “Disney History 101 presents People” featurette!

Whatever happened to the Midget Autopia, once it was removed? Lee Hoover (Walt Disney Hometown Museum ) takes us “under the hood” of the Midget Autopia, as he shares the next exciting chapter of the beloved attraction, as well as current efforts to restore the only Disneyland attraction to ever be “relocated” outside the park by special permission of Walt Disney!

It’s all here in this “Disney History 101 presents People” featurette!

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Walt’s gift to the children of Marceline, The Walt Disney Hometown Museum planned a $500,000 Kickstarter campaign to rehabilitate and restore the Midget Autopia. The campaign began August 14th, 2015, coinciding with a Walt Disney Hometown Museum exhibit at D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.

While visiting Marceline, Missouri (Walt Disney’s boyhood home, of which he later donated the Midget Autopia), we visited the location where some of the parts are stored, while awaiting an ongoing restoration and repair project.

During the era of the Autopia Presented by Chevron, this bronzed Midget Autopia vehicle was preserved (to a degree) as a roadside prop on the Autopia stage (one of the non-operational steering wheels was removed). During the New Midget Autopia Track groundbreaking ceremony, this artifact was brought to Marceline, Missouri in an event, courtesy of The Walt Disney Archives, Disneyland, and D23.

“This new walking track is a salute and heartfelt thank you to Walt and Roy. The layout you see before you was designed by Disney Imagineering, and is based off the original Disneyland footprint. This new trail gives curious visitors a unique opportunity to once again walk a piece of Disney history, and possibly relive a few fleeting moments of their own childhoods right here in Walt's boyhood hometown.”

According to the catalogue, “This original car… features the original body, wheels, and steering wheel from Disneyland, with restored red rims with chrome spinners, a new wood and vinyl seat, windshield bar and "firewall" footrest, and decals. The taillights are S&M vintage 1950's replacements for the originals.”

Tomorrowland Boats or “Speedboat Rides” (July 30, 1955* - August 16, 1955)

Phantom Boats (August 16, 1955 - January 15th, 1956)

*By some accounts July 20th, 1955.

“Blue Sky for the Phantom Boats”

One can easily slip into the jargon of “ride,” but at Disneyland there is a "story behind the story" of every attraction, every attraction is a living experience for the guest. Disneyland ride-through attractions or adventures have officially been defined as an “individual show, ride, or exhibit designed to produce an entertaining Guest experience. Disney attractions stir the imagination, enliven the senses, and provide the participants with positive, innovative entertainment, which is the essence of the DISNEYLAND Show.” It is important to review the story of the attraction, tell the story, explain it, and create interest. This is the story of the Phantom Boats and Motor Boat Cruise.

Nautical adventures were seemingly always a part of Walt’s earliest plans for an amusement center! As early as 1953 and 1954, concepts for a Mickey Mouse Park (proposed for a 11-acre triangular plot of land near Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California) featured a “Boathouse” and a boat attraction. When a larger plot was purchased (in Orange County) and the working title of the project was changed to “Disneyland”, nautical attractions were continually developed. “The Disneyland Story” was produced (on September 3, 1954), in order to tell the story of what guests would experience upon entering Disneyland and Tomorrowland. Page 4 described the “Freeway of Tomorrow”, stating that “In our ride, the child actually learns to handle an automobile, and the ride is a safe one. We will do a similar thing with the lake in Tomorrow Land where a child or an adult can take a scaled-down speed boat which will be about 8 1/2 to 9 feet long and learn how to handle it along its course on the lake.”

This illustration was included inside the Disneyland Musical Map (one of the first pieces of licensed Disneyland Park- themed product) produced by Mattel, c. 1955. Not far from the Freeway of the Future, the “island dotted” Motor Boat Lagoon, for sleek Motor Boats to navigate around.

The realization of the previous illustration was the predecessor of the Motor Boat Cruise - the Phantom Boats! The Phantom Boats was also referred to as the “Speedboat Ride” in both “The Story of Disneyland” [a promotional document prepared for potential participants by Disneyland, Inc. Public Relations, published 1955 by Disneyland Inc.], and in “Your Guide To Disneyland” [published for distribution to guests in 1955]). The Phantom Boats (with fiberglass hulls manufactured by the Crystaliner Corp.) would travel through a man made lagoon with a landscaped island in the middle.

By July 1, 1954, George Whitney of Disneyland, Inc. directed Amusements, with Ron Miller overseeing analysis, philosophy, capacities, planning, operator training, and amusement procurement. A lake (“Tomorrowland Lake”) was planned to be situated where the modern Submarine Lagoon sits.

The construction crews didn't begin work on any of Tomorrowland until six months into the project. In the early days of Disneyland, the same waters of Tomorrowland Lake used to also move through the Canals of the World (in a “continuous flowing gravitational water system”) via a canal which ran along a Backstage Service Road and the northern rails of the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad. Pumps were installed during November of 1954, “for circulating water systems,” according to Disneyland LINE magazine (November 22, 1979).

After Chris Mueller had sculpted the body, fourteen fiberglass bodies were fabricated by Crystaliner Corporation in Costa Mesa, California. There were “14 boats including a police boat,” according to the Nomenclature List Replacement prepared by Disneyland, Inc. Despite their appearance on (c. 1955) maps, these boats were “plastic-glass boats of ultra modern design!” Each has twin fins with “jet engine air scoops.”

Soon, one authorized “Disneyland Information & Nomenclature List” (prepared by Bill Cottrell of Disneyland Inc., May 25, 1955) announced the working title as the “Speed Boats,” adding “this name may be changed.” The same document continued with this description : “Fiberglass boats of ultra modern design. Lake Cruise,” describing “14 boats including police boat (1 police boat).”

As of June 2, 1955, C.V. Wood Jr. sent an Inter-Office Memorandum to Walt Disney regarding the best estimates that could be obtained at the time regarding the completion status of individual sections of the Park and Opening Day. C.V. wrote: “Speed Boats: we can make it. Track and boats tight but it appears that we can make it. Need boat landing drawings immediately.”

Early maps labeled the attraction as the “Tomorrowland Boats” and some publications referred to their waters as Tomorrowland Lake!

The pre-opening “Go Santa Fe to DISNEY-LAND” brochure printed sometime between July 4 and July 18 mentioned “Speed boats” among the rides to open. The media briefly described the attraction: “Speed Boat Rides -14 boats..”

(August 16, 1955 - January 15, 1956 ; July, 1956 - Fall of 1956)

Soon, the Tomorrowland Boats were planned to debut during the Disneyland Opening Day broadcast, introduced by Ronald Reagan. However, the attraction experienced a closure and opened a few days later. The attraction officially opened to the public (on July 20th, 1955) exactly three days after Disneyland’s Press Preview “Day One” in 1955. Each of the 14 Phantom Boats had the capacity to carry up to three people, and was manned by one (of 14) Pilots during peak periods. Given these figures, it was projected that the Phantom Boats would have a theoretical maximum capacity of 1,126 guests per hour of operation. The price of admission for this adventure in 1955 was one “B” Coupon, or 25 cents (the same price of a show in the air-conditioned Mickey Mouse Theater, or a ride aboard one of Frontierland’s covered Conestoga Wagons).

The designs of the Phantom Boats were sure aerodynamic-looking, but a just little problematic. Each boat was propelled by an air-cooled outboard motor enclosed in a compartment and their motors would regularly get “burned out” faster than they could be repaired. According to “Disneyland Inside Story”: “each boat that left the dock seemed to have only a fifty-fifty chance of making it back without having to be towed.” Owning to this, the Phantom Boats would close during the day of January 15th, 1956.

At a meeting of the Disneyland Merchant's Association (held January 25, 1956), the “development of Boat Ride in Tomorrowland” was announced. A few months later, the Phantom Boats would make a brief return for what was predicted to be a peak summer period (from July 1956 to approximately August of 1956). Partially owing to the reopening of the Phantom Boats (and their maximum guest capacity), “The Complete Guide To Disneyland” (published 1957) states that “On one day on the month of August, 1956, Disneyland’s visitors took a total of 25,000 boat trips on the Park’s seven water rides.” By August of 1956, the Phantom Boats attraction featured the greatest number of water vehicles (than all six other Disneyland aquatic-based attractions put together). So, we can conclude (without a doubt) that the Phantom Boats contributed to this impressive figure!

“Although their retro design, featuring large ‘space age’ - inspired tail fins, was appealing, their high operating costs and constant maintenance problems were not,” according to “Disneyland: Now, Then, and Forever” by Bruce Gordon & Tim O’day. Now, those issues of the overheating outboard motors could not be resolved, so the Phantom Boats would become one of the shortest-lived Disneyland attractions, and hold the distinction as one of the first attractions to be completely removed from Disneyland. The attraction would experience a “Show Failure” situation and go “101.” However, the Phantom Boats would soon be replaced by yet another aquatic-based, nautical-themed attraction!

For one reason (or another), those who were present as Guests or “Disneylanders” in 1955, would not soon forget the Phantom Boats! In fact, a few legendary Disneylanders (like Broney Ciesluk) began their Disneyland career, assigned to the Phantom Boats. As a “sidelight”, Broney moved on to operate the Submarines (another nautical adventure Imagineered on the same location) and would thereafter spend much of his 28 years of service as the Supervisor of the Disneyland Record Center.

For one reason (or another), those who were present as Guests or “Disneylanders” in 1955, would not soon forget the Phantom Boats! In fact, a few legendary Disneylanders (like Broney Ciesluk) began their Disneyland career, assigned to the Phantom Boats. As a “sidelight”, Broney moved on to operate the Submarines (another nautical adventure Imagineered on the same location) and would thereafter spend much of his 28 years of service as the Supervisor of the Disneyland Record Center.

Before we move on, I would like to highlight how fortunate for Disneyland historians, that the Costa Mesa Historical Society has created this helpful homage to preserve the memory of many forgotten (and seldom mentioned) contributors to Disneyland development! Unbeknownst to many Guests, a number of local coastal businesses contributed to the construction of nautical-themed Disneyland attractions. The Jungle River Cruise’s boat hulls, Tom and Huck’s Rafts, the Storybook Land Canal Boats, and the Motor Boats were all built by local Newport Beach and Costa Mesa manufacturers.

With that, our story takes us about 19 miles south of Disneyland, to Newport Beach.

This structure is important to the next incarnation of Tomorrowland’s nautical-themed adventure, because it was once home to Bob Dorris Boatworks! Today the location (not far from Cannery Village) is home to the cozy Alta Coffee Warehouse, in Newport, California.

Bob Dorris (a young, established, Costa Mesa boat builder) and his wife lived upstairs, while the lower level held an office. Here, Bob created and realized the naval designs of many beautiful yachts, checking their figures and measurements. Here, Bob created designs for the local Beach Lifeguard Rescue Unit - a boat christened with the name Sea Watch! During the 1950s and 1960s, Sea Watch handled well in rough waters and rip tides, and participated in more than 3,500 rescues, towing 200 disabled boats to safety. Bob also designed a boat for the Orange County Fire Department, and even designed a tug boat built for Newport Harbor Shipyard. Of course, Bob also had a hand in fabricating some of the most-recognized boats of Disneyland. In fact, though his name is seldom mentioned in regard to Disneyland, many iconic and colorful watercraft which helped assure Disneyland’s “first fabulous decade,” were built right here by Bob Dorris!

Most of the rigorous physical labor and construction was carried out outside, in Bob’s wood shop on the sandlot. This covered boatyard was the site on which many of Disneyland’s watercraft were worked on - Tom Sawyer Island Rafts, Canal Boats, Fantasyland’s Motor Boats, and even the original Jungle River Cruise boat hulls (evident through brief scenes appearing in “A Pre-Opening Report From Disneyland”). This was also the birthplace of the “U-Drive Boats” that cruised guests through the waters of the Motorboat Lagoon!

Joe Fowler and his team began research on an experimental “Airboat” considered to serve as a replacement for the Phantom Boats of Tomorrowland Lake ; or for use in the canal that ran along the north side of the Park). The team travelled to Florida to research the craft. Development concluded that the boats should be 25 feet long, with a 14 passenger capacity, and travel at a speed of 40 miles per hour.

During 1956, Robert Dorris Boat Works was already contracted to fabricate the rafts that would transport guests to the new Tom Sawyer Island attraction. Now, Robert Dorris Boat Works was asked to work on this experimental “Airboat.”

Meanwhile, marquee featuring coming attractions and even attraction posters soon featured the Airboat, coming June 2nd. The Air Boats were also featured in poster art, guidebooks, magazines, and even a map illustration appearing in the May 1956 Disneyland News.

Bruce Bushman (born Francis X. Bruce Bushman) attended Choinard Institute and was hired by Walt Disney Studios. He went on to fulfill the role of layout artist for several Walt Disney Productions. In 1954 Bruce served as layout artist for “Casey Bats Again,” “Social Lion,” and “Daisy’s Diary” (1954) before working on Walt Disney’s Disneyland! Bushman included the Airboats in his concept drawing for an attraction poster promoting the Skyway, which opened in 1956.

Bob Dorris constructed a scale-model, powered by a model air-plane engine and tested the tiny boat in Newport Harbor. Soon Bob began construction on a full-size hull constructed of plywood and covered with fiberglass. Engineer Ted Mangles (of MAMECO) attached a Jacobs 225-horsepower radial engine (used on crop dusters). The first Airboat (called the “Bayou”) was completed by April of 1956 and even appeared in Bruce Bushman and Bjorn Aaronson’s designs for the Skyway attraction poster. However, tests proved the Airboats to be quite loud.

After much research and development, the project was shelved for a couple of decades before being utilized in Florida.

You may recall hearing how Walt Disney, on the eve of Disneyland’s first day of operation, promised that “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow, to add new things, as long as there is imagination left in the world.” About two years later (during the spring of 1957), Bob Thomas, upon being invited to Walt Disney Studio enigmatically mentioned, “Walt gave me a preview of his ambitious plans at his Burbank studios. He showed models and sketches…plans call for a revamped speedboat ride.” A month later, his comments were published in one Associated Press article “Plan Trip Into Drop of Water, Liberty Square for Disneyland” (by Bob Thomas, published April 20, 1957). By this time, the big innovation being developed for the aquatic area was well under way and visible to Disneyland guests.

Now, Robert Dorris Boat Works was (again) called upon to create a new fleet of motor boats, to replace the Phantom Boats. Each fiberglass and wooden boat had an overall length 12 ft. 6 inches; Beam 5 ft. 2 Inches. The craft was propelled by a one-cylinder water cooled gasoline engine.

Pictured (above) are the fleet of the near-complete Motor Boat Cruise motorboats in a Backstage area, before their big debut! As mentioned, the entire fleet of these U-Drive Boats was constructed by Bob Dorris, whose work was already prevalent around Disneyland by this time. His company was previously responsible for the original fleet of Canal Boats (of the Canal Boats of the World and later Story Book Land Canal Boats).

To support this massive expansion, Disneyland, Inc. required a loan through Bank of America. By September of 1958, a Park-wide appraisal was conducted of all cash, accounts receivable, employee benefits, liabilities, deposits, advances, stockholder’s equity, Park assets (including land, adjoining properties, service areas, and utilities), and even those aforementioned jobs in progress.

During the summer, on June 6, 1957, and after a 9-month refurbishment, excursions of the craft began on enlarged waterways between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Guests could now navigate their very own Motor Boat through treacherous white-water rapids and tricky swift currents belonging to the controlled channels of the Fantasyland River locatedbetween Fantasyland and Tomorrowland!

Plans were drawn for new metal bumper strips along the Loading Area.

The admission for Motor Boat Cruise was one “C” Coupon (35 cents).

Now, many attractions had both a Tomorrowland and Fantasyland station (and queue) to them. The Skyway had two stations - one in Fantasyland and one in Tomorrowland. The Viewliner Train of Tomorrow had trains themed around Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The Autopia Freeway of the Future would come to include both a Fantasyland Autopia track and a Tomorrowland Autopia Track. The same would come to be true of the Motor Boat Cruise! By 1958, “two complete Motorboat Cruises have been designed on a new lake in the Fantasyland area. Guests pilot their own boats through whitewater rapids and rock-filled currents on this winding, swiftly-moving stream.”

Disneylander and ”55er” Maynard Swenson worked on the Motor Boats for a time, trying to keep the boats operating.

For a brief year, Motorboats cruised under the wooden trestles of that carried passengers of the Viewliner Train of Tomorrow between Fantasyland to Tomorrowland!

The waterways of the Fantasyland River were home to rocky, turbulent rapids, which Motor Boats would successfully navigate! During the 1960s, the surface and shoreline of the Tomorrowland waterways were tended to regularly to retrieve papers and wrappers that were accidentally dropped or sometimes thrown in. The water itself was constantly being filtered and replenished.

By 1958, Disneyland continued to grow and expand, and some changes were in store for the Fantasyland River and its nautical-themed Motor Boat Cruise. Soon after the Viewliner Train of Tomorrow ceased operation (in September of 1958), the rails and wooden trestles were removed. The following year (1959), land allocated for the Submarine Voyage Thru Liquid Space (and its Submarine Lagoon) replaced most of the area that was previously occupied by the Phantom Boats and the Fantasyland River.

The land was graded, and a new ride system was designed by Arrow Development. In a Backstage area, the Motor Boat Cruise attraction was given its very own Naval Yard, complete with Dry Dock and a Shop for maintenance and repair of the Motor Boats! In this location, the 40 Motor Boats would be among 100 boats that were “reworked” annually (from 1955 to 1965), according to Disneyland Backstage (Summer, 1965). “Patch work is done throughout the summer and the permanent patch work in the fall of the year.” For now (early in 1959; before opening), the gasoline-driven, track-guided Motorboats adventure was appraised, the lagoon valued at $152,900 and the vehicles (with equipment) valued at $89,800.

The big day came, and two all-new thrilling Motor Boat Cruises were accounted as one of “six spectacular adventures” to debut in June of 1959"! Though the attraction had been around since 1957, it now featured an extended route underneath the Monorail beam way. Beneath the monorail, two new lakes were created in order for guests to take “memorable Motorboat Cruises through rapids and rushing ‘white water’ to serene mirror-like lagoons.”

By 1959, Joe Fowler was Vice President of Disneyland Operations Committee and Doc Lemmon of Disneyland Operations was overseeing Operators of Rides & Amusements (like the Motor Boat Cruise), Livestock, Parking Lot, and Ticket Sellers.

The theatrical release of the 25-minute technicolor, Buena Vist film announced the debut of “Six Spectacular New Adventures” to movie-goers across the United States, in 1959. Among these new adventures - the Motor Boat Cruise!

This excerpt of the colorfully rendered one-sheet, was produced for the theatrical release of a film created to promote the Disneyland debuts of 1959. Many of the attractions featured were of Tomorrowland.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes came when the location of the “new” attraction was re-defined! Though the Motor Boat Cruise’s route previously overlapped with the Viewliner Train of Tomorrow, and currently crossed paths (or came near) the Disneyland ®️ ALWEG Monorail, the Tomorrowland Autopia, and Submarine Voyage, the attraction was actually located in Fantasyland. Walt Disney’s Pictorial Souvenir Book of Disneyland (published 1965) account the Motor Boat Cruise as one of Fantasyland’s “exciting adventures”. Much later, maps like the Dial Guide to the Magic Kingdom (published c. 1970) still identified the location of this attraction in Fantasyland!

(Pictured Above : Oleanders bordering the Motor Boat Ride provide a colorful floral display as separate the boat ride from adjacent activities.)

Just beyond the entrance to the Motor Boat Cruise (to the left), you’ll notice a Souvenir Stand where guests could find nautical themed Disneyland souvenirs. To the right you’ll notice oleanders which form a partition. According to Disneyland World of Flowers (published 1965) : “Much of the…wall around the Motor Boat ride is composed of oleander, a mainstay of warm climate gardening. Native to the Mediterranean, it is equally at home in such diverse locales as Phoenix and Waikiki Beach. In Disneyland it is generously employed in the landscape both as a summer bouquet and for…screening. Oleanders are rapid growers and can be trained in various forms, either as a shrub, hedge, or tree.”

“Motor Boat Maintenance”

Nightly the pools and fountains of the Motor Boat Cruise were cleaned.

Rehabs were planned to follow the Disneyland waterway flow: (1) Storybook Land Canal, (2) Motor Boat Cruise, (3) Sleeping Beauty Castle Moat, (4) Rivers of America, and (5) Jungle Cruise.

Around 1982-83, a typical Motor Boat Cruise Job Sequence Sheet described rehabilitation work like transporting boats from the Service Garage to the Sub Dry Dock, locating them by hoist, placing the boats in the water and removing the boats to be rehabbed. Next came the preparation and cleaning of the boats for their operation. This would have been repeated every two weeks until all 40 boats were rehabbed.

Extra Motor Boats were stored hear during a non-peak day, and off-season weekdays. For instance, during the 1962-1963 winter season, the Motor Boat Cruise operated only on weekends.

Here, the oleanders block non-operational Motor Boats from the view of guests. In this area, the hoods were often left ajar to ventilate and cool the outboard motors. In another part of the Park (called the Disneyland Service Garage, or the “Autopia Garage”), the 40 Motorboats were cared for by mechanics. By c.1989, there were nine mechanics performing this duty. There, the vehicles received daily maintenance and cyclical rehabilitation. Each year, 20 (of the 40) Motorboats were stripped down to bare parts and entirely rebuilt as brand new vehicles. Meanwhile, the Cycle Shop would refurbish the body with a new coat of paint.

Regular rehabilitations (like in ‘78) maintained the show quality. Since it costs a fortune to drain the ride, Machinists (or highly skilled craftsmen) would learn scuba diving, and dive down to where the action is to check the equipment and the rails.

Disneyland Guests temporarily enjoyed the 20¢ value of passage aboard the Motor Boat Cruise. This was a decrease from the attraction’s previous 35¢ value, and a change from the previous “C” Coupon status.

During the period spanning a portion of 1964 to 1966, Motor Boat Cruise fare was equated with flight in a Tomorrowland Jet (a short-lived name for the AstroJets) and admission to Walt Disney’s “The Art of Animation” a temporary traveling exhibit in Tomorrowland! During this time, the general cost of admission was increased to 25¢, which remained constant almost until Coupon books were discontinued.

“55er” Dave Bartchard recalled: "I was very impressed when we transferred the vehicles to natural gas. They asked for my opinion about it and I said that I favored the change because I like clean air. The Omnibus was the first to go over to natural gas, then the Jungle boats, and the Motor Boats, Rafts and the Keel Boats followed along. We couldn't do it for the Submarines because there was no place to put the tanks.”

The attraction was down for rehabilitation from Apr. 29-May 10, 1963.

Excursions usually began during the late morning.

During warmer weather, the Motor Boats tended to overheat. In this case, the hood was left ajar for ventilation during operation.

New “Bouy Locatons” were prepared for the relocation of water level markers, in November 1970. The water levels were calculated from the slips to the dock, after which, the locations of (34) stainless steel eyelets (for securing the bouys) were detailed. When these plans were completed, they were issued for construction estimates.

A little later, safety railings were added in the loading area to assist guests and prevent falling.

You may have heard otherwise, but the popular Motorboat Cruise generally had long lines during warm weather!

The boats of the late 1970s and early 1980s were built at Walt Disney Studio, and carried such names as “Faline”, “Flora”, “Shaggy Dog”, and “Queen of Hearts”, to name a few.

Once departing from the Loading Dock, plaques on the dashboard still reminded passengers of safety protocol while riding the Motor Boats. For those who can’t read the sign, I would like to issue the following reminder : “Permanece sentado por favor!”

The Submarine Lagoon, the Super Autopia Freeways, and Motor Boat white-water channels passed alongside each other.

Fantasia Gardens topiary water gardens attraction would ultimately open at Disneyland, replacing the Motor Boat Cruise. 

Walt acknowledged “Everything here at Disneyland and the Studio is a team effort.”Countless Disneyland Cast Members have contributed to the Motor Boat Cruise stage, like Mike O’Brien (one-time Foreman, c.1966). Many notable Disneylanders had a privileged part in the Motor Boats rotation - the set order of operating positions established by the attraction's Working Lead. One such was Debbie.

“I became a ride operator in 1978, but hadn't been trained on Motorboats for maybe a year (I was learning other rides), so [I eventually started operating the Motor Boats around]…1979. Many of the rides were paired up to work, so if you were scheduled on Teacups, you rotated through both Teacups and Mr. Toad every hour. Motorboat [Cruise] was an exception. Because it was off by itself, it didn't share a rotation. Also, Motoboats was one of the few area attractions that remained open during the Fantasyland remodel.

The uniforms were better than what the rest of Fantasyland had to wear! They had shorts and white knee socks!

Duties were the same as other rides. There was a position for grouping guests into boats and another for operating the panel. By pushing a button corresponding to a number on the dock, you could stop or release a boat. So, once riders were seated you could open the "gate" and let them go. One busy day, both sides of the main dock were open and it required 4 people to work. On a quiet day or night (we had those back then!) One person could handle it, but there were always two for the purpose of breaks. The adding or removing of boats from the track was done depending on the crowd that day. Boats were released from the track and we had a long pole with a hook to maneuver the boat around the smaller dock to park it. Once in awhile this resulted in the ride operator falling in!”

[This] “picture was taken before we were abandoned. One of the guys just thought it would be funny to climb in the engine compartment.“

“Summers were fun because you worked the same shift with the same crew and really got to know each other. We decided to get some group photos and came up with the idea of riding all the way around the route and each of us jumping out on a rock. This required careful planning and an extra person to take the photo AND ride a boat around to pick us up. The picture came out great, but the rescuer sent an EMPTY boat to get us, so no one to step on the accelerator.”

“It's a pretty long ride when idling and all we could do was wait. It was in the morning before opening so employees at other rides were busy themselves. We were also at the far end of the dock where anyone passing by would likely not see us. it was a long wait and that boat came around at about opening time. Thankfully Motorboats is not a ride guests run to first and our lead was with us, so no getting in any kind of trouble!”

Perhaps you had the pleasure of performing a supporting role on the Motor Boat Cruise.

The Motor Boat Cruise was still listed on batches of May, 1981 tickets (bearing the date code 815). However, beginning June 20, 1981, the Disneyland Passport included unlimited use of this attraction too!

A part of the “Ten Year Master Plan” of growth for Disneyland was a unique Fantasia-like attraction entitled “The Garden of the Gods.” By May 1961, the ride-through adventure was master planned by Marc Davis (who worked from D-Wing office at Walt Disney Studios) and Claude Coats. The ride was scheduled, researched, and developed to replace the Motor Boat Cruise. Proving that nothing ever dies, the idea was later adapted for a development that would have replaced the Swan Boats at The Magic Kingdom, after their closure in 1983.

On March 15, 1990, the Motor Boat Cruise (with its 1,125 lb. Motor Boats) was briefly renamed and re-themed to “Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen” in honor of “The Disney Afternoon Live! at Disneyland.” In Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen guests follow Cubbi Gummi and his friends as they produce a new batch of Gummiberry Juice. Guests needed to beware of Duke Igthom and his evil ogres!

But ultimately, Disneyland Guests would embark on their last Motor Boat Cruise on January 11, 1993. That same month, another aquatic attraction would open in its place - Fantasia Gardens topiary water garden, preserving the name of the aforementioned undeveloped attraction.

Through the years, Guests have enjoyed the outdoor seating area of Fantasia Gardens (located across from the Matterhorn) as one of the quieter nooks in the Park. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Imagineers have reviewed the area as a potential site of a “New Magic Opportunity” yielding dramatic, efficient, quality enhancements to the Disneyland Show. For instance, back in 2008, WDI Master Planners entertained the idea of a Tinkerbell and the fairies theme at the Motorboat Lagoon in some sort of “Entertainment/Foods & Merchandise” collaboration.

This is the site of Fantasia Gardens (and the former Motor Boat Cruise Dock) as it looked at the time of publishing this article (c. 2018). I can neither deny nor confirm the following legend that some Disneyland Cast Members relate, how “on particular dark and misty mornings, you can see the distant sails of a Phantom Boat skipping about, accompanied by the faint hum of an outboard motor.”