True Story: Once I walked into City Hall in Disneyland and asked if there was an official list of the Windows of Main Street, not really sure what to expect. To my surprise, the very sweet Cast Member said yes and printed out a 43 page document for me titled “Disneyland: Main Street Windows and other Tributes.” So thank you so much Disneyland for making my day and giving me a great piece of Disney history for me to geek out over.
In a previous post about comparing the Main Streets of the different Disney Parks around the world, I mentioned Main Street, USA is set up like the opening credits to the rest of Disneyland. A main aspect of this concept are the Windows of Main Street. Many of the windows of the buildings along Main Street are dedications to the people who were instrumental in the planning, designing, building, and shaping of Disneyland. And in true “all in the details” Disney fashion, instead of just printing their names, these important people have become fictional citizens of Main Street with their window advertising for their fictional business. In most cases, their fictional business is related to what their actual job was in building Disneyland or their personal interests.
Each window is listed under their location. The inscription is provided with the honoree’s name in bold and a brief description about their work with Disney. Since there are dozens of windows, this post will be split into two parts: West Side and East Side of Main Street, USA.
West Side of Main Street
Tour Guide Gardens:
Founded 1955
Price is Right Land Company
Call on our Numbers Man for the Best Price
Harrison “Buzz” Price
Founder & Finder
We Never Say No
Yes Makes More Sense
Harrison “Buzz” Price helped Walt Disney pick the optimal locations for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the never-realized Mineral King ski resort, making him one of Walt’s most trusted advisor. Later on, he helped with the site selection for Tokyo Disneyland. Buzz was named a Disney Legend in 2003.
City Hall:
Id Somniate Id Facite
Main Street
College of Arts & Sciences
Est. 1852
Martin A. Sklar, Dean
Inspiring the Dreamers and Doers of Tomorrow
Marty Sklar worked for the Walt Disney Company for 54 years. He began in 1955 and retired on Disneyland’s 54th anniversary in 2009, receiving his Main Street window that same day. Beginning in public relations, Marty soon became Walt’s personal scriptwriter and worked on the shows for the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair. In 1974, Marty became the creative leader of Disney Imagineering and was actively involved with all the Disney parks around the world. He was named a Disney Legend in 2001.
J.B. Lindquist
Honorary Mayor of Disneyland
“Jack of all Trades / Master of Fun”
Jack Lindquist was the first advertising manager at Disneyland. He later became the vice president of marketing for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. In 1990, Jack became the president of Disneyland and was named a Disney Legend in 1994.
Emporium:
The Artisans Loft
Handmade Miniatures by
Harriet Burns
Fondly remembered as Disney’s first female Imagineer, Harriet Burns began her career designing and building models for Disneyland’s earliest attractions. She built the miniature sets for Storybook Land Canal Boats and was one of the Imagineers to work on the first audio-animatronics, the Enchanted Tiki Room birds. Harriet worked on the scale models for iconic Disney attractions such as the Haunted Mansion. She was named a Disney Legend in 2000.
Partners Portrait Gallery
Charles Boyer
Master Illustrator
Charles Boyer was Disneyland’s first full-time artist. He illustrated advertising art, magazine covers, merchandise packaging and more. He also created Partners, a painting of Walt and Mickey holding hands that was the inspiration for the famous statue found in multiple Disney parks. Charles was named a Disney Legend in 2005.
Coats & Co.
Claude Coats Proprietor
Big & Tall Sizes for Gentlemen
Claude Coats joined the Walt Disney Studios as a background artist in 1935. He worked on almost 40 animated features and featurettes. In 1955, he joined WED Enterprises and was first tasked with creating a model for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. He went on to work on the Submarine Voyage, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas. He then worked on the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Tokyo Disneyland in the 1970s and 1980s. Claude was 6’6”, hence the Big and Tall reference in his window. He was named a Disney Legend in 1991.
Elias Disney
Contractor
Est. 1895
Elias Disney was Walt and Roy’s father. He started a contracting business in Chicago in 1895 and built houses that were designed by his wife, Flora. The Disney family lived in one of these houses where Walt was born in 1901.
New Century Jewelry & Clock Shop:
You’ll Cut “A” Fine Figure
Wathel Rogers
Menswear
Eventually known as Mr. Audio-Animatronic, Wathel Rogers started his Disney career in animation in 1939. He moved to Imagineering in 1954 and became a founding member of the Model Shop. One of his greatest achievements was creating Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln for the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair. Later he was the first field art director at Walt Disney World. Wathel was named a Disney Legend in 1995.
Good Neighbor Foundation
“Caring & Giving Come From the Heart”
Mrs. M.A. Mang, Director
Mary Anne Mang wrote Walt Disney a letter in 1960 asking for a job. She was then offered a position at the sales promotion department at the Disneyland Hotel before transferring to Disneyland to work at the Convention and Tour Sales department. In 1972, she became the first woman at Disneyland to be promoted to a manager position as the Public Relations manager. Mary Anne was one of the founding Cast Members of the VoluntEar program which encourages Cast Members to do community service. She was named a Disney Legend in 2005.
C.V. Patterson MD
W.F. Allen MD
D.S. Gilmore MD
E.G. Upjohn MD
Located above what was the Upjohn Pharmacy, and is now the jewelry shop, these windows honour executives of the Upjohn Company, one of the original Disneyland sponsors. The Upjohn Pharmacy was more of an exhibit than a shop, showcasing old-fashion medicine. Both Don Gilmore and Everett Upjohn were personal friends of Walt’s.
West Center Street Restrooms:
Main Street Gym
Christopher D. Miller
Turkish Baths
Massage Parlor
Christopher Miller was Walt’s grandson, the oldest son of Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller. The Main Street Gym is a reference to Ron’s athleticism and his brief time playing for the Los Angeles Rams before Walt persuaded him to work at the Disney Studios.
Carnation Café:
Decorative Fountains & Waterworks
by Fred Joerger
Fred Joerger started working for Disney in 1953 and soon became a part of the Model Shop with Harriet Burns and Wathel Rogers. He created models for attractions such as the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Fred was well known for his realistic rockwork which can be seen on attractions such as the Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. After retiring in 1979, Fred soon returned to work as a field art director for Epcot. He was named a Disney Legend in 2001.
Milady Fashions
Renie
Hollywood costume designer Renié Conley was asked by Walt to design the costumes for Disneyland’s Cast Members. She designed costumes to complement the different themed lands and she also designed the elaborate wardrobes of stage performers. Renié went on to win as Oscar for her designs in Cleopatra (1963).
Old Settler’s Gold Dredging
Ed Winger, Proprietor
Ed Winger was a member of Club 55, a group of Cast Members who started working at Disneyland on opening day and had a long career with the park. Over his 33 year career, Ed worked many jobs including supervisor of the Paint Department and the Mill and Sign shops. His window dedication is a reference to the passed-out moonshiner, whom Ed was the model for, who used to be in front of the once-ever-burning cabin on Tom Sawyer Island.
Farmers Land Co.
Real Estate and Ins.
Since 1864
United Audit
Bookkeeping
Accounts Audits
Royal Clark, Mgr.
Royal “Mickey” Clark was Walt’s personal accountant before becoming the vice president and treasurer of WED Enterprises (the precursor to Disney Imagineering) when it was founded in 1952. Later he became treasurer of Walt’s private company, RETLAW Enterprises.
Theatrical Agency
Golden Vaudeville Routines
Wally Boag, Prop.
Wally Boag entertained guests of all ages as Pecos Bill at the Golden Horseshoe Revue for 27 years. When he retired, he had appeared in almost 40,000 performances which put him in the Guinness Book of World Records. He also made appearances in a few Disney movies and TV shows, as well as voiced José the parrot in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Wally was named a Disney Legend in 1995.
Candy Palace:
ABC Auditing
ABC Typing
Acme Business College
ABC Shorthand
ABC network was one of the original investors in Disneyland. At opening, they owned one third of the park and held exclusive rights to broadcast a weekly series produced by Walt Disney called Disneyland which debuted October 27, 1954. Walt bought back the shares in 1960 and moved his show to NBC, but the Walt Disney Company later merged with ABC in 1995.
Refreshment Corner:
Club 55
School of Golf
Bob Penfield
Instructor
Bob Penfield was the last working member of Club 55. He started his Disney career as an attractions host at King Arthur Carrousel. At retirement, Bob was the field superintendent in construction services. His window dedication is a nod to his efforts organizing the company’s golf tournaments.
Have you noticed these Windows on Main Street before? What are some of your favourite Disney details?
Check out part two: Windows on Main Street: East Side!
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