The Back Lot. Props & Scenic Backdrops—Frank Millington, Chuck Fowler, Hank Dains, Marshall Smelser.
location
Above Crystal Arts.
backstory
This window pays tribute to the early design team for Walt Disney World.
Fense Bros., Attorneys at Law—D. Fense O. Fense, Partners—Legal Associates: Neal McClure, Dick Morrow, Spence Olin, Jim Ross, Phil Smith.
location
Above Crystal Arts.
backstory
This window holds a special place in my heart, as it honors numerous attorneys who have assisted the Disney company over the years. The listing includes Dick Morrow, who served as general counsel for the Disney company during the 1970s and 1980s.
Seven Summits Expeditions—Frank G. Wells, President—“For Those Who Want to Do It All.”
location
Above Crystal Arts.
backstory
Frank Wells served as president of the Disney company from 1984 until his death due to a helicopter crash in 1994. Wells famously partnered with Michael Eisner, who served as chairman of the board and CEO. Being an adventurer, Wells sought to climb the seven highest summits in the world within the same year. He fell one short (Mt. Everest). Wells’ window pays tribute to this quest, and it is also the “highest” window in the Magic Kingdom.
M.T. Lott Co. Real Estate Investments—“A Friend in Deeds is a Friend Indeed”—Donn Tatum, President—Subsidiaries: Tomahawk Properties, Latin American Development, Ayefour Corporation, Bay Lake Properties, Reedy Creek Ranch Lands, Compass East Corporation.
location
Above Crystal Arts.
backstory
Donn Tatum served as president of the Disney company during the construction of Walt Disney World. This window pays homage to the secretive way by which the company acquired thousands of acres of land in central Florida for the development of Disney World. In order to keep the name “Disney” out of the mix, and thereby prevent property values from soaring, Disney established numerous shell company subsidiaries to make the acquisitions, including the entity names listed on the window. Humorously, “Ayefour” is a tribute to I-4, the major interstate route that was a driving force behind the selection of central Florida as the location for Walt Disney World.
Central Casting—“No Shoes Too Large to Fill”—James Pasilla, Director—Tom Eastman, Pat Vaughn.
location
Above the Main Street Cinema.
backstory
These individuals made substantial contributions to the training programs for Walt Disney World cast members.
Sawyer Fence Painting—Tom Nabbe—Proprietor—Anaheim, California—Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
location
Above the Main Street Cinema.
backstory
Tom Nabbe’s forty-eight year career with the Disney company started when he became a “newsie,” selling The Disneyland News to guests at the age of twelve. He then became the “Luckiest Boy in the World” and played the role of Tom Sawyer at Disneyland, later transitioning to Walt Disney World where he retired as a manager of distribution services at the age of 60.
Big Top Theatrical Productions—“Famous Since ’55”—Shows for World’s Fairs and International Expositions—Claude Coats, Marc Davis, John de Cuir, Bill Justice.
location
Above the Main Street Athletic Club / Hall of Champions.
backstory
This window pays tribute to two of the most famous Imagineers in Disney history, Claude Coats and Marc Davis. Among other accomplishments, they combined their talents to create iconic Disney attractions like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Justice also worked on numerous famed attractions including Peter Pan’s Flight, Hall of Presidents, and the Country Bear Jamboree.
Roy E. Disney—Sailmaker—Sailing Lessons—Specializing in the Gentlemanly Sport of Racing at Sea Aboard the Ketch Peregrina—Patty Disney, First Mate—Roy—Patrick—Abigail—Susan, Timothy.
location
Above the Main Street Bakery.
backstory
Roy E. Disney was the nephew of Walt Disney and the son of Roy O. Disney. As the window makes reference, Roy was an avid sailing enthusiast. Patty was Roy’s wife, and the window also lists their children.
Magic Kingdom Casting Agency—“It takes People to Make the Dream a Reality”—Open Since ’71—Walter Elias Disney, Founder & Director Emeritus.
location
First-floor door between Disney Clothiers and Main Street Fashion and Apparel.
backstory
In what may be my personal favorite window, this tribute honors all of the Disney cast members who have contributed to Walt Disney World since its opening day of October 1, 1971.
Yucatan Engine Works—“Highest Grade Steam Power”—Boiler & Engine Specialists—Earl Vilmer, Consultant.
location
Above Main Street Fashion and Apparel.
backstory
Earl Vilmer oversaw the refitting of the steam locomotives for the Walt Disney World Railroad after the Disney company purchased them from the United Railways of the Yucatan.
The Original Dick Nunis Gym—Turkish Baths—Massage Parlor—24 Hour Service—Supervisor Dick Nunis—Night Manager Ron Miller—Masseur O. Ferrante.
location
Above the Main Street Bakery.
backstory
Only elite athletes would need a twenty-four-hour massage facility, and Nunis, Miller, and Ferrante all met that requirement. All three of these high ranking Disney executives played football at the University of Southern California, and Miller and Ferrante also played in the National Football League.
Family Mortgage Trust—Municipal Stocks and Bonds—Loans and Debentures—Interest Low; Terms Favorable; No Dodges—Nolan Browning, Counselor.
location
Above Upton Jewelers.
backstory
Nolan Browning was an attorney who introduced Roy O. Disney to the concept of convertible debentures, which the Disney company used to raise the needed capital to fund Walt Disney World.
Pseudonym Real Estate Development Company—Roy Davis, President—Bob Price, Vice-President—Bob Foster, Travelling Representative—Offices in: City of Lake Buena Vista—City of Bay Lake—Kansas City.
location
Above Uptown Jewelers.
backstory
This window is another tribute to the secretive process used by the Disney company to acquire land in Florida for Disney World. It makes specific reference to aliases used by Disney executives during that process. “Roy Davis” was the name used by Walt’s brother Roy O. Disney. “Bob Price” and “Bob Foster” were names used by Robert Price Foster, a prominent Disney attorney. Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake refer to the corporate municipalities established by Disney that, among other things, give it substantial control over internal functions such as road development, construction, and sanitation.
Jefferds’ Mail Order Service—We Sell—Trade Anything Under the Sun.
location
Above Uptown Jewelers.
backstory
Vince Jefferds worked to have Disney animation cels placed in a format where they could be sold outside of the theme parks, and for a substantially increased cost. He also worked extensively on Disney books.
The Big Wheel Co. “One-of-A-Kind”—Unicycles, Horseless Carriages—Dave Gengenbach, Bob Gurr, George McGinnis, Bill Watkins.
location
Above Main Street Fashion and Apparel.
backstory
This funny advertisement is themed perfectly for Imagineers who contributed to various ride systems used by Disney. In particular, Bob Gurr worked tirelessly on all forms of Disney transportation systems, from the monorails to the Haunted Mansion’s Doom Buggies.
B. Laval & Associates—“What We Build Together Can Last Forever.”
location
Above the Watch Shop.
backstory
&nbs
p; Laval was instrumental in developing Disney’s FastPass system that is used extensively by guests in Walt Disney World today.
The Main Street Diary—“True Tales of Inspiration”—Lee A. Cockerell, Editor-in-Chief.
location
Above the Watch Shop.
backstory
Lee Cockerell served as a senior operations executive for the Disney company. “Main Street Diary” is a reference to a weekly newsletter for cast members that Cockerell contributed to.
William and Sharon Lund Gallery—Exhibiting Only Authentic Works of Art—Genuine Antiques—Selected by Victoria, Bradford & Michelle.
location
Above the Watch Shop.
backstory
The window pays homage to Walt’s youngest daughter Sharon Disney Lund, her husband William Lund, and their three children. The window recognizes Sharon’s role as a trustee for the California Institute of the Arts.
Daughterland Modeling Agency—Instruction in the Arts & Crafts—“What Every Young Girl Should Know!”—Bob Sewell, Counselor—Malcolmb Cobb, Jack Fergus, Fred Joerger, Mitz Natsume.
location
Above the Watch Shop.
backstory
This window honors those who worked in the Imagineering model shop. Joerger was known for his rock work on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and his work on the Haunted Mansion. “Daughterland” refers to the fact that the model shop included many daughters of Disney executives in the 1960s.
Lazy M Cattle Company of Wyoming—Ron & Diane Miller & Partners Christopher, Joanna, Tamara, Jennifer, Walter, Ronald Jr., Patrick.
location
Above the Main Street Bakery.
backstory
This window pays tribute to Walt Disney’s eldest daughter, Diane Disney Miller, and her family. Her husband Ron served as president of Walt Disney Productions. “Lazy M” was the name of the couple’s cattle ranch in Wyoming.
Washo & Son—Stone Mason—Our Motto—“No Stone Unturned”—Bud Washo, Bill Washo.
location
Above the Main Street Bakery.
backstory
Bud and Bill Washo were a father-son team who worked for the Disney company, specializing in exterior façade and stone work.
Iwerks-Iwerks Stereoscopic Cameras—Repairs, Modifications—“No Two Exactly Alike”—Ub Iwerks, Don Iwerks.
location
Above the Main Street Bakery.
backstory
Ub Iwerks animated Plane Crazy, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon. He eventually worked on attractions such as “it’s a small world” and Hall of Presidents.
Peterson Travel Agency—Reservations by Cable Anywhere in the World—Passages Boarded by Sea & Rail—“Exclusive Representatives for the Titanic”—Jack Lindquist, Purser.
location
Above Disney Clothiers.
backstory
Jack Lindquist was vice president of Marketing for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Robinson’s Repairs—“No Job Too Large or Too Small”—Restorations and Renovations—Cecil Robinson, Proprietor.
location
Above Disney Clothiers.
backstory
Cecil Robinson was a Disney Imagineer who made substantial contributions to the development of Epcot.
Ridgway and Company, Public Relations—Charles Ridgway, Press Agent—“No Event Too Small.”
location
Above the Arcade.
backstory
Charles Ridgway was the first director of press and publicity for Walt Disney World. He oversaw numerous media events during his tenure, including the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 and EPCOT Center in 1982.
Main Str. Water Works—“Let Us Solve Your Plumbing Problems”—Control Systems, Maintenance—Ted Crowell, Chief Engineer—Arnold Lindberg, Foreign Rep.
location
Between Hall of Champions and Main Street Fashion and Apparel.
backstory
Crowell made substantial contributions to the Disney parks, including work on developing the system of queues for attractions and Disney’s original “A” through “E” ticket-book system.
Main Street Youth Athletic League—“Preparing Youngsters for the Game of Life”—Al Weiss, Head Coach.
location
Above Hall of Champions.
backstory
Al Weiss served as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for more than a decade.
Merchants Hotel—First Class Particulars—Steam Heat Throughout—Howard Roland, Furnishings—John Curry, Owner Representative—Stan Garnes, Engineering.
location
Above Casey’s Corner.
backstory
This group was in charge of developing Disney World’s first hotels, the Contemporary and the Polynesian Village.
Chinese Restaurant—Fine Food, Imported Tea—Jim Armstrong, Vegetable Buyer.
location
Above Casey’s Corner.
backstory
Armstrong was vice president of Resorts and Food Administration for Walt Disney World.
The Camelot Corp—Road Show Installations—Tony Baxter, Dave Burkhart, Ed Johnson, Gary Younger.
location
Above Casey’s Corner.
backstory
Tony Baxter’s numerous creative credits include design work for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Dave Burkhart worked as a show designer for such attractions as the Haunted Mansion and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage. Johnson was also a show designer, and Younger was a director of MAPO, the manufacturing arm for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Ralph Kent Collection: Fine Art and Collectibles—Anaheim—Lake Buena Vista—Tokyo.
location
Above Casey’s Corner.
backstory
Ralph Kent was a former head of Imagineering at Walt Disney World and other parks.
Community Service Recruitment Center—Bob Matheison—Quality, Integrity & Dedication.
location
Above The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.
backstory
Matheison’s long career with Disney included roles as manager of Guest Relations and talent manager for Disneyland and director of Operations for Walt Disney World.
Sully’s Safaris & Guide Service—Bill Sullivan, Chief Guide.
location
Above The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.
backstory
Bill “Sully” Sullivan’s career with the Disney company spanned almost four decades and concluded with him serving as an executive in charge of Operations in 1993.
FPC Academy—Featuring the Culinary Arts—Specializing in the 86 Steps to Gastronomical Expertise—Larry Slocum, Headmaster.
location
Above The Plaza Restaurant.
backstory
This appetizing window pays tribute to Larry Slocum, who served as the head of food services for Walt Disney World.
Walter E. Disney - Graduate School of Design & Master Planning—“We Specialize in Imagineering”—Headmaster, Richard Irvine—Dean of Design, John Hench—Instructors, Edward Brummitt, Marvin Davis, Fred Hope, Vic Greene, Bill Martin, Chuck Myall.
location
Above the Plaza Restaurant.
backstory
This window is a who’s who of Walt Disney Imagineers and executives who played critical roles in developing Walt Disney World, including Walt himself. Irvine served as vice president of Design for WED Enterprises (the predecessor of Walt Disney Imagineering) and oversaw the design work for Disney World. John Hench was also a key designer of Disney World as a whole, and for classic attractions such as Spaceship Earth and Space Mountain specifically.
chapter two
The Emporium / The Chapeau
Well, Nancy, the way I figure it is this world’s the only one we got till we move on to the next one, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with tellin’ somethin’ that’s a might off from the truth to make it more interestin.’
—Osh Popham, Summer Magic (1963)
Although Main Street, U.S.A. tells the overarching story of a turn-of-the-last-century small town growing from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, some shops on Main Street tell more specific stories set within that general time period. Two of these establishments, the Emporium and The Chapeau, are different in almost every way:
Variety of Goods. The Emporium is the “general store” of Main Street, selling goods of all shapes and sizes, from clothing and toys to candy and keepsakes. The Chapeau, on the other hand, is a niche shop specializing in only one commercial item: hats (Mickey ears, to be more specific).
Size. The Emporium is the largest gift and souvenir shop in the Magic Kingdom, spanning almost the entire left side of Main Street. The Chapeau is much smaller in scope, tucked away between the Main Street Confectionery and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant on the right side of Town Square.
Popularity. The Emporium is one of the most popular stores in the Magic Kingdom that, due to its vast offerings and ideal location, thousands of guests visit every day. The Chapeau, on the other hand, goes unnoticed by many Magic Kingdom guests due to its small size, limited offerings, and more secluded location.
Despite these differences, the Emporium and The Chapeau are forever linked by virtue of their connection to a Disney live-action film from the 1960s that, like Main Street, U.S.A., epitomizes the hope and optimism of small town America.
Backstory
Summer Magic
The film most closely tied to Main Street, U.S.A., and one from which it draws substantial inspiration, is Summer Magic, a 1963 Disney live-action film set in the early 20th century. Following the death of her husband, widow Margaret Carey must sell many of the family’s belongings and move her three children from Boston to the quaint town of Beulah, Maine. Margaret’s oldest child, teenager Nancy Carey, inquires about the “yellow house,” a romantic home that the Carey family fell in love with while on vacation in Beulah many years ago. The house is now empty and in a state of disrepair. Osh Popham is the caretaker of the yellow house and the postmaster, shopkeeper, constable, and general jack-of-all trades for Beulah. Due to a heartbreaking (and not altogether true) story written to Osh by Nancy, the kind-hearted Popham agrees to rent the yellow house to the Carey family for almost no rent and offers the family free products from his hardware store.
The Backstories and Magical Secrets of Walt Disney World Page 5