A Tale of Two Birthdays

First published July 22, 2004

By C. W. Oberleitner

Chuck Oberleitner checks in with a story about two birthday celebrations that took place last weekend, the 49th Anniversary of Disneyland, and the fifth anniversary of the opening of Walt's Barn, LA's Griffith Park.

A Very Merry Unbirthday!

Last Saturday, July 17, was Disneyland's 49^th birthday or anniversary depending on who you talk to. If you didn't know that already there was little in the park to tip you off to the fact that Disneyland was another year older. Cast members did wear buttons that said, "July 17, 2004 The Magic Began 49 Years Ago Today!" But, that was about it for signs that the first Magic Kingdom was having a birthday.

The only official event, last Saturday, to mark this occasion was the kickoff demonstration of the new Happiest Faces on Earth promotion. "The Happiest Faces on Earth . . . A Disney Family Album" is actually part of the ongoing preparation for Disneyland's eighteen month long 50^th Anniversary celebration. The worldwide 50^th Anniversary celebration begins May 5, of next year and will be preceded by the unprecedented closing of Disneyland—to get ready for the big day—on May 4. Disney's California Adventure will, however, be open for business as usual that day.

Happiest Faces on Earth is an invitation to people around the world to send in their favorite Disney and or Disneyland memories in the form of photographs, snapshots or digital images (both old and recent). Their submissions will be woven together to create "The Happiest Faces on Earth . . . A Disney Family Album," a series of unique photo collages of classic Disney characters and images from the last half century.

The kick-off ceremony took place in front of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle around ten AM. Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet joined approximately 1,100 Disneyland Cast Members, plus their friends and families, in formally launching the new program by holding aloft individual photos that formed a gigantic mosaic image of a smiling, waving Mickey Mouse.

"Starting today on the 49th anniversary of Disneyland and extending through December 31 of this year we invite everyone in the world to send us their most treasured and special Disney photos, especially those of their unforgettable visits to Disneyland ," said Ouimet. "This is an amazing program that will allow everybody to become part of this one-of-a-kind tapestry of memories during our upcoming milestone 50th anniversary."

Collages, similar to the one created last Saturday, will be on exhibit throughout the Disneyland Resort for the 18-month duration of the worldwide celebration of Disneyland's 50^th Anniversary. No details were given out as to the exact number of collages or which characters would be given the mosaic treatment. One Disneyland spokesman did say that the images would most likely be, "themed to the land you find them in. Maybe, say Davey Crockett for Frontierland."

Here's the big news, other than your time and effort, participation in the Happiest Faces on Earth program doesn't appear to cost anything. You can mail, e-mail or upload your photos. There are a few simple rules and you will have to sign a release form for the use of your picture(s). You can find complete details at this link.

Following the kick-off of Happiest Faces on Earth Disneyland quickly returned to normal summer Saturday operations. If you arrived after the Hub and entrance to Sleeping Beauty's Castle were reopened you never would have known that the Walt Disney Company had done anything to mark this day. There were, however, plenty of reminders that work is already underway for Disneyland's 50^th Anniversary.

A Second LA Disney Birthday Celebration

As most fans of all things Disney know, Walt Disney had a miniature railroad in his backyard which he dubbed the Carolwood Pacific, named after the street his Holmby Hills home was situated on. In addition to the large-scale, live steam railroad, Walt had a barn built from which he could monitor and control the 2,615 feet of track that made up his railroad. The barn also served as a workshop and a place for Walt to relax.

After the death of Lillian Disney, in 1997, the Holmby Hills home was sold. The new owners had no interest in retaining the barn but were willing to allow the family to relocate it. In 1999, Diane Disney Miller, Walt and Lillian Disney's surviving daughter, contacted the members of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society about the possibility of preserving the barn. The CPHS's members are dedicated to preserving Walt Disney's railroading legacy.

With the help of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society the barn was relocated to the grounds of the LA Live Steamers at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California where it serves as a museum dedicated to Walt Disney's railroad legacy. The barn is filled with Walt's personal railroad memorabilia, tools and other artifacts, plus other scale model railroad displays belonging to or in tribute to Disney animators & legends, members of the Los Angeles Live Steamers, and members of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society.

Walt's Barn was officially dedicated on July 18, 1999. Since that time it has played host to over 10,000 visitors. The barn has also served as a learning center and has featured programs with such Disney legends as Ward Kimball, Ollie Johsnston, Roy Disney, Bob Gurr, Margaret Kerry and Bobby Burgess.

On July 18, 2004, with the sounds of LA Live Steamers large-scale trains running in the background, the CPHS celebrated "Five Years of Magical Memories" at Walt's Barn. Unlike Disneyland's 49^th birthday, the celebration at Walt's Barn included birthday cake, balloons and festive party decorations.

While tiny in comparison to Disneyland crowds, hundreds of Walt's fans and admirers poured through the tiny barn and lingered over its many railroading and Disney exhibits. Parents and grandparents, who remember Walt and his love of railroading from the "Disneyland" and "Wonderful World of Color" television shows brought their children and grandchildren to watch clips from those shows and see examples of the rolling stock from Walt's railroad up close.

"This anniversary marks a significant accomplishment for CPHS", said Terry Lynn, Walt's Barn Crew Chief. "We're proud to have volunteers who come out month after month to keep this legacy alive and having been here since the beginning, I encourage folks to come out… as you never know what might happen at Walt's Barn."

The CPHS opens Walt's Barn for tours to the public on the third Sunday of every month. In the words of Michael Broggie, author of Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom, "It's the only free Disney attraction in Southern California."

C'ya real soon!