The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (240 page)

P.O. Box 578

Yosemite National Park, CA  95389

(801) 559-4884

http://www.yosemitepark.com/accommodations_theahwahnee.aspx

Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store Hollywood
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes. 
Disney
owns and operates this sweet little soda fountain and
Disney
store next door to the
El Capitan Theatre
.  Yes, the menu is limited, and pricey, but the food is delicious, a thoughtful selection of American classics like grilled cheese, BLTs, hot dogs, chili, and soup.  There are
Disney
touches, of course, like the
Mickey Mouse Belgian Waffle
, and the shakes, malts, phosphates, and sundaes are old-time masterpieces.  They serve Dewar’s ice cream, a California tradition since 1909, and
Disney’s Soda Fountain
was built on the site of Hollywood’s famous ice cream parlor, C.C. Browns.  Browse the little
Studio Store
, with its
Disney
toys, clothes, DVDs, and tchotchkes, before or after your meal.  Adjacent to the Metro Red Line, Hollywood & Highland subway station.

6834 Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood, CA  90028

(323) 817-1475

http://elcapitan.go.com/soda_fountain/main.html

El Capitan Theatre
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes. 
Disney
owns and operates this beautiful old museum-grade theater that exemplifies the glamorous hey-days of Hollywood.  The
El Capitan
shows only
Disney
films, and the Cast Members are
Disney
employees, trained to make your visit a
magical
Disney
experience.  It’s a popular place, so even with a thousand seats, showtimes sell out fast; go online to book your tickets and select your seats in advance.  The VIP package is worth the investment if you can swing it.  The technology is fully up-to-date and there are no bad seats.  Adjacent to the Metro Red Line, Hollywood & Highland subway station.

6838 Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood, CA  90028

(818) 845-3110

http://elcapitan.go.com/

Farmers Market LA
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes. 
Walt
used to visit this iconic Hollywood farmer’s market at the intersection of Fairfax and 3
rd
, and, in fact, drew sketches of
Disneyland
while sitting at a table there when he was planning the park.  Hours are typically 9 am – 9 pm Mon – Fri; 9 am – 8 pm Sat; and 10 am – 7 pm Sun.  Shop, dine, and snack in the footsteps of
Walt
and other Hollywood legends—and maybe even spot some contemporary celebrities. 
Fairfax Market
, a snack counter in
Disney California Adventure
, is a tribute to
Farmers Market LA
.

6333 West 3
rd
Street

Los Angeles, CA  90036

(323) 933-9211

http://www.farmersmarketla.com/history/marketfacts.html

Forest LawnMemorial-Park and Mortuary – Glendale
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes.
Walt
was interred here.  The rumor about his cryogenic preservation is merely that–a rumor, one of many
Disney
urban legends.  This sprawling, eerily beautiful place is worth seeing in its own right, for the flowers, the fountains, the hills, the stretches of green lawn, the statues and bronzes and works of art, the mausoleum and church–even a labyrinth.  Bring your walking shoes, and print out or pick up a map, because
Walt
and the many other notables interred or buried here–Bogart, Dandridge, Flynn, Gable, Harlow, Pickford, Stewart, and L. Frank Baum, to name only a few–cover a wide territory.  Generally open 8 am – 5 pm Mon – Fri.

1712 S. Glendale Avenue

Glendale, CA  91205

(323) 254-3131

http://www.forestlawn.com/About-Forest-Lawn/Locations-and-Directions-Glendale.asp

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes.  This is one of the places that
Walt
used to take his two daughters,
Diane
and
Sharon
, so that he could spend quality time with them.  The problem?  As
Walt
later famously remarked, there wasn’t much for parents to do except sit on a bench and wait while their kids rode the carousel.  This was one of many “a-ha” moments that led to
Walt
’s creation of
Disneyland
–a place where kids
and
their parents could have a fun time.  The merry-go-round itself is a charmer; it was built in 1926 and brought to
Griffith Park
in 1937.  As with the
King Arthur Carrousel
that
Walt
introduced at
Disneyland
in 1955, every horse on the
Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round
is a “jumper”.  You can combine your visit to the merry-go-round with a trip to the nearby Los Angeles Zoo.  So … what ever happened to that bench that
Walt
used to sit on, while tiny
Diane
and
Sharon
rode the merry-go-round?  The bench–or, at least, one very much like it–was moved from the park to the
Opera House
in
Disneyland
’s
Town Square
, a tribute to one of the original inspirations for
Disneyland
.

4730 Crystal Springs Drive

Los Angeles, CA  90027

(323) 665-3051

http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/griffithpk/mgr.htm

Hollywood Walk of Fame
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes.  As a Hollywood mogul,
Walt
rated a star on Hollywood’s renowned Walk of Fame.  Out-of-towners sometimes think the Walk of Fame is one long walkway bearing star plaques, but there are actually
2,500
star plaques embedded along 15 blocks in Hollywood, covering long stretches of sidewalk on numerous boulevards and side streets.  So if you’re hunting for a specific star, like
Walt
’s, print out a map or obtain one from a reputable tour agency. 
Walt
’s star is located in front of
7021 Hollywood Boulevard
.  He’s in good company (Morgan Freeman; Mary Tyler Moore; Patrick Swayze), near Hollywood and Highland, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the
Disney
-owned
El Capitan Theatre
and the famed Roosevelt Hotel.

7021 Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood, CA  90028

(323) 469-8311 (Hollywood Chamber of Commerce)

http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/

Hyperion Avenue (2719)
. 
Disney Connection?
Yes. 
2719 Hyperion
was the site of the
Disney brothers’
third Hollywood studio.  In 1925 they were able to begin the move out of their cramped
Kingswell Avenue
quarters into more spacious digs on
Hyperion
. 
Walt
and
Roy
and their creative team occupied the
Hyperion Avenue
studio until 1940. 
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
animated shorts were crafted at this studio, and this is where
Mickey Mouse
and
Snow White
were born (in 1928 and 1937, respectively).  The phenomenal success of
Snow White
would eventually allow the
Disney brothers
to construct a massive new studio plant in
Burbank
, on
Buena Vista Street
–where
Walt Disney Studios
are still headquartered to this day.  What will you find if you visit
2719 Hyperion
today?  A Gelson’s Market (official address 2725 Hyperion–and locals will remember when this was a Mayfair Market).  Fully aware that it occupies a historic site, this Gelson’s Market displays a handsomely framed photo of
Walt
’s
Hyperion
studio and a little plaque reading “Site of Walt Disney’s original animation studios in Los Angeles.  1926 – 1940.”  (Of course you, savvy reader, know that
Walt
and
Roy
originally had studios on
Kingswell
.)  Stop in for a coffee, pastry, soup or sandwich–and don’t forget to toast the
Disney brothers
.

2719 Hyperion Avenue

Los Angeles, CA  90027

Now Gelson’s Market

2725 Hyperion

Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 660-0387

http://www.gelsons.com/about/stores/stores.asp?store=Silver Lake

Kingswell Avenue (4406)
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes.  When
Walt
moved to Los Angeles in 1923, he lived briefly with his uncle
Robert Disney
at
4406 Kingswell Avenue
. 
Walt
created a makeshift studio in his uncle’s garage; but before long
Walt
and older brother
Roy
were renting cheap space down the street, at first
4651 Kingswell
, in the back of
Holly-Vermont Realty
, and then next door at
4649 Kingswell
. 
Robert Disney
’s house is still a private residence, a modest 2-bedroom, 1-bath house near Commonweath, Hillhurst, Vermont and Franklin.

4406 Kingswell Avenue

Los Angeles, CA  90027

(Private Residence –
Do Not Disturb
)

Kingswell Avenue (4651 & 4649)
. 
Disney Connection?
  Yes.  These properties hosted young
Walt
’s early Hollywood studios until the
Disney brothers
were able to afford larger, nicer digs on
Hyperion Avenue
.  From 1923 to 1925 the brothers and their small, tight-knit creative team crowded into the Kingswell studios to labor on early projects like the
Alice
films; they blended live action and animation. 
4651 Kingswell
is now Una Mae’s, a clothing and gift shop in a residential neighborood, shaded and quiet, just off North Vermont, within easy walking distance of a Bank of America, the Los Feliz Post Office, the famous House of Pies restaurant.  This book’s “Kid’s Eye View” and “Teen’s Eye View” Contributor attended elementary school several blocks away.  Little did we know how close she was to
Disney
history.

4651 Kingswell Avenue (Una Mae’s) &

4649 Kingswell Avenue

Los Angeles, CA  90027

Knott’s Berry Farm
. 
Disney Connection?
  Sort of.  Now owned by Cedar Fair Parks, Knott’s Berry Farm describes itself as “America’s 1
st
Theme Park”–just check out their website’s home page. 
Disney
fans would obviously dispute that title.  During the Great Depression, resourceful Walter and Cordelia Knott created the boysenberry, and sold berries, homemade jams and pies.  And then they started selling biscuits and sandwiches and Cordelia’s mouthwateringly delicious fried chicken dinners.  The next thing they knew, they had a thriving restaurant business, and Walter built an adjacent frontier “Ghost Town” to give diners a place to explore while waiting for their turn to eat.  Walter moved the old Calico silver mining town to his property, and “Ghost Town” evolved into an elaborate experience, including a genuine mine train, pack mules, horse-and-buggy rides, costumed performers (cowboys, miners, showgirls, Native Americans), opportunities to pan for gold, a “Haunted Shack”, and lively musical performances.  No doubt “Ghost Town” must have influenced
Disneyland
’s
Frontierland
.  And, yes, “Ghost Town” most definitely pre-dates
Disneyland
, which didn’t open until 1955.  But–and this is a
big
‘but’–Knott’s own website states that
it wasn’t until the 1960’s
that Knott’s introduced a
second
themed land–Fiesta Land.  The third themed area didn’t open until the 1970’s, and Camp Snoopy didn’t appear until 1983.  Which means that when it comes to a complex theme park boasting numerous, intricately realized, themed lands,
Disneyland
, which opened in 1955 with
Adventureland
,
Fantasyland
,
Frontierland
,
Main Street
and
Tomorrowland
already in place, most definitely pre-dates Knott’s Berry Farm as America’s first
fully realized
theme park.  However … I’ll let more zealous partisans than I hash that out.  Whether or not it was “America’s 1
st
Theme Park”, Knott’s Berry Farm is a historically fascinating, 160-acre theme park full of massive roller coasters, historical attractions (like a replica of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall), charming children’s rides, and uncannily delicious fried chicken and biscuits and jams.  A mere stone’s throw from
Anaheim
and
Disneyland
(moments by car or taxi, a half-hour by bus), if you’ll be in So Cal for a week or more, and you love theme parks, build this into your itinerary.  You won’t regret it!