Rare Disneyland Secrets Shared: Visitors Dumped Their Loved One’s Ashes in the Haunted Cemetery?
California’s Disneyland has been on most everyone’s radar as a go-to destination since opening on July 17, 1955. As the magical park celebrates its 70th anniversary, we tracked down some of the people who were there from its very start.
Walt Disney had a lot of help “imagineering” what has touched the hearts of millions for three quarters of a century. Among them were Roger Broggie, the first Disney Imagineer, Disney Legends Bob Gurr and Rolly Crump, and Margaret Kerry-Boeke, Disney’s original Tinker Bell. Gurr, Kerry-Boeke, Broggie’s grandson Steve and Crump’s son Chris, along with Bossert (who also served as head of special projects at Walt Disney Animation Studios), share some fun and rare insights about Disneyland’s history.
1 They never thought visitors would make a repeat trip to Disneyland
Everett Collection
For Thanksgiving 1955, according to Gurr, Walt decided to decorate the buildings on Main Street with colored lights on the tops of the buildings. “We suddenly saw a lot of people making a second visit. Originally we were working based on the idea that people would come once, but they started coming back during Christmas too. After the holidays Walt said, ‘Take out the colored bulbs, put in white ones and leave them there.’ That was the first thing that made Disneyland dazzle after dark, what we called ‘rim lighting!’”
2 No! No! No! Do Not Drop Your Ashes in the Haunted Mansion Cemetery
According to Bossert, guests drop ashes of loved ones in Haunted Mansion’s cemetery. “Cast members have been trained how to spot them.” Hazmat within Disneyland’s custodial group is dispatched to clean it up, which also shuts down the ride. “The Anaheim Police Department then hands the guilty party a bill for around $1,500!”
3 Build Me a Monorail, Bobby!
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The Monorail was added at the last minute after all the other attractions were assigned for 1959, per Gurr. “We were already busy with all these other projects, but from the day Walt said, ‘Bobby, let’s get started on our train,’ it was only eight and half months later that I gave him and [then Vice President] Richard Nixon a ride on the Monorail!”
4 How Are Those Things Still Standing Today?
The 1972 Main Street Electrical Parade floats were made from secondhand scrap. “My uncle, Roger Jr., was running the machine shop at that time; when given that assignment he literally threw those floats together,” reveals Steve Broggie. “They were very lightly crafted, made out of materials found around the shop and were only supposed to last maybe two seasons, so they didn’t take the time to make things fancy. They didn’t think it was a big deal and now look! It’s amazing that they are still standing today!”
5 Tinkerbell in Her Early Days Was a Slider
Before Tinkerbell magically flew through the air, she slid. Kerry-Boeke: “I remember watching Tiny Kline [Tinker Bell in 1961] go to the top of the Matterhorn and slide down! That was flying back then!”
6 Movies Impact Park Changes
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Bossert worked on films including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas, many having made their way into the park as walk-around characters, on merchandising, and in parades and attractions.
Others have become attractions, like Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Bossert oversaw several of those projects — along with the nighttime spectacular Fantasmic! — at Disneyland. The Nightmare Before Christmas is another example of how Disneyland incorporates movies into the park. Bossert worked on the film and wrote the definitive visual companion book about the entire process of how that movie was made.
In 2001, the park began revamping its Haunted Mansion annually to celebrate the two major holidays the film is set in. “Because the movie has a massive fan base it continues to bring additional fans to the park!” he says. “Every year they make various tweaks and changes to it, which coincides with Walt’s original vision of his park always evolving. As new films come out, they continue to add more to the park’s landscape.”
Bob Gurr currently hosts the Walt Disney History Tour, which includes a stop at Walt’s Barn. His new documentary “Bob Gurr: Living by Design” was just released. He is on Facebook and Instagram.
Dave Bossert’s “3D Disneyland: Part 2” will be released next. DavidBossert.com
Margaret Kerry-Boeke currently hosts her own podcast. TinkerBellTalks.com
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