Rarest of All Disneyland Maps

Who doesn't love vintage maps of Disneyland? And the photo above, shows the rarest of them all! Back when planning the park, Imagineer Marvin Davis, with a middle name of "Abbrey", as seen below, created this plot plan for Walt Disney's beloved kingdom. (Just a reminder, you can click on the images for a larger version.)

This incredible vintage "brownline"plan was dated February 14, 1955, reveals previously unknown details of the park. Who would ever have guessed an archery range was once on the table? What about the proposed heliport that was to be constructed right next to Tomorrowland? 

When this ultra rare map was offered up at an auction house years ago, the starting price was $12,000 USD. A mere bargain for the privileged few- a ransom for us ordinary men.

(Images copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

3,000th Post: Disneyland's One Tunnel Main Street Train Station

Today marks 3,000 posts on the Insights blog! My, how time gets by us! So, here's a piece of concept art- one of my favorite things to share with the readers of this blog.

Ah, that beloved entrance under the tunnels of the Main Street U.S.A. station of the railroad! There's nothing like passing under those portals into the fantasy worlds that Walt Disney and his team created. So begins a magical day for every guest who comes to that happy place.

Did you know that it was once considered to be a single tunnel entrance? Yes, Imagineer Marvin Davis envisioned it like that. Here's the concept art. (He also envisioned a different concept for the Haunted Mansion's exterior.) Had his plan been chosen, the iconic Mickey Mouse flower display would not have been in place where it is.  

Thanks to the magic of a little photoshop, you can better see some of the details, especially if you click on it to a larger version:

Honestly, had they chosen this design, it still would have been charming! Perhaps not as intimate as the dual tunnel version which allows fewer people through them at once, but still a nice way to leave our world behind.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)