Other Secret Stories of Walt Disney World

by Jim Korkis

  From the main lobby, guests proceed to the American Adventure theater by going up escalators or climbing up stairs through the Hall of Flags (and sometimes called by Disney the Corridor of Flags). Hanging above the guests in rows of three as they make their journey to the upper floor is a collection of over forty flags that have flown over the United States over the course of two centuries.

  This collection of flags include Revolutionary War flags, colonial flags, and even foreign flags of countries that once had claim to some sections of America.

  In July 2015, the third and last official flag of the Confederate States of America was removed from the display. It was a white flag with a red stripe on one end and a small representation in the opposite corner of the most familiar battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia that people normally associate with the Confederate flag. This is the flag generally used in opposition to the civil rights movement.

  The removal was a reaction to various businesses and state governments removing the battle flag due to it coming under recent scrutiny as a symbol of racism.

  Here is an alphabetical listing of the flags originally displayed and their date of adoption:

  Alamo Flag, 1824

  Appomattox Courthouse Flag, 1865

  Army Commander in Chief’s Flag, 1775

  Bedford Flag, 1690

  Betsy Ross Flag, 1777

  Bucks of America, 1777

  California Republic, 1846

  Centennial Flag, 1876

  Colonial Jack, 1701

  Connecticut Second Regiment, 1776

  Continental Colors, 1776

  Dutch West India Company, 1655

  The 50 Star Flag, 1960

  First Navy Flag, 1777

  Fort Moultrie Flag, 1776

  Fort Sumter Flag, 1865

  48 Star Flag, 1896

  45 Star Flag, 1896

  Frémont Flag, 1856

  French Ensign, 1700

  Green Mountain Boys, 1776

  Hawaiian Royal Flag, 1800

  Hayes Flag, 1860

  King George III’s Flag, 1607

  Massachusetts Navy Flag, 1776

  Mexico, 1800

  Navy Commander in Chief’s Flag, 1776

  New Hampshire Second Regiment, 1777

  New Sweden, 1638

  New York Third Regiment, 1777

  Old Glory, 1865

  Perry Flag, 1813

  Russian-American Company, 1700

  Spanish Bourbon Flag, 1513

  Stamp Act Protest Flag, 1774

  Star-Spangled Banner, 1795

  Stars and Bars, 1861

  Taunton Flag, 1774

  Texas Flag, 1836

  Tricolor, 1789

  The U.S. Flag, 1959

  Washington’s Life Guards Flag, 1776

  Whiskey Rebellion Flag, 1794

  White Plains Flag, 1776

  Epcot

  Secrets of American Adventure

  Many historical experts and sources were consulted by the Disney Imagineers in their effort to make the American Adventure as historically accurate as possible. These sources included Dr. Alan Yarnell (assistant vice chancellor at UCLA), the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the photo libraries of the Associated Press and United Press International, as well as many others.

  In addition to obtaining copies of Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 inaugural speech, the Imagineers contacted the Library of Congress for a copy of FDR’s unusual presidential seal to duplicate for his podium.

  To duplicate the advertisements of that era, vintage architectural magazines were searched to include old-time ads for the two original sponsors of the pavilion: Coca-Cola (a company that began in 1886) and American Express (a company that began in 1891).

  The phosphorus flash used by the famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady (voiced by Steve Cook) didn’t exist at that time period, but it made the perfect transition into the “Two Brothers” sequence. No motion pictures or still photographs are used in the show before the camera was invented, so the Civil War was the first subject to be treated photographically.

  The two brothers shown in the photos are actually Imagineers John Olson (Confederate Gray) and Jeff Burke (Union Blue). Their scenes were shot on the backlot of the Disney studio in Burbank and blended with the authentic Brady photographs. The New Orleans train station at Disneyland is used for a staged photo showing a coffin being delivered to Muller’s Landing.

  The song is not an original Disney creation, but was written in 1951 by Irving Gordon, who also wrote the song “Unforgettable” that same year. The vocals were provided by Ali Olmo.

  Character voices were a major challenge since many of the historical figures were not alive when recording devices were invented. Places that had collections of secondary sources of the person in question were contacted, like the Philadelphia Historical Commission, Carpenter Center of Visual Arts at Harvard University, State Historical Society of Missouri, and the Ships Historical Branch of the Department of the Navy, as well as experts on that particular person.

  Even though Alexander Graham Bell never recorded his voice, Imagineers knew that his father was an elocution teacher. Through comments written about Bell’s voice, Imagineers knew it was clear, free of twangs, and his speech was expressive and his articulation crisp. Imagineers could speculate about what Bell’s voice might have sounded like when directing Imagineer Joe Rohde, who performed the role.

  Talented voice actor Dallas McKennon was brought in to record the voice of Ben Franklin. Over the decades, McKennon provided many voices for Disney animated films and attractions, including the Old Prospector safety spiel for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Zeke in Country Bear Jamboree.

  John Anderson, who had a long, prestigious career working as an actor in both film and television, supplied the voice of Mark Twain. Will Rogers Jr., the son of the late Will Rogers, did the voice of his father. He looked a good deal like his father and often impersonated him on stage and in film.

  The shoes for the banjo singer in the Depression scene were found in an old condemned relief mission in downtown Los Angeles. Will Rogers’ leather chaps were hand-crafted by a saddle maker. In order to make Chief Joseph bigger, two ski vests were purchased and used to fill him out. Ben Franklin’s knee britches had to be designed in such a way that would allow enough room for him to “walk,” yet not appear too baggy. The wedding rings for Frederick Douglass and Franklin Roosevelt were “fabricated” from pierced earrings from a department store.

  Hollywood studios

  Hollywood Boulevard, Part One

  When the city of Hollywood became part of the city of Los Angeles in 1910, the street known as Prospect Avenue was re-named Hollywood Boulevard. It was meant to be the heart of the film industry, with real estate developer Charles “The Father of Hollywood” Toberman starting in the 1920s to build many of the iconic structures that still survive today.

  At Disney-MGM Studios, Hollywood Boulevard was to serve as the Main Street, U.S.A. for the new theme park taking guests to a central hub. If the street seems authentic, it is because the buildings were based on actual buildings in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.

  The distinctive green pylons at the front entrance to the park were inspired by similar ones for the Pan Pacific Auditorium built in Los Angeles in 1935. The massive Streamline Moderne building was used for Ice Capades shows, car shows, circuses, conventions, political gatherings, concerts, and hockey and basketball games, among other entertainment events. Many celebrities, including Elvis Presley, performed there.

  It is located at the front of the park to reference that guests are entering a huge entertainment complex to see some type of show. The original building remained empty from 1972 on, a year after the L.A. Convention Center opened and performed a similar function in a newer venue. Unfortunately, the Pan Pacific burned down in 1989. It appears in the film Xanadu (1980).

  The Darkroom re-creates the exterior of an actual camera shop by that same name that opened on Wilshi
re Boulevard around 1938. It is an example of what was called “California Crazy” architecture (also referred to officially as programmatic architecture) where the design of the building referenced what was being sold. For example, a concrete building shaped like a giant hot dog in a bun sold real hot dogs.

  The building façade resembles a classic Argus 35mm camera with its distinctive lens that was very popular in the 1930s. The Disney version opened with the park in 1989 and was sponsored by Kodak. It supplied film, camera rentals, simple camera repair services, accessories, and photo processing. Today, digital photography has made those services unnecessary.

  Similar versions of The Darkroom exist at Disneyland Paris and at Universal Orlando because it was so iconic. The original building in Hollywood Studios still exists, but has been home to three different restaurants over the decades.

  Mickey’s of Hollywood is meant to be a humorous reference to Frederick’s of Hollywood, famous for its lingerie. The park version does not resemble that well-known building, but has three different façades representing other Hollywood landmarks.

  The entrance near Crossroads of the World is reminiscent of the Baine Building from 1926 that still stands at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Whitley Avenue, but which now serves as an entrance to a food market.

  The entrance off of Hollywood Boulevard with the black-and-gold ornamentation is similar to Security First National Bank of Los Angeles built in 1929 on the famous Miracle Mile. It is now the home to a newspaper and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

  The entrance at the far end of the building opposite Keystone Clothiers is inspired by a classic Hollywood building at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Cole Avenue. Today, it is an area of businesses that support the movie industry by providing such services as post-production facilities.

  As you progress through the building, you follow Mickey Mouse’s career from the black-and-white Steamboat Willie (1928) to his first color cartoon The Band Concert(1935) to his feature film debut in Fantasia(1940).

  Hollywood Studios

  Hollywood Boulevard, Part Two

  Hollywood Boulevard is replete with buildings that echo actual buildings from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Imagineers often did a “shrink and edit” version while retaining the spirit and authentic elements from the inspirational buildings.

  The Crossroads of the World was a landmark on Sunset Boulevard built in 1936. It was the entrance to Los Angeles’ first open-air shopping mall with stores that had international architecture in the style of Mexico, Turkey, New England, France, and other countries.

  The structure that extended behind the tower was supposed to look like a ship that was cruising through these different cultures of the world. It is still exists, but as a business office complex.

  For Hollywood Studios, just the recognizable tower with the globe was retained. Disney sculptor Perry Russ (who also did the sculpture for the archways into the Animation Courtyard) designed the six-foot diameter globe of spun aluminum, topped by a five-foot-three-inch sculpture of Mickey Mouse. The top of the building stands almost forty-four feet above Hollywood Boulevard.

  Incidentally, Mickey’s right ear that is sticking high into the air is made of copper, so that it acts as a lightning rod. Because of the frequent lightning strikes in Florida, most everything in the parks has some sort of lightning protection. But it would not have looked good to have a lightning rod sticking out of Mickey, so Imagineers made one ear copper so it would be grounded.

  Celebrity 5&10 building was meant to represent the classic five-and-dime stores (forerunners to today’s dollar stores) that were popular during the Depression, like Kress, Woolworth, and Newberry.

  In fact, the façade (with a significant change in the color palette) is from the 1928 J.J. Newberry Company building on Hollywood Boulevard that now is the home of the Hollywood Toy & Costume store. The use of the word “Celebrity” in the title refers not just to the typical Hollywood celebrities who would frequent the streets, but that some Hollywood performers, like Lana Turner in a tight sweater, were supposedly “discovered” at the lunch counters in these types of stores.

  Keystone Clothiers has Hollywood Boulevard on one side of the building and Keystone Street on the other side. That is the street where Mack Sennett’s Keystone Studios was located, which is why some of the silent movie comedies he produced featured the famous Keystone Kops.

  At Hollywood Studios, the building has several entrances. The one facing toward the Chinese Theater was based on the Owl Drug Store (now the Julian Medical Building) at the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga. The Streamline Moderne entrance opposite the exit of Mickey’s of Hollywood is from the now-demolished Wilshire Bowl restaurant on Wilshire Avenue. The closed entrance that resembled Mesoamerican Revival architecture was discovered by Disney historian Werner Weiss to be from the interior lobby of the 1927 Mayan Theater playhouse.

  The still operating Lincoln Park regional office of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was the basis for the “tailors to the stars” entrance. The other entrance facing Hollywood Boulevard was from the 1931 Max Factor building that supplied its famous make-up for motion pictures.

  Adrian and Edith’s Head to Toe was originally a candy store that had reproductions of classic Disney animated shorts. It was re-imagined as a shop offering custom embroidery and so got a new name reflecting costumers Adrian Adolph Greenberg (better known as “Adrian”) and Academy Award-winning costumer Edith Head.

  The building façade looks just like the Chapman Park Market Building in Los Angeles that was built in 1929.

  Hollywood Studios

  Rosie’s All-American Café

  During World War II, the term “Rosie the Riveter” was created by the government to represent the many patriotic women who took temporary jobs “making history working for victory” on the assembly lines of various industries to free up men needed in the armed services.

  That image and distinctive name was portrayed in posters, magazine covers, and even a popular 1942 song recorded by multiple artists.

  Rosie’s All-American Café is an homage to this well-known feminist icon. Rosie is depicted on the sign as a smiling redheaded welder heating up a frying pan showing that she has expertise handling flames and is a good cook.

  The interior of the quick-serve location is decorated with some authentic World War II memorabilia alongside some “Imagineered” items relating to the fictional life of the female owner.

  Several signs including “Keep ’em Flying,” “V for Victory,” and “Stay True to the Red, White and Blue” adorn the exterior. Even the outside condiment bar is topped by a glass-enclosed case featuring metal toy soldiers and other authentic artifacts from the 1940s.

  Since it is “All American,”, it offers the traditional American food offerings of hamburgers, fries, and Coke.

  Over the course of the war, the Disney studio designed roughly twelve-hundred different military insignia free of charge for all branches of the United States armed forces.

  Under the supervision of artist Hank Porter who did most of the designs, a team of five artists did the work. In October 1941, the Disney studio created the famous insignia for General Chennault’s legendary American Volunteer Group, Chinese Air Force, better known as the Flying Tigers.

  The original rough design was done by Roy “Big Mooseketeer” Williams and finished by Porter. It featured a winged tiger springing upward against a background letter “V” standing for “Victory.” That early insignia is displayed prominently on the outside wall of the building.

  Additional Disney-created insignia, including those that feature Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and a gremlin, are displayed in the interior of the café.

  Nearby is Rosie’s Victory Garden, a familiar site during the war years when growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a private garden for home use helped free up supplies so that the government could send more of these items from farms to feed men in th
e military.

  Rosie uses her garden to supply some of the food for her service counter. Real items like cabbage, mustard, beans, peppers, and corn grow in the garden and change out over the different seasons.

  Imagineering was faced with the sensitive challenge of how to create an accurate depiction, but avoid any derogatory references to specific nationalities that were involved in the war, just as they did in the American Adventure attraction at Epcot.

  So, instead of using Japanese or German stereotypes that were typical of the period, the scarecrow wears an old U.S. flight suit including goggles, helmet, oxygen mask, and inflatable yellow life vest from Rosie’s boyfriend who is still serving his country as a pilot overseas according to memorabilia inside the café. This figure was meant to scare off unpatriotic birds who might pillage the small garden of its bounty.

  The sign proclaims “Victory with Vegetables” and above it are three dots and a dash, which were the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Five in Roman numerals is “V.” At the bottom it declares “Rosie’s Victory Garden.”

  In addition, there is an Uncle Sam wind spinner whose unpredictable movement is also meant to scare away pests. Rosie’s garden tools are hanging along the side of the Catalina Eddie building next to the garden.

  Hollywood Studios

  One Man’s Dream

  In 1975, The Walt Disney Story opened on Main Street, U.S.A. in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and the pre-show areas had many authentic artifacts of Disney history.

  One Man’s Dream was opened as part of the year-long 100 Years of Magic: Share a Dream Come True event that was to kick off on Walt Disney World’s 30th anniversary on October 1, 2001, and be a spectacular celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Walt Disney.