You probably don’t know who Billy Krauch and Sybil Stanton are, but back in 1955, they were two of the luckiest kids on earth. Walt Disney gave them a preview of Disneyland before it was open, and this is one of the moments caught on film documenting their visit. Here they are, posing on the C.K. Holliday, engine #1. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my regular website.
Wow, do you have any idea how they got so lucky?? I wonder if they had a personal connection (maybe their dad worked for the Walt), or did they win a contest?
ReplyDeleteMajor: I do not know the details; the caption only gave their names but didn't give any specifics if it was part of a contest or whether they knew Walt. I am guessing (from the photo I am posting tomorrow) that their tour was from May/June, 1955.
ReplyDeleteBesides the great shots of the C.K. Holliday and Walt Disney, that's a great shot of the original roundhouse area, I've never seen before.
ReplyDeleteInfo on Bill and Sybil:
ReplyDeletehttp://dldhistory.com/2k7articles.asp?Tab=Disneyland&Page=19&MenuLink=4&Ident=415&Action=Info
I really enjoy reading all of your guy's blogs.
Eric
http://web.mac.com/rcolton/The_Blue_Parrot/The_Blue_Parrots_perch/Entries/2007/7/13_PAIR_RECALL_PREVIEW_TOUR_OF_DISNEYLAND_WITH_WALT_DISNEY.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the link Anon!
ReplyDeleteI gotta give credit to Leo Holzer of the Vacaville (California) Reporter for those photos. If memory serves, he talked with both of them during the Press Preview for Disneyland's 50th on May 4th, 2005. Leo passed the photos along to me to post.