It was the centerpiece of the park, and Walt Disney sure was proud of it! Of course I am referring to Sleeping Beauty Castle. For this post, I have assembled a few shots from my collection showing Walt at various stages of construction of the castle, starting off with two of Walt posing by the model for the castle.
I really love this shot; Walt looks so carefree in his Western hat, stepping out from the castle surveying his dream becoming a reality. He must have had one of his happiest days when this May 1955 photo was snapped.
A few more 1955 construction shots showing a more serious Walt as deadlines draw nearer for opening.
This famous shot of Walt doing an early-morning walk-through is a little bittersweet. It is only a few years before his passing, and his gait is not quite as spritely as the May 1955 construction shots. It is almost as if he is taking a final walk around the park before bidding it farewell.
See more Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle photos at my main website.
What bookends! Good shots all and he was probally the only person around who had the eye to see what July 16th would bring.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics! I'm not sure Walt is saying fairwell to the park in the last shot, though. I've always thought that he is strolling along giving everything one last look over before opening; much like a painter steps back from his canvas to see if everything is just right before he puts away his brushes.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Super pics of Walt.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you've seen the segment of the time-lapse footage found on the "Walt Disney's Treasures - Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic" DVD. The "Disneyland Under Construction" segment where Walt is seen climbing the tower and looking at construction maps. He certainly looked happy during that year leading up to the opening of the park.