In my collection I have this image of the model that Imagineers created when designing Main Street at Disneyland. So many interesting things to unpack here. Recently on ebay, a seller had listed some alternate shots of this model that also included attraction concept art posted on the walls. The below image was one of those images, which shows Walt’s original intention of having a bandstand in the middle of Town Square.
The below shots from 1957 give a visual of how it all turned out. The design of City Hall and the Fire Department pretty much turned out as originally planned.
As you can see here though, the bandstand was replaced by a flag pole.
In the construction shot below, you can see Walt surveying his kingdom, with the unfinished bandstand in the background at right.
By May 1955, it had been located in its original destination, Town Square.
Still there in this aerial shot. So what happened to it? Apparently Walt realized the structure blocked the view of the Castle at the end of Main Street and decided he needed to open up the visual pathway. The bandstand was relocated to the side of Central Plaza.
The most recent shot I have of this area is from December 2015. The trees do a great job of obstructing the buildings, although I don’t think they are the original ones planted in 1955. Any horticulture experts out there?
See more Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos at my main website.
2 comments:
Certainly not a horticulture expert here, nor do I play one on TV... but the word on the street is all the Main Street trees have been replaced [at least once] since the Park opened.
I was about to ask if anyone knew if that bandstand was on Main Street on opening day. Then I remembered video of the opening ceremony, an open-air podium in the plaza, no gazebo, etc. I guess it moved between May and July. This is one Walt decision I disagree with. They should have left it. The big reveal is walking around either side of the triangular plaza and seeing the castle from the start of the linear portion of Main Street. Leaving the bandstand would have done almost nothing. If anything, a picture taken from the train station would now have a foreground subject and a background subject. It's not like anyone stands at the popcorn wagon on the plaza and photographs the castle from there anyhow. Everyone moves to the clear view of the apex for a shot.
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