There is truly nothing like stepping onto Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland and knowing that nearly 75 years ago Walt Disney himself also stood there looking down at Sleeping Beauty Castle marveling at what he and his team of creatives, known as Imagineers, had made. The history and love for the park are palpable from the moment you step into the park. As someone who loves Disney history, I always jump at the chance to see behind-the-scenes spots and learn more about the theme parks around the world. That’s why my family and I took the Walt’s Main Street Story tour on a recent trip to the Disneyland Resort.
The small-group tour highlights Walt Disney’s life in Marceline, Missouri (another place that’s on my list to check out), plus showcases facts and secrets about Main Street, U.S.A. The end of the tour culminates in a visit to Walt’s apartment above the Disneyland Fire Station. Something that I and my parents have always wanted to see.
Logistics of the Walt’s Main Street Story tour
After going through the Disneyland turnstiles and under the train station, we headed right for Tour Gardens which is on the left side of the hub. We checked in at the small gazebo where we were given a name tag and an earpiece to hear our guide, then asked what types of drinks we wanted for post-tour refreshments.
We also met our VIP guide here. To say these guides are a wealth of information is an understatement. During the tour, our guide was personable and was able to answer almost every question our group of nine had.
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I prepaid for my family’s tour time, which cost $408 for three people. We used our Disney Visa credit card to get 15 percent off the total price, which ended up being a huge savings. The tour includes Disney PhotoPass pictures that can be downloaded from the Disneyland app.
Walt’s Main Street Story is a 90-minute tour, which was the perfect length of time. My family did the tour first thing in the morning, which I highly suggest for smaller groups and first-time visitors. When I did the tour, it was my dad’s first time visiting Disneyland. The perspective that our guide brought and the deep history that was shared gave my dad a good mindset that Disneyland isn’t just another theme park and it’s vastly different from our home parks at Walt Disney World.
I’m walkin’ right down the middle of Main Street, U.S.A.
The tour started at the hub of Main Street, U.S.A., looking down towards Sleeping Beauty Castle. We were told some of Walt’s boyhood stories that would eventually lead him to California. Our guide also shared some fun tidbits about Main Street, U.S.A. One thing in particular that I loved was learning about the brick test wall between Starbucks and Disney Clothiers. While there are many stories about the brick wall, the one I choose to believe is that Imagineers needed to show Walt different brick styles off-site and get quick approval. But with supplies running short and Disneyland’s opening imminent, the brick wall ended up being used in the park.
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The tour down Main Street, U.S.A. continued to the Partners Statue and turned back up the park’s main thoroughfare towards the entry of Disneyland. Along the way, we stopped at significant windows, which are emblazoned with names and made-up titles representing people who have made significant contributions to The Walt Disney Company. One of my favorites is for legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter, which says, “Inventor” as his title. The little slogan underneath says, “Imagination is at the heart of our creations.” Baxter played an integral role in developing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland and Journey into Imagination at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT.
While we were perusing Main Street, U.S.A., my dad threw a question out that the guide didn’t know the answer to. I thought my dad wouldn’t be getting an answer to that query, but after the tour, our guide was able to go into City Hall to ask around and get the answer for my dad.
Stepping into history
The tour culminated in a visit to Walt Disney’s apartment overlooking Main Street, U.S.A. Before walking upstairs we were told that we were not allowed to take photos or touch anything inside. As I walked into the hallowed room, I felt tears welling up. I was in the room where Walt Disney enjoyed time at Disneyland with his family and where he would make grilled cheese sandwiches on a small griddle that is still in the apartment.
Now the griddle is part of a Disneyland tradition where outgoing and incoming Disneyland presidents share a meal on the deck of the apartment during the transition period. In a recent presentation, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences shared that the two executives use Walt’s griddle to make a grilled cheese, and chili is also served since that was Walt’s other favorite food.
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The tiny apartment houses other Disney secrets too. At one time there was a fire pole that connected the apartment to the Fire Station down below and Walt would use the pole every once in a while. Well, one day, a child decided they could climb up the pole and into the apartment. The fire pole exit was quickly closed after the incident.
While a majority of the artifacts in the apartment are real and belonged to Walt Disney and his family, some are replicas. Our guide was able to point out what was a replica and share why the real piece didn’t exist any longer. He also shared stories of Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian, enjoying time at the apartment and what life was like back in the day.
One thing I loved was that our guide was also abundantly aware of the moving experience some people were having in a place that was so special to so many people. He moved around the apartment with ease, sharing stories and being willing to listen to the guest’s stories about their favorite memories of seeing Walt Disney on TV or going to Disneyland in its early years.
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Our time in Walt’s apartment ended with getting photos taken by Disney PhotoPass photographers. We were able to stand between a couch and the table that faces Main Street, U.S.A. On the table is a lamp that’s always on, showing that Walt’s spirit is still very much alive at Disneyland. I loved that the photos were included as part of my tour price, and all of them turned out great. Our photographer even showed me the pictures when she was done with mine to make sure I liked them and didn’t want any other ones.
After leaving the apartment we were taken back to the Tour Gardens for a tour-branded cookie, a soft drink, and a commemorative postcard. We also got to keep our name tags, which are very cute souvenirs.
Overall, the tour is exceptional for Disney fans who want to do something unique at Disneyland or for history buffs who want to learn something new about the park and Walt Disney. I loved every minute of the tour, and being able to walk into Walt Disney’s apartment was an actual dream come true that anyone who visits Disneyland can do too.
