There have been lots of “Disney Dads,” and as Father’s Day approaches, I chose to feature the one I would call the original, Elias Disney, father of Walt and Roy Disney. Elias was a strict disciplinarian, yet very devoted to his wife and children. Despite his stern demeanor, the Disney brothers had great respect and affection for their father, and as a result, Walt honored Elias with a window on Main Street, U.S.A., on July 17, 1955, the opening day of Disneyland park.

Elias, the son of Irish immigrants, was born in Canada on February 6, 1859. While still in his teens, he moved with his family to the United States and settled in Ellis, Kan. Several years later, tired of the brutal winter weather, Elias and his father, Kepple, travelled to Florida to look at land with neighbors Charles and Henrietta Call.

On January 1, 1888, Elias married Charles and Henrietta’s daughter, Flora Call, in Kismet, Fla., just 50 miles north of the land on which Walt Disney World Resort would eventually be built. Elias tried his luck growing oranges and delivering mail in Florida, and when that didn’t work out, the couple moved to Chicago. There, Elias started a contracting business where he built houses which Flora helped design.

In Chicago, Elias met and befriended Walter Parr, a minister at St. Paul Congregational Church. In 1901, when both Flora and Walter Parr’s wife were pregnant, Elias made a proposal to Parr that if he had a baby boy, he would name him Walter and if Parr had a boy, he would be named Elias. On December 5, Elias and Flora had their fourth son and Elias kept his bargain with Parr by naming him Walter Elias Disney. The Parr baby was also a boy and he was named Elias.

In 1906, Elias was worried about the rising crime in Chicago, so he moved the family to a farm in Marceline, Mo. It was here that the young Walt grew up and developed his love for animals and the rural life that would be so evident in his films. The Disney family remained in Marceline for four years, before moving to Kansas City in 1910.

In Kansas City, Elias bought a newspaper delivery route. Walt delivered newspapers for his father while attending Benton School. In 1912, Elias acquired shares in the O-Zell jelly and fruit juice company of Chicago and five years later moved his family back to the city, where Walt began his freshman year at McKinley High School and took night courses at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.

Elias and Flora had five children; Herbert Arthur Disney (Dec. 8, 1888 – Jan. 29, 1961), Raymond Arnold Disney (Dec. 30, 1890 – May 24, 1989), Roy Oliver Disney (June 24, 1893 – Dec. 20, 1971), Walter “Walt” Elias Disney, (Dec. 5, 1901 – Dec. 15, 1966), and Ruth Flora Disney (Dec. 6, 1903 – April 7, 1995).

In the late 1930’s, Elias and Flora moved to North Hollywood to be near Walt and Roy. Elias died on September 13, 1941. His window on Main Street is located above the Emporium and has the brief inscription: Elias Disney, Contractor, Est. 1895. It is believed that 1895 represents the year Elias began working as a contractor.

Happy Father’s Day.

Check out more posts about the windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park:

• Windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park: Mary Anne Mang
• Windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park: Van France
• Windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park: Jim Cora

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Disney History, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

Tomorrow, June 14, marks 55 years since the Sailing Ship Columbia first began sailing the Rivers of America at Disneyland park. The ship is an exact replica of the 18th century merchant vessel, Columbia Rediviva, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe, and the namesake of Oregon’s Columbia River.

One of the earliest photos of the Columbia we have on file was taken in May 1958, alongside the Mark Twain Riverboat. If the Columbia appears to be incomplete in this photo, it is likely because portions of the 110-foot ship were pre-built in San Pedro, Calif., and then delivered to the dry dock harbor on the Rivers of America for assembly.

These rare color images show the Columbia during some of its earliest Disneyland sailings.

Disneyland park guests don’t sail around the globe aboard the Columbia, but the 12-minute journey along the Rivers of America remains as beautiful and tranquil as it has been for 55 years.

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Disney History, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort, Top Stories

“Mickey and the Magical Map” features several great songs from classic Disney animated films, along with a completely original song, “Journey to Imagination,” written just for this show. We recently caught up with composers Adam Watts and Andy Dodd, who shared a little of what it was like to create a new song for Disneyland park.

Check out these past posts about “Mickey and the Magical Map”:

• The Technology Behind ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland Park
• Readers Enjoy ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ and More During Disney Parks Blog Magical Meet-Up at Disneyland Park
• ‘Limited Time Magic’ Comes to ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland Park

Tagged: BtS, DL, DLR, Video

Filed: Behind the Scenes, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

After a wildly popular debut at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, the slow-roasted pork shank is now on the menu at Edelweiss Snacks in Fantasyland at Disneyland park, with an added tangy BBQ glaze on this Disneyland version to give it a bit of a kick. And for the summer (June 14 through September 2), you’ll also find it on the menu at Woody’s All-American Roundup at Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree in Frontierland.

Vying for attention with the park’s giant turkey legs, this tender, meaty pork shank is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, slow roasted and finished with a BBQ glaze. It’s a hefty 22 ounces or so, so you might want to share this low-carb, high-protein indulgence.

Cost is $9.99 – consider it lunch for (at least) two!

Tagged: Dining, DL, DLR

Filed: Disney Dining, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

Yen Sid isn’t the only sorcerer at work during “Mickey and the Magical Map”! Our Creative Entertainment team has employed plenty of technical wizardry to help bring the new, musical spectacular to life on stage.

Front and center, of course, is the map itself, created with an enormous, multi-tiered LED screen. It’s an incredible example of technology used as a tool to help tell our story, and there’s even more tech employed backstage.

Today, Technical Director Mike Layman gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the role technology plays in staging a production on the scale of “Mickey and the Magical Map.”

Check out these past posts about “Mickey and the Magical Map”:

• Readers Enjoy ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ and More During Disney Parks Blog Magical Meet-Up at Disneyland Park
• ‘Limited Time Magic’ Comes to ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland Park
• Disneyland Park Guests Share Their Favorite ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Moments

Tagged: BtS, DL, DLR, Video

Filed: Behind the Scenes, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

Friday was a magical evening here at Disneyland park, as hundreds of Disney Parks Blog readers gathered at the Fantasyland Theatre for their own showing of the new “Mickey and the Magical Map”!

It was a beautiful afternoon for a meet-up as guests entered Disneyland park on the way to the theatre.

And I was excited to find someone else in a Sorcerer Mickey-inspired outfit!

What did they find when they arrived at the theatre? Popcorn, of course!

After the show, we surprised guests with five magical giveaway prizes, inspired by Mickey Mouse and Disneyland. A few lucky guests came away winners, but the rest just got to practice their exasperated groans. If you were there, say it with me for old times … 6 – 4 – 0 – “aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh!!!”

Then I was joined onstage by some of the people who brought “Mickey and the Magical Map” to life: Tracy Halas, show director and choreographer; Mike Layman, technical director; and Scott Auerbach, art director; for a panel discussion on each of their roles in the show.

At the end of the event, guests were welcomed to enjoy the rest of the evening at Disneyland park! Were you at the Disney Parks Blog Magical Meet-Up? Tell us about it in the comments!

Tagged: DL, DLR, Meet-Up

Filed: Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

The Tiki Gods have spoken!

I know there are a lot of Tiki fans out there! I’ve given you a glimpse at some of the merchandise heading your way, the scoop on the sold-out 50th Anniversary Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room merchandise event and an inkling of the next exhibit coming to The Disney Gallery. But for this next feat, I’m going to need your help.

Our Disneyland park Artist Sketch team (Kevin Hill, Joy Lynch and David Mitchell) have been hard at work creating new images which pay homage to the classic Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room attraction, which will be added to the portfolio of offerings currently available as part of the Park Icon Artist Sketch Collection at The Disney Gallery. But here’s the question … which would you like to appear as a downloadable Disney Parks Blog wallpaper?

Option #1 by Kevin Hill	Option #2 by Joy Lynch	Option #3 by David Mitchell

Vote now, and let us know which of the three artist sketch designs is your favorite! Be sure to check back in just a few weeks to see which one will be featured as an official Disney Parks Blog wallpaper. And keep a bird’s eye view out, as these sketches will be flying your way shortly.

Voting will be available for this week only, from June 3 – 7, 2013. Vote now, and don’t miss out!

Tagged: Art of Disney, DL, DLR

Filed: Art of Disney, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort