 Disney Legend Ken Anderson is mostly known for his incredible animation portfolio, he was one of the many Disney Studio artists tapped by Walt Disney to work on Disneyland before it opened in 1955. Anderson was selected to work with Walt on what was known as "Project Little Man” in the early 1950s. The project explored how to create a physical animated figure, a technological exploration that would lead to Disney’s innovative audio-animatronics that would become a critical component of Disney theme parks. As that project transitioned into more substantive work on Disneyland Anderson was moved off the project (replaced by Harper Goff) and went to work on the Sleeping Beauty movie. Later, Anderson was put in charge of overseeing the building of the Fantasyland dark rides. In a 1973 interview with Disney biographer Bob Thomas, Anderson explained that as the Disneyland team worked on the first dark rides ever built “Walt wanted me to do it because I had an architectural background, and also I had been a part of each feature and he wanted to use features as a basis for the black rides. So I was building these things and boy, we were really sweating it out. We were right in the middle of the last week of working nights to get this thing ready and we were real nervous.” Anderson also had to deal with labor union tensions. He explained to Thomas: “I had to be the one that was in contact with the subcontractors: The carpenters, the painters and all these people…And these were the Orange County people who were counter to the unions up here. The first ride I got built up here was the Mr. Toad ride which was built right here in the back [of the Studio]. They took it down to install it. Those people were still members of the same union A.F. of L. They resented the Hollywood craft unions having developed these things. They scraped all the paint off of the little car and the little circus train and painted it over again with their own guys not nearly so well. There would be guys doing all sorts of tricks to prevent and to sabotage.”    Walt Disney inspecting his stable of horses that would later be installed on his King Arthur Carrousel. Not wanting anyone to feel left out, Walt insisted that everyone riding the carrousel to be on a galloping horse, also known as a jumper. After all, the infamous carrousel at Griffith Park, where Walt would take his daughters on “daddy days,” had nothing but jumper horses. The carrousel Walt purchased, with the help of Griffith Park co-owner Ross Davis, came with a mix of horses, cats, deer and giraffes for guests to ride. Walt had any other than the jumpers removed and let Davis keep them. To help achieve Walt’s wish, Davis tracked down some jumpers being stored at the Coney Island pier and George Whitney’s Playland in San Mateo, California. They were all repaired and repainted before being installed on Walt’s carrousel.
 These incredible early concept drawings for the Mad Tea Party attraction by artist Bruce Bushman include a number of features that were ultimately not included in the final attraction. Of course, the attraction is inspired by the animated movie Alice in Wonderland which was released by the Disney Studio in 1951, just a few years before the park opened. In the first artwork you will notice the concept includes large characters from the movie, including the Mad Hatter and March Hare enjoying a cup of tea on top of a table, as well as Chesire Cat and Caterpillar. In the second drawing, the teacup ride vehicles were set to spin on a platform designed like a tablecloth with doilies alongside a number of items you would expect to find on a table during a tea party, including a teapot, creamer, and a sugar bowl. The final image shows the attraction in its original form when Disneyland opened in 1955. The ride was plagued early on with mechanical problems and was soon reengineered within the park’s first year of operation. In 1983, Fantasyland received a major overhaul and the attraction was moved to the location where it sits now next to the Alice in Wonderland attraction.    You’ll lose your head over the Alice in Wonderland line designed by Disney Legend Mary Blair. 2021 marked the 70th Anniversary of Disney’s classic Alice in Wonderland. The timeless classic was released in July 1951. It is the 13th animated classic created by Disney.  Disney describes Mary Blair as an imaginative color stylist and designer. Mary Blair helped introduce modern art to Walt Disney and his Studio. Also, Mary’s unique color and styling greatly influenced such Disney productions as Song of the South, Make Mine Music, Melody Time, So Dear to My Heart, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.  Every day is a Golden Afternoon with your teatime confections served on this set of four porcelain dessert plates featuring Alice and the Garden of Live Flowers. Designs adapted from inspirational art for Alice in Wonderland by Disney Legend Mary Blair.
    This concept art of the Main Street, U.S.A. train station is from 1954. It was included in prospectus packets, titled “The Disneyland Story,” which were presented to potential investors and lessees to give them a better idea of what Walt Disney planned to build in Anaheim. This artwork was one of 26 pieces, all 8”x 10" in black and white, that were included in the packet. Of course, what really stands out in this early artwork is what’s not depicted — the iconic floral Mickey Mouse head. Would you ever want to see a floral “Disneyland” replace the floral Mickey? Perhaps for a limited time?
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My Story
Growing up in Los Angeles in the 70s/80s we visited Disneyland on a regular basis and often after school, before "Annual Passes". 
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