Words From Walt
Page 8 of 20
December 13
When I started on Disneyland, my wife used to say, 'But why do you want to build an amusement park? They're so dirty.' I told her that was just the point - mine wouldn't be. |
No other amusement park in the world has to live up to the standard of cleanliness that a Disney theme park must. It is simply an expectation that a Disney park is in good repair, free of litter and sanitary. Walt said so.
Amusement parks developed during the Victorian Age, becoming a popular form of entertainment by a generation of people who began to find that they actually had free time as the world moved from an agricultural to an industrial economy. As parks sprang up all over to capitalize on burgeoning thrill-seeking public, the quality of such parks began to decline. Booths and rides and food tents were put up without much planning within an area. Most were independently owned and operated. Details such as trash removal weren't necessarily high on anybody's priority list. As many of these parks declined, the crowds of people who would frequent them became a little rougher around the edges, which didn't help their quality or state of cleanliness.
Walt believed that if you took care of the facilities and details such as eliminating litter, that the people who visited your park would respect the effort and would generally help by cleaning up after themselves and generally not deface the park's grounds and buildings. Walt even decided against having the Haunted Mansion be dilapidated on the outside though the theme of the attraction certainly would have warranted such an untidy display. He said that they would take care of the outside and let the ghosts take care of the inside.
Walt was almost scientific in his planning to keep Disneyland clean. He would buy a hot dog or popcorn from a vendor and walk while eating. When he finished and had an empty wrapper, that's where a trash can would go. Replacing light bulbs, which helped to keep the park appearing well maintained, occurred before they actually burned out, according to an expected-life schedule.
Walt actually helped design the trash cans in Disneyland. He worked with the vendor to craft an attractive, durable receptacle that fully contained the bin inside so that his visitors wouldn't see the trash that was placed within. This receptacle is the industry standard today and can be found in Disney and non-Disney amusement parks all over the world.
Even typical amusement park foodstuff was evaluated for cleanliness. Chewing gum is not sold within Disneyland because it presents a sticky problem when spit out on the ground or placed in a wad on the facades of buildings or under dining tables. Peanuts are not sold in their shells eliminating the need to find someplace to dump the shells.
The idea of building Disneyland had been in Walt's mind for quite some time. From Daddy's Day at Griffith Park to travels to parks and gardens around the world, Walt would remember what he liked and disliked about the places he visited. In addition to the beauty of Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Walt was impressed with the cleanliness of the park. It would serve as a model of the type of place that he wanted to open.
Walt understood the importance of keeping his park clean and well maintained. He knew that by limiting the sale of products prone to litter while providing the means necessary for people to pick up after themselves, people would help maintain the cleanliness of the park. The appeal of a well-maintained facility was obvious in Lillian Disney's dismay that Walt would want to open such a place. By ensuring that Disneyland would not be like the amusement parks of the era, he ensured that Disneyland would continue to welcome millions of guests who have come to expect the clean environment that Disney parks have become known for.
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-- Matthew Walker
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