Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. is inspired by Walt Disney’s boyhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri, but did you know many of the windows on the street’s nostalgic buildings pay tribute to individuals who contributed to the development, design, storytelling, and magic of Disneyland?
The tradition dates all the way back to the park’s beginning, when Walt himself selected the names that would appear on the Main Street windows when the park opened its gates for the first time on July 17, 1955. However, according to Disney Legend Marty Sklar (himself a window dedication recipient), Walt’s “rules” state that Main Street windows are only dedicated upon retirement (the only exceptions are the original cast members Walt honored on opening day).
In the first of our multi-part series about these whimsical windows, we’re taking a stroll from the original Main Street Bank in Town Square (now the Disneyana store) along the east side of the street to the Market House (AKA Starbucks).
July 13, 2025: New Window Dedication
On July 13, 2025 – Walt and Lillian Disney’s 100th wedding anniversary – Lillian was honored for her contributions to Disneyland with a charming window on the second story of Disney Showcase.
The Bank
Disney Legend Frank G. Wells – President of the Walt Disney Company who worked closely with then CEO Michael Eisner. Wells was killed in a helicopter accident in 1994; a tribute to him can be found in the Matterhorn attraction, where mountain-climbing equipment is labeled “Wells Expedition.”
Disney Legend Marvin Davis – An Art Director for WED (the precursor to Walt Disney Imagineering), Davis was involved in the earliest layout for Disneyland and was responsible for drawing up the initial site plan that became the blueprint for the park. His drawing (dated September 1953) was the first to illustrate the central hub concept, which has become a design element in Disney parks worldwide.
Fun Fact: Davis famously argued with Disney Legend Herb Ryman about which way the top of Sleeping Beauty Castle should face. Spoiler alert: Walt liked Herb’s design better, so Marvin’s original “front” is now the castle’s back.
Disney Legend Richard “Dick” Irvine – Irvine worked on the initial building of Disneyland, including the Mickey Mouse Circus, and later became the President of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Fun Fact: Irvine’s son married the daughter of fellow Imagineer (and Haunted Mansion icon) Leota Toombs, current Imagineer (and Haunted Mansion Holiday Madame Leota), Kim Irvine.
J.S. Hamel – Hamel was a civil and electrical engineer who helped build Disneyland, including Schweitzer Falls on the Jungle Cruise.
Wade B. Rubottom and George Patrick – Rubottom was an art director at MGM (where he worked on “The Wizard of Oz”) and was recruited by WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) to be the art director for Main Street U.S.A. Patrick was the art director for Frontierland.
Disney Legend Wilson “Bill” Martin and Gabriel Scognamillo – Wilson was the art director and project designer for Sleeping Beauty Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Monorail. Scognamillo was an art director who worked on Tomorrowland.
William T. Wheeler and John Wise – Structural engineers hired to help with the construction of Disneyland. Wise is credited for designing the support structures used for many of the buildings on Main Street U.S.A.
The Opera House
Disney Legend Robert Jani – Originally the head of Disneyland’s Guest Relations department, Jani later became director of Entertainment where his “claim to fame” was conceiving the Main Street Electrical Parade, which was intended to boost the morale of Disneyland cast members following the 1971 opening of Walt Disney World.
Disney Legend Morgan “Bill” Evans – Evans was the original Disneyland landscaper, and “Freeway Collections” refers to his practice of saving trees from bulldozers that were clearing the way for the 5 Freeway and transplanting them at Disneyland.
The Mad Hatter
Disney Legend Milt Albright – Albright was the original manager of the short-lived picnic grounds at Disneyland called Holidayland and the first manager of the Magic Kingdom Club, which offered discounted tickets to employees of large companies throughout Southern California.
Disney Legend Blaine Gibson – Gibson was a studio animator before joining WED (the precursor to Imagineering), where he became a sculptor working on attractions including Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Jungle Cruise, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and Pirates of the Caribbean. But his most famous work is the “Partners” statue of Walt and Mickey in Disneyland’s hub.
Disney Legend Xavier “X” Atencio – Atencio wrote scripts for the Adventure Through Inner Space and Haunted Mansion attractions, plus he wrote the lyrics to the iconic “Yo Ho (A Pirates Life For Me) for Pirates of the Caribbean.
John Louis Catone – Catone’s “locksmith” window inscription refers to his long-standing role as the man who literally held all the keys to the Magic Kingdom.
Ray Van De Warker – One of the last original Disneyland opening day cast members, Van De Warker (the foreman of the Indian War Canoes attraction) and Jungle Cruise foreman Bob Penfield initiated canoe races between Frontierland cast members and Adventureland cast members. The tradition later extended to the Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Disney Showcase
Disney Legend Dick Nunis – Nunis started his Disney career in the training department and eventually became president of Disneyland (and later Walt Disney World). Nunis also had a hand in opening all four Disney International parks.
You can read our tribute to Dick Nunis here:
Walt’s Right-Hand Man: Remembering Dick Nunis, Keeper of the Magic!
Disney Legend Hideo Amemiya – A Veteran hotelier, Amemiya spearheaded “Disney-style” guest service and headed the Disney University, the global training program for Disney Cast Members.
The Magic Shop
Roger Broggie, Sr. – Broggie was the first Imagineer to help Walt build the Carolwood Pacific Railroad in his Holmby Hills backyard. He also worked on “Project Little Man” (the earliest audio-animatronic) and designed the special effects for “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
Fun Fact: Disneyland machinist Roger Broggie, Jr. has his own window on Main Street U.S.A. in Orlando.
Disney Legend Tony Baxter – Baxter’s Disneyland resume includes ice cream scooper, ride operator, and designed of some of the park’s most beloved attractions, including “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,” “Star Tours,” and “Indiana Jones Adventure.” Baxter also oversaw the 1983 reimagination of Fantasyland and was the executive producer of Disneyland Paris.
The Music Shop
Disney Legend Van Arsdale France – France was brought to the park by Walt to train Members and was instrumental in the development of Disney University, but he also wrote the script for the “Rainbow Cavern Mine” attraction.
Disney Legends The Sherman Brothers – Famous Disney songwriting duo Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman penned iconic tunes for movies including “Mary Poppins” and “The Parent Trap” and attractions including The Enchanted Tiki Room and it’s a Small World.
Main Street Cinema
Greg Emmer – Emmer began his Disneyland career in 1968 as a rider operator and later became Senior Vice President of Disneyland Resort Operations.
Walter Elias Disney – Walt’s window was added to Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. in 2005 to commemorate the park’s 50th anniversary (at the same time, an identical window was added to Orlando’s Main Street).
Disney Legends Marc and Alice Davis – One of Walt’s original “nine old men,” Marc created some of Disney’s most iconic characters, including Maleficent, Cruella De Vil, and Tinkerbell –but he also created some of the park’s most iconic attractions, including America Sings, Haunted Mansion, it’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Enchanted Tiki Room. His wife, Alice, a talented Disney costumer, dressed the it’s a Small World children and rollicking Pirates of the Caribbean figures.
Original Disneyana Shop
Gordon Youngman and Fred Leopold – Senior partners at Youngman, Hungate & Leopold, a firm that played an important role in the early negotiations for Disneyland.
Gunther R. Lessing – The lawyer for Walt and the studio who represented Disney in a dispute over money from “The Skeleton Dance” (the first Silly Symphonies short).
The Market House
The Market House stands at the intersection of Center Street and Main Street, which creates a city block on Main Street U.S.A., a detail Walt considered “plussing up.”
Disney Legend Ken Anderson – Anderson is credited with the design and painting of the original Fantasyland dark rides, the design of the miniatures of Storybook Land, and the development of the story behind the Haunted Mansion attraction.
Fun Fact: Anderson was an avid fly-fisherman, but fly-fisherman don’t use bait, so his window is a cheeky wink at his hobby.
Louis “Lou” H. Roth – Roth was an architect, contractor, and site engineer for Joe Fowler, who was in charge of Disneyland’s construction. He later oversaw construction for the Disneyland Skyway system, Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, and the Storybook Land Canal Boats.
George Mills, Ray Conway (yes, the window has a typo), and Charles “Chas.” Alexander – The three men worked for the Disneyland Construction Department to build the park, with Mills serving as foreman of the onsite woodworking mill (located where the Opera House currently sits) and Alexander as construction field supervisor.
Bruce Bushman – Bushman worked on Disneyland’s original attractions, including sourcing the hand-carved German carousel horses from under the Coney Island Pier (non-horse pieces were used on the Casey Jr. Circus Train). Bushman also helped with the design of the Mickey Mouse Club Circus and Phantom Boats.
Disney Legend Don Dagradi – Dagradi was a writer for Disney movies including “Pinocchio,” “Fantasia,” “Peter Pan,” Sleeping Beauty,” and “Mary Poppins. He also worked on the initial construction of the park.
Disney Legend Ron Dominguez – Raised on the land where the Rivers of America currently sits, Dominguez started working at Disneyland in its early days and eventually became the park’s Executive Vice President.
Emile Kuri – Kuri is credited with designing the lower level of the Sailing Ship Columbia. As a Disney Studios set decorator, he decorated sets for “Pollyanna,” “Mary Poppins,” and won an Academy Award-winning for his work on “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” As Walt’s personal decorator, he worked with Walt’s wife Lillian on their apartment above the Disneyland Fire House and the exclusive Club 33 in New Orleans Square.
Fun Fact: While driving in Los Angeles, Kuri passed an accident involving a truck hitting a lamppost with an ornate base. He purchased the demolished lamppost and installed it in Town Square as the base for Disneyland’s flag pole.
Disney Legend Chuck Boyajian – Boyajian served as the superintendent of Disneyland’s first janitorial department and was instructed by Walt to keep the park “as clean as you can keep it.”
Bob Mattey – A special effects technician and artist, Mattey is credited with constructing the giant mechanical squid for “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” as well as the animals that inhabit the Jungle Cruise and the underwater creatures for the Submarine Voyage. We also have Mattey to thank for the “oncoming train” light gag in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Fun Fact: Mattey’s most famous creation (though not for Disney) is the mechanical shark for “Jaws.”
Robert “Bud” Washo – Head of the Staff Shop, which did concrete and plastic work, including molding, casting, and finishing the Jungle Cruise elephants and the Primeval World Diorama dinosaurs, and the mountain for the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
George Whitney – Whitney was one of the first Disneyland employees (and the only member of the original Disneyland design team with previous amusement park experience). Whitney’s window references his role as designer of the shooting gallery in Frontierland.
Jack Rorex, Ivan Martin, and Cash Shockey – All three worked on Disneyland’s construction.
Fun Fact: While helping with construction on Walt’s backyard railroad, Rorex proposed a 90-foot-long S-shaped tunnel to bypass (and preserve) Lillian Disney’s beloved flower garden, which Walt dubbed “Rorex Tunnel.”
Market House Windows on Center Street
Disney Legend Orlando Ferrante – Ferrante was responsible for starting the Project Installation and Coordinating Office (PICO) at WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering).
Disney Legend William H. Dennis “Bill” Cottrell – After directing the Evil Queen and Wicked Witch sequences for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and writing for “Pinocchio,” “Three Caballeros,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Peter Pan,” W.H. Cottrell was named the first president of Walt Disney Imagineering.
In Case You Missed It!
The second part of our tour continues our tour on the east side of the street, from Center Street (the cross street at the Market House) to the First Aid Center near Plaza Inn restaurant.
Hidden Tributes: Disneyland’s Main Street Windows Revealed (Part Two)
Part three looks at the windows on the west side of the street, from Refreshment Corner to Carnation Café.
Hidden Tributes Revealed: The Story Behind Disneyland’s Main Street Windows (Part Three)
We complete our “grand circle tour” with a look at the windows on the west side of Main Street, from the Fortuosity Shop to City Hall in Town Square.
Hidden Tributes Revealed: The Story Behind Disneyland’s Main Street Windows (Part Four)
A great way to learn about the Main Street windows in both Anaheim and Orlando is the book by Chuck Snyder titled People Behind the Disney Parks: Stories of Those Honored With a Window on Main Street U.S.A. available on Amazon.
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Let’s Hear From You!
Have you noticed the windows on Main Street U.S.A. and did you know they honor the people who contributed to Disneyland’s history? Which of this first set of windows is your favorite? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for Part Two soon!
This article was shot by Mike Kindrich and written by Samantha Davis-Friedman.
