Sam Gennawey > Quotes

“Using the castle to transition between lands was a visual trick Walt called a weenie. According to Disney historian Jim Korkis, during the development of Disneyland, Walt would come home late at night and usually enter his house through the kitchen, which was closer to the garage. He would walk into the kitchen and grab two uncooked hot dogs, or wieners, one for himself and one for his dog. Korkis said, "By wiggling the treat, Walt could get his dog to go from side to side, around in a circle, jump up and more. Both Walt and the dog loved the game and she was finally rewarded with the tasty and satisfying treat."

"Each of the gateways into the lands offered weenies. The spinning carousel through the portal leading through Sleeping Beauty Castle called guests into Fantasyland. The stockade gates, the steam bellowing from the Mark Twain stern-wheeler, and the seeming infinite horizon beckoned guests to visit Frontierland. Over in Tomorrowland was the clock of the World and the TWA Moonliner ready for launch. Only Adventureland lacked a weenie. It was thought that if guests knew too much, it would not be much of an adventure.”
― Sam Gennawey, Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream

“Evans [the landscape architect] took a transparency of the master plan and placed it over an aerial photograph of the property at the same scale. He marked all the trees that were not in the middle of the street or in the Rivers of America and tried to work around them. Evans tagged trees that were to be saved with green ribbons, and he tagged trees to be removed with red ribbons. His efforts were futile. As it turned out, the bulldozer operator was color-blind and they lost dozens of trees that were 50-100 years old. More than 12,000 orange trees were removed.”
― Sam Gennawey, Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream

“No people who turn their backs on death can be alive. The presence of the dead among the living will be a daily fact in any society which encourages its people to live.”
― Sam Gennawey, Walt Disney and the Promise of Progress City

“Disney archivist Dave Smith said, "Disneyland's true appeal, we admit now, is to adults. Children don't need it. Their imaginations are enough. For them, Disneyland is only another kind of reality, somewhat less marvelous than their own fantasies.”
― Sam Gennawey, Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream

“can’t run scared and succeed in show business.”13 Dr. Jules Stein lived by this motto and taught his people to follow this and two other sayings: “Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take of themselves,” and “when you start a business, do whatever it takes to be second to no one.”
― Sam Gennawey, Universal versus Disney: The Unofficial Guide to American Theme Parks' Greatest Rivalry