Walt Disney’s apartment: then and now

Did you know Walt Disney had his own apartment on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland? I visited the apartment and heard incredible stories about his time in the apartment and the changes that have been made since he sadly passed away over 50 years ago.

The story of Walt’s apartment

Any devout Disneyland fan will tell you: they always glance at Walt’s apartment as they head into the park for a day of fun or leave after a full day of magic. There is something absolutely special about being in the only park Walt has ever seen complete from start to finish. “Finish” being a loose term; he once famously said, “Disneyland will never be complete as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

You can find Walt’s apartment in Town Square above the fire station. You may have even wondered why there was a lamp in a window above a fire house. Walt and his family spent a lot of time in that small 500 square foot space, and he left us all a beautiful gift in that apartment: a glimpse of his personal place that we can still visit today.

When Walt and his team built Disneyland in the early 1950’s, he was a very busy man. His office at The Walt Disney Studios was in Burbank, and Disneyland is located in Anaheim (about an hour away from one another). He spent a lot of time traveling back and forth and he knew he needed a place to stay so he could be involved in building of the park, so he had a small apartment built right in the park!

Walt spent a lot of time in that apartment until Disneyland was open. Then, he brought his family and friends into the apartment to relax and entertain while they were visiting the park.

My tour

Disneyland offers tours of Walt Disney’s apartment. When I (Monica) planned this visit, Walt’s Main Street Story tour was quickly added into the plans. This 90-minute tour takes Guests around Main Street where a knowledgable guide divulges information and facts about Walt and his theme park. Then, you are able to go up into the apartment and hear some amazing stories and look at some original (and new) pieces inside. The tour concludes with a small snack and relaxation on his private patio.

Marisol wrote a review of this tour, which you can read about HERE. For the purposes of this article, I want to focus on the apartment itself. I learned a lot on this tour about the furnishings, decor, and logistics of the apartment. Some pieces are still original while some have been removed or changed in the last 55+ years since Walt has been gone. Let’s take a look at what has changed and what has stayed the same.

Carpet and wallpaper

One of the first things I noticed when I walked in was the beautifully patterned carpet throughout the entire space. The carpet and wall paper are not the same as they were when Walt was alive. In fact, the carpet used to be a deep cranberry color because Lillian loved that color so much.

While it was Walt’s apartment, his wife Lillian did most of the decorating with award winning designer Emile Kuri. She loved roses in addition to that cranberry hue, so there are many roses throughout the entire space. Unfortunately, the carpet was replaced when sprinklers doused the entire floor of the apartment! While many things were salvaged, the carpet had to go. So, they replaced it with this rose-patterned cranberry carpet which you can see in the photo below.

The tour guide explained that the original wallpaper was made of a velvet texture, and due to evolving safety standards, could not remain. Judging by photos of the apartment when Walt was alive, the color and pattern look very similar. You will notice the “theme” of the apartment is turn-of-the-century Victorian era inspired. Walt and Lillian were born during this time and wanted to pay homage to their early life.

Couches

The two couches in the room roll out into a twin-size sleeper where, yes, both Walt and Lillian slept! That is the same couch Walt would crash on after a long day at the studio and park. Those are the original couches, and no, Guests are not allowed to sit on them. Again, they are that deep cranberry hue that Lillian loved so much and incorporated throughout the apartment.

Walt’s bed was to the left of the lamp and Lillian to the right. It was customary in those days to have a photo of your mother hanging above your bed, but when Walt and Lillian passed those photos were given back to the family. Now, iconic photos of Walt hang on the walls.

Kitchenette

There is a small kitchenette in the apartment. The guide explained that since Walt had access to all the kitchens in Disneyland, he did not need much in the apartment. He did, however, love his toasted cheese so he kept a small griddle in there for when hunger struck.

It also contained a toaster, small sink, and lots of drinkware. The family used the apartment often for hosting and entertaining, so the original Tom and Jerry serving/drinking set that was popular all those years ago still remains in the apartment. That was really neat to see, but unfortunately because photographs are forbidden backstage I do not have photos of it to share.

Furnishings

Many of the furnishings in the apartment are not the same as when Walt used the space. I believe the chairs next to the lamp and the chair next to Walt’s couch are the same, but the other two are not because we were allowed to sit on those.

Many of the furnishings and decor were also staged there by Disneyland in the years after he passed. For example, I saw a coat rack with a jacket, scarf, and hat that obviously would not be Walt’s. While Walt’s grandchildren did come to play in the apartment often, Disneyland later staged the little kid area with some toys from the 1950’s and 1960’s that would have been similar to what the children played with.

The lamp

Probably the question on everyone’s mind: is the lamp that shines above the firehouse still the same as the one Walt used?

Unfortunately, it is not the same lamp. The tour guide explained no one knows where that original lamp is that signaled the big cheese was in the park. It has been changed many times in the years since Walt was alive. However, it is not the lamp that is the big deal. It is the symbol of Walt’s legacy shining through that light that means so much to Guests and fans.

Dressing room and bathroom

Walt used a small dressing area and bathroom when he spent time in the apartment. The tile in the bathroom is the original tile, so we were not able to step into the bathroom. It is still the original bathroom from my understanding! The small vanity and toilet were very pink, which was popular at the time the apartment was built.

The guide shared a story about how Walt loved his showers, so he had four shower heads installed in the shower! And yes, he used them all at once! I loved learned interesting facts about Walt during this tour.

Fire pole

Because the apartment is situated above the firehouse, there was a fire pole installed that ran from the floor of the firehouse to the ceiling of the apartment. The story goes that Walt’s grandchildren loved to play on the fire pole and slide down it often.

However, by the early 1960’s Walt had the fire pole taken out of his apartment. Why? Because one young Guest visiting Disneyland decided to climb up that fire pole and enter Walt’s apartment! The guide explained that Walt was asleep when this happened and was quite startled when he woke up to find the young boy in his space.

Walt had the fire pole taken out of the apartment that very day, and now the ceiling of the firehouse is closed off. However, you can still walk in the firehouse and take a look at the pole.

Patio

The tour ended with a visit to the private patio. The family had it installed a few years after Disneyland opened because they needed more space for entertaining. You walk up a small set of stairs where the fire pole used to be and out the door.

The patio used to extend all the way to the front of the the firehouse and City Hall. However, it has since been scaled back with additional layers of security separating Main Street from the patio. This allows crews to come up and be able to work on the area as needed.

Nothing on the patio is original to the apartment. Disneyland installed the lattice overhang above the patio and purchased new outdoor carpet, chairs, and patio furniture after years of weather and sun bleached everything out. However, I still enjoyed relaxing on the back patio with my cookie and drink. As soon as my group stepped out on the patio, the Dapper Dans began their set! It was beautiful listening to them harmonize.

Final Thoughts

Walt’s Main Street Story tour is absolutely a must do for any fan who wants to step inside his apartment. I learned so much about his life and work during those 90 minutes. There are not many places left in this world where you can say you walked where he walked and got a closer glimpse into his life. His apartment is still one of those places! It gave me a deeper appreciation for the legacy he left behind.

These tours are never guaranteed, so it is possible Disneyland may stop doing this tour in the future. I highly suggest booking the tour the next time you are at Disneyland!

Have you ever been inside Walt’s apartment? What kind of stories were you told? Would you ever consider Walt’s Main Street Story tour? Let us know in the comments below and share this post with a friend who may also be interested.