1962 Map

Discussion

This map is similar to the 1961 map; however, there are significant changes to the park indicating changes in sponsorship and in the thinking of Disney imagineering. As the park grows, plans change.

Points of Interest

• The Haunted Mansion has moved from being wedged in by the Jungle Cruise to being along the edge of the park. This may reflect some of the original thinking about this attraction. At first, Walt Disney planned on this being a walk-through attraction with a guide for each group. The location of the Haunted Mansion in this map shows its current location. The Haunted Mansion would not actually open until 1969, although the mansion itself was built in 1963. The delay in opening was due to the work Disney did for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair in New York City. Of interest to note that the building appears run down as the imagineers originally viewed it. It is haunted after all. When the Haunted House was actually built, however, Walt did not want to have a building that appeared run down in the middle of his park. He instructed the imagineers to make it appear well kept up. The ghosts would be inside. It is also interesting to note that Phantom Manor at the Magic Kingdom in Disneyland Paris does have the run down appearance.
• New Orleans Square has changed shape, to be in the form of a public square. For the first time Pirates of the Caribbean appears as an attraction in New Orleans Square. Again, the original thinking for this attraction was to be a walk through. Ultimately, after experimenting with boats in It’s A Small World for the World’s Fair, this attraction planned to use this mechanism to efficient and quickly move customers through the attraction.
• On the Jungle Cruise the Sacred Bathing Pool of the Elephants has been added.
• The Enchanted Tiki Room, which was the first large scale use of Disney’s Audioanimatronics, appears for the first time.
• This is the first appearance of the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, based on the 1960 Disney movie “Swiss Family Robinson”.
• The sponsorship for the Rocket to the Moon has changed from TWA to Douglas Aircraft. Notably, neither of these companies exist in their original form today. TWA was at that time a large international airline and Douglas an airplane manufacturer.
• At the Disneyland Hotel, the first tower of rooms is built.