Although historians have begun to recognize the accomplishments of Disney Studio's female animators, the women who contributed to the early success of Disneyland remain, for the most part, unacknowledged. Indeed, in celebrating the park's ten-year anniversary in 1965, Walt Disney thanked "all the boys . . . who've been a part of this thing," even though hundreds of women had also been instrumental in designing, building and operating Disneyland since before its grand opening in July 1955. Seeking to reclaim women's place in the early history of Disneyland, The Women Who Made Early Disneyland highlights the female Disney employees and contract workers who helped make the park one of the most popular U.S. destinations during its first ten years. Some, like artist Mary Blair, Imagineers Harriet Burns and Alice Davis, "Slue Foot Sue" Betty Taylor, and Disneyland's first "ambassador," Julie Reihm, eventually became Disney "legends." Others remain less well known, including landscape architect Ruth Shellhorn, parade choreographer Miriam Nelson, Aunt Jemima's Kitchen hostess Alyene Lewis, and Tiny Kline, who at age seventy-one became the first Tinker Bell to fly over Disneyland. This one-of-a-kind book examines the lives and achievements of the women who made early Disneyland.
Cindy Mediavilla is retired lecturer from the Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. Kelsey Knox is archivist for Special Collections and University Archives at Pepperdine University.
"Cindy and Kelsey have written a book full of stories about incredible women that every Disney fan should know. Some names are familiar, but most probably are not. Reading the stories about some of the women I was lucky enough to have met or even known, brought smiles, laughter, and even some tears. While I know they all did what they did because they loved it, not to become famous, they all deserve to have the spotlight on them and their contributions. Hopefully, learning about these women will inspire some future artists, costume designers, landscape architects, and many other creatives to pursue what they are passionate about." --Vanessa Hunt, former Disney Imagineering archivist "The research in this volume of accounts of the women who made Disneyland possible is impressive and thoroughly documented. These stories are not simply uncovered (some have been circulating in Disney fandom for years) but they have been used to paint a broader picture of the times and the fascinating and complex women working for Disney in the early days of Disneyland. That women played so many different and crucial roles in bringing Disneyland to life is a story to be celebrated and this book does wonders with this goal. From the 71-year-old original Tinker Bell and the real-life Leota in the Haunted Mansion to the artists who collaborated to create 'it's a small world, ' the stories are both serious and delightful. The book is a welcome addition to the history of all things Walt and Disneyland." --Louise Krasniewicz, University of Pennsylvania "The Women Who Made Early Disneyland is an incredibly in-depth look at the creative and talented women who made Disneyland magic." --Jeff Heimbuch, Disney Historian Cindy Mediavilla and Kelsey Knox take a deep dive into early Disneyland history, shining a spotlight on the women who brought the 'Happiest Place on Earth' to life. An invaluable addition to any Disney historian's library! --Sabrina Mittermeier, University of Kassel, author of "A Cultural History of the Disneyland Theme Parks"
