Main Street, U.S.A. is often the forgotten land. We might browse through some stores, watch a parade, or grab a baked good, but I think for most of us, the walk up Main Street is simply a way to get to the rides. In my new series, Meet Me Down on Main Street I am going to slow us down and take a closer look at the details waiting to be discovered. Come stroll with me as we explore Walt Disney’s dream. Today we are looking at the details.
In a past post I introduced you to the idea of plussing, where great ideas are improved on, or plussed, making the special something extra-special. In most cases the item was fine before it was plussed, but now it truly stands out. The funny thing about plussing is that the Guest rarely recognizes it because we expect that everything at the parks will be amazing. Plussing is normal.
Main Street is a very visual area of the park. There aren’t any fast rides to distract you and the detail on the buildings is worth noticing. The next time you walk along Main Street, U.S.A. don’t just glance at the windows. Stop and notice all the details that were added for your enjoyment.
5 Delightful Details to Notice on Main Street, U.S.A:
1) If you look at your feet you’ll notice that the sidewalk is red. This is not an accident. The Imagineers chose red because it makes the grass look greener since red and green are on the opposite side of the color wheel.
2) When you look at the store windows you may notice that they are lower to the ground than typical windows. Walt Disney decided to do this so that children could easily see into the windows.
3) If you look above your head you’ll notice that there are names and businesses stenciled on the second-floor windows. Imagineers, administrators, and Disney Legends are honored by having their name attached to a window on Main Street, U.S.A. Walt Disney has two windows. Can you find them?
4) At Disneyland see if you can find a wooden Indian. This cigar Indian was originally placed on Main Street when there was a tobacconist shop at that location. Even though times and stores have changed the Indian is still standing tall.
5) At the Magic Kingdom be sure to stop by Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. There is a dog-gone sweet love note carved into the pavement at the entrance. Lady and the Tramp have obviously been enjoying a romantic spaghetti dinner nearby.
Goofy Book: If you are curious about the names on the second-floor windows there is a great book that reveals who belongs to each window. The stories of these talented people are worth learning about and remembering.
