Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline Missouri

Our one week road trip travel to Missouri has led us to Marceline, the boyhood town of Walt Disney. We arrived in 120 E Santa Fe Ave, Marceline, MO 64658 which was located beside the train tracks in the restored Santa Fe depot. When Walt Disney was a child, he loved to watch the trains goes by.

The Location of the Museum

The museum is located near the train depot, as you can see from the picture above. The premises of the museum is well-kept, with great landscape and fenced in. The museum is located in Marceline, a charming place, has wide roads, many houses were old and probably most of them were historical buildings especially in the heart of the town. When we arrived in the museum, it was late in the afternoon, quiet and maybe less than 10 of us went in to explore the place. There is nothing much to see in Marceline except few areas that connects to Walt Disney. I like the town and most of the people are friendly and since it is a rural town, they know who are guests in their place. There is no big stores in the area. I only saw one 7-11 store and it's not even near this place. If you want to explore Marceline, gas up and bring foods. No McDonalds or KFC around and if you need to use the bathroom, you have to drive a long ways to find one. As I have said, Marceline is a charming place. I would love to comeback and explore the town more.

The Museum

Inside the museum is a collection of Walt Disney and family personal effects such as letters, photos, artifacts, and personal belongings. As I explored the museum, I was indeed transported to a different and simpler time apart from the atmosphere in Disney World. Reading the personal letters of Walt Disney to his friends and family and seeing the personal belongings has made me believe that Walt Disney indeed found magic in Marceline.

The admission fees posted outside.
 Though it says no photography inside, the ladies said it's alright to take photos so; all of us did.

Obviously, Walt Disney loves to collect trains.
No wonder that Disneyland and Disney World have the Main Street Vehicles, World Railroad as well as
the Railroads in Fantasy Land and Frontier land.

This is a gallery of photos and personal letters of Walt Disney and his family.

This is really cute personal effects.
Walt Disney attended Park School in 1908 and he was in first grade.

Walt Disney's desk in first grade. Fascinating huh?

The caption:
Featuring Walt Disney--Marceline's Favorite Son
Walt Disney's First Grade Desk-- Park School 1908
School bell used by principal of Park School when Walt Disney was a student.
Mickey Mouse Flag and Disneyland Flag
donated by Walt Disney at the 1960 dedication of Marceline's
Walt Disney Elementary School 

Visit Downtown Disney in Orlando Florida

Oh, it's a Happy #TGIF you all. How was your week? Is there any of your New Year's Resolution has been realized yet? Well, one day at a time makes a big difference so; keep doing what you are doing. As for me, I am moving forward and hopefully, everything will work out just fine. To join a marathon is in my list and I did wish to sign up in the Disney World Marathon Weekend but, it was sold out! The marathon started last Jan 8 and ends on Jan 12 so; better luck next year for me.

I know you watch Forrest Gump and if you happen to visit Orlando,
check out the shrimping boat named "Jenny" displayed in Downtown Disney.
Movie Magic!

Speaking of Disney, I was digging some photos in my PC files and I found these photos which I took about two years ago.


This is the Planet Hollywood Restaurant.
The price is a bit expensive but, if you travel halfway around the globe, it is worth a try.
Food is great and this place is always crowded.

There is a new movie of Tom Hanks "Saving Mr. Banks".
The movie is all about Walt Disney , P.L Travers and her fictional novel character Mary Poppins.
Now, check out the print around the balloon.
Yes, you can ride the balloon and see Downtown Disney up above.

There is no entrance fee to visit Downtown Disney.
You will enjoy shopping, dining, see a concert for free, meet a Disney character and more.

There is a cable attached to the air balloon and it's pretty safe.
For a minimal fee, this attraction is worth to try.

Downtown Disney has a huge parking lot and it's always full.
Despite of, I am sure you will find a parking space though and it's free of charge as well.

Your kids love to have fun so; plan ahead.
Check out the attraction and fun rides as well as free activities and crafts offered in Downtown Disney.

Don't forget to bring a camera and charge it well if in case you want to take a #selfie LOL.

If you plan to visit in the afternoon until evening, bring a jacket.
It's really cold at night and so breezy.

This is the entrance to the restaurant and most of the time,
 the queue is long and you have to wait to be seated.

The Planet Hollywood Restaurant in Downtown Disney.

Any plans to visit Disney World? Don't forget to check out Downtown Disney and here's an advice, book your stay in a hotel near Downtown Disney. Anyway, I have more photos to share next time. Bye for now. Yawn! Hehehe. Thanks for stopping by.

One Disney Attraction in One Day

Hey, check this out! Can you guess where this is and what is this? I tell you, this place is cool. It may look scary but, it is actually not. If you plan to travel to #Disneyworld, do not forget to check the four parks but, do it  one park at a time. Hubby and I has a yearly pass so; we can go anytime we want in any parks we want. What we do, we go one attraction in a day. That saves the walking so; when we go home we are not that tired. I know you can't do that if you do not live here in Florida. Watch out for tons of photos on my next posts. This month is Disney, Halloween and Fall themed posts. Thanks for stopping by.

Walt Disney Story: Uptown Theater in Marceline

We went to Missouri to attend a wedding, visit the hometown of Mark Twain in Hannibal and check the haunted house of my brother-in-law but, end up visiting the boyhood hometown of Walt Disney in Marceline. This town is the second largest city of Linn County in Missouri. This town also provided an inspiration for the film Lady and the Tramp and one of the city's major events is September's Toon Fest which well-known artists are invited.

The building above is Uptown Theatre in Main Street USA in Marceline.

"Opened June 30, 1930. In 1956, Walt and Roy Disney held the Midwest premiere of their feature film " The Great Locomotive Chase" in this theater. They personally greeted each child at the door. Walt and Roy took the stage before the movie started and the children of Marceline sang the Mickey Mouse song. Because the Disney program was not broadcast in Marceline the children learned this song especially for this occasion. The movie ran from 1:30 PM in the afternoon up to 1:30 a.m the next morning, so everyone who wanted too, could see the movie. In 1998 the Walt Disney Company held another premiere " The Spirit of Mickey" at this theater. 18,000 enthusiastic Disney fans came to Marceline for the premiere. A special appearance of Mickey."

This is a small movie theater.

"To tell the truth, more things of importance happened to me in marceline than have happened since - or are likely to in the future." - Walt Disney

Photo of Walt Disney inside.
 

Marceline is a small town and if you love city life, this is not your place. They have no WalMart, Bestbuy, Lowe's or shopping mall. There's nothing like that in here but, this town is full of charm and history.

If you love Rural Life Living, Marceline may work out for you. There are wide farm lands, Amish village nearby, mom and pop cafe where everybody knows everybody.

In the eyes of Walt Disney, this town is beyond imagination infact, this place inspired him to create the beautiful Main Street USA in Disneyworld and Disneyland. I bet you have seen the Uptown Theater, Emporium and City Hall in Disney right? He imagined those from this town in fact, if you visit Marceline, you will certainly recognized the architecture.

This is the front of the theater. Check out the signage on the window :-)

Inside the movie theater ...

Marceline is a nice town to check out and trace back the boyhood life of Walt Disney. The family lived here only for 4 years but gives a tremendous impact of Walt Disney's life. Few blocks away from this street is the Walt Disney museum where interesting Disney family memorabilias are on display. If you visit Marceline, you will also get the chance to see the house of Disney family and the Walt Disney barn which is the happiest place of Walt Disney. Take note, the "happiest place on earth" is Disneyland and the "most magical place on earth" is Magic Kingdom and both properties are own by Walt Disney. You know what's amazing? Walt Disney's happiest place is the barn and nearby it is his Happy Tree. Wanna see the photos? Check out my latest post. Thanks for stopping by. See you all next time.

Walt Disney's The Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom and in Marceline

Standing at the Main Street USA in Disney World's Magic Kingdom. This was taken almost 4 years ago and this place is one of the busiest areas in Magic Kingdom especially when there's a scheduled fireworks.

Have you been to Disneyland or Disneyworld? You probably visited the Main Street, U.S.A right? Here's another photo of Disney World's Main Street USA at night.

The Cinderella castle stands at the end of the Main Street USA.

Did you know that Main Street, U.S.A. is patterned from a Midwest town? Walt Disney created Main Street USA inspired from his boyhood town Marceline in Missouri.

The decor in the Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom is in the early-20th century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's childhood town (photo below). Main Street USA has a City Hall where Guest Relations lobby is and cast members provide information and assistance. A working barber shop, the Emporium which carries a wide variety of Disney souvenirs, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant and The Plaza Restaurant, Casey's Corner, the Main Street Confectionary and more. I took the  photos below when hubby and I visited the hometown of Walt Disney.

This is Main Street USA in Marceline Missouri and I was in great awe that Walt Disney loves this place. Iconic Disney marks such as the Mickey Mouse is on the glass window, the clock, the train, the emporium,  the movie theatre and more.

This is the Main Street USA in Marceline. The photo below is the real buildings of uptown theatre and emporium where Disney got the inspiration.

A classic Main Street, U.S.A. attraction in Disney is the Walt Disney World Railroad which transports guest throughout the park. In Marceline, this is the train on display whom Disney got the inspiration.

If you have been to Disneyland or Disneyworld, you have seen Walt Disney's reminiscent of the Victorian period of America with the train station, town square, movie theater, city hall, firehouse complete with a steam-powered pump engine, emporium, shops, arcades, double-decker bus, horse-drawn streetcar, jitneys and other bits of memorabilia. That's how he remembered Marceline when he was a child.

Now, this is the original Uptown Theatre when Walt and Roy Disney held the Midwest Premiere of their feature film " The Great Locomotive Chase" and they personally greet each child at the door. Want to see more of Walt Disney's boyhood town? Check out next time. Thanks for stopping by.

Marceline Missouri: Walt Disney's Boyhood Town

We are supposed to visit Hannibal, Missouri which is the boyhood town of Mark Twain. We ran out of time and I was so disappointed. While looking for a German Restaurant in the area, my sister-in-law pointed the clock and the street sign which says Main Street USA. I asked why there are Disney signs in this town? Then, I was told and just knew that Marceline, Missouri is the boyhood town of Walt Disney. This town has influenced him a lot in fact; I saw his barn and his Dreaming Tree. The picture below is the Main Street USA in Marceline Missouri, the inspiration of Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom. Amazing! This road trip is very interesting. I am glad we came here in Marceline. 

Enjoyable Visit in Downtown Disney in Orlando

When you visit Orlando, there are so many ways to explore Disney World. You don't have to go to the theme parks. You can enjoy the music and performances by Disney talents; shop for souvenir items; dine in Disney restaurants and enjoy the ride by the lake. You can shop in one of Disney's biggest stores as well as dine in to some cozy restaurants in this area. Plus, you will adore the scenery here. Check out this photo:It is all free to visit Downtown Disney so; when you are in Orlando, you know where to bring your family. Have fun and remember where you park your car :-) Have fun!

Forrest Gump: Jenny Shrimping Boat

Traveling, movie watching, and dining are activities that I would jump out and go. Speaking of movies, who would ever forget the movie Forrest Gump? It is such a beautiful epic comedy-drama-romance and all-in-one package kind' a movie that broke my heart and brought tears in my eyes. This movie is inspiring and brought so much joy when Forrest Gump accomplished something. The story is showing us that there is hope and reason for everything and that life must go on against all odds. His Jenny is the love of his life and this boat which he named after her represents his undying love for her.I took this picture at Downtown Disney in Orlando at the Planet Hollywood area. The Jenny shrimping boat from the movie Forrest Gump is displayed in this area. You can come by and see it yourself. You can access Downtown Disney for free so; enjoy your visit.

What to do in Downtown Disney in Orlando

Let's say, you've traveled to Florida but, have no plans to spend money at Disney Theme Parks. What's there to do? Visit Downtown Disney area and have a fabulous dining with dinosaurs which you and your kids will definitely enjoy. Of course, you will have to spend for souvenirs at the Disney shopping area. When you want to relax, you might catch a live music and performance in the Waterside Stage!Downtown Disney is an exciting and fun place to visit and it has three areas to check out: Downtown Disney West Side, Downtown Disney Marketplace and Pleasure Island.

Downtown Disney West Side has top-notch restaurants and has the 24-screen AMC Downtown Disney 24 movie theater. If you love food trip, you should try some their best restaurants. The price is affordable especially at lunch time. Oh, bring a sweater when you go there at night time. It's a bit chilly at night really. Have you heard about the amazing performance of Cirque du Soleil La Nouba? It's located in Downtown Disney too. It is a live entertainment show which I wanted to see. My German friend wants to see it for the nth times. We will find a schedule soon and I will find me a sponsor too LOL. The ticket ranges from $78 to $120. A bit expensive but, it's worth the money she says!Another place that you should check out is the Disney Quest Indoor Interactive theme park. The Downtown Disney Marketplace is the right area to check out on Disney merchandise. Here, you will find the largest Disney character store in the world. Downtown Disney is a happy place and if you want to relax, find a place along the lakeside restaurant. It's beautiful!The Pleasure Island is the area that you should check out for shopping and dining experiences. Take a peek at Curl by Sammy Duval, Apricot Lane Boutique, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Bar, Fuego by Sosa Cigars, Paradiso 37 and other outdoor food and beverage locations. This is an awesome place which the whole family will enjoy bonding, dining and shopping. Oh, I love this place.

Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney

Hello everyone! Just sharing some photos that I took while hubby and I went to Downtown Disney. If you visit Orlando, check out Downtown Disney and dine in at Planet Hollywood.The ambiance is really unique and you will be amazed with the decors inside. The last time we were there was very crowded because it was on a weekend. But, if you happen to experience the same and you are willing to wait for a long queue, it will be worth it.The prices are reasonable. It will be more affordable if you dine in at lunch time.Aside from Planet Hollywood, there are other restaurants in the area that you can choose from. Check out Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney.