This child’s gift pack was distributed to customers of the Mutual Savings and Loan Association during the first full summer of Disneyland’s operation in 1956.

The two-piece package includes both the original Disneyland souvenir guidebook, as well as the first iteration of the 1956 Disneyland main-gate map.

The guidebook, officially titled The Story of Disneyland with a Complete Guide to Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Main Street U.S.A., was the first ever produced, its printing pre-dating the park’s opening.

It was available to guests beginning with the grand opening of Disneyland, providing, with both text and concept art, an introduction and overview of the park and its five “lands.” Considering it went to press while much of the park was still under construction, no photographs can be seen in this first edition guidebook. A page-one welcome from Walt Disney himself addresses that very issue, and provides a heartfelt introduction to his long-held dream on the eve of its realization:

Welcome to DISNEYLAND

 

We hope you will have fun here, and that this souvenir will long recall happy, carefree hours in a place dedicated to your enjoyment.

 

The first edition illustrations on these pages show buildings and exhibits in artist rendering stage. That was so we could have the booklet ready for our early visitors. But DISNEYLAND will always be building and growing and adding new things…new ways of having fun, of learning things and sharing the many exciting adventures which may be experienced here in the company of family and friends.

 

What you see in DISNEYLAND represents the combined efforts of hundreds of artists, architects, scientists, expert craftsmen and engineers who have helped us carry out a long cherished dream.

 

The park-playground fulfills a wish that those of us who like the same things might more closely share the pleasures I have had in exploring the paths of fable and folklore, of nature and science and historical legend on the screen and television.

 

So, the opening of DISNEYLAND, where visitors of every age and circumstance can learn joyously from fact and live closely with fantasy, has been for me—as I hope it has been for you—a most happy event—a dream come true.

 

Walt Disney

The latter half of the twenty-two-page publication provides an index of Disneyland attractions, shops, and eateries, as well as a series of very generalized maps of the different sections of the park. Though, a few of the listed attractions wouldn’t be ready for Disneyland’s debut (e.g., Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo the Flying Elephant), and still others would undergo slight name-changes by the time of the famed Press Preview event on July 17, 1955. In fact, the disclaimer on page 18 is testament to the fact:

In order to have this souvenir guide ready for the opening of Disneyland, it was necessary to go to press before final decisions were available on some listings. For that reason, this book may be incomplete and subject to change.

Also of interest is the fact that the front cover features the “Disneyland, Inc.” trademark, rather than the usual “Walt Disney Productions.” DLI was established as a side-company dedicated solely to the construction and operation of Walt’s theme-park project. The moniker, however, would only be seen on certain merchandise and park publications through the 1950s, as the company’s investor-shares would be bought out by Summer 1960, the park then becoming a fully-owned entity of Walt Disney Productions.

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The second item, the 1956 Disneyland main-gate map, is the first iteration of the three versions from that year. Panel One includes the “Welcome to Disneyland” headline, an image of Tinker Bell flying alongside Sleeping Beauty Castle, as well as the following text:

This is your personal map and information guide to the Happiest Place on Earth – Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disneyland.

 

Please remember that all of us at Disneyland, your Hosts and Hostesses, always welcome the opportunity to help make your visits more pleasant and enjoyable.

 

Your happiness is our first consideration.

 

The Disneyland Staff

The inside panels of the quad-fold brochure feature a sketched rendering of Disneyland—a decidedly more detailed drawing than the park’s inaugural main-gate publication—along with an excerpt from Walt Disney’s official dedication speech and a basic map-key.

DISNEYLAND: TO ALL WHO COME TO THIS HAPPY PLACE, WELCOME

 

Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past…and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.

 

July 17, 1955 (Official dedication plaque located at flagpole in Town Square on Main Street)

 

YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE TO DISNEYLAND

 

There are five main areas in Disneyland. You can locate them and other features easily by referring to this map. A Main Entrance and Exit B Main Street C Town Square D Plaza E Tomrrowland F Fantasyland G Frontierland H Adventureland

The final three panels include, in order, an overview of the park’s available food options, information on personal services for visitors, and finally, a complete listing of the park’s no-admission shows and exhibits, categorized by location.

FOOD and REFRESHMENTS at Disneyland

 

A wide variety of appetizing food and refreshments – with costs ranging from modest to moderate – are available for your enjoyment in Disneyland. Below is your complete list to choose from.

 

LIGHT FOOD AND SNACKS

 

Aunt Jemima Pancake House – Frontierland

Carnation Ice Cream Parlor – Main Street

Casa de Frito (Mexican Food) – Frontierland

Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship – Fantasyland

Food Stands – Fantasyland

Maxwell House – Main Street

Oaks Tavern – Frontierland

Yacht Club – Tomorrowland

Space Bar – Tomorrowland

Golden Horseshoe – Frontierland

Puffin Bakery – Main Street

 

REFRESHMENTS

 

Cantina – Adventureland

American Dairy Association Exhibit – Tomorrowland

Welch’s Grape Juice Stand – Fantasyland

Coca Cola Refreshment Corner – Main Street

Refreshment Stand – Frontierland

 

COMPLETE MEALS

 

Red Wagon Inn – Plaza at foot of Main Street

The Pavilion – Plaza at foot of Main Street (Cafeteria style)

The Plantation – Frontierland

 

PUBLIC FACILITIES for our GUESTS:

 

Public Telephones:

Located in each of Disneyland’s five “lands,” Main Street, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Adventureland. Look for telephone booths marked in these areas.

 

Rest Rooms:

Main Street: Adjacent to city Hall and West End of Center Street. Tomorrowland: At the rear of the first main building on the left. Look for signs across from the Yacht Club area. Fantasyland: Across from the Dumbo ride. Frontierland: Located between Adventureland and Frontierland, to your left as you enter Frontierland, or to your right as you enter Adventureland.

 

Lost Children:

Facilities for care of lost children are maintained at the City Hall on Main Street. Inquire of matron in charge.

 

First Aid:

Registered Nurses are on duty at the City Hall on Main Street. Doctor also available in emergencies.

 

Information:

General information on Disneyland may be had at City Hall or from any Security Officers.

 

Mail and Postage Stamps:

Stamps are available in the Plaza Apartments and at other dispensing machines in Disneyland. Letters and postcards may be deposited in boxes located at convenient places throughout Disneyland.

 

Banking Service:

Bank of America maintains service at their Main Street location every day Disneyland is open, including Saturday and Sunday.

 

Disneyland, Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom, is composed of five main areas or “lands.”

 

Main Street, a re-creation of a typical American town of 1900.

Tomorrowland, a thrilling preview of our life in the future.

Fantasyland, a world of imagination come to life.

Frontierland, a cross-section of America’s colorful and historic past.

Adventureland, the romance and adventure of far-away places.

 

All of these are Disneyland and to really experience the “happiest place on earth,” you’ll want to visit all of these five “lands.” During your tour of Disneyland, be sure to visit the many informative and entertaining exhibits and shows sponsored by nationally known concerns. There is no admission charge.

 

MAIN STREET

 

Wurlitzer—Old-fashioned and modern pianos and organs.

Upjohn Pharmacy—A detailed, accurate re-creation of a 1900 “drug store.”

Swift’s Market House—The old-fashioned General Store.

Eastman Kodak—Display of early photographic equipment.

Hollywood-Maxwell Intimate Apparel Shop—Early day corsets and foundation garments.

 

TOMORROWLAND

 

Monsanto House of Chemistry—Exciting display of chemistry’s contribution to tomorrow’s living.

Kaiser Aluminum—Today’s and Tomorrow’s uses of this vital metal, dramatically presented.

American Dairy Association—Futuristic techniques in production and distribution of dairy products.

Crane Company—Fixtures of the Future.

American Motors Circarama—Exciting motion pictures that actually surround you.

Richfield Diorama—“The Story of Oil” in Technicolor.

Dutch Boy—Our future in colors.

 

FRONTIERLAND

 

Pepsi-Cola Golden Horseshoe Saloon—40-minute complete old Western Stage Show.

Both the guidebook and brochure came inside a specially-made envelope, the front side of which features a photograph of Sleeping Beauty Castle and the text, “A Glorious Day at Disneyland.” The reverse side features the image of the E.P. Ripley locomotive of the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad parked at the Main Street station, as well as informational text, including branch information for the Mutual Savings and Loan Association.

This surviving instance of a local business’s promotional tie-in with the recently-opened Disneyland is a unique collectible and fun reminder of the surrounding Southern California community’s excitement over the park that would soon begin to draw visitors from all across the globe.