Every Christmas, I like to think about how Town Square’s purpose has changed throughout the years in Disneyland. The center of the square was meant to be a bandstand for concerts to be held a gathering place for the community of Main Street USA The gazebo was planned for that reason but then relocated when Ruth Shellhorn talked sightlines and views of castles with Walt. The flagpole moved in, complete with a repurposed story of its own and the words of opening day found a home at its base But music was still played despite the gazebo’s absence albeit at a lower elevation and trees and fences grew over the decades. Another tree joined the fray when the park’s main Christmas tree moved in sometimes snuggling with the flagpole but it needed its space so more often it settled near City Hall or replaced the drinking fountain that used to have a front-row seat for horse-drawn trolleys and sparkling castles.
The square retained its shape but changed its clothes, its purpose once a place of concerts now a line for photos once a drinking fountain now a symbol for the latest celebration.
If someone time-traveled from 1955 and saw town square today they might say it looks the same or it looks different and both would be equally true.
Each year we add shifts and changes us, too. We build new fences to protect ourselves from careless people We shift our trees to make space to breathe We realize fountains are ill-placed We redecorate, renovate, remove.
But every shape we take is still us just a new version of who we are with the heart of the old and our memories holding us up like bricks under our feet some a little wobbly or broken but we have no choice but to walk on them, anyway, to make forward progress letting each one support our steps.
And as we go on, we raise our eyes to look around us we realize we are just like the square same as we always were yet different than who we used to be both.
Disney Cicerone
Every Christmas, I like to think about how Town Square’s purpose has changed throughout the years in Disneyland.
The center of the square was meant to be a bandstand for concerts to be held
a gathering place for the community of Main Street USA
The gazebo was planned for that reason
but then relocated
when Ruth Shellhorn talked sightlines and views of castles with Walt.
The flagpole moved in,
complete with a repurposed story of its own
and the words of opening day found a home at its base
But music was still played despite the gazebo’s absence
albeit at a lower elevation
and trees and fences grew over the decades.
Another tree joined the fray
when the park’s main Christmas tree moved in
sometimes snuggling with the flagpole
but it needed its space
so more often it settled near City Hall
or replaced the drinking fountain that used to have a front-row seat
for horse-drawn trolleys and sparkling castles.
The square retained its shape but changed its clothes, its purpose
once a place of concerts
now a line for photos
once a drinking fountain
now a symbol for the latest celebration.
If someone time-traveled from 1955 and saw town square today
they might say
it looks the same
or
it looks different
and both would be equally true.
Each year we add shifts and changes us, too.
We build new fences to protect ourselves from careless people
We shift our trees to make space to breathe
We realize fountains are ill-placed
We redecorate, renovate, remove.
But every shape we take is still us
just a new version of who we are
with the heart of the old
and our memories holding us up
like bricks under our feet
some a little wobbly or broken
but we have no choice but to walk on them, anyway,
to make forward progress
letting each one support our steps.
And as we go on,
we raise our eyes to look around us
we realize
we are just like the square
same as we always were
yet different than who we used to be
both.
-kg
Merry Christmas, dear Disney friends. 💜
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 178