Following in Walt Disney's footsteps through Los Angeles

A big believer in fantasy, imagination and doing the "impossible," Walt Disney changed filmmaking, Los Angeles, and the world.[br /][br /]The history behind Walt Disney's genius is so incredible that we're tracking the places he set up shop, how he played on the weekends, where he loved to eat, and the places that inspired him to dream up what would become one of the most-visited places in the world! Like he always said, "If you can dream it, you can do it."[br /][Ads /][br /]Watch and then follow in the footsteps of Walt himself![br /][br /][br /][b]Uncle Robert Disney's Home/Walt's Garage[/b][br /]Uncle Robert's home was Walt's first home in Los Angeles! When he moved to California, his only family here was his Uncle Robert and he was welcomed with open arms. He would work on his cartoons in the garage that was originally attached to the house, and it was where his career in California began. Today, you can visit that garage, which was relocated to the Stanley Ranch Museum in Garden Grove.[br /][br /][i]Uncle Robert's House[br /]4406 Kingswell Ave[br /]Los Feliz, CA 90027[/i][br /][br /][i][url HREF="http://www.ci.garden-grove.ca.us/?q=/HistoricalSociety" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"]Walt's Garage at the Stanley Ranch Museum [/url][br /]12174 Euclid St[br /]Garden Grove, CA 92840[/i][br /][br /][b]Disney Studios Kingswell[/b][br /]Now known as Extra Copy Printing Shop, the very first of Walt Disney's studios was located here, about a block away from Uncle Robert's house at Kingswell and Vermont Avenues. At the time, it was the Holly-Vermont Real Estate office and Walt and his brother Roy rented the back half for what they called the Disney Brothers' Studio. This studio produced the "Alice Comedies" and the "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" films. This studio was also where Walt met his wife Lillian. Stop in for a visit and ask Marina for a little tour![br /][br /][i]Extra Copy Printing Shop - The Disney Brothers' Studio[br /]4647 Kingswell Ave[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90027[/i][br /][br /][b]Gelson's Market, Originally the site of Walt Disney Studios[/b][br /]Looking at Gelson's Market on Hyperion Avenue now, it's hard to believe that it was once the home of Walt Disney Studios. From 1926-1940, this was where all the Disney films were produced, including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the world's first full-length animated feature, "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia". This was also where "Steamboat Willie," the first released Mickey Mouse cartoon, was created! Look for the plaque commemorating the studios on the lamp post in front of the store for a fun photo op![br /][br /][i]Gelson's Market - The Walt Disney Studios[br /]2725 Hyperion Ave[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90027[/i][br /][br /][media ID="4710782" /][br /][br /][b]Lyric Avenue House[/b][br /]While working at Hyperion Studios, Walt and his brother Roy built themselves two matching houses, side by side, on Lyric Avenue in Los Feliz. During this time, Disney had lost its rights to "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" so Walt and a few of his most trusted animators worked in secret in the garage at his house to come up with their own character. The first designs of Mickey Mouse were drawn in the garage of this house, so it can be considered the official birthplace of Mickey Mouse. This is a private residence, so please be respectful and don't disturb the residents if you drive by for a photo.[br /][br /][i]2495 Lyric Ave[br /]Los Feliz, CA 90027[/i][br /][br /][b]The Restaurants That Inspired Walt Disney - The Tam O'Shanter[/b][br /]The Tam O'Shanter is a Scottish Pub in Los Feliz. The studio on Hyperion didn't have a place to eat, but Walt loved the Tam O'Shanter so much he would eat there most days of the week. You could say The Tam became the unofficial Disney commissary! Table 31 is considered Walt's table and you can still feel the etchings in the table made by real Disney Imagineers back in the day! There are even original Disneyland sketches on display. Ask your server about the "secret Disney menu," and you can order the kinds of food and drinks that Walt enjoyed at The Tam.[br /][Ads /][br /][url HREF="http://www.lawrysonline.com/tam-oshanter" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"][b]The Tam O'Shanter[/b][/url][br /]2980 Los Feliz Blvd[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90039[br /][br /][b]The Brown Derby Wilshire & Alexandria [/b][br /]While this popular 1920s restaurant chain is no longer open, the shape of the famous hat can still be seen at the shopping center located at the original site of The Brown Derby at Wilshire Boulevard and Alexandria Avenue near Koreatown. The derby hat was an iconic image that became a symbol for the Golden Age of Hollywood. Disney made a nod to this restaurant in the short film "Mickey and the Beanstalk" when the giant walks through the streets of Hollywood, sees the Brown Derby restaurant and puts it on his head. Walt Disney World in Florida also gave a nod to by opening a restaurant in the resort with the same name and a recreation of the same interior.[br /][br /][b]Clifton's[/b][br /]Clifton's Cafeteria was built in 1935 and the décor has inspired the imaginations of over 170 million diners. Walt loved his Salisbury steak and red jello, so the simple cafeteria style menu at Clifton's was just his thing. But the ambiance was truly worth the trip downtown. There was a redwood forest and woodland animals which played a part in inspiring some of Walt's Disneyland fantasy scenes. In the completely remodeled new Clifton's in Downtown L.A., there are five stories that are truly a Cabinet of Curiosities![br /][br /][i][url HREF="http://www.cliftonsla.com/" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"]Clifton's[/url][br /]648 S Broadway[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90014[/i][br /][br /][b]Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round[/b][br /]Did you know that the Merry-Go-Round in Griffith Park is where the idea for Disneyland was born? Walt Disney had taken his daughters to the carousel and was sitting on a bench watching them and thought, "... there should be something built. Some kind of amusement enterprise built where the parents and the children could have fun together." That place eventually became Disneyland where there is a beautiful carousel that parents can ride with their children. The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round costs $2.00 to ride and is open every weekend throughout the year, and weekdays during the summer, Christmas and Easter breaks from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.[br /][br /][i][url HREF="https://www.laparks.org/griffithpark#attractions" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"]Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round[/url][br /]4730 Crystal Springs Dr.[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90027[/i][br /][br /][media ID="4710784" /][br /][br /][b]Carolwood Barn[/b][br /]Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn was built in 1950 in Walt's backyard in Holmby Hills, and could be considered his "man cave." Walt loved trains and the barn was ground control for Carolwood Pacific Railroad, Walt's own, working, miniature train in his backyard. The barn was eventually moved to Griffith Park and is almost the exact way that Walt left it, down to the workbenches that he made. The barn is open to the public on the third Sunday of every month.[br /][br /][i][url HREF="http://carolwood.com/walts-barn/" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"][b]Carolwood Barn[/b][/url][br /]5202 Zoo Dr.[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90027[/i][br /][br /][b]Disneyland[/b][br /]Today, Disneyland is one of the most visited places in the world and has grown into the magical place we all know it to be thanks to the heart and soul that Walt put into it. The planning for this new fantasyland took about 15 years. Disneyland took about a year to build and opened on July 17, 1955. Many thought that it was going to be a huge failure, but within the first few months they had over a million visitors. It transported people to places unlike anything they'd ever seen. While the park has evolved and progressed over time, there are still special areas that have remained untouched, and exactly the way Walt intended them to be.[br /][br /][i][url HREF="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"][b]Disneyland[/b][/url][br /]1313 Disneyland Drive[br /][Ads /][br /]Anaheim, CA 92802[/i][br /][br /][b]The Original Farmers Market, Gilmore Field[/b][br /]The Original Farmers Market on 3rd and Fairfax is one of L.A.'s most entertaining and iconic locations. But this property was once Gilmore Field, where the Hollywood Stars baseball team played back in the '50s. Walt Disney had a box there and would take his wife and daughters to see the games, but he was more than just a fan of the baseball team, he was also on the board of directors.[br /][br /][i][url HREF="https://www.farmersmarketla.com/history" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"]The Original Farmers Market[br /][/url]6333 W 3rd Street[br /]Los Angeles, CA 90036[/i][br /][br /][b]Angels Stadium[/b][br /]When Gene Autry formed the California Angels baseball team, Walt Disney was also on the board as an advisor and was instrumental in bringing the team to Anaheim so they would be close to Disneyland. His goal was to make the little town of Anaheim more of an entertainment destination. In 1996, the Walt Disney Company even purchased the Angels and owned the team for about seven years and during that time, they won their only World Series Championship![br /][br /][i]Angels Stadium[br /]2000 E Gene Autry Way[br /]Anaheim, CA 92806[/i][br /][br /][media ID="4710786" /][br /][br /][b]Beverly Hills Lawn Bowling Club[/b][br /]Lawn Bowling is a sport that has been around for centuries, but isn't very well known. Walt Disney loved lawn bowling and was a member of the Beverly Hills Lawn Bowling Club at Roxbury Memorial Park, where they still play daily. It's a fun game the whole family can play. Call for an appointment to get a free lesson and if you get hooked, like Walt did, you can join the club and bowl with them Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. In 1970, the Walt Disney Company teamed with the Beverly Hills Bowling Club to create a tournament in Walt's name and even created a beautiful trophy in honor of the sport he loved so much.[br /][br /][i][url HREF="http://bowlnow.org/" TARGET="" REL="nofollow"][b]Beverly Hills Lawn Bowling Club [/b][/url][br /]401 Roxbury Dr.[br /]Beverly Hills, CA 90212[br /](323) 857-6676[/i][br /][br /][b]Like "Eye on L.A." on Facebook and let us know where you want "Eye on L.A." host Tina Malave to visit next![br /][/b][url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/EyeOnLA" TARGET="_blank" REL=""]www.facebook.com/EyeOnLA[/url][br /][url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/ABC7Tina" TARGET="_blank" REL=""]www.facebook.com/ABC7Tina[/url][br /]Twitter: [url HREF="https://twitter.com/EyeOnLA" TARGET="_blank" REL=""]@EyeOnLA[/url][br /]Twitter: [url HREF="https://twitter.com/ABC7Tina" TARGET="_blank" REL=""]@ABC7Tina[/url][br /]Instagram: [url HREF="https://instagram.com/abc7eyeonla" TARGET="_blank" REL=""]@ABC7EyeOnLA[/url][/b]