Here Are 18 Unique Facts About Disneyland

HARBOR BOULEVARD AND KATELLA AVENUE - On July 17, 1955, a place in the middle of orange groves right off the nearly new Santa Ana Freeway, which was then known as U.S. 101, would transform Orange County, and become apart of the landscape of Southern California. Just like the beaches, mountains, strip malls, freeways, Sig-Alerts, earthquakes, growing acceptance of public transportation, police pursuits and the iconic Los Angeles City Hall, Disneyland would and has become apart of Southern California. Whether you love or hate Disneyland, and there are plenty with strong feelings in both camps, you cannot deny the Mouse's influence in shaping Orange County and Southern California.


The long gone, but never forgotten Peoplemover at Tomorrowland inside Disneyland, circa 1967. Photograph used under a Creative Commons license. 

As July 17, 2015, approaches Disneyland will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary, and here are 18 unique facts about Disneyland, including some bits of information about Disneyland's creator, Walt Disney.

1 - Walt Disney Wanted To Build His Park In Burbank 

When Walt Disney had the idea to build his park he was thinking of something closer to his studios in Burbank. The park, which was originally called Mickey Mouse Park, was planned to be built along Riverside Drive.

So, why do plenty of us now have to make the drive down Interstate 5 to Anaheim rather than up the 5 to Burbank? Turns out Burbank officials really did not like the idea of a "carny atmosphere" in their city. Even though there has been some romanticizing of the early days of amusement parks many such places prior to Disneyland, and for a time after, were often seedy places run by shady people that often attracted seedy, shady people (take a look at The Pike in Long Beach). So, with carnivals and amusement parks having this kind of sordid reputation it is easy to understand why Burbank did not want this kind of place in their city.

2 - The Idea For A Place Like Disneyland Came From An Afternoon At Griffith Park

The story goes Walt Disney was spending the afternoon with his daughters at Griffith Park, and as they were riding the old Merry-Go-Round he noticed how parents had nothing to do. Mr. Disney, like the Burbank city officials, also noticed and observed just how bad these amusement parks really were. In an interview Mr. Disney once said, 

What this country really needs is an amusement park that families can take their children to. They've gotten so honky tonk [sic] with a lot of questionable characters running around, and they're not to safe. They're not well kept. I want to have a place that's as clean as anything could ever be, and all the people in [Disneyland] are first-class citizens, and treated like guests. 

Furthermore, according to a 1963 Canadian documentary Mr. Disney said, 

It came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always daddy’s day with the two daughters. So we’d start out and try to go someplace, you know, different things, and I’d take them to the merry-go-round and I took them different places and as I’d sit while they rode the merry-go-round and did all these things… sit on a bench, you know, eating peanuts. I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise built, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started.

Well, it took many years… it was a period of maybe 15 years developing. I started with many ideas, threw them away, started all over again. And eventually it evolved into what you see today at Disneyland. But it all started from a daddy with two daughters wondering where he could take them where he could have a little fun with them, too.

The very bench from Griffith Park is on display at Opera House on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland with a plaque that reads, “The actual park bench from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland."

3 - Walt Disney Did NOT Name Katella Ave. After His Daughters

Many Disneyana fans and cast members alike often pass along the story that Katella Ave. in Anaheim was named after Walt Disney's daughters, Kate and Ella. Well, it is just that, a story. The name Katella goes way back before Mr. Disney had anything to do with Anaheim, or even the Mouse in his mind.

John and Margaret Rea, and their daughters, named coincidentally Kate and Ella, moved to Anaheim in 1896, and Mr. Rea knew their walnut ranch needed a name, but he wanted a more interesting, memorable name than simply, Rea Ranch.

According to the October 1989 issue of Orange Coast Magazine, Mr. Rea came up with the name like this, 

One evening, the girls were out in the yard when their father called them to dinner. “Kate—Ella, supper!” he called. Suddenly he had an idea. “I have chosen the name,” he announced. “Katella.” The girls were delighted and a big sign went up at the entrance to the family’s land: Katella. 

It was kind of a neat name, and the Anaheim powers that be back then thought so, too. In the early 1900s a school was name Katella School, and by 1934 Katella Ave. came to be. 

4 - The Underground World Under Disneyland Does NOT Exist 

If you grew up in Southern California you probably heard a very popular legend about Disneyland, and that is under "The Happiest Place On Earth" is a complete underground world. Well, that is not true as there is no underground world under Disneyland. There are a couple small passage ways under Disneyland, and that is about it.

It is certainly possibly many people are confusing Disneyland with another Disney park. Walt Disney World, located in another Orange County across the country, does indeed have its own underground world, but only it is not underground. Rather, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is built atop of a building that houses its underground complex, which, according to HiddenMickeys.org, "consists of 15 foot high walkways, meeting rooms, computer rooms, etc. with all having exposed utilities (it somewhat resembled a parking garage). "The tunnel complex originates from the castle and spreads out like spokes from a wheel to the other lands. In fact, the bottom two floors of the castle consists of the tunnel complex."

The ground in Florida is not stable enough to build an entire complex literally underground. 

5 - Walt Disney Being Buried At Disneyland Is NOT True 

There are a lot of strange rumors about Walt Disney's body, such as it is being frozen and one day he will be brought back to life. One of the more common myths is Mr. Disney is buried somewhere at Disneyland, but that is not true. Mr. Disney is not buried on the grounds of his creation in Anaheim or frozen at some mysterious lab, but is buried at Forest Lawn in Glendale. 

6 - Walt Disney Was NOT An Anti-Semitic 

Oy Vey! There have been a lot of wild, and down right hilarious allegations made about Mr. Disney, but one of the more serious rumors about Mr. Disney is he was not a fan of the Jewish people. That, gladly to say, is false. As Neil Gabler notes in his 2006 book, Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, Mr. Disney really was not Anti-Semitic, and had plenty of Jewish people working for him. People who knew him and worked with him never really noticed any hints of Mr. Disney being Anti-Semitic. Furthermore, any Jewish people who worked for Mr. Disney were given Jewish holidays off. At the time what struck people as odd was the Walt Disney Studios were the only major studios not run by Jewish People. 

7 - Disney Did Not Own The Disneyland Hotel Until 1988 

The Disneyland Hotel has been apart of the Anaheim landscape nearly since the park's opening, but Disney did not own The Disneyland Hotel until 1988, because Mr. Disney did not have the money to build it. Mr. Disney knew the little citrus city of Anaheim was some ways away from The City of Angels and other population points, and he wanted visitors to his park to have a place to stay nearby. The problem was building Disneyland caused Mr. Disney to run out of money, and so he turned to some friends in show business for some financial backing.

Mr. Disney first turned to his friend Art Linkletter, but he declined as Mr. Linkletter did not have faith in Disneyland's success. Years later Mr. Linkletter would walk around the park saying, "and that's another million I missed out on."

So, Mr. Disney turned to another well connected friend to finance The Disneyland Hotel, Jack Wrather. Mr. Wrather liked what Mr. Disney was doing and provided the finance needed, but under the agreement the producer of Lassie would own the hotel on West Street across from Disneyland. It was under Mr. Wrather that The Disneyland Hotel saw its major expansions.

Some years later when Mr. Disney had the money to buyout Mr. Wrather's ownership of The Disneyland Hotel the film producer and oil millionaire refused to sell. That would be the case until the death of Mr. Wrather's wife, Bonita Granville, in 1988. Mr. Wrather passed away in 1984, two weeks after Michael Eisner took over Walt Disney Productions, and Mr. Wrather saw to it his wife would hold ownership of the hotel until she decides otherwise or dies. 

8 - One Of Disneyland's First Financial Backers Was ABC 

Today ABC/Disney is one of the world's largest media conglomerates, but in late 1953 Roy Disney met with the then fledgling American Broadcast Company, after meeting with CBS and NBC, to help finance this place called Disneyland. In 1954 ABC agreed to invested $500,000 in Disneyland, which resulted in ABC taking a 34.49 percent ownership and guaranteeing $4.5 million in bank loan, plus $5 million a year for a weekly television program for ABC produced by Walt Disney Productions.

This, of course, explains why the infamous opening day of Disneyland was aired on ABC, with much of the equipment being provided by KABC-TV.

In June 1960 Walt Disney Productions completed the purchase of ABC's share of the company for nearly $7.5 million. It would be the summer of 1995 that Disney would buy ABC from Capital Cities, and the Mouse and Alphabet would be reunited and live happily ever after. 

9 - The Original Name For Disneyland Was, Disneylandia 

Before Mickey Mouse Park and after Disneyland came the name, Disneylandia. Why the name change? Well, in 1954 ABC urged Mr. Disney to change the name from Disneylandia to Disneyland. Mr. Disney listened to ABC's advice, and changed the name. 

10 - The Gold Trimmings Outside Of It’s a Small World Are Made Of Real 22 Karat Gold 

According to Disneyland officials, "For weather durability and un-excelled beauty, 22 karat gold leaf was used for trim throughout the facade." Gold leaf, by the way, is real gold. 

11 - Walt Disney's Second Home Was In Anaheim 

It is unclear if Mr. Disney was ever officially counted by the United States Census Bureau as being an Anaheim resident, but when he was not riding the Little Engines in his Holmby Hills backyard, or at work over at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, he was spending a lot of time at his other home. His other home was his apartment atop of the Disneyland Fire Station on Main Street, U.S.A. in Anaheim. 

12 - The Matterhorn Has Many Records 

The Matterhorn is one of Disneyland's most iconic attractions, and when the ride opened in 1959 it broke many records. The Matterhorn was the first tubular steel track roller coaster in the world, and was the first roller coaster able to have multiple cars on the same track.

When The Matterhorn was finished it was the tallest structure in Orange County standing at 147 feet. As Orange County fell to suburbanization by the mid-1960s The Matterhorn would lose the title of being the tallest structure in Orange County. 

13 - The Reason For A Basketball Court Inside The Matterhorn Is So The Attraction Could Be Built... Is False 

A popular legend told over and over again is the reason Mr. Disney had a basketball court built inside The Matterhorn is the Anaheim building code at the time did not allow structures that tall unless it was a sports facility. The story goes is that upon learning what Anaheim's building code requires Mr. Disney told his construction workers to put a basketball court inside The Matterhorn, and now, just like that, it is a sports facility that satisfies the Anaheim building code.

The reality is Anaheim never had such a building code, and the basketball court was put in for The Matterhorn cast members to help pass the time during their breaks. 

14 - Cats Keep The Mouses Out Of Disneyland 

About 200 feral cats roam the Disneyland Resort keeping rodents out of the park. Sometimes if you know where to look you can see the cats. Mickey and Minnie Mouse do not seem to be bothered by the cats, and Pluto and Goofy do not ever seem to chase the cats out of the park. 

15 - Walt Disney Spent Time With Disneyland Guests 

Mr. Disney would walk around his creation and even would stand in line with the guests talking with them. Part of this was good public relations, but much of it had to do with Mr. Disney genuinely wanting to create the best place ever. Mr. Disney would walk around looking for problems or things to improve, and Mr. Disney always welcomed suggestions by his guests. 

16 - When Disneyland Opened In 1955 It Was Just One Dollar For Admission 

With admission fees today going into three-to-four digits, depending how many tickets, excuse me, Passports you are buying, it is amazing to think it was just one dollar for admission, and only 50-cents for children. Today, once inside Disneyland, it is very difficult to find anything for just a dollar. 

17 - What Does Disneyland And Knott's Berry Farm Have In Common? 

The founders were both named Walt, or Walter to be precise. Walt Disney and Walter Knott, besides having the same first name, were actually good friends. In fact, Mr. Disney invited Mr. Knott to the opening day of Disneyland.

18 - What Was Walt Disney's Biggest Regret When It Comes To Disneyland?

Mr. Disney's biggest regret about Disneyland was never being able to buy more land. Mr. Disney was barely able to make ends meet when building Disneyland, as evident by needing financial backers such as ABC and Mr. Wrather, and so buying more land was out of the question. Mr. Disney was not too happy when tourist traps and Las Vegas style motels began building around Disneyland, not to mention the tract-housing and general suburbanization of Orange County popping up around and at the edge the park. Ideally, Mr. Disney wanted Disneyland to be isolated from "The Real World," and he was unhappy that buildings from the outside could be seen from inside Disneyland.

By the time Mr. Disney could buy up more land much of the area around Disneyland in Anaheim had been bought and built upon by other developers.

14 Random City Facts: Santa Ana

SANTA ANA - Passing south on Interstate 5, the Santa Ana Freeway, just below the Orange Crush Interchange, you come across a place that bills itself on its water-tower as, "Downtown Orange County." That is not too far fetched as Santa Ana is the Orange County seat, which is to say all the main Orange County government services are headquartered in the city. In fact, and here is a Santa Ana fact in the opening paragraph, the Orange County government is the largest employer in Santa Ana.

So, with a quick glance passing along down the I-5 Santa Ana, like much of Southern California, looks so much like one of the many same suburban cities making up the puzzle piece of the Los Angeles Basin. Getting off the freeway and spending some time in the city you will see there is much more to Santa Ana than meets the eye.

 
Postcard of 1973 downtown Santa Ana. Used under Creative Commons license.

Here are 14 random facts, in no particular order, about Santa Ana. We hope this will inspire you to learn more about the fun, interesting and sometimes not-so-happy history of Santa Ana.

1 - Santa Ana Is More Densely Populated Than L.A.

Wait! That cannot be right. L.A. has over four million people and is the second largest city in America. Yes, that is true, but the City of Angels is not quite as densely populated as Santa Ana, and so just how densely populated is Santa Ana? Well, in an answer that often surprises a lot of people is Santa Ana is the United States' fourth most densely populated city behind, New York, San Francisco and Boston, respectively, according to the 2010 United States Census.


It is Fourth Street in circa 1950 Santa Ana. Used under a Creative Commons license.

2 - Santa Ana Is a Rather Safe City

There is a perception in Orange County and around Southern California that Santa Ana is not quite safest place to be. Sure, like any large city they have their problems, from street crime to corruption in city government, and some of these problems make the rounds on local news and even international news. However, and this is another thing that surprises many people, according to a 2011 Forbes study of cities with populations of 250,000 and up, Santa Ana ranked as the nation's fourth safest city.


Downtown Santa Ana circa 1940s. Used under Creative Commons license.

3 - Who Named It Santa Ana?

The name of Santa Ana comes from the controversial Friar Junípero Serra who named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana following the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolá. The original name, Vallejo de Santa Ana, translates into Santa Ana Valley, or, Valley of Saint Anne. This name did not include just where the city currently sits, but rather Vallejo de Santa Ana was the name of most of present day Orange County. Furthermore, growing up in Southern California some people have said the city was named after General Santa Anna, but that is not true.


Downtown Santa Ana in the 1930s, Used under a Creative Commons license.

4 - How Did The Present Day City of Santa Ana Come To Be?

The Santa Ana of today is a result of a guy from Kentucky named, William H. Spurgeon. The story goes, Mr. Spurgeon rode through on horseback on October 10, 1869, and he liked what he saw and paid Jacob Ross, Sr., $595 for 74.2 acres. In 1870, Mr. Spurgeon became postmaster and owned a general store and, to no real surprise, he became the city's first mayor when Santa Ana incorporated on June 1, 1886.

5 - Who Was Jacob Ross, Sr.?

Before the guy from Kentucky bought the land that would become the city of Santa Ana it was owned by Jacob Ross, Sr. After California was taken by the U.S. from Mexico Mr. Ross purchased 650 acres from the Yorba family's vast Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. The Rancho was a Spanish land-use grant that had been awarded in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba, a sergeant of the Spanish army who served with Mr. Portola's 1769 expedition. For more on these land grants check out the Californio-Alta California-Spanish-Mexican-American history of California.

6 - Santa Ana Used To Be Called Hotuuk

Long before the Spanish or other Europeans came to the area the indigenous Native American Tongva inhabited the area beginning around the year 500. After the Spanish colonization the Tongva people became known by their European names, Gabrieleño, Fernandeño, and Nicoleño.

7 - Orange County's First Gay Pride Parade Was Held In Santa Ana

On September 11, 1989, Orange County LGBTQ history was made with the first Orange County Cultural Pride Festival parade held at Santa Ana’s Centennial Regional Park. According to festival organizers around 10,000 people attended the event. This event was not without incident as the Santa Ana Police riot squad had to be called out. According to the Los Angeles Times,

Six people were arrested Sunday after a fist-swinging brawl broke out among more than 50 militant gays and fundamentalist Christians at Orange County's first Gay Pride Festival.

About 50 riot-equipped Santa Ana police were called in to Centennial Regional Park to quell the disturbance, but no serious injuries were reported as the two-day gay festival concluded Sunday evening.

The six people arrested--identified by police as militant gay activists as well as fundamental Christians--were taken to the Santa Ana police station, where they were cited for interfering with police and released.

Despite the rough start this event is considered to be a milestone in Orange County LGBTQ history.

8 - Santa Ana May Be The Nation's Fourth Most Densely Populated City, But It Is Not The Most Populated City In Orange County

As first noted above Santa Ana is one of America's top five most densely populated cities ranking up there with New York and San Francisco. However, in total population numbers Santa Ana is not the largest city in Orange County with its 329,427 residents, according to the 2011 U.S. Census. Rather, the most populated city in Orange County is the home of the Mouse, Anaheim, with their 336,265 residents, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.


Owl Drug Store in Santa Ana. Used under a Creative Commons license.

9 - There Was A Lynching at Sycamore and Main

Many like to think lynchings were a thing that only happened in another part of the country, but, sadly, Southern California had more than a few of them, and one of them happened in Santa Ana on August 20, 1892. The person lynched was Francisco Torres. Mr. Torres was accused of the murder of Captain William McKelvey near the home of Madame Modjeska. According to the 1892 L.A. Times,

Pinned on the breast of the corpse was a placard on which was written: 'A CHANGE OF VENUE.' His hands were tied behind him and his feet were bound together, one foot being bare and the other with a stocking on. An undershirt and dark pair of pants were the only clothing on the body. Torres's face told the story of terrible suffering, a bungling job and a desperate struggle for life. So quietly was the lynching done that it did not even arouse the guests in the Hotel Brunswick, not fifty feet away.

10 - Santa Ana Burnt Down and Destroyed Their Chinatown

Combine xenophobia against Chinese and having that Chinese xenophobia recognized by local, state and federal officials, with things like Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, along with city officials claiming Chinatown is a hotbed for the dreaded leprosy, and you have the makings of people doing whatever they can in wanting to get rid of "undesirable" Chinese by burning down their neighborhood. That is, sadly, what happened on a May day in Santa Ana. On May 25, 1906, over 1,000 people gathered to watch Santa Ana's Chinatown be burnt to the ground. Gustavo Arellano, of Ask A Mexican fame and the incredible editor-in-chief at the OC Weekly, wrote a very important piece about this conveniently overlooked important bit of history.

11 - The 1970 Movement for a Democratic Military Peace March

Orange County back then in 1970 was not a place nationally known as being a hotbed of liberal, anti-war or left-wing political activism, and many of the powers that be, from the Chamber of Commerce to Register owner R.C. Hoiles did all they could to keep it that way. (By the way, and probably not a big surprise for those who know a little bit about Orange County history, Orange County was known for lot of right-wing activism, such as being a hot-spot for The John Birch Society, and Mr. Hoiles' Register had many editorials, many from Mr. Hoiles himself, that wanted to keep Orange County that way.) Well, in 1970 in a protest that looked like something coming out of Berkeley the Movement for a Democratic Military sponsor a four-mile peace march and rally at Santa Ana Memorial Park where around 2,000 people listened to speeches given by members of the military. The speeches, according to the Raitt Street Chronicles, included pleas stop to all alleged military censorship and intimidation; military wages commensurate with the minimum federal wage; an immediate pull out from Vietnam; and an end to the draft.

12 - The 1969 Movie Theater Riot

Much like how liberal and left-wing protests had been mostly kept under wraps in 1960s Orange County, and in many cases driven underground as being associated with any such group in Orange County could cause you to lose your job, there was not a lot of rioting happening. Orange County had been mostly spared from the racial riots and civil unrest that were occurring in many places around the nation in the 1960s.

In 1969 the racial divisions and tensions happening around the country and boiling in parts of Orange County exploded at a Santa Ana movie theater. According to the OC Weekly,

More than 400 Mexican and black youths riot in Santa Ana after a black girl was kicked out of a theater. She had complained after a white teen yelled, "Why don't you black niggers keep quiet?" Teens threw bottles and bricks at police, set fires, and even took batons away from officers and beat them with the sticks.

13 - The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake Gives Santa Ana A Whole Lot of Damage


Damage in Santa Ana following the 1933 earthquake. Used under a Creative Common license.

The deadliest earthquake in Southern California history was the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, and this earthquake still holds the record for being Orange County's most damaging earthquake causing major damage in downtown Santa Ana. One reason Santa Ana had so much major damage was the fact that the epicenter of this earthquake was not in Long Beach, but rather in nearby Newport Beach. The Newport-Inglewood Fault was the cause of this earthquake (interestingly enough in the past few months there has been a series of minor magnitude 2-3 earthquakes in the Inglewood/West L.A. area on or around this fault).

14 - The Santa Ana Winds Are Not Named After The City

Raymond Chandler once wrote, "There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Ana's that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

There has been, and will continue to be, much debate on the etymology of just where the name Santa Ana Winds comes from. However, one thing is a fact, those winds that have brought much burning destruction on mountains and hills are not named after the city, and furthermore have nothing to do with Orange County.

Disneyland Measles Outbreak and What You Need To Know About Measles

ANAHEIM - Many young kids, and adults who are kids at heart, often wish they could take a piece of Disneyland home with them. Well, some people may be taking a piece of Disneyland home with them, and it is not very magical.

 

Photograph of young boy with measles rash. Author unknown. Shown for educational purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. Used under a Creative Commons license.

On Wednesday state health officials announced that a visitor to The Happiest Place on Earth had measles and likely transmitted it to 19 people, so far, who were visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park between December 15 and Dec. 20.

We use the words, "so far," because state health officials expect the number of measles cases to rise. 

Officials say 16 of the cases are in California, two are in Utah, and one is in Colorado. Most of the California cases are in Southern California with nine cases in Orange County.

Disneyland officials say no employees, excuse me, "cast members," have contracted measles and they say they are working with health officials to provide any necessary information.

Wait, What Happened?

It is believed that an infected guest with measles visiting The Disneyland Resort potentially infected a significant amount of people at The Happiest Place on Earth with measles, according to health officials.

First Off, Do Not Panic! 

While it is possible thousands of people have been exposed to measles it is very important to not panic and to put this illness in perspective.

It is very important to understand that if you have been vaccinated there is a very good chance you will NOT get measles. 

Also very important to understand that measles in the majority of cases is NOT a life threatening illness. For most people it is an illness that will pass in a couple weeks.

How Can You Get Measles?

According to the Center for Disease Control, measles is very infectious because it spreads through the air.

The CDC notes that, "measles virus can live for up to two hours on a surface or in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected."

That time of year at Disneyland is always very crowded, and it would be very simple to catch measles by standing in line next to someone who is infected. In fact, in a very crowded line, or very crowded walkway or store, several people at once can be exposed to measles.

Can Measles Be Prevented?

Yes, if you are vaccinated there is a extraordinarily good chance you will not catch measles, but there will always be a small number of people who can get infected despite being vaccinated. That chance of not getting measles when vaccinated is over 99-percent, according to the CDC. Many of the California measles cases were people who were not vaccinated.

What Are The Signs of Measles?

Signs of measles coming on include, runny nose, red eyes, cough and a high fever. 

What About A Rash?

According to the CDC, "Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit."

How Long Does It Last?

Most measles cases last about two weeks.

What Medicine Treats Measles? 

Most measles can be treated by over-the-counter medication.

Bottom Line About Catching Measles

If you and/or your child have been vaccinated for measles chances are very good you will not be affected by measles.

However if you did visit The Disneyland Resort at or around this time do keep a "heads up" for symptoms.

If you do happen to catch measles it will not be very pleasant and there will be a lot of school and work missed, but in most cases it is not life threatening. Understand that most over-the-counter medications can be used to treat measles.

Five Things You Will Never Hear Somebody From North Orange County Say

ANAHEIM - In many unique ways Orange County is almost two different places (with the 714 and 949 area codes being the unofficial line-splitter) with north Orange County, which is very much apart of the urban Los Angeles Basin, and south Orange County, which is in a lot of ways, well, where certain perceptions and stereotypes of "The OC" may possibility live along with the so-called "Real Housewives." 

 
May 1965 aerial photograph above Disneyland in Anaheim when orange groves were still a common site in Orange County. Photograph courtesy of AirlineSafety.com.

Here are five things you will probably never heard somebody from north Orange County say:

1. "That's weird! This is the first time I've ever heard the fireworks from Disneyland at my house. Does this happen often?"

2. "It's too bad we have to drive up to L.A. to go to a real Korean restaurant."

3. "Wow. The design and food at Angelo's and Vinci's Ristorante is a total ripoff of Buca Di Beppo."

4. "Hey, we should go to the Denny's on Harbor across from Disneyland, because their prices are cheaper than the Denny's up here."

5. "Why aren't there any good artwalks around here?"

 

Five Facts About Knott's Berry Farm

BUENA PARK - For many years it was thought of Disneyland's quirky, perhaps eccentric older brother with a museum, insects and science exhibits, but, to the chagrin of many, for well over ten years now Knott's Berry Farm has transformed into someplace resembling Six Flags Magic Mountain.

At least one museum inside the park still stands, as does the replica Independent Hall across the street, but the science exhibit building is gone, as is the place to checkout insects, along with other rides and attractions that made Knott's Berry Farm a unique place. If you have not been to Knott's Berry Farm in well over a decade you may be in for bit of a shock seeing the steel leg of a modern roller coaster in the middle of Ghost Town. It is becoming a shell of its former self as nowadays Knott's Berry Farm is a place more for thrill rides that you can find at many amusement park around the world rather than a place for offbeat, unique attractions.

What happened? Well, in the late 1990s the Knott family decided to put the Farm on the market. Disney was interested in buying the park, but the Knott family feared Disney would, well, dramatically "Disneyfy" the place, and so they refused to sell to Disney. An offer finally came through, and in 1997 Cedar Fair Entertainment Company bought Knott's Berry Farm for $94.5 million, and the Knott family acquired two million ownership shares in Cedar Fair.

Since Cedar Fair bought the park the Knott's Berry Farm many people in Southern California grew up with and remember has been fading away, and replaced with something that resembles a different park.

However quickly fading it may be Knott's Berry Farm is still a historical place with a fascinating history, and here are five things you may never have known about Knott's Berry Farm. 

1. There is something Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm have a common. Can you think of it? Well, both of their creators were named Walter! Walter Knott and, of course, Walt Disney. Though they were competitors Walter and Walt both greatly respected each other, visited each other's parks, shared some ideas, and sometimes shared employees. 

2. Knott's Berry Farm began as a very small roadside stand in 1920 along State Route 39 selling, but what else, berries, berry preserves and pies. Roadside stands selling such things were common in this era, but what made the Knott's roadside stand stick out was Walter Knott's wife Cordelia wrapping the berries up in nice, sometimes colorful plastic bags. In an era when mandated food safety standards were not quite en vogue having food wrapped up in a package gave it the appearance that it was sanitary, and thus a very big selling point. 

The Knott family roadside stand along Highway 39 (still state route 39, but better known now as Beach Boulevard) circa 1927. Photograph courtesy of the Orange County Archives.

3. Knott's Berry Farm was an actual farm (you probably knew that) and Walter Knott, with the help of George M. Darrow of the USDA, brought back to life some dying vines that Rudolph Boysen brought with him when he moved to Anaheim from Napa. These vines contained a hybrid of blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries. Knott brought these vines back to life at the little farm in Buena Park, began selling them in 1932, and they became a big hit. The story goes Knott was asked what they were and he said, "Boysenberries." 

4. Walter Knott was a Southern Californian from birth to death. Knott was born in San Bernardino on December 11, 1889, raised in Pomona, and passed on in Buena Park on December 3, 1981 (and no, Walter did not die at Knott's Berry Farm). 

5. On the way to Las Vegas, just a little ways past Barstow, you have probably noticed, and probably visited, the old ghost town of Calico. There was a time in the 1930s and 1940s the old ghost town was falling apart, but of course in that time period there were some other pressing concerns. Well, as the post-war years set in come 1951 Knott bought the town of Calico and restored the old buildings. By 1966 Knott donated Calico to San Bernardino County, and shortly there after it became apart of the San Bernardino Regional Park system. Knott was familiar with Calico, because in 1915 while living in nearby Newberry Springs with his wife Knott helped build a new gold cyanidation plant in Calico. It is probably a safe bet that Calico was a major inspiration for Walter Knott and the park he would create. 

Knotts' as many of us remember it. A 1985 Knott's Berry Farm map. Author's collection; no copyright infringement intended.

The Reality Land of Disneyland on OCTA Route 43 Land

ANAHEIM - Walking about any day and time in the Disneyland Resort you will see shining, happy "cast members," as Disneyland employees are called in Disney-speak. Over the years more that a few people have wondered and mused if these cast members are even human with their super smiling faces and always over-the-top cheerful attitude.

There is one place you can find the answer if Disneyland employees are actually human. To see behind the Mickey Mouse veneer of these overly happy cast members it is highly suggested you ride Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) bus route 43.

OCTA bus route 43 that carries dozens upon dozens Disneyland cast members as seen at the Fullerton Transportation Center. No copyright infringement intended. 

Stepping onto the accordion looking bus you will notice the "Disney magic" quickly disappear, and you see a different look on the cast member faces, all while wearing their "costumes." You will see the magic of wore out, but loving mothers trying to make ends meet on a Mickey Mouse wage. You will see the college student who was promised an exciting, fantastic job, only to wonder what they are doing working in the parking lot.

Almost anytime of the day or night on the bus going all over Harbor Boulevard you will see Disneyland "cast members" that are not quite what is portrayed in Disney video and print promos of super-duper happy cast members. Rather, just an eerie feeling falls on the badly florescent lit OCTA bus. A lot of cast members stare out of the bus window as if wondering what lays beyond Walt's gate. As the cast members board the bus in their various "costumes" each cast member gives each other a blank dismal nod.

At Harbor Blvd. and Broadway in Anaheim a large group of young cast members depart the bus. This is not unusual as just down the street at Broadway and Anaheim Blvd. are the dorms for Disney's College Program.

If you want to be apart of Disney's College Program and have wanted to work at Disneyland, but live well outside the area, like maybe out of state, the mouse provides housing. The housing is like a dorm with multiple roommates, and it comes out of the cast member's magical paycheck. The jobs most these Disney College Program cast members hold are what the regular cast members hold, like ride operator, parking lot attendant, working in the kitchen, running the cash register and selling the Mickey Mouse hats. Riding on OCTA route 43 you see the program members who have looks of confusion on their face with a hint of depression.

Late night riding on OCTA route 43 you see the other cast members that are typically hidden from the public. These are not the ride operators or those working the shops on Main Street, U.S.A., but rather these are the people who keep the grass green, the Mickey Mouse flower garden that greet the visitors in front of the train station fresh and pretty, and the people who keep the dishes clean while the sun is down. These are the people who replace the twinkling lights all over the park during the overnight hours, replace all the grass, flowers and plants that might slightly give any hint that they may be changing colors; these are the people prepping food and washing dishes for tomorrow's "show." It is these cast members who ride the bus when the sun is down, who work all night and take the bus back home when the sun is rising.

Route 43 on the OCTA bus exposes a different side of Disneyland. Riding this bus amid the Disneyland workers exposes something the mouse tries to hide, a very human side to the operation. These are people maybe working one job at Disneyland and going home just to get ready to work at another job. These are people who have a family to support. Perhaps they are living paycheck-to-paycheck and having to use what limited energy they have to put on that smile and "show" for those at Disneyland.

If it seems like there is a lot of frustration and not-so-Disney like energy suddenly being released on the bus there is a reason for that.

Some of these cast members know if they let a moment of their reality slip in and show it on their face they could get in trouble. For Disneyland has people on their payroll who go undercover as guests to observed and interact with the cast members. Should there be anything these undercover agents do not like or simply disapprove of these agents report it to management. Then, making what is already a stressful day dealing with the public even more stressful, one of Disneyland's many managers now needs to "talk to you," and as a result there is now a formal reprimand on the cast member's record.

Maybe you see the stressed out faces of a cast member on route 43, because they had to stay home a few extra minutes to take care of an ill child. Now the person is running a few minutes late and "points" are going to be added to this cast member's record. "Points" is Disneyland's puerile system to punish those that are late to work, or call in and not able to make it to work. Get too many points and you are fired. Yes, sometimes people are late due to bad time management and bad decisions, but other times people have legitimate reasons for being late, like having to take their child to the doctor, or not able to find a sitter.

Mine you Disneyland has a clock in-clock out system, and if you are just one minute late you will now have "points" on your record. If you are just a minute or two late you cannot just clock in, but rather the cast member has to go through Disneyland's Kafkaesque management system to get it reported and cleared.

These are some of the stories the faces and the overheard telephone conversations tell, all aboard OCTA bus route 43.

Welcome to reality-land where the working class and deceived college students riding the bus up and down Harbor Blvd. keep the billion-dollar factory in Anaheim running and the shareholders in Burbank and New York happy.

A Quick Take: Three Fun Facts About OC

ANAHEIM - Here are three quick interesting facts about Orange County you may or may not have known.

1. The name Anaheim is a fusion of two names: Heim, which is the German and Norwegian for home, and Ana, which was short for Santa Ana River. Perhaps at the first town meeting with the German settlers and winemakers from San Francisco it may have gone like this: "There's a river over there the locals call Santa Ana. Heim. Ana. Ana. Heim. Anaheim!"

2. Ever maybe notice Balboa Boulevard in the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach kind of looks like it almost should have some kind a light rail running in the middle of the street? Well, once upon a time it actually did, the Pacific Electric ran a trolley down the middle of that street to the bay. That line was originally constructed by Los Angeles Inter-Urban Electric Railway, but PE took it over in July 1908. The railway was a big boom to the then quiet peninsula.

3. In 1933 the deadest earthquake in Southern California on record occurred, and it is commonly referred to as The Long Beach Earthquake, which resulted in 120 reported deaths. There was indeed great damage in Long Beach and Compton, but the epicenter was actually just off the coast in Newport Beach along the Newport-Inglewood Fault. This earthquake was also the most damaging earthquake in Orange County history with major damage in Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Anaheim.

Damage to a Santa Ana building as a result of the 1933 earthquake. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historic and educational purposes only.   

A Quick Did You Know: Anaheim Blvd Was Once...

ANAHEIM - Did you know, Anaheim Boulevard, which of course runs right through Anaheim, was once called Los Angeles Street.

Did you also know, Interstate 5 that runs through Anaheim was once proposed to be called the Manchester Freeway.

An Ode to Anaheim

ANAHEIM - We know this city where the Mouse calls home has had its share of disturbing problems in recent years, and after some rioting, protesting and court battles these issues are slowly being addressed. Beside Mickey Mouse riots there are some other things unique about Anaheim, and in a tribute to the fair town where this publication has called home for many years we present to you, "Ten Signs You Know You're From Anaheim" right after the jump.

A 1922 photograph of downtown Anaheim, which, sans for a few more buildings, looked the same for many years until the "development bomb." You know you are from Anaheim if you know exactly what that means. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historical and educational purposes only.

1. Here Comes The Train!

When that train goes by it could be a sad sound or a happy sound, because no matter where you are in Anaheim, be it downtown or the tony Anaheim Hills, you always hear the distant (and sometimes not so distant) whistle of a train. Perhaps it all began when Jack Benny announced, "Train leaving on Track Five for Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga."

2. Every SINGLE RED-LIGHT!

While driving along Harbor Boulevard, Ball Road or Katella Avenue you hit every freakin' single red light and mumble to yourself, or yell, "why can't Anaheim program their traffic signals!" An Anaheim traffic programmer once said, off the record, the city believes people driving in the "Resort District" area will want to stop and shop at other places along the way to Disneyland if they have a moment to see it. In reality, while being stopped at every single red-light, you feel like screaming to whoever makes the city engineers do this, "Families with a bunch of hyper kids in the car who just spent a hour or two driving here aren't gonna want to stop at some other business on the way to Disneyland, get over it!"

3. A City With A Culture and Winning Sports Teams

When friends and family from outside of Orange County think Anaheim is just another bland, uninspiring homogeneous housing-tract city in "The OC" with no culture you gladly take them along Brookhurst Street, then to the revived downtown Anaheim and exploring amazing homes in The Colony, and that is just for starters. Then you kindly mention to the too-good-for-Anaheim naysayers we have a baseball and hockey team that has actually won a World Series and Stanley Cup, respectfully, in the new century. Finally, when talk turns to their family from around the country and/or world wanting to visit them and do all the super tourist stuff remind them, "Where is that one place they always insist on going when they come out to visit you?"

4. Somebody Was Once Good Friends With Her In High School

Somebody knows somebody who once attended Loara High School with Gwen Stefani and were "super good friends with her," and was a big No Doubt fan, years before they became big.

5. You Cannot Believe Another Anaheim Resident Actually Paid To Get Into Disneyland

You try to contain your laughter, or utter shock, when some fellow Anaheim resident tells you they actually paid full-price to get into Disneyland. People in Anaheim always know somebody who can get them in for free, or at the very least find them a very cheap ticket.

6. We Have a Haunted K-Mart

Not many places in the world have this claim to fame: Local lore has it that the K-Mart on Katella Ave. is haunted, which has to make you wonder, "Ghosts haunting a K-Mart in Anaheim? Those are some pretty damn boring ghosts." 

7. Best Bowling Alley Ever!

You know we have one of the best bowling alleys in the country with the best bowling alley signage in the country, Linbrook Bowl. In addition to 24-hour bowling there is a dimly lit bar with cheap drinks and karaoke. Oh, and going bowling here is pretty cheap too! 

Linbrook Bowl sign. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historical and educational purposes only.

8. You Remember...

You remember when the Anaheim Plaza was an actually mall complete with The Broadway Department Store. You remember when Chain Reaction was called Public Storage. You remember when Anaheim had its own radio station, KEZY. You remember when Anaheim had an actual downtown with movie theaters and its very own department store, S-Q-R Store.

 

A 1978 photograph S.Q.R. Store, located at 202 West Center Street in Anaheim. Built in 1925 and demolished in 1978 as it was a victim of the "development bomb." Photograph source, Calisphere - University of California. No copyright infringement intended; shown for historical and educational purposes only.

9. You Still Can't Believe What They Did!

Thanks in part to businesses like The Lab and Rothick art haus life in today's downtown Anaheim has finally been brought back. Yet, when you are there maybe during Art Crawl Experience or having something to eat at Healthy Junk, you still cannot believe some overpaid bureaucrat thought it was a good idea to wipe out most of old downtown Anaheim, and worse yet, you are baffled that the centerpiece of the "new" 1978 downtown Anaheim is a bland, run-of-the-mill, typical Southern California strip-mall. 

10. The Best View In All Of Southern California

Sometimes you have to find the good in the bad, and the 1978 downtown Anaheim redevelopment had a lot of bad things, but there was a silver-lining in parking structures. You know the best view in all of Orange County, and Southern California, is atop parking structures in downtown Anaheim. From the top on a clear day in one long turn of the head you can view The San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, downtown Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains (if you focus your eyes you can make out the Griffith Observatory and Hollywood sign), Santa Catalina Island and the curve of the earth in south county. Indeed in just one turn of the head it is one majestic view, and makes good viewing for the fireworks, both legal and illegal.

In Case You Missed It: Anaheim City Council District Vote and The Irony

ANAHEIM - Amid the protests and riots in 2012 came a lawsuit that alleged Anaheim’s current at-large election system discriminates against Latinos. A settlement soon came requiring a citywide vote on the council districts system on the November ballot, along with the option of expanding the City Council from five members to seven.

Yet nothing is ever as easy as it seems and, in case you missed it, as Adam Elmahrek of Voice of OC reports, "The election that will decide whether the council districts system becomes a reality will be held under the current at large system, which the activists say is tilted against the Latino community."

Commentary: The Kelly Thomas Affair

FULLERTON - I cannot remember the last time a court verdict made me angry and utterly depressed. Even the outcome of recent high-profile criminal trials have not made me rise to this level. The words "Not Guilty" felt like a bomb heard around the World.   

In the Casey Anthony trial and even the Trayvon Martin trial I can see how and why a jury, after examining all the evidence presented in the trial, came to "Not Guilty" verdicts as reasonable doubt was raised. In the Kelly Thomas case all the evidence showed and presented during the trial, from the videotape to medical experts, clearly shows these disgraced officers were guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

In the first couple hours after the verdict was read in a Santa Ana courtroom I had to restrain myself from going on social media and saying some choice words.

It is a day later and I am still not calmed down, and there is a reason I am feeling this way.

A few years back I was hanging around the downtown areas of Fullerton and Anaheim, and Kelly Thomas was somebody I knew from around. Of course we were not good friends, or really any kind of friends in any sense of the word, but when we would see each other we would talk. 

Mr. Thomas had his problems, but if you have ever dealt with somebody battling a mental illness it is not easy. I attempted to get Mr. Thomas the help he needed when I would see him, and in fact even drove him once to an Orange County mental health center in Anaheim on Katella Avenue and State College Boulevard.

Having known and dealt with Mr. Thomas it is hard not to take this case personally. Of course a lot of people have taken this case personally for many reasons. 

It may not seem like it, but trust me when I say that I have tried to look at this case against these disgraced Fullerton police officers as objectively as possible, and even viewed it through the lends of law enforcement. Despite Mr. Thomas' problems in communicating with police, there was no justification for why he had to die. This was a blatant abuse of power by law enforcement, and they got away with it.

In the immediate aftermath of this verdict I know there is anger and some soul searching.

I know the words "travesty of justice" gets thrown around often without much thought, but the Kelly Thomas case really is a travesty of justice. As emotions grow strong we must realize there is no turning back the verdict. As we process this we should, when the shock and anger calms down, begin to come up with realistic suggestions on how to deal with the homeless and mentally challenged, and how us as a community can work to make their life better. 

Perhaps consider becoming an advocate for those dealing with mental challenges. A lot of times they need a voice in the darkness to help guide them. It is not easy to be sure, but their life is a little better because you are there for them. Now if Mr. Thomas had somebody looking out for him would it of helped, well, I can tell from my experience with him it helped for a moment.

The change starts with us in our communities. In many protests it is often chanted, "fight the power," well, instead of "fighting the power" we can become the power and create change. We the people have the power to sit on police commissions, become lawyers, teachers and community activists. 

We also need to better advocate changes in how law enforcement deals with the homeless and mentally challenged.

There are many ways to help change your community so that we do not have to deal with something like this again. "They" don't have the power, we have the power. Remember, even though it may not always seem like it and it is difficult, "they" answer to us.  

Also, as a side note, while it may be annoying, you may want to reconsider throwing away that jury duty notice.

Remember, we are the change and we are the power.

The Best View is from a Parking Lot

ANAHEIM - Southern California is full of unique places, both natural and plastic, but there is one place made of concrete that offers the most spectacular views of Southern California.

Many people climb Mount San Gorgonio or Mount Baldy seeking the best view, but there is a place in Orange County were the views can never be beat, unless it is a dreaded smoggy day.

Just take a climb up to one of downtown Anaheim's three parking structures and you shall see in one single head-turning swoop, Santa Catalina Island, which is not quite 26 miles out to sea as a popular song would suggest, the Santa Monica Mountains, Hollywood Hills (if it is really clear and you focus, or perhaps squeeze your eyes hard enough, you can even see the Hollywood sign), Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains.

Yes, to the surprise of some people, Anaheim does indeed have a downtown. 

Climb atop of the concrete peaks and discover all you can see.