It was then that Disney started thinking about a fun place where he could introduce Mickey and all the other characters to the public, especially the children. The place was to be located closer to his Studio in Hollywood and would house the homes of all the toon characters. As the plans evolved, Disneyland became a magic land filled with themed amusement, water features, fantasy rides, entertainment shows, parades and theatres.

Disney wanted the park to be modeled on the lines of his home at Marceline, Missouri. It was intended to be a clean and safe environment where children and their parents could have a nice time. It was different from the amusement parks in vogue then, which offered roller coaster rides, with food and beer vendors in the vicinity and with no regard for proper sanitation facilities.

In 1952, Walt put together a team of imagineers comprising skilled architects, special effects people, writers and artists to bring alive the most beautiful and entertaining landscapes. He still needed the finance to build this dream project and had a tough time marketing and getting a dream funded. By 1953, a rough visualization of the park was in place, with the main regions highlighted in a pen and ink sketch and Anaheim was chosen as the ideal location for this grand scale project.

To promote funding for his project Walt followed the most innovative marketing strategy of his times by utilizing the television media. He entered into a long term programming contract with ABC Network in return for financial backup. As part of this agreement Walt presented a weekly show featuring the concepts of the themed regions of Disneyland. He also mortgaged his insurance and home and his dream began to take shape in the 1950’s.