Disney History 101 (2024)

Popcorn has been around almost as long as our country has been around. But even before that, the First Peoples of this land have been eating popcorn for over 5000 years!

Popping corn has a small amount of moisture which is caught inside the hard shell of the kernel as it grows. When heated, this moisture vaporizes to steam, exerting a tremendous amount of pressure, and “explodes” the kernel. In addition, there are two colors of popping corn . . . yellow and white. Of these, the yellow variety was preferred by gourmets for its flavor!

Today, popcorn is sold as the number one treat in over 99% of all movie theaters! Around Disneyland, popcorn is popular with Guests and sold at cretors.

“Cretors”

Many have asked, ‘What exactly is a Cretor?’, so I would like to address this inquiry first. The word takes its origin from the C. Cretors & Company - the 1855 company that first manufactured the old-fashioned carts and “doll” vendors! It is no surprise that the old-fashioned Cretor (Popcorn Cart) vendor has been synonymous with the smell of freshly-popped kernels in Disneyland since 1955! The gay red Cretors were imported from Germany, and rehabilitated (with the help of Ferro Sheet Metal). The final products can be seen on Dateline Disneyland (aired July 17, 1955), and one can readily be seen on East Center Street, in some footage of “Disneyland, U.S.A.” (a “People and Places” feature film, released in the U.S. on December 20, 1956 through Buena Vista Film Distribution Company). At the same time, A Complete Guide to Disneyland (c. 1956) tantalized Guests with the following advertisem*nt : “Eager adventurers with hearty appetites find Disneyland’s popcorn vendors and their shiny red wagons irresistible.”

By July of 1954, Raul Grizante of Disneyland, Inc. was overseeing food philosophy, area & location, food specialties, and beverages for Disneyland.

Through the 1950s and early 1960s, the Popcorn Wagons were operated by UPT Concessions. These offered popcorn and peanuts to Disneyland Audiences in multiple On Stage locations (like in Town Square and on Center Street) during peak seasons.

“A Brief Word About the Birds”

Human guests weren’t the only ones who found the “hot and fresh” popcorn served from Disneyland’s Cretors, irresistible! In the beginning, exotic wild geese, mallards, and other birds migrated to Disneyland. Others were either donated or purchased by Disneyland, Inc. something of an attraction in Disneyland. By 1959, the Rivers of America were teeming with white ducks whom were both raised and cared for by Disneyland, Inc. The Disneyland News (October 1956) once told the tale of Gertie the Duck who was “brought to Disneyland, and launched into the ‘Rivers of America’ from aboard the Mark Twain.”

Soon, other wild life of North America had “‘discovered’ Disneyland. Flocks of wild geese, mallards, and other birds have found Frontierland’s River a safe retreat in their pilgrimages south. The birds pause to rest here, and in some cases stay on for several months,” according to “A Complete Guide to Disneyland” (published 1956, 1957). The “Disneyland Dictionary” (published 1959) noted: “Wild geese, mallards, and other birds around the island and mainland in Frontierland migrated here, and the white ducks on the Rivers of America were raised by Disneyland.”

“55er” Mary Van Thyme recalled: “One time I was in my booth down on the raft dock and Milo Rainey and Bob Allen were on the dock. All of a sudden two ducks started fighting and biting each other's necks. So I called to Milo and Bob to put a stop to it. Milo strolled over, and with a big grin, said, ‘Don't be silly, dearie, haven't you heard about the BIRDS AND THE BEES?!’”

These feathered guests also took the opportunity to do more than rest - they dined! As you can see in the picture (above), some guests couldn’t help treating their feathered fellow guests to morsels of popcorn. The Wonderful World of Disney episode “Holiday Time at Disneyland” (1962) displayed images of a young guest tossing popcorn to feathered guests in the water, while the narrator joked, “Its no wonder when ducks fly into Disneyland, they make it their permanent home!” But therein was highlighted a problem - once the birds learn where to find “hand-outs,” they would never leave the Park. Even more, according to Backstage Disneyland magazine (Vol.1, No. 2, December, 1962), there persisted a “problem of ducks sleeping on our many ferocious wild animals throughout our park.”

These charming “Disney ducks” have continued to captivate guests, proving it isn’t so “tough to be a bird” as they manage to discover occasional "handouts” near concessions. While at Disneyland, never mind what the “little old bird woman” says, because Guests are presently discouraged from feeding the birds!

Popcorn prices would increase slightly (by five cents) in 1968.

By 1969 it was figured: “Our popcorn supplier figures it out. We sell enough popcorn every year to cover an area of 30 acres with a layer of popcorn three inches thick, and our guess is that about five acres of that is spilled at one time or another.“ [“THE MAINTENANCE OF MAGIC IN THE ‘MAGIC KINGDOM’”]

By the 1970s, Disneyland’s Popcorn Cretor pots were changed from Cretor brand to Manley brand. Also, by about 1971, McGlashan Enterprises a division of Buena Vista Distribution Co., Inc. (the same company that manufactured and designed the shooting galleries and air rifles for Disneyland) had designed and was manufacturing a line of custom-crafted popcorn wagons for Disneyland, Walt Disney World and other amusem*nt facilities.

The price point for one serving of Disneyland Popcorn - 20¢. Still, during peak periods of operation (c. 1973), “as many as 1,000 people” bought “a box of popcorn from one wagon in just one hour,” according to “Food Showmanship Disney Style”, published 1973. According to the same publication, “On a busy day the outdoor food hosts, working from seven wagons located throughout the Park, will sell as many as 33,000 boxes of popcorn.”

In the early days of Disneyland corn was purchased from farms. Cal McMurtrey recalled: “We got a farm near Pismo Beach and we raised hybrid corn for poppin...it had small kernels. We had 500 acres and I remember one time I had gotton the whole crop sold to Disneyland. It was in 600 sacks and each sack was a hundred pounds. But by the time I got back to tell Dad, he'd had it all ground up into chicken feed!”

Decades later, Orville Redenbacher became the official popcorn of Disneyland during a special daytime ceremony on February 24th, 1977! After this momentous occasion, “hot, buttery and finger licking good” Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popping Corn continued to be offered at various Popcorn Wagon locations throughout the Park. Over in Walt Disney World, an average of 90 tons of popcorn was sold to guests annually. Soon, Cast Members were invited to attend festivities and meet Orville Redenbacher in person at the Village.

After Orville Redenbacher became the official popcorn of Disneyland, Disneyland LINE magazine (published for Cast Members) ran the following story.

“MODIFICATIONS AND MAINTENANCE”

The Arcade Mechanics team regularly repaired the popcorn machines. David (a Disneyland Arcade Department “Electro-Mechanical Technician"), who worked around these carts between 1974 and 1998, shares some of the history of the antique Disneyland Popcorn Cretors :

“My knowledge goes back to 1974. I believe we had 6 or 7 wagons back then. We rehabbed each one every year over the winter months. Back then I watched the Arcade Department add sheet metal, rebuild, modify, and restore each wagon. I can’t say for sure that they were the same ones from 1955/1956. However, looking at all the early photos and knowing what we had in 1975, I believe they just kept upgrading the originals. I saw when they removed the old Cretors signage (original cast iron sign). The modifications always kept the original look, but made the wagons operate more efficient.

The early carts had no storage space…supplies on the ground in metal open boxes.” David adds that a “lower section [was] added so storage would be off the ground. I remember when we upgraded the wheels so they would hold the added weight of the modifications.

Each year every wagon was stripped of its sides exposing the angle iron frame. The parts were steam cleaned and primed to keep from rusting. The wiring would be improved to reduce ‘down time’. Oil storage and delivery was modified many times over the years. The sign shop would hand paint and letter the signage like new every year. I believe we probably fabricated additional wagons in-house and we also had a couple of wagons made in Japan by the company that made them for Tokyo Disneyland.

…As of 2019, the last ‘vintage’ red popcorn wagon still in operation, [was] currently in New Orleans Square. It [was] used as a spare when one of the new wagons needed work in the shop.”

“CRETOR’S CHARACTERS”

By 1991, a team of six Disneyland Cast Members (comprised of the Audio and Costume Divisions) would check the Audio-Animatronics® figures to assure the current standards of Show Quality were met. The walk-through of this attraction and 14 other attractions (in addition to a few other locations like the Br’er Bar, which had figures), would occur some four-to-five hours before the Park opened. Oil stains were cleaned away, and rips and tears were repaired on the one-of-a-kind pieces of wardrobe belonging to some 700 figures. Meanwhile one costume (of three spares kept in cabinets of the attraction’s Backstage Areas) was used to re-dress the figure. Some of these figure’s locations pose a challenge for the Costume Division Cast Members.

As for character maintenance, David recalls :

“The animation was restored and put in a cabinet. Later the cabinets were replaced with ‘trophy cases’. Everything stayed in the old frames. The clowns were kept, and more were purchased over the years. They are probably still available. Costuming would sew replacement clothes [for them]. Though the lever-cranking figures have been altered to thematically match the land that hey inhabit, the Main Street Town Square Cretor still carries a clown figure as a nod to its origin!”

“Popcorn Cart Legacy”

The cart attraction has a legacy, “popping up” in areas of lands in Disney Parks worldwide. For instance, Hong Kong Disneyland has Popcorn Carts on Main Street, U.S.A., in Grizzly Gulch, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

The very concept of Outdoor Vending Carts continues to have a legacy through Disney Parks worldwide. Hong Kong Disneyland has Outdoor Vending Carts featuring Korean Squid, Turkey Legs, and Frozen Lollipops Presented by Dole.