So, before we get started today, I just want to remind all of our listeners in the Orlando area

that the location for the presentation this Saturday, December 13th on Making Mary Poppins, has changed.

We will now meet at the Celebration Public Library, which is technically called the West Osceola Public Library.

This is the public library closest to Disney property about a mile from the downtown village area

in Celebration. We will meet there at 4.30 p.m. Earlier today, I posted a short update explaining why we had to move, and also

some of the benefits of using this location instead of the museum where we were going to meet.

But I want to make sure that all of our friends in the Orlando area have the updated information.

Just click back one episode for more

info. But now, let's settle in for the holidays as we dial everything back to the mid-1950s. Let's start here with Walt's plans for that very first Christmas. During the second week of

September 1955, not quite two months after the park opened,

Walt sat down to explore those decoration and attraction ideas that could be added to his park

for the first Christmas season. The art directors had already met and signed off on a plan that

they felt feasible. Near the top of this list was an attraction called Christmas Card Hill.

In Disneyland's early days, just to the right of the castle where the Matterhorn roughly stands,

was a fairly large hill.

This hill had been created with dirt that had been scooped up out of the castle moat during the

park's construction. Rather than move it, Walt refashioned it with walking paths, pine trees,

and even for a while picnic tables. For Disneyland's first Christmas, Walt proposed turning this

hill into Christmas card hill. At its top would be a 75-foot

tall Christmas tree. It would be crowned with an enormous star visible from almost anywhere in the

park, and along those walking trails would be Christmas cards that came to life. Each would be

around 8 to 10 feet tall.

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