Note: This event is part of the "13 Days of Christmas." There will be more events for each day leading up to Christmas, itself. (info @ creepyxmas.com)
Date: December 15 (the day Disney died in 1966)
Location: Forest Lawn Memorial Park
1712 S. Glendale Avenue (map)
Time: 3:00pm
Warning: Despite this the number of celebrities that are interred here (more than any other cemetery) and their normally tourist-friendly attitude, the management strongly discourages "star gawking," so please keep a low profile, be respectful, follow all their rules, and do not ask about Disney's grave. (below is a map to his plot.)
We will be meeting at the site (map)
of Walt Disney's ...grave? ...marker? ...empty tomb? ...place where everyone claims his remains are kept (despite the popular urban legend that says his deceased body, or maybe just his head, is frozen and locked in a secret chamber under "The Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction). Then, we will informally explore the grounds of what has been lovingly referred to as the "Disneyland of Death" (even back in Disney's time). Like Disneyland, Forest Lawn is divided in to "lands," has story-book architecture, actors portraying historical figures, music from speakers hidden behind bushes, and a steady flow of tourists. Plus, like the real Disneyland, it has many ghosts (according to the numerous EVP's obtained by local ghost hunters.)
In 1912, Hubert Lewright Eaton began working (selling plots) at a dreary grave-yard in the new town of Tropico (now called Glendale). When he came up with the revolutionary idea of selling "before needed" plots (as in buying your own grave while you're still living), he made so much money on his commissions, he was able to buy the place, and become the boss. Which is what he did, because this man had big ideas for this little cemetery. For instance he wanted to remove the sad stigma associated with such monuments of death, so he eliminated the tombstones, recreated famous churches from around the world, installed exact replicas of masterpieces of art, displayed historical artifacts, built auditoriums for shows, and created a souvenir shop. Lastly, he removed the dreaded "c word" (cemetery), and changed the name of this final resting place to the more tourist-friendly "Memorial Park."
Evelyn Waugh's book, "The Loved One" (which later spawned a cult film also called "The Loved One"), lampooned the "death industry" with a fictional cemetery theme park with statues wired for sound, a gift shop with grave-yard post cards, and an actor portraying Abraham Lincoln wandering the grounds (obviously based on Forest Lawn). When the book came out, Eaton was not amused. His "memorial" empire was serious business. So, use this opportunity to come out and visit one of the weirdest (haunted) tourist attractions in Los Angeles (which is really saying something).
P.S. Currently there is an exhibit in their museum featuring the art of Marc Davis, one of Disney's "nine old men," whose concept art was instrumental in the creation of the actual Disneyland.
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