The ability to wake up and see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and Main Street U.S.A. outside your bedroom window would be a dream come true for many Disney fans.
But for one couple, that was their reality. The couple lived at Disneyland from 1955 to 1971 before moving to Florida.
Before they ever lived on Disney property, Owen and Dolly Pope used to show horses at various fairs throughout California and lived in their 30-foot van, according to a Disney Parks Blog post from 2011.
In 1950, Disney Imagineer Harper Golf saw one of the performances at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles and recommended that Walt Disney see the show as well.
Once he did, Disney was interested in small ponies and equipment for a project he was working on. At the time, the project was Disneyland, and it was slated to be housed next to the company’s studios in Burbank.
The two parties met in March 1951 and the Popes assumed Disney wanted their horses for a film but later discovered that he planned to build the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
The couple eventually moved into the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank later that year and stayed there for almost three years. During their stay at the studio, Owen built stalls for the horses while Walt and Roy Disney visited them daily to chat about the plans for Disneyland and their former work at fairs, according to the post.
“Other than military personnel housed there during World War II, the Popes are the only people to have ever lived at the studio,” the post said.
During Disneyland’s construction, various structures were moved from the studio property to the park grounds.
Disney knew it was cheaper to move structures than build something new.
When Walt Disney Studios was moved from Hyperion Avenue in Silver Lake to Burbank, Disney relocated several studio buildings to the new property, including the Hyperion Bungalow, which is still used today, according to SFGate.
While buying land in Anaheim, Disney met the Dominguez family, who owned and lived on 10 acres the theme park would later be built on. Like other relocated buildings, Disney moved the Dominguez family’s home behind Main Street, U.S.A. and used it as office space.
More information about the Dominguez family can be found here.
During the relocation period, the Popes were given their choice of houses that were being moved to the theme park.
The Popes chose a 1,300-square-foot ranch house known formally as the Witherill Bungalow. The house was moved to 10 acres of land behind Frontierland known as the “Pony Farm” and later known as Circle D Corral, the blog post said.
The Popes moved into their new home three days before Disneyland officially opened on July 17, 1955.
As Disney cast members, the couple advised Imagineers on the use of animals in a theme park and tended to animals, including horses that powered the Conestoga Wagons attraction. During his time at Disneyland, Owen also built the harness and riggings for the horses at Walt Disney World for the Tri-Circle-D Ranch.
In January 1971, the couple moved from Disneyland to Florida, where Owen helped supervise the new ranch. At the time, their home served as Circle D Corral employee offices.
Dolly later became the first Walt Disney World Resort cast member to retire in September of that year, followed by Owen in October.
Even though the couple moved, their house remained at the Disneyland Resort.
In 2016, Disney spent $20,000 to relocate the house to a different backstage area in a parking lot off Ball Road as construction on Galaxy’s Edge began, the Orange County Register reported.
Unfortunately, the old horse stables and Big Thunder Ranch were demolished to make room for the new land.
The Popes’ impact on the Disney company is still celebrated today. Owen, but not Dolly, has an honorary window on Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom, SFGate reported.
As for the house, it’s not accessible to the public but is used for events from time to time.
