If you’ve visited Disneyland during the Halloween season you might have walked past this iconic tree with a rich history that traces back to Walt Disney himself.
The Halloween Tree at Disneyland is located on the path in Frontierland right in front of Golden Horseshoe. Ever since 2007, this large oak tree has been transformed into the Halloween Tree to celebrate the season and one of Disney’s biggest supporters.
Let’s get into the legend of the Halloween Tree and how it fits in with Disney history. Once you read this, you will want to take the time to slow down as you walk past to notice the details of this iconic tree and learn more about it’s history!
Ray Bradbury’s Friendship with Walt Disney
In order to understand the story of The Halloween Tree, first you need to learn who Ray Bradbury is! Ray Bradbury was a famed author behind well-known novels like Fahrenheit 451 and shared a long history with The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney and Ray Bradbury met in 1964 and would go on to become friends and collaborators on iconic projects including Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.
Ray Bradbury shared many stories of his interactions with Walt Disney after his death and one of my favorite stories is the day Walt Disney gave him permission to go visit the Walt Disney Archives and take “anything he wanted.” Ray Bradbury described his glee of racing over to the archives like he was pulling off “some sort of art heist” and I just love imagining this interaction between them. Ray Bradbury’s stories of their fast friendship really emulates the driven nature of Walt Disney’s personality which helped shape his legacy. When they first met and Bradbury suggested meeting to share ideas, Walt Disney famously suggested meeting “tomorrow” and that was one of the things about Walt that Ray shared as such a fun first impression of him.
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They bonded quickly over their work and met many times throughout those two years before Walt Disney passed in 1966. Walt Disney’s Daughter, Diane Disney Miller, has spoken on their bond saying: “Ray Bradbury and my father, Walt Disney, had a very special friendship—one of mutual admiration that began, of all places, in Bullocks Wilshire.”
Ray Bradbury’s relationship with Walt Disney has become a part of Disney history itself with the stories of their interactions being shared widely amongst those who knew them both.
The Story of The Halloween Tree
Ray Bradbury loved Halloween and wrote his 1972 novel The Halloween Tree as a way to celebrate his adoration for the holiday. The fantasy novel tells the story of a group of trick-or-treaters that set out to learn the history of Halloween as they search for a missing friend. Their search takes them through history as they learn about the origins to Halloween in Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures along with Celtic Druidism, medieval Paris, and Mexico.
Ray Bradbury loved Disneyland and it is said for “years he dreamt of having a Halloween Tree” at the park. In 2007 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Halloween Tree novel, the Frontierland oak tree was transformed into The Halloween Tree with orange lights and hand-painted jack-o’-lanterns decorating its branches.
During the dedication ceremony, Bradbury shared: “I belong here in Disneyland, ever since I came here 50 years ago. I’m glad I’m going to be a permanent part of the spirit of Halloween at Disneyland.” Ray Bradbury visited The Halloween Tree many times before he passed in 2012.
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Creating The Halloween Tree
Famous Imagineers like Tony Baxter and Kim Irvine helped bring The Halloween Tree to life. The Creative Entertainment art director at Disneyland, Brad Kaye, shared his memory of their initial work on the tree: “Tony Baxter, Kim Irvine, and I sat in front of the Golden Horseshoe late one night and ‘magic-markered’ all the pumpkins.”
There is a plaque located at the base of The Halloween Tree that commemorates the dedication ceremony of The Halloween Tree and shares its history with guests. The Halloween Tree has been a historical part of Disneyland’s Halloween traditions ever since it’s addition to the parks in 2007. Versions of the tree have even spread to the Disney Cruise Line ships with the atrium of the ships featuring their own version of The Halloween Tree.
While this tree is only decorated for Halloween, you can still see it year round when you stroll through Frontierland! If you visit during Halloween, make sure to take a moment to read the plaque and look up to see the pumpkins smiling down on you.
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