Disney trivia fans, as well as general theme-park aficionados, may know this. But there’s a fair chance that others may be surprised to know that there was once a fully operational Bank of America in Disneyland.
Its former site, to the immediate right of the entry gates, now holds the Disney Gallery, a museum of sorts that displays artwork related to the studio’s films and attractions. But at Disneyland’s 1955 opening, the building enabled financial transactions amid the setting of a financial services provider in the early 20th century.
Bank of America’s Fairy Tale Investment in Disney
Bank of America and Walt Disney had a personal and professional relationship that went back to the early days of the studio. When production funds were running short for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt went to BoA for capital. The bank understood the groundbreaking vision of the feature and loaned the ambitious project the necessary cash. The movie became a commercial hit after its 1937 release and a cinematic icon thereafter.
BoA went on to help finance more films under the Disney brand, including Bambi, Fantasia, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan, as cited by writer Lex Mancini in his July 2022 WDW Blog.
When Walt took his screen-based ideas for entertainment into a fully immersive theme park (before the concept was even called that), he also obtained funding for Disneyland from Bank of America.
He stressed the uniqueness of the opportunity to the BoA leadership. Knowing the branch may not generate enough traffic to make it financially successful, Walt reportedly told the executives, “[The bank] won’t be here to make money. It will be here to create happiness,” according to Disney History 101.
The bank’s leadership agreed. The approval was partly based on the returns on past commercial loans to the studio and partly on Walt’s status as a consumer customer of the bank himself. Walt regularly transacted business at the Toluca Lake, Calif., branch.
Beauty and the Branch
Once completed, the building was impressive, both inside and out.
At its 1955 opening, this unique BoA branch grandly contributed to the overall feeling of small-town America in the early 20th Century. It fit perfectly with its architectural neighbors: an emporium, an ice cream parlor and a fire station with horse-drawn wagons.
The interior featured ornate décor, period teller cages and an impressive vault. Staff members wore vests, string ties, and eye visors, as they worked on vintage adding machines and sat on high stools at bookkeeping desks.
But despite the costumes and surroundings, the bank conducted the ordinary services associated with financial services. Customers could:
- Open a savings or commercial account
- Exchange foreign currency
- Apply for a loan
- Make change
- Cash checks
- Purchase money orders
ATMs Arrive and the Bank Branch Evolves
For nearly 40 years, the Main Street Bank provided an immersive, retro and charming recreation of old-style financial services. In the early 1990s, however, modern-day convenience was knocking at the door, as reported by Disney History 101. ATMs began dotting Disneyland, placed throughout the park for easy guest accessibility.
Bank of America acquiesced to the innovation, placing a branded ATM across the entry plaza to the park. It didn’t take long before new technology eclipsed the period bank.
Legacy of the Main Street Bank
In 1993, BofA declined to renew its cooperative arrangement with Disneyland.
The building was used for several purposes in the aftermath: a merchandise shop, a site for selling the park’s annual passes, even — with a rename to Bank of Main Street — as a branch for other banks.
But evolving consumer access to consumer services away from brick-and-mortar branches kept staff idle. Tellers found they were doing little more than giving away chocolate coins to the children whose parents happened to wander inside.
From Banking Hall to Disney Gallery
Eventually, the decision was made to repurpose the space altogether. In 2009, the Main Street Bank took on its present role as The Disney Gallery. It remains a display space for Disneyland-related design artwork and merchandise.
The vintage architecture of the original Bank of America in Disneyland, inside and out, was fortunately retained and remains impressive to this day. Shoppers may not realize the structure’s past or understand its odd appearance. But they seem to understand nonetheless that they are in a wholly unique space, a result the Disney organization has successfully achieved for decades.
