BACKSTORY (July 17, 1955—Present): When the park opened, Disneyland actually had a functioning bank on Main Street, operated by The Bank of America. Walt located an original bank vault, circa 1904, and had it installed inside. Guests at Disneyland could purchase special souvenir money orders with a picture of the Disneyland Branch of Bank of America. Daveland reader Cox Pilot remembers: “All the employees (not Cast Members in those days) were allowed to cash their checks at the B of A, regardless of having an account or not. It was really nice to have an old style home town bank you could really use, not just a false front.”
By 1993, ATM’s removed the necessity of a bank at Disneyland, and this location became The Bank of Main Street, a name that required special permission from the state banking commission since it no longer operated as bank. Mainly, it was used as the Annual Pass Center until it was converted into the Disney Gallery in September 2009, serving as a replacement for the Disney Gallery that formerly was located in New Orleans Square.
INSIDE THE BERM
Many Disneyland guests are amazed at the realism of the Main Street and Town Square area, but a recent visitor was so completely enchanted with what she saw that she approached JANE YOUNG, of the Bank of America, and asked if she lived upstairs. Jane explained that the employees merely worked here, that they did not live in the Park. Jane says she's not sure the lady believed here completely because as she left the bank the lady still looied unconvinced and said, "Nobody lives in the upstairs apartments?"
