Corporate “Fat Cats” of Disneyland
Take an Inside Look at the Magic Kingdom – On Four Paws!
Candilee Jackson
“If I were a cat, there would be no better place to live than Disneyland”
Taylor Roberts, free-lance writer
As a long-time full-time/part-time cast member (employee) of Disneyland, this writer literally grew up at the park where the orange groves used to be in Anaheim, California. There was not an inch of this wonderful place unknown to all the cast members, including Disneyland’s biggest little secret: the park is home to about two hundred feral cats! If visitors look carefully through the foliage in the wooded and forested areas of Adventureland, Tom Sawyer’s Island, and other bushy park locales, park guests will find both feeding stations and little cat houses to give the park’s furry cast members respite from both the California sun and heat, but also a haven from the rain and sprinkler systems.
Once Disneyland opened in 1955, the many outdoor “lands” were planted with dense and lush foliage, which soon became home to a REAL rodent problem. “While the irony was lost on no one in the WED Company, Disneyland had mice running around … and we are not talking about Mickey and Minnie.” Though a great number of the park’s feral cats had claimed Sleeping Beauty’s Castle as home, there were many ferals that roamed freely. These smart kitties found abundant reward for the nightly hunt without the typical dangers stray cats endure in the “outside world.”
With the typical bright ideas created by Disney’s “imagineers,” park designers soon realized their feral cat population was doing a better job at rodent control than the exterminating company they hired. So, the cats were “put to work,” so to speak! “More accurately, the cats were allowed to continue working,” but now their labor was with Uncle Walt’s blessing and some corporate accommodation.
Operating today much as it did in the beginning, feeding stations were set up around the property where cats could be fed and not have to rely on prowling the night for dinner. “The cats were all captured and spayed or neutered before being released back onto the grounds so the cat populations would remain controlled. The cast members at Circle D Ranch (the same cast members who look after the Main Street trolley horses and the goats at Big Thunder Ranch, etc.) help manage the cats. They give them medical treatment if necessary, keep the food refilled, and generally look after Disney’s cat herd.”
Living at the Happiest Place on Earth certainly has its perks: usually hidden during the day, the cats come out at night to patrol the park; guests, however, have reported seeing sun-worshipping felines in odd places around the grounds. One of the sunniest spots is near Big Thunder Mountain, where the foliage is sparse and the mice are plentiful! Although guests are not encouraged to interact with the feral population, every now and again a cat will become too friendly and is then adopted out to park cast members. “The same is true of any new litters of kittens accidentally born on the property. Other places guests may spy a cat among the set dressings are around the Hungry Bear Restaurant, Taste Pilot’s Grill at CDA, and White-Water Snacks at the Grand Californian. Cats can also be located in the Rose Court Garden at the Disneyland Hotel, and in the ditch running parallel to the path for the Mickey and Friends Tram.”
The Disney cats even have their own website and an Instagram page dedicated to them. Additionally, the park has several tee shirts inspired by them. These corporate “fat cats” are undoubtedly the most well-fed and cared-for feral population in history!
From a Disney Cat’s Point of View
“We Disneyland Cats have been around for as long as any of us can remember. Our ancestors lived in Sleeping Beauty Castle before we were unceremoniously evicted. Ever since then, we’ve prowled the streets and walkways of Disneyland (and more recently Disney California Adventure). When it comes right down to it, we run the place. Without us, rodents would run amok, and Disneyland would be a lot less alluring. We put up with the humans visiting our quarters, but only because they leave at night. There are magical food stations positioned for us all around the property, and we get to eat whenever we like. Nowhere is off limits to us: Disneyland is OUR land.”
“We also have to endure hearing frequently the park’s mantra, ‘It was all started by a mouse.’ THAT is a great impetus for a night of hunting.” (Disney Cats)
Works Cited
“Disney Cats.” Internet: 19 Sep, 2017. http://disneylandcats.com/about/
Foxhall, Emily. Los Angeles Times- Orange County. “At Disneyland, a roaming group of cats keeps Mickey Mouse Company.” 14 May, 2015. Internet: 18 Sep, 2017. http://www.latimes.com/local/orangecounty/la-me-adv-disney-cats-20150504-story.html .
Raymond, Adam. Mental Floss. “Eight Secrets From the Wonderful World of Disney: The Cats Own the Night.” 25 Feb, 2016. Internet: 09 Sep, 2016. http://mentalfloss.com/article/28255/8-secrets-wonderful-world-disney