Defunctland: The History of Beverly Park Kiddieland
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2020
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In this episode of Defunctland, Kevin follows Walt Disney to a small Kiddieland in Los Angeles named Beverly Park, run by the savvy and multi-talented David Bradley.
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Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the episode. If you are not aware of my experimental channel, Themed Alternative, I would highly recommend checking it out. We just started a new theme park-inspired RPG/audio drama that I think a lot of you will really enjoy! Watch it here: czcams.com/video/4gO8mavdSkA/video.html
Have you thought about doing a video dissecting Dismaland? Itself a sort of twisted deconstruction of theme parks? Would be interested to hear your take or some more in-depth info. Hope you don't get this too often. I heard about your channel from the podcast Wonderful! and had to check it out. Cheers!
I have a video idea, a park called Indiana beach has closed or is closing it has a long history
Please make one about Out of The Box! Or The Black Cauldron.
Hello Defunctland, you do a lot of Disneyland stuff and things of that nature but i have one for you that is in my own State of Texas, Water Wonderland in Odessa, Texas also known as Hero's Waterworld. it has been abandon for years since the early 2000s opened back in the 1980s i never got to experience the park first hand but when it was opened it was considered a place to go.
Can we just take a moment to recognize the fact that “new theme park-inspired RPG/audio drama” is a thing that has been written by a person.
"it was a full blown daddy epidemic" is right up there with homosexual fast dancing
"Daddy Park" 😘
Name a more iconic duo
🥵
We should have t-shirts with these sayings. Maybe even "Don't use my name" too
@@MsGigglesluv that's a good idea. also "a powerful rat... named charles entertainment cheese"
Bruh this madman turned an oil pump into a god damn cricket. Give him a medal.
It's so brilliant, and I can't imagine such a thing happening today.
Don't you just hate it when you go out to have a nice smoke and then you get mugged by a ten foot cricket that shreds your coat? Happens to me way more than it should
@@virtualboygodot8251 but not as much as you deserve I know your secret!
In my town we have an oil pump decorated as Rudolph every Christmas in the mall parking lot.
that dam cricket took a bums jacket put some respek on its name lol
>Invites Walt Disney to his amusement park and Disney asks everybody questions
Oh god, he’s going to screw this guy over when he makes Disneyland, isn’t he?
>Walt invites him to his office and asks for his help in making Disneyland, he’s enthusiastic about helping
That’s adorable!
At least they were on good terms.
Right? I thought it was gonna be like Ub Iwerks kind of thing.
That's what I was thinking! Like "Oh no! Disneyland killed his theme park!" But no. Ended on a high note, with his manufacturing company still making coasters.
Yeah, Walt was a shrewd businessman, but when you look into how he operated, you can see that he only played dirty whenever he felt he needed to.
I was really relieved he wasn't screwed over or completely ignored. He kept doing his thing afterwards and was successful doing so. It's the best of both worlds really!
"This is very much a daddy park" sounds like something completely different than what he meant
Ghostwriter stop
@@doopiss
You have violated the law!
The MetaGamer your stolen goods are now forfeit!
Ghostwriter ha!
This was well-done. Accurate, too. I worked here, my first job at 16 years old, about the only place that would hire at that age. Started as a ride operator, eventually ran all of the rides. Also worked the kid's birthday parties. Glad to see the history of a beloved local landmark preserved in this clip. There are a LOT of people who miss the amusement park. They have strong childhood memories of growing up on the rides here, and wish they could give their own children the same experiences.
Experiences like this can still be found. You just have to look hard enough.
"This is Divorceland"
Man, these Defunctland spinoffs get weirder every season....
Alternative joke: "Divorceland" genuinely sounds like one of Michael Eisner's failed experiments to attract a more adult audience to Disney theme parks.
I love it when you get two jokes for the price of one.
LOL...”To all who come to this miserable place...welcome..Divorceland is your land”
“Divorceland: The Single-est Place On Earth”
I’d definitely ride divorceland
pppppppopppooppppppppppppppppppppooòpppppppppppppo
"This is a good place to pick up women." What a legend lol
I was waiting for a quote like that once he started that segment. The fact that "Don't use my name" happened first made me laugh so hard.
Actually contributed to the legacy of sexual harassment is what that statement did, dude is not the right kind of “legend”.
@@ragantate3995 how?
@@ragantate3995Ugh, another fragile prick.
I want "it was a full blown daddy epidemic" and "this is very much a daddy park" on mugs and t shirts. Divorce Land is probably Banksy's next project
"Not that party, a party"
Destroyed
Yuuko trying to figure out what he meant, I’m forgetting something.....
@@lostfan29 last video was about a legendary disney party
Ally Pearlmen a legendary *frat* party
Shots fired!!! I love it.
Another chapter in the origin story of Disneyland.
I love it
I love it too!
Anon E. Mousse me to
Same
Bernice: “I’m quitting”
Walt: I sleep
Bernice: “I’m quitting to help my husband with his amusement park”
Walt: REAL SHIT
4:02 “Because, apparently, everyone was qualified to design amusement rides in the forties”
Come on, Kevin, you know that trAction Park was designing their own rides decades later
Do you really need any kind of license to design a ride? Seems to me like all you need is a bit of engineering know-how. Sure, inspectors might have to look it over and declare it safe to ride, but there's nothing unsafe about letting anyone *design* a ride. Blueprints never hurt anyone.
@@Shenaldrac Sure, anyone with "a bit of engineering know-how" can design a ride. It takes specialized education to design a ride that will be *safe*, especially over an extended period of time.
I’m actually not sure if there is much oversight. In KS at the schlitterbahn water park a kid was decapitated by a water coaster that was plagued with safety problems in its only 2 years of operation. Regarding the lack of engineering design, one of the designers said “if we actually knew how to do this, and it could be done that easily, it wouldn’t be spectacular.” As a result of the lawsuits from the death they changed the state law so all the states amusement park attractions are to be regularly checked by the state. This is all within the last 5 years mind you. In a leopard ate my face type deal the kid who died was the son of a KS representative. 9 years prior during a legislative hearing, KS lawmakers pressed a schlitterbahn lobbyist on inspection and he said they would prefer to be granted a “Disney exception” which is self regulation and inspection with little oversight from the state.
@@dmcgee3 Never trust anyone to self-regulate. ESPECIALLY anyone who actively asks for that privlidge.
@@Shenaldrac After all, "The laws of safety are written in blood"
Those Divorced-Dad quotes are some of the saddest things i've ever heard... And with your delivery i just can't stop laughing 11/10.
16:50
Hilarious. Aren't broken homes so funny
@@RuminatingWizard unfortunately humour is more often than not taken from the suffering of a subject
so yes, it is hilarious, as is watching your friend fall flat on the ground after tripping
it isn't fun to be the victim but that's the harsh truth of comedy
I think it was Mel brooks that said "If I stub my toe it's a tragedy, if I fall down a man hole and die it's a comedy". But yeah it's a sad thing men have put up with for decades.
Nearly no rights to their kids when it comes to divorce. A lot of the laws were in place to protect women, who at the time relied heavily on their husband for financial support and were unlikely to have a job after being a house wife for years.
Sadly even with all the changes to the work place the bias towards the mother in divorce court is real.
@@RuminatingWizard the delivery was funny, not the subject matter
i never thought i would hear the phrase "this is a daddy park"
Gotta park Daddys somewhere.
Somewhere I have an old 8MM reel of my sister and I at Kiddieland. I also remember going to the Beverly Center when it first opened. They had an awesome arcade on the top level called Starkey's.
Any interest in getting that reel digitized? I'm sure it would find an audience on here and would be a great way to preserve a bit of Kiddieland history...
As someone in film school I’d suggest reaching out to a school near you that might have a film scanner to digitize the reel. If not possible but you’re still interested Costco has done good work digitizing in my experience!
@@gotaminutereviews AGREED! I would love to see that. ESPECIALLY if you can see that cricket 🦗 oil pump!
@@BethAnnMayberry Right? Like I can't find a single photo of that thing.
Dude ... that would make u like 90 years old!!,?!?!??!???!:#*!*!?!,@;,!
"But as aforementioned, it was 1934. So Bradley was keeping his options open." I'm loving this new Jokey Kevin we've been getting in the last season or so.
Gonna say that birthday book is just wholesome
I know! I clutched my hands to my heart when I heard that🥰
This guy understood how to develop relationships with the people.
Making efforts in the right places to give people the best experience he could rather than plugging for everyones money at every possible turn.
A business man with a heart if you will.
Mad respect for the community love.
sending the cards and balloons to the kids had me 🥺
Today: "give us your information so we can send you a birthday greeting, and also sell your data, thanks."
You know that imagineering show on Disney+
That show ain’t got shit compared to Kevin
I’ve been watching that and yeah, it’s not really as informative. Some really cool old footage in the early episodes and interviews, but i was expecting to see more about actual imagineering...not just Disney history
@@creekkid42 after a few episodes it is basically the same. They needed a new thing they invented something new and built it. And because it is made by Disney everything went perfectly and even when it didn't go good it was just a small speed bump
True!
@Harlock1776 I wish they did. Better than anything else, really! Well that and The Disney Family Album!
@Harlock1776 Four artists paint a tree is something I'd watch time to time with the sleeping beauty dvd.
Damn that part about single fathers was depressing
“This is divorceland”
But also in a way it was nice they had that. It sounds like a place they could go and not feel out of place (since lots of single dads took their kids there) and have a fun day with their kids who they probably didn't get to see much since this is long before more equal shared custody would be the norm.
You think seeing it was depressing, you shoulda' tried living it. (Or better that you didn't)
Yes is was, and then Kevin went and penned an original song about it at the end of the episode to really drive the knife in deep. I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING!
@@ironwolf56 You know before the fifties, for over a thousand years if the parents divorced, they automatically stayed with the dad, right? That the mother automatically getting the kids was a brief blip on the radar between the 50s and the 90s of a single century in hundreds of years of English common-law where children were property that belonged to the father.
“But as mentioned it was 1934 so he was keeping his options open.” lmao
Finally, the episode about everyone’s favorite classic amusement park: KidneyLand!
...wait
Hey, kids! I'm Kenny Kidney!
My favourite ride is the bathtub full of ice.
...wait
i never got the reference until now
Walt Kidney
huh so that's where extra body parts go
I love how everything gets it's own full story, almost forgetting the Walt Disney aspect until the end where everything gets tied into the Disney story. Every video just gets better and better!
As a resident of Los Angeles proper (not Anaheim), having moved here some years ago, I'd had no idea there used to be this storied park, close enough that I could bus there in half an hour or so, in a place I'd literally driven by none the wiser to its history. Kevin, I'm truly glad you're able to keep making these videos as without them, stories such as these would surely be more than defunct - they would be forgotten.
Can't wait for THAT ONE EPISODE COMING UP...
l.a. has a lot of history. and a lot of is not in a good light. check the history of griffith park and dodger stadium.
cmdraftbrn Anaheim has some weird sports history; The Angels are technically called “The Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim” and they started with Gene Autry (I believe ->) and Disney was a owner for them and for the NHL team Ducks
The ending was like the post credits scene in Iron Man when Nick Fury tells Tony Stark about the Avengers lmao
"This is Divorceland"
Future series idea, much?
Once again another amazing story, Kevin. I really oughta get in on your Patreon once I find a good job. 💙
I was thinking "Hey, new channel name.''
He can't answer - he might perjurer himself.
@@zembryoz BOOOOOOOOOoh who am I kidding. That's some solid single dad joke action right there.
Who would have thought that so many people had a connection with Walt Disney so far this season, what with Buffalo Bill and now this? I can't wait for more to come.
The word “Kiddieland” has always been hilarious to me and I don’t know why
It sounds so funny 🤣
I know the term from Left for Dead 2
it's just a more fun version of Child Area
@@anthonycabello1205 "Do I look like some kind of queer to you?"
I think we can all agree “Full blown daddy epidemic” needs to be a t-shirt
Ha! No.
My parents split 30 years after the time period being discussed here, a time when (thankfully) childcare duties for many couples and custody arrangements after divorce were both a little more balanced than in the '70s. Even still, those well-intentioned but sort of sad "How do I dad when my wife isn't here? Where do I bring these children, anyway?" quotes sure struck a chord.
Edit: More importantly, great episode!
Coney Island has one thing that their version of Coney Island didn’t have, a Parachute Jump. Built for the 1939 NY World’s Fair. It’s nicknamed the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sominboy27 😹😹😹😹😹
Michael Eisner I lived in the apartments right next to it! That spot was my Disney before I could afford to go to FL!
Michael Eisner I live two neighborhoods over from Coney Island, so I get to see the parachute jump every time I drive on the highway.
Think you Eider for telling us that
This dude makes rollercoasters, owns theme parks, inspired Walt Disney and I can't even get out of bed if my life depended on it.
Wait wait wait are you saying that “Disneyland Daddies” should actually be called “Beverly Park Daddies”?
Well damn.
No, just guys always looking to do something sexual without consent.
I live in Illinois, and we had the Melrose Park Kiddieland! I loved my Kiddieland so much, but it was torn down and turned into a Costco. I was extremely young so I have barely any memory of it, except for the Little Dipper! The Little Dipper was a little rollercoaster, which is still running! It’s just at Illinois’ Six Flags now. Rest In Peace, Kiddieland! Thanks for the memories.
Omg I pretty much just posted the same comment before seeing yours haha! Melrose Kiddieland was the best, sucked to see it close after so long.
Tiffany McLaughlin Awh! Yeah!! ❤️
My area had one as well that's currently a shopping center.
czcams.com/video/95Y7taqYUko/video.html
YOOO I LOVED KIDDIELAND AS A KID I REMEMBER WHEN IT CLOSED AND EVERYTHING
My Kiddieland 💔
www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.cbslocal.com/2010/11/16/costco-set-to-open-on-kiddieland-site/amp/
It’s a Costco now :(
As someone raised primarily by a single dad, it's great to see there was a place that embraced them during their visitation weekends (even if not necessarily by design).
Well crap. Looks like my pitch for the Defunctland spin-off, Divorceland, just went out the window.
WeirdoTZero I still have my idea for a video game spinoff, D3FUNCTSTATI0N
“The King of Divorceland” Is certainly a title to have, that’s for sure.
Put that shit on a belt/ironic tee
So you think that a kiddy park is a good place to pick up women? Call me crazy, but I think I may have figured out how you got divorced.
It is actually. Theme parks are one of the most underrated places to pick up women for any man with some semblance of confidence. I've picked up more women at Disneyland than any club, bar, concert, or festival combined. Plenty of lonely millennial and gen z women by themselves just waiting to be scooped up at a "kiddy theme park."
Bunch of pervs who don’t self restraint.
Kevin: "The park had a train"
Walt: "IT HAS A *WHAT?"*
Wow! I found the fact that the park only had one accident during its run is indicative of the quality of KiddieLand.
This episode made me really happy (well, except the divorced dad part, that was a little more bittersweet), Bradley was a cool dude, I'd love to learn more about him. In addition, I just love all the little things that led Walt to Disneyland, and I love how he was able to take all these things he saw in the world and make bigger, better things from them. He was so good at seeing a good idea and saying "Let's do that, but more!" and I love him for it. My favorite parts of Disneyland are the things you can see Walt's fingerprints on.
One dad saying, "Don't use my name." lmao
Can’t say anywhere in history that females have done the same thing. Females are historically targeted by males focused on sexual activity no matter how they get it, back in the 40’s half of the dudes took it without a mirage of amusement park rides…
I am loving the current season so far - the way you've been exploring all these different stories while tying them all into the greater framework of the life of Walt Disney and his eventual move into parks has been really cool. Even though the earlier seasons are also great, the cohesive narrative connecting everything really steps it up a notch - kinda feels like the Jim Henson miniseries was a turning point for this channel and I am very much here for it.
From CZcams, it’s the Defunctland Show! And now, HEEEEEEEEEEERE’S Kevin!
21:08 "To be called..."
Me: Disneyland.
"Mickey Mouse Park"
Me: WAT
Oh the 50's before there were warnings against Pregnant women going on theme park rides.
I leave this comment, to strike a blow in the war against CZcams's terrible algorithm- I'm doing my part!
Man, what a guy! Seriously, you know your talented when Walt is asking you for pointers.
"This spooky dark ride featured terrifying figures..."
Asian and black facial caricatures on screen. Oh no.
I know. HORRIBLE STEREOTYPES.
Well, keep in mind racism was a hot button issue in the day. They claimed that probably because they hated seeing Blacks & Asians in popular media in the day. Trust me, the same stood for music
Like I've said in the Wild Disney Party video:
Things were different back then. Usually in the worst ways.
No shock, look how they are portrayed in the movies at that time.
Marcus Blackwell yeah no shit
Wow i've never been here so quick thank you daddy kevin
*SON?!?!?!*
Thrilled to see another episode covering an entire park, but if you want to drill down for future episodes, may I suggest Jungleland Express, formerly at Six Flags Great Adventure?
Wouldn't mind one on Cedar Point, though I don't think it has any connections to Disney anyway.
I really hope they’ll cover Fantasy Island. It was my childhood park.
@Neonpastel 80 Interesting. I suppose Cedar Fair itself (the parent company of Cedar Point) might be an interesting one to talk about as well.
I think the current season is entirely centered around linking everything to the origin of Disneyland, though I do hope that the season after will take a little break from having an overarching theme and go back to exploring the history of single rides like the one you mentioned.
kaitie648 or Indiana Beach would work too
Kevin, thank you for once again highlighting a piece of Disney history I had never heard before. One of my takeaways from this is that there is a place for both simple amusement parks and ambitiously designed theme parks in the world. Kiddieland thrived even after Disneyland's success, and seemingly for good reason.
"Not THAT party. Just a party." 😆
Great video as always. Your lay out of information and humor strategically placed is a pleasure to my ears and my noggin. Thank you!
I have no proof but my mom claims her father was the one quoted saying "this is a great place to meet women" and he did meet one of her step moms there so I guess he was right
I see defunctland, I click
Is it just me or were things just so much more... wholesome back then? Even an industry as competitive as amusement parks seems like it had genuine passion and concern for the guests experience. I'm not saying that they didn't want to make a profit, but you'll never see anything like this today. Especially in the city.
The fact that it got taken out by an oil company and then replaced with a mall seems way too on the nose
Maybe because back then there wasn’t a reliance for theme and amusement parks to have to revolve around IPs. You could go on a ride and enjoy it
I think it's more the wholesome ones are the ones we remember now. Walt opened his park precisely because there were a lot of skeezy broken down nasty tourist traps back in the day
@@melskunk Exactly, There are 1000s of Kiddlelands across the country back in the day. But we only remember the good ones. The bad ones get sued, go out of business, and forgotten so it's easy to forget they weren't all passionately driven childhood dreams.
Huh. I have never heard of this park, nor its San Fernando Valley counterpart. Interestingly enough, my grandfather helped build the Beverly Center.
Awesome epsiode, Kevin. Season 3 is definitely going to be something special.
Walt Disney in these videos is like a jumpscare where you get immersed into the story of people living their lives and growing businesses and bam here's Walt again
This episode literally gave me chills! My grandma worked at the Beverly Center and I have many fond memories visiting the mall, and I can't believe how much history I had been walking over!!
Thanks for the awesome video
YES! NEW DEFUNCTLAND! THE THING THAT KEEPS A YOUNG BOY, LIKE ME, ALIVEEEEE!!!!
The song at the end made me cry then laugh, thank you!
It sounds up there with "Cats in the Cradle".
“A daddy epidemic at a daddy park”. If spoken today, that seems like the opposite of a problem.
Oh the absolute pure pain of being mid Movies with Mikey when you get a notification saying there's a new Defunctland! Sorry Mikey, Kevin calls.
Always a good day when there’s a Defunctland upload. I especially love these old stores!
The savagery of those lyrics, Kevin. I love it.
10:52 footage of Walt being a Disney Princess.
Huzzah!
Me: *Just vibing*
New Defunctland: *Exists*
Me: *Immediately scrambling to stop the music, find my glasses, and watch*
“You are in the very heart of the wiener belt.” Smooth move. Haha. Great episode!!!
One of my favorite things about these kinds of Defunctland episodes is the goosebumps they leave me with at the end. I love the little knowing smile I can have while seeing the end of these segments and putting all the pieces together. These are awesome episodes.
I like the part where Walt is feeding birds and got so visibly excited when one hopped in his hand. Too cute.
The buildup of the century! And I love every second of this ride! Outstanding research into every beam the disneyland park had stood upon! I can't wait for the next chapter! Fantastic storytelling!
Still watching, but “This is a daddy park” killed me and I had to pause and comment.
Aw I'm genuinely sad for the dads of the daddy park. They just wanna hang out with their kiddos :(
But “this place is great to pick up women” FOH!
Seeing those kids with their dads was so cute!
It was so sweet, Arthur Fritz bought some ponies and offered rides for families who were suffering during the Great Depression so they could have some fun together, and he cared so much about charities and giving to everyone:)
Bradley's bit about the Cricket is hilarious. Sounds like he was quite an interesting personality
I’m honored to be the new CEO of Disney, Walt will be proud of me
Bring back Journey into Imagination...
You ruined it into the ground...
Also create some new stuff instead of just buying every profitable IP under the Sun, this is the OPPOSITE of what Walt would have wanted!
LEAVE
It's Second Bob
Do you still make 2D movies?
This is one of the most wholesome defuncedland stories, like actually its always just Michael izner bad and Walt Disney going crazy
Nothing beats a new Defunctland. Some of the best editing I have seen on CZcams!
So glad I stayed for that song at the end.
"This is divorceland" that's depressing
I've been researching William H. Meyer, who ran Beverley Park. Around 1947, Meyer opened a kiddie land on the rooftop of the Emporium in San Francisco. Shortly after, he opened other rooftop kiddiellands in the Bay Area, including Valley Fair in San Jose.
Purchasing many of his rides from Arrow Development (used by Disney), Meyer later became general manager of San Jose (CA's) Frontier Village in 1960, according to Billboard Magazine.
I would love to see a video about Meyer and his contribution to the industry.
The production on Defunctland is so amazing
Another awesome video that I literally can't have possibly watched by the time I made this comment.
Wow, this season has been amazing! It reminds me so much of the history docu-series Connections, with how it traces all these seemingly disparate threads - successes, failures, moments of brilliance, innovation born of necessity, unique ideas that never quite work and some that do - and all of it haltingly - never inevitably - drives toward the culmination of this one thing.
Can you do an episode on silver dollar city? It means a lot to people in the area and sports an interesting reputation as a much more “country bumpkin” sort of park.
We salute you Mr. Bradley. Thank you so much for your warm heart and creative mind in helping create the modern amusement park.
"A full on Daddy epidemic." God I wish that was our current one. There are just dads with massive sideburns and Elton John hair like the guy in the picture.
Is it wrong that this episode made me want to laugh and cry?
i’m upset no one is talking about the song at the end about literally taking your child to kiddie land bc you lost custody what a freaking BANGER
I live in Palo Alto and never knew we had a theme park! Thanks for this bit of history. 🎠🎠🎠
14:01 "includes creepy figures"
Damn your right, racism does scare me!
Wow, even this Kiddieland had something to do with Walt. This was fascinating to watch
I was surprised when I first learned about the amusement park few years ago when I lived in the area. It's hard to believe this currently very developed with no open space area used to be a kiddie park. Now it's the Beverly Center mall which is across the street from the Beverly Connection which is another shopping center.
I always love see L. A. back in the day especially the areas I'm familiar with.
the part about the haunted house ride reminded me of going to six flags new orleans when i was a kid and being terrified riding their haunted house ride. they had a big scary jester on the outside of the ride that used to haunt my dreams lol. it was still fun and i miss it a lot.
I love your videos! I found out your from KC and it's so cool having someone I watch from the same area! Keep up the grind. You deserve your own network series!
8:50 I'm Doug McClure. You may know me from such parks as...
David Bradley sounds like such a genuinely nice guy.
"Because apparently, everyone was qualified to build amusement rides in the 40's"
the shade