What's In A Name?

In our premiere episode, “What’s In A Name?”, we break down our logo - Where, In The, and Park - around the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

While you may already know where in the park to find our logo, you may be surprised to learn the history of their locations!

So let's take a deeper look at each piece!

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"Where" – Snow White’s Wishing Well at Disneyland

Tucked away to the right of Sleeping Beauty Castle, Snow White’s Wishing Well is a quieter space that many guests walk right past. But this charming grotto has layers of history and artistry that go far beyond its fairytale appearance.

As the story goes, in the late 1950s - early 1960s, Walt Disney received these Carrara marble sculptures from Italian sculptor Leonida Parma (other stories suggest an anonymous donor sent the statues).  Walt wanted to give them a permanent home in 1961, but there was a slight problem - all the characters were the same height!

Walt tasked Imagineer John Hench with finding a solution. Hench used the powers of forced perspective, placing Snow White higher on the tiered fountain and further away from the viewer. The dwarves were placed on subsequent tiers, and closer to the viewer with each tier. Hench also led the project to create additional sculptures of animals such as birds, a deer, fish, etc., to create a more natural illusion.

Due to time and the constant exposure to water and the California sun, the original marble statues started to have discoloration. They have since been carefully preserved, and new molds were made out of fiberglass.

In 1983, as Fantasyland was undergoing its massive renovation, Disney historian Les Perkins invited Adriana Casalotti, the original voice of Snow White, and asked her to record the song, "I'm Wishing," to be played both around the grotto and within the well itself. Today, if you are around the grotto at 15 minutes past each hour or so, you'll hear a bell chime from the castle, fish rise out of the grotto's water, and Snow White begins to sing. 

Snow White is wishing for her true love to find her, and inspires you to wish for something you desire as well. By tossing coins into the well, you are not only becoming part of the story, but you are actually helping children's charities around the world. This originated from Walt himself, who wanted to 1) deter people from throwing coins into the castle moat, but 2) to give back in any way he could to the children of the world. That is why the inscription on each side of the well reads, "Your wishes will help children everywhere." 

And it is this 'where' in 'everywhere' that we get our logo!

Where Else Can You Find a Snow White Wishing Well?

"In The" – The Sword in the Stone Plaque

Finding “In The” was harder than expected for this part of our logo, but we finally found it engraved on the plaque at the Sword in the Stone statue in Fantasyland in front of King Arthur Carrousel. 

The bronze plaque on the boulder reads:
"Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is right-wise ruler born of England."

This statue isn’t just decorative—it was often used for Merlin’s royal ceremony, where one lucky guest is chosen to attempt to pull the sword (and occasionally, actually succeeds!). There is a great video from 1992 of the full ceremony (watch it here!)

You'll find this version of the plaque at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. What caught our eye was the typography. In the photo above, note the words “IN THE” are side-by-side and styled in a way that matches our logo’s look, with uppercase “IN,” and a capital “T” paired with a lowercase “h” and capital “E” for “The.” It’s a subtle touch, but it was the perfect match for our middle word. We could not determine why it is stylized like this - it is not even in the movie - so if you have any insights, definitely let us know!

In other Disney parks, the design and text of this plaque differ. In Shanghai and Hong Kong, the "in the" is actually stacked top to bottom instead of left to right. In Paris, the sign reads Excalibur with a French translation below.

Where Else Can You Find the Sword in the Stone?

"Park" – Paradise Park at Disney California Adventure

The final word in our logo —“Park”— was found on a plaque in Disney California Adventure in a very special place for the WITP Team.

If you stroll along Paradise Bay (formerly known as Paradise Pier Lagoon), you’ll spot a bronze plaque that reads “Paradise” on top and “Park” underneath. These plaques line the waterfront viewing area that was transformed for the debut of World of Color in 2010, a nighttime spectacular featuring fountains, fire, and full-color projections.

The name World of Color is a nod to Walt Disney’s 1960s TV series of the same name, which promoted the novelty of color television. Likewise, this show was meant to wow guests with a full spectrum of color effects—projections on mist screens, synchronized lighting, and even glowing Mickey ears and MagicBands that respond to the show in real time.

This entire viewing area has evolved quite a bit over time. Originally debuting with a short-lived 2001 show called LuminAria, a fun show that had some issues with smoke from low-level fireworks. In June of 2010, construction of the Bay and the viewing area was finished for World of Color. The viewing area was redesigned in a tiered, arched layout to accommodate crowds up to 4,500 guests and create a more immersive experience. 

Throughout the years, World of Color has featured seasonal overlays and special effects—like snowfall bubbles during the holidays or heart-shaped floating foam in February—keeping the show fresh with every visit. Even when the core show remains the same, new lighting sequences, character montages, and music updates add that element of discovery we love so much.

Why is this location so special for the WITP Team?

This is where Kevin first met Amanda and Kim on New Year's Eve, 2010! But that's a story for another day. :) 

Now, every time you pass that “Paradise Park” plaque or see the World of Color show, know that you're standing in Where In The Park history! 

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Bringing It All Together

Our logo isn’t just our name—it’s a seek-&-find adventure in and of itself. It's a tribute and a love letter to the parks and the details that inspired us to start this whole adventure.

Each word connects to a real place, a real story, and real design decisions made by Imagineers and artists who turned fantasy into reality. 

As we continue to build seek-and-find game packs for theme parks across the country, we remain inspired by details just like these—ones you might walk past a hundred times without ever noticing. Whether you're a longtime fan or a first-time visitor, we hope it inspires you to look closer next time you're at the park.

But now that you know? You’ll never look at them the same way again.

 

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🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear the full conversation?
👉 Click here to listen to Episode 1

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📸 Got Photos of These Details?

We’d love to see your shots of Snow White’s Wishing Well in Tokyo, the Sword in the Stone in Paris, or your favorite World of Color moment.

👉Join our Facebook group and share them with fellow detail Explorers!

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Next Up: Universal Studios!
Stay tuned for our next post and podcast episode, where we begin our exploration of Universal Studios Hollywood and discover the fascinating stories behind their unique park details at the entrance to this iconic park.

Until then, we’ll see you somewhere in the park!