The story of a couple who lived hidden in Disneyland for 15 years without anyone noticing

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April 4, 2024, 1:17 pm

Visiting Disneyland is an aspiration shared by countless children and a fair number of adults. Filled with Disney-inspired activities, shops, and restaurants, this park is a dream come true for those who manage to visit it. However, what if we could live there? This is exactly what Owen and Dolly Pope, an American couple who had the honor of residing in the park for 15 years, from 1955 to 1971, achieved.

by Republic

How did Owen and Dolly manage to live in Disneyland for so long?

According to the Allociné website, Owen and Dolly Boop were able to live the dream of staying in Disneyland thanks to their work at the Pony Farm, the most prominent equestrian attraction in the park.

The couple lived in Frontierland, an area of ​​the California theme park dedicated to the Wild West, which is restricted to most visitors. Both Owen and Dolly were horse specialists, and Walt Disney himself hired them as consultants on the park's equestrian attractions when it opened to the public.

Disneyland: How was your stay at the US theme park?

While at the amusement park, Owen and Dolly Bob are given various tasks, including raising, caring for, and training horses, as well as making wagons and wagons. At first, they had to live in a caravan located close to the animals.

However, they later moved to Casa de los Papas, a distinctive 120-square-meter residence, painted in white and green, located behind the farm and open to the public.

What is currently located in the Disneyland area where Owen and Dolly lived?

In 1971, after living at Disneyland, they moved from California to Florida for their duties at the newly opened park, where they were in charge of the Tri Circle D Ranch.

Four years later, they retired, but the house they lived in in the park still stands, with a plaque recognizing their valuable role in the park.

For some time, the Pope's house remained abandoned, until it was restored and decorated so that visitors could learn about the lives of these workers. Years later, it was moved to an area near the park, and its original space is now occupied by a giant Star Wars theme park.

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