Marceline, the route to Walt Disney's childhood

1 Leaping for joy in ‘the happiest place on Earth’. 2 Riding a bicycle built for four, the Dapper Dans, who have been part of Disneyland since 1959, ride down Main Street, singing barbershop quartet classics during the 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee. — Photos: ALLEN J. SCHABEN/TNS

Kansas Avenue, also known as Main Street, runs through the heart of tiny Marceline in northern Missouri. But it’s also known as Main Street, USA.

Why? Because Marceline, sleepy now, is where the young Walt Disney spent a handful of formative years, long before he dreamed up Disneyland or the all-American commercial thoroughfare that leads from its entrance to the heart of the theme park. Years later, Disney credited Marceline as an inspiration.