New Orleans Square serves as a transitional zone between Adventureland and Frontierland in the western side of Disneyland. Located on the banks of the Rivers of America, the square parallels the actual city of New Orleans and celebrates the city’s role as a major port along the Mississippi River.

During his first visit to the Crescent City in 1946, the French Quarter enchanted Walt Disney. It left such a lasting impression that Disney later sent his first delegation of “Imagineers” to tour and photograph New Orleans.

The photo documentation of the city became crucial in the development process, because unlike the other Lands designed with sketches and watercolors, the New Orleans Square design relied on photographed images for its creation. The square opened in 1963 and provided park guests with an assortment of shopping and dining selections.

Attractions came to New Orleans Square after the Imagineers with WED Enterprises developed and perfected audio-animatronics. With the new technology WED could make mechanical figures emulate human movements. The Imagineers used audio-animatronics to create the characters in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.

Tragically, Walt Disney died in 1966 before the attractions opened for guests to enjoy. Eventually Pirates of the Caribbean, followed by the Haunted Mansion, would make their permanent home in New Orleans Square before the end of the decade.

New Orleans Square, the first expansion of Disneyland, is also the last park project that included Walt Disney’s own personal signature. Although Disney never saw it finished, New Orleans Square is significant for the company because it proved to the world that Walt Disney’s dream would continue after his death.