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Stanford researchers picked Anaheim
The first plan
The first plan was a 16-acre strip next to the Burbank studio, announced in March 1952 at a cost of $1.5 million. The plot proved too small for everything Walt wanted to fit in, and the Burbank City Council declined the proposal because it did not want a carnival-like atmosphere by the river.
Stanford's study
The Stanford Research Institute, the same organization that later spun out Siri, studied the problem. Its August 1953 analysis weighed population growth, freeway construction, and the effect of terrain on television transmission, since TV was expected to play a part in promoting the park. It pointed to Anaheim in Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles just off the Santa Ana Freeway, which was then under construction.
The site
The site was 10 times bigger than the original, a full 160 acres, and 25 miles from Los Angeles. It was orange groves, in a small farming town with no highway connecting it to the city yet, though one was planned.
Why did a freeway decide the site?
Postwar Los Angeles was growing around the car. The Santa Ana Freeway promised quick access to a site far from downtown. A park beside an exit could draw visitors from the whole region. Planners expected most guests to arrive by automobile.
Why does terrain affect TV signals?
Television signals travel in straight lines and are blocked by hills. A transmitter on a ridge reaches a wider area than one in a valley. SRI studied how the land around each site would affect reception. Walt wanted TV to promote the park.
How did SRI spawn Siri?
SRI International, the former Stanford Research Institute, developed a voice assistant prototype with funding from DARPA. A spin-off company called Siri, Inc. formed to commercialize it. Apple bought the company in 2010. Apple released the assistant on the iPhone 4S in 2011.
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