Source: Inventing Disneyland
July 1955 – November 1994
LOCATION
Main Street USA – The Kodak Camera Center stood on the southwestern side of the street, just as guests made the turn around the Town Square toward the castle. Today, this real estate is largely part of the Disneyland Emporium shop.
EXPERIENCE
Details:
- Merchandise – Cameras and extra film
- Unique Features – The shop also rented still and movie cameras to guests in addition to selling them!
In the era before digital photography, guests visiting the park and hoping to capture memories needed film…lots and lots of film. The Kodak Camera Center was there to help. In this little shop, guests could purchase spare film, or even upgrade their camera with a variety of options for sale too.
CLOSURE
Over time, Disneyland generally operated fewer and fewer attractions named for a specific sponsor. And by the 80s, this was especially true for shops along Main Street. In 1994, the camera store went generic (becoming Main Street Photo Supply Co.) and moved further down the street to the corner facing the castle.
TRIVIA
This shop squeezed some other sponsors into its run: Kodak (1955-1970), General Analine Film Corporation (1970-1977), Polaroid (1979-1984), and then Kodak once again (1984-1994).
In the early years, Disneyland was one of the world’s biggest film sellers.
When Kodak sponsored the shop, you could find signs throughout the park pointing out good places to snap photos. These later became Nikon Picture Spots.