Anaheim Lumber: Six Decades of Supplying Disneyland

Ganahl Lumber in Anaheim supplies the Douglas fir, white oak, and mahogany that Disneyland uses to maintain its attractions. The relationship between the two entities has continued for more than 60 years. Disneyland began construction in 1954, and Walt Disney built an industrial lumber mill on the site that is now the Main Street Opera House. Ganahl has since become the primary source for the park's renovation and repair materials.

Peter Ganahl, chairman of Ganahl Lumber, stated that the company helps meet the visual needs of the park. He noted that the firm can execute woodwork that most others cannot. The collaboration often starts with a joint walkthrough by Disneyland’s engineering services department and Ganahl’s industrial sales team. They identify the specific materials required for refurbishing themed lands or attractions.

Kevin Johnson, the industrial sales manager at Ganahl, observes the park through the lens of material requirements. He identifies Ganahl materials in the horse-drawn streetcars on Main Street U.S.A., which use Douglas fir and white oak for seats and running boards. These areas experience constant wear and tear. The new Emporium balcony and the windows along Main Street, including a tribute window for former CEO Bob Iger, are constructed from mahogany.

Fantasyland rides such as Snow White’s Enchanted Wish and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey also utilize mahogany interiors. The Jungle Cruise dock requires Douglas fir planks with a specific vertical grain, while the boathouse uses cedar siding. Tony Alvarado, the Disneyland Engineering Service Manager, explained that sandblasting large timbers for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad lift hill is best done with Douglas fir. He said the wood is easy to stain and work with to create a weathered look.

Ganahl also provides materials for smaller architectural details. The company supplied the doors, windows, and roofing shingles for the miniature buildings on the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Alvarado estimated that some of these doors are only two inches by four inches tall. He added that Douglas fir is the preferred material for such small parts because it is easy to theme. The Fowler’s Harbor dining area features an expansive ipe wooden deck overlooking the Rivers of America.

The 20-acre Anaheim yard keeps additional stock of mahogany, cumaru, and ipe specifically for Disneyland. Cumaru and ipe are dense tropical hardwoods. Ganahl engineers have built custom milling knives to cut specific profiles for the park's projects. Johnson said the company aims to meet the high standards of detail expected by Disney. The firm usually has the necessary materials available at its Anaheim location or one of its 13 other Southern California sites.

Founded in 1884 and based in Anaheim since 1904, Ganahl is the oldest continuously operating lumberyard in California. It employs 1,200 workers in Southern California, with about a quarter of that workforce located in Anaheim. The Disneyland resort contributed an annual economic impact of $16.1 billion to Southern California in 2023. This activity supported more than 102,000 jobs in the region, according to an Oxford Economics report. Just over a third of those jobs were at the resort itself.