Disneyland Windows > W. Dennis Cottrell
Location: Market House, Center Street - Main Street USA, Disneyland.
William H. D. Cottrell was one of the driving forces behind Disneyland's creation. Better known as Bill or Uncle Bill, Cottrell was Walt Disney Imagineering's first President, heading the group from 1952-1964. Cottrell started as a camera operator for Walt Disney Studios. He directed the Evil Queen & Wicked Witch sequences in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and wrote for Pinocchio, Three Caballeros, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
One of Walt Disney's most trusted advisers, Bill was also Lilian Disney's brother-in-law. Cottrell was so close to the Disneys, that he served as President of Retlaw Enterprises from 1964 to 1982. Walter spelled backwards, Retlaw was a company controlling the Disney family's private holdings.
A fan of the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle, Cottrell inspired the Disney animated feature, The Great Mouse Detective. Disney Legend, Bill Cottrell died December 22, 1995 in Los Angeles, California.