Disneyland's Wonderful Wizard of Bras

Disney theme parks are pretty much the epitome of good, wholesome family fun. You can get a family photo with Mickey Mouse, fly through Neverland on an enchanted pirate ship, and ... buy a racy bra and corset?

Believe it or not ... yes! When Disneyland first opened in 1955, guests could make a stop on Main Street to visit “Hollywood-Maxwell Brassiere Co. of Los Angeles.” Part of the shop was an exhibit on the history of undergarments, and guests could actually buy corsets and bras in the other part, referred to as the “corseteria.”

An especially exciting feature seemed to be 3D images of women who were fully dressed from one angle, and clad just in their unmentionables from another. “If Hubby is Shy, Watch Him At Main Street Corset Shop,” the Disneyland News warned in their September edition. And smack in the middle of it all was a mechanical sorcerer dubbed “The Wizard of Bras.”

The store only lasted about six months—by January 1956, Disney expanded the store next door and did away with the corseteria.

As odd as the original may have seemed, another lingerie shop appeared on Disney property 35 years later. In December 1990, “Jessica’s” opened for business on Pleasure Island, selling silky nightgowns and underwear in addition to Jessica Rabbit-themed merchandise. Like its predecessor, Jessica’s didn’t last long, closing its doors just three years after it opened.