Ticket to Disney History : Brothers’ magazine dedicated to the park has grown up. It now has 2,000 readers from all over.

At a time when men outgrow the things that boys hold dear, two brothers have created a magazine that chronicles the beginning and development of one of childhood’s magical memories--Disneyland.

Each issue of the “E” Ticket highlights certain elements of the park’s past--from the evolution of veteran attractions to a glimpse of eras that have come and gone.

“We look real close at one ride at a time, one artist at a time,” says 48-year-old Leon Janzen of Saugus. “We don’t care if it takes 20 years; we’re going to do the park of the ‘50s and ‘60s and probably the ‘70s, and do it slowly and closely.”

Adds brother Jack Janzen, 43, of Granada Hills, “If we live long enough, we’re going to cover all the rides, probably a lot of them twice.”

Through vintage photographs and interviews with the park’s original craftsmen, the “E” Ticket offers a nostalgic look at the early years of the Magic Kingdom after its July 17, 1955, opening. The magazine was named after the type of ticket required for a fast-action ride during the era of ticket booklets at Disneyland. It was created in 1986 as a free Disney collectible fanzine, but was truly born with the seventh issue, the brothers say. That one featured an interview with artist Marc Davis, a longtime Disney animator and one of the park’s original “imagineers.”

“Prior to Issue 7, it was for collectors, fans,” Leon says. “With the Davis interview, we had new material that was bigger and more important than anything we had before.”

In addition to mining the memories of the men and women who helped design the park, the Janzens also rely for their research on the Walt Disney Co.’s files.

Dave Smith, director of Disney’s archives, says the magazine has been a useful source of information for the company as well as a repository for facts.

“They have interviewed in detail some people that we haven’t,” he says.

“But they have the time to do it, and we don’t. We’re pleased when we can have someone else do the work,” he jokes.

“I think it’s fun for the people that are intense about Disneyland and want to know all the minute details and history of the rides and attractions.”

The “E” Ticket subscribers number more than 2,000, and a look at the publication’s letters page reveals that readers come from all over--from California to Florida and even Canada.

Kari Hendler, 32, of North Hollywood, has been a subscriber since 1988, when her husband brought home a copy.

“I locked myself in my office for hours and just couldn’t believe someone had actually designed a magazine for me,” she says, noting that she has been a fan of the park from an early age and worked there during her late teens as a “merchandise hostess.”

The Janzens’ magazine pays tribute--in words and pictures--to many of the original attractions that have been revamped or removed, such as the Skyway, which closed Nov. 9 after 38 years of shuttling park-goers between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland in brightly colored gondolas.

“It’s sad,” Leon says. “We knew it was going to be closed, and went and rode it. Jack and I took a lot of pictures that we normally wouldn’t have, like of the pillars, because we knew that this was the last time it would look that way.”

Although some of Disneyland’s changes have improved on the original, the brothers stress that they and other collectors fear the park Walt Disney created is disappearing.

“You can’t run a theme park on a handful of people like me--fans, nostalgic preservationists--and we recognize that,” Leon admits. “So we’re not a critical voice of what’s going on now. We’re a voice to remember and preserve what the facts were.”

Longtime subscriber Scott Javine says that is what attracted him to the magazine. Originally from Oklahoma, he said he recalls visiting the park for the first time when he was 10.

“I can’t remember as much as I wish I remember,” the 32-year-old Burbank resident says. “And now there are things that are gone. That’s what Jack and Leon try to do; they talk about things that aren’t there anymore.”

Not bad for two men who had no prior publishing experience. They both have families and day jobs--Leon is a bank manager, and Jack manages a Los Angeles city department. The pair shares the writing, photography and interviewing tasks equally, spending one or two nights a week working on the more-or-less quarterly publication.

With Leon’s input, Jack illustrates the covers for the magazine to represent each issue’s theme. They often look to vintage attraction posters for inspiration.

“We do our interviews, we do our research, we get our photos, we get as much original artwork as we can,” Jack says. “If there’s something missing in the overall telling of the story--usually it’s a map--we do our artwork.”

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As boys living in Panorama City during the 1950s, the Janzens were fascinated by Walt Disney and his amusement park. Its effect is evident in their sparkle as they discuss the Magic Kingdom.

Today, the brothers still visit the park several times a year, often without their families. Because of the time they spend together on the magazine, Leon admits they often act like “an old married couple.” They finish each other’s sentences and manage to talk to a visitor at the same time without really interrupting each other.

“It’s just a terrible relationship,” jokes Jack. “We do have our disagreements, but really the payoff is so strong in terms of the satisfaction we get.”

The collaboration wasn’t always so easy. After competing with each other at swap meets and collectors’ shows to be the first to buy a rare item of Disneyland memorabilia, the brothers eventually decided to pool their energy, creating a common collection.

With the “E” Ticket, the Janzens say they have been handed a torch of sorts, a responsibility to carry on the Disney magic.

“We’re about Disneyland, very much so,” Leon says, “but every single page and what we do is about Walt Disney and the final segment of his career. With every issue, we’re thanking Walt for creating that feeling of wonder in us as kids.”

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Where to Go

What: The “E” Ticket.

Price: A four-issue subscription is $22. Back issues or sample issues are $6.40 postpaid.

Write: P.O. Box 800880, Santa Clarita, CA 91380-0880.