View source for Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom and Castle of Toys

'''Dispensa’s Kiddie Kingdom and Castle of Toys''' was a 5-acre amusement park and toy store located on a 12.5-acre site in [[Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois]] near the [[Oakbrook Center]] shopping center, in [[DuPage County, Illinois]]. The store was in business from 1967 to 1985. The amusement park operated from 1975 to 1984.<ref name="Fieldman">{{cite news |last1=Fieldman |first1=Chuck |title='Let's go!' Oakbrook Terrace exhibit shares memories of Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom & Castle of Toys |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-brook/ct-dob-dispensas-kiddie-kingdom-exhibit-tl-1107-20191031-qo2gvkihabdzpmb3j5ucqx4z4a-story.html |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=31 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105163938/https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-brook/ct-dob-dispensas-kiddie-kingdom-exhibit-tl-1107-20191031-qo2gvkihabdzpmb3j5ucqx4z4a-story.html |archive-date=5 November 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Shanahan">{{cite news |last1=Shanahan |first1=Bob |title=Oakbrook Terrace Historical Society remembers Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom, Castle of Toys |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20191028/oakbrook-terrace-historical-society-remembers-dispensas-kiddie-kingdom-castle-of-toys- |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)|Daily Herald]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030233021/https://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20191028/oakbrook-terrace-historical-society-remembers-dispensas-kiddie-kingdom-castle-of-toys- |archive-date=30 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kiddie Kingdom">{{cite web |title=DISPENSA'S KIDDIE KINGDOM 1975-1984 |url=https://dispensaskiddiekingdom.com/Dispensa_s_Kiddie_Kingdom.php |website=Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom |access-date=27 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226044030/https://dispensaskiddiekingdom.com/ |archive-date=26 December 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AP-Park Closes" />
The Castle of Toys store was the largest independent, free-standing toy store in the world.<ref name="Shanahan" /><ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" /> The store received a fair amount of attention due to its unique shape as a turreted castle which featured oversized toy soldiers lining the edifice.<ref name="Shanahan" /><ref name="AP-Park Closes" />
The Kiddie Kingdom amusement park featured over 30 rides, games, and attractions geared for children age 12 and under.<ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" /> It advertised rides for a quarter per ride or six rides for a dollar.<ref name="AP-Park Closes" /><ref name="Shanahan" />
==Rides==
Kiddie Kingdom featured 22 rides which included the following:<ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" />
* [[Scrambler (ride)|Scrambler]]
* [[Tilt-A-Whirl]]
* Sky Fighter
* Mite Mouse
* Antique Autos
* Youngster's Yachts
* C.P. Huntington 1863
* [[Carousel|Merry-Go-Round]]
==History==
The Dispensa family business began in 1919 when Nicholas "Nick" S. Dispensa, an Italian immigrant to the [[U.S.]], purchased a Ferris wheel for $1500.<ref name="Fieldman" /><ref name="Shanahan" /><ref name="AP-Park Closes">{{cite news |title=AN ILLINOIS PARK CLOSES |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/01/garden/an-illinois-park-closes.html |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=1 November 1984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524145533/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/01/garden/an-illinois-park-closes.html |archive-date=24 May 2015}}</ref>  The business evolved into Dispensa & Sons Complete Carnivals.<ref name="Fieldman" /> In 1924, Nick's son John left school at the age of 12 to work with his father on the carnival.<ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" />  In 1951, Dispensa purchased the original 25-acre site for $1000 per acre.<ref name="Fieldman" /><ref name="AP-Park Closes" />  Half the land was taken by the state to construct the interchange of [[Illinois Route 83]] and [[Roosevelt Road]].<ref name="Fieldman" /><ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" />
==Advertising==
Both the store and the park were heavily advertised through television commercials.<ref name="Fieldman" /> It was a staple of [[Chicago]] television advertising, particularly during the [[Christmas]] season.
Its [[jingle]] featured a woman singing this song, with a child's voice interposing spoken comments:
<blockquote>
:Dispensa's Castle of Toys
::(It's a castle!)
:Dispensa's Castle of Toys
::(It's a toy store!)
:Dispensa's Castle of Toys
::(It's toy-mendous!)
:Come to Dispensa's Castle of Toys
:Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois</blockquote>
Despite the visual attempt to rhyme, the last line was pronounced the proper way, "Ill-i-noy", rather than the colloquial "Ill-i-noise".
Kiddie Kingdom also had a memorable jingle:
<blockquote>
:(Kids are King!) At Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom
:(Fun's the thing!) At Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom
:Exciting rides (to make you yell and holler)
:Any ride a quarter (six for a dollar; this eventually became "five for a dollar")
:Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom...  Let's Go!!!</blockquote>
==Closing==
Despite tremendous growth culminating in its most profitable year in 1984, the business closed in 1985 for economic reasons.<ref name="AP-Park Closes" /><ref name="Shanahan" /><ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" />  Property values had increased in the surrounding area to the point where the underlying land was more valuable than the business itself which prompted the Dispensas to sell the remaining land to a developer.<ref name="Fieldman" /><ref name="AP-Park Closes" /> In October 1985, the business was auctioned off by Norton Auctioneers.<ref name="Kiddie Kingdom" /> The site of the toy store and "Kiddie Kingdom" is now occupied by the 31-story ''Oakbrook Terrace Tower'' office building.<ref name="Fieldman" />
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Portal|1980s}}
* [http://www.dispensaskiddiekingdom.com/ The official Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom Website]
* [http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/screen.php?c=2016&p=1 TV Commercial featuring the jingle in the article]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1967]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Illinois]]
[[Category:Toy retailers of the United States]]
[[Category:Amusement parks opened in 1975]]
[[Category:Defunct amusement parks in Illinois]]
[[Category:Amusement parks closed in 1984]]