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The Disneyland branch of the Bank of America, a fixture on the theme park's Main Street since it opened, is scheduled to close Wednesday just as the state's largest bank begins a major new marketing alliance with Knott's Berry Farm.
Bank of America and officials of the theme parks insist there is no connection between the two events. The Disneyland branch is being shuttered so that the Walt Disney Co. can open its own banking center, said a bank spokesman.
Unlike at the Magic Kingdom, the bank's deal with Knott's will produce only a make-believe bank for kids, not a real working branch for adults. B of A's sponsorship arrangement at Knott's, the value of which was not disclosed when it was announced Monday, is designed to build goodwill with potential Latino customers.
B of A will sponsor a series of three Latino music concerts at the Buena Park attraction and post its name prominently in the park's Fiesta Village, a Mexican theme area that includes the roller coaster, Montezooma's Revenge, games and shops.
The 38-year-old Disneyland B of A branch, decorated in a Victorian motif with antique-style iron teller windows, was essentially an elaborate check-cashing center. Tellers dressed in period costumes answered customer's questions, converted foreign currencies into dollars and cashed travelers' checks, but other services were limited.
Deposits there were paltry compared to nearby B of A branches. Total deposits, many of them from loyal park...