Thursday, March 28, 2024

River Views, 1960s

Happy Birthday to GDB friend Dean Finder!

I love Frontierland's Rivers of America, no matter how many photos I've seen of that feature. It's so convincing as a BIG RIVER, smack-dab in the middle of Anaheim. Today's photos are undated, but probably from the very early 1960s, or perhaps even the late 1950s (it's so frustrating to not know for sure). 

Here we are, standing on shore, looking across to Ton Sawyer Island, with one of the rafts loading up with guests who are ready to come back to the mainland. They're all a little sweatier, and maybe even a little more tired, but it was well worth it. The masts of the Columbia can just be seen above the treetops, so we know that this is from at least 1958.


Next is this image showing the little bandstand that jutted out into the River; the Strawhatters are performing for seated guests. I believe that the bandstand was removed in 1962 during the many big changes to Frontierland, including the closure of the Plantation House, the very earliest work on the Haunted Mansion, additions to the Indian Village, and the closure of the Mineral Hall.



Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Up In Da Treehouse, March 1963

The original Swiss Family Treehouse was a wonderful mini-adventure for kids of all ages. Was there a height limit? I honestly have no idea. "You must be as tall as this lemur to experience this attraction".  It's kind of nice that we have a revamped Adventureland Treehouse (debuting on November 10th of last year), I hope it makes guests happy and brings peace to the world. 

Today's post features a nice shot taken up in the breezy branches of the SFT, while the Robinsons were out in the wild making "jungle pancakes". They are made with mashed-up grubs from a sago palm. Dad holds his two sons, who wear souvenir beanies. Notice the red leaves and blossoms in the tree, those apparently did not last long (the photos are from less than a year after the Treehouse opened). 


Next is a view looking down on the Rivers of the World, including some mysterious ruins of a lost civilization (I told them to buy a map, but you know how some people are), as well as some crocodiles that are looking for a hand out. 


Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Vintage Disneyland Ephemera

You know that worthless paper thing that you got at Disneyland years ago that you threw right into the nearest trash can (after finishing your hotdog)? Well that thing is now worth hundreds of dollars, you fool! I'd laugh at you, but I still have a bite of hotdog in my mouth and there's nobody nearby to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. 

First up is this rare paper bag from the old Swift Market House. It was the fastest market house in America, something that Walt often bragged about. Swift also sponsored the Red Wagon Inn, and that's why we see the reddest wagon in America. Swift also sponsored the Plantation House, but it can go to HECK! Swift ran quickly out of Disneyland sometime in 1968.


Next I have a scan of a 1955 flyer, telling guests all about the TICKET PLAN. The World's Greatest Entertainment Value! And that's not hyperbole either. I defy you to find a better value in the world of entertainment. Notice that students and servicemen still get a special deal, though the clergy (mentioned on earlier flyers) is out of luck. Sorry, Padre, you should have taken an extra 50 cents out of the collection plate. Maybe Knott's Berry Farm will have you.

 I'm weird, so it's fun to look at the list of attractions. There is no mention of the A, B, and C tickets (D and E tickets weren't introduced until years later). Also, as a former pasteup grunt, I am amused by the crooked line of text mentioning the Phantom Boat Ride. The word "ride" is used liberally, contrary to Disneyland lore. 


Questions. I have questions! There was a time when people just didn't understand those crazy ticket books. For one thing, it was highway robbery. The city dump is free, and hours of fun. The ticket books are also very complicated. You mean I can't turn in my unused tickets at the end of the evening for an appropriate refund? Where is the ticket to Walt Disney's house? Why has Mickey Mouse been following me for months? Thank goodness this flyer is here for every contingency. 


I hope you have enjoyed today's ephemera.

Monday, March 25, 2024

Flower the Skunk, March 1963

I have two slides - a bit dark, but not a total loss - featuring two boys enjoying an encounter with Bambi's friend Flower. He's a skunk, but don't let that concern you. Just don't make any sudden moves, OK? I've never seen Flower at the park, in fact I wonder if they even have a costume around for special occasions these days. Anyway, the boys are as pleased as can be to be meeting this new furry friend. 


It would be sort of fun if the park had all sorts of obscure (by today's standards) classic characters. Lucifer the cat! Stromboli! Basil of Baker Street! Or how about the early long-billed Donald Duck? The list could go on and on. It'll never happen, but a boy can dream, can't he?

Meanwhile, I'm always happy to see the posters, even with bad color. Especially the 20,000 Leagues example! 

Sunday, March 24, 2024

SNOOZLES™

You are getting sleepy... sleeeeeppppyyyy.... now go wash my car! Dang, it didn't work. Today's photos will induce drowsiness in even the most coffee-addicted readers. Starring with this June, 1962 shot of one of Disneyland nuclear submarines. The focus is a bit off, and the gray sky is oppressive. A few lights are on, which made me think that perhaps the sun had sent, but I think it was just overcast. Yuck!


Next, from July, 1960 comes this too-dark and weirdly-composed photo. What was the photographer pointing his lens at? "Rocks! What will they think of next!". Once again, the focus is two ticks off of where it should be. But at least we can see a bobsled, and the red Monorail!


Saturday, March 23, 2024

Amusements

While going through a batch of Disneyland slides, I had a momentary thrill. "This must be some rarely-photographed corner of Disneyland!" (it's dated "June, 1962" by the way). But alas, it's not Disneyland at all. Notice the parking lot, seen just past the dining area. Just look at all those trash cans! You could barely take one bite of a hotdog before encountering a receptacle. Could this be Knott's Berry Farm? If so I don't recognize it at all, but it's not unusual to find Knott's photos mixed in with Disneyland photos. Please chime in if you know!


Next is this fun photo from Bemidji, Minnesota. There's Babe the Blue Ox, friend to Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack who can partially be seen to the left. According to Wikipedia, the Paul and Babe statues are "the second most photographed statues in America," surpassed only by Mount Rushmore. Did you know that Minnesota's many lakes were formed by the footprints of Mr. Bunyan and Babe? IT'S TRUE.  The Rotarians of Bemidji commissioned the statue of Paul Bunyan during the Great Depression as a tourist attraction. It was unveiled on January 15, 1937, to kick off a Winter Carnival that drew more than 10,000 visitors. I saw these statues when I was a child, and they left an indelible impression on me.


Here's a vintage decal!

Friday, March 22, 2024

Aerial View, February 1966

While searching for a particular photo scan from the Mysterious Benefactor, I found another that I'd planned on saving for a "special occasion", and then forgot about. Hey, today's special enough! It's a wonderful aerial photo, dated "February, 1966". I love all aerial views of Disneyland, and this one is a pip. I'll share the entire photo, and then zoom in so that we can all appreciate some details.

There it is; we're above Frontierland and the Rivers of America, with Fantasyland at the top of the image. Wonderful! But let's take a closer look.


In the upper left, lots of earth-moving is taking place; I know that "it's a small world" debuted in March of '66, and this construction probably had something to do with that - I'm assuming that that attraction is nearly ready to open (though it's out of frame) and all that dirt is just further development of some kind. It's nice to get a look at the Rainbow Desert from the air. Is that an old tunnel for the Disneyland RR just to the left of the desert rocks? Or is it just a passage for maintenance vehicles? Also, I never thought of Storybook Land as being that close to Nature's Wonderland, but it was really just a stone's throw away.


Next we see Sleeping Beauty Castle and the dark ride buildings, along with the castle courtyard. In the lower right, the red slurry of Frontierland, along with Rainbow Ridge and Casa de Fritos. At the top right, the House of the Future!


Here's part of the Rivers of America, with treacherous rocks that will rip the bottom out of passing boats - unless they are piloted by experienced river men. Notice the canoe, the Friendly Indian Village in the upper center, and the Burning Settler's Cabin in the lower right (we can even see the Dead Settler's red shirt). 


And finally, this portion shows Cascade Peak - look at those pools for the cascades! I can't help wanting to wade and relax in them. A raft is crossing to Tom Sawyer Island at the bottom of the image, where we can see part of Fort Wilderness to the left, and Castle Rock to the right of that.


 This is one of my favorite photos from the Mysterious Benefactor, and I am grateful that he shared it with all of us!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Parade in The Plaza, June 1962

I have three "just OK" photos featuring a school band as they marched through The Plaza in June, 1962. By June I would think that school would be out for the Summer, but perhaps the pictures were actually taken a month or so earlier. The ice cream vendor to our left has no line, now's our chance.


I can't tell if these are high school kids, but I assume that is the case. I wish I could tell which school they represented, but there are no clues. Maybe the colors of green and silver will be a hint to somebody? Whittier's "Fightin' Leprechauns"? 


There they go, I'm gonna miss those crazy kids. I don't get enough Sousaphone in my life, to be honest. We see some scaffolding on that Adventureland building, perhaps work was being done on the Enchanted Tiki Room, which would open about a year later. There's also a crane, possibly related to some massive work being done in Frontierland (including early work on the Haunted Mansion exterior building).


Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Adventureland, The Magic Kingdom, September 1972

It's time for more wonderful, early photos from The Magic Kingdom in Florida; these were taken by Lou Perry and shared with us by his daughter Sue. The park had only been open 11 months at this point. All of the images are from Adventureland; maybe Sue has similar batches from other lands!

We all know how skulls brighten up any space, and add interest. Possibly even more interest than throw pillows (hard to believe!). I think that these skulls, spears, and shields were part of the decor outside the Tropical Serenade (Florida's version of The Enchanted Tiki Room) though I could be mistaken. I'll let the experts tell us!


The next two are definitely from outside the Tropical Serenade; there's something about those anthropomorphic torches that remind me a bit of the candelabras in the Haunted Mansion. It's a stretch, I realize. I'm a little surprised that the flames are not lit, maybe they didn't ignite until late-afternoon.


I love the incredible attention to detail, from the painted and carved mural on what I am calling the "pediment", though I'm sure that does not apply to Polynesian architecture. The stylized bull's heads are pretty cool too, and probably a lot larger than they look from ground-level.


"Traders of Timbuktu", I'll bet there was some pretty cool stuff in this shop! Not that we can see any of it here, expect perhaps for a postcard rack just inside the door to the right. The carved masks that flank the entrance would look great in my home.


 There's more to come from Lou and Sue!

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Photos From the Dream Team

It is somehow comforting to still be able to share photos from our friend Irene (along with her brother Bruce and his friend James). I admit that at this point I am kind of drawing them out so that they will last longer, but of course, nothing lasts forever.

In any case, I have four photo scans for you today - none of them dated, which is always a bit frustrating, but I believe that these are all from the mid-to-late 1990s. 

First up is this shot of a blue Mark VII Autopia vehicle, a CM appears to be leading the little car over to the guide rail, where the driver can race without any worry about collisions. You'd think that the cars would already be on the guide rail - unless they were adding more cars to the rotation? The Mark VII cars were replaced in 1999, so we know this photo was no later than that year.


Next is a fun picture showing dastardly Prince John from “Robin Hood” (1973), pacing the entry courtyard. He is striking a Shakespearian pose! A few guests look like they want to approach him... but maybe not? Inside the east tunnel we can just see a poster...


... this one! "Wonders of China" was originally from EPCOT, but played in the Circle-Vision Theater from 1984 through 1996. 


The last two photos were taken on an overcast day, and feature Cascade Peak. It was already in a state of decline, but still made for an impressive "natural wonder" on the Rivers of America. It's weird how the top cascade appears to be falling at a strange angle. But at least all of the falls were on - never a guarantee in those days. As you can see, this is the side of CP where the old Mine Train would have run right past these falls...


... while this side is where the Mine Train would have run behind the falls. Cascade Peak was demolished in the Fall of 1998, my guess is that these photos were taken shortly before that sad event.

MANY THANKS to the Dream Team!