Disneyland Comin' at Ya! Summer 1955, Pt. 2

The Daveland time machine is taking you back to the Summer of 1955 for some 3D images presented in Genuine FauxD©! The Disneyland Band is aboard the Horse-Drawn Streetcar in Central Plaza. Rain must have been a problem that day, as the photographer wrote, “It Aint Gonna Rain No More” Band on Horse Trolley on the back of the slide. Below is the wider panorama view, created by merging the left and right images.



The Sleeping Beauty Castle is positively  C-R-O-W-D-E-D!



The wider view:



A closeup view of the cute poodle bag, the retro shades, and of course the ticket book and brochure in the gal’s hand on the right of the image:



In the heart of Fantasyland, we can see that the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship still has a few finishing touches to be added before opening to guests:



The restaurant opened for business on August 29, 1955, putting this batch of images somewhere between mid-July and August.



A closer look at the work crews:



How the ship looked on August 27, 1955, shortly after the restaurant opened:





Still a few more 1955 3D images to come!

See more Disneyland photos from my collection at my main website.

Disneyland Transportation Cutbacks: Fantasyland & Tomorrowland

One of the lesser-known transportation cuts at Disneyland was the extended route of the Omnibus. This duo of July 1957 images shows the Omnibus in Town Square. Nothing strange about that! However, the next shot clearly shows it in the middle of Fantasyland, near the Fantasyland Autopia!



Before the construction of the Matterhorn, the Omnibus took guests right into Fantasyland, as seen in this 1958 shot:



This December 1957 shows Snow Hill (eventually the Matterhorn) on the left and the Monsanto House of the Future at right.



Shot from the Skyway (more on that in a minute), you can see it near the Alice attraction, circa July 1958:





This provides a great segue into one of my largest transportation disappointments at Disneyland. When Toon Town opened in 1993, it had the Jolly Trolley, which took guests around the new land. It didn’t take long for the Park to bolt this little cutie to the ground and turn it into a photo op:



I wish…oh how I wish…that instead of bolting it down, the Disney Corporation would have seen fit to expand its tracks to have the Troller run all the way to Central Plaza. Once at Central Plaza, there is no good way (other than walking) to get to Toon Town.

The Skyway opened in the Summer of 1956:



Guests could soar over the Park from Fantasyland:



All the way to Tomorrowland, as seen in this July 1957 image. What a great way to save time, steps, and get some incredible views!



This one is probably a debatable transportation cut, as it really falls more into the attraction category. Still…for a nice leisurely cruise, the Motor Boat Cruise operated in one form or another from 1955—1993. The Skyway afforded this overhead shot from August 1956:



Loving this 1960s shot with the Monorail AND the Motor Boat Cruise dock all together:



Last time I saw it, the Motor Boat Cruise dock was just rust and decay. Here’s an interesting idea…with the Autopia sorely needing an update, how about creating a vehicle that goes on land AND water. Since both attractions use a track for the vehicles, I wouldn’t think a hybrid would be all that difficult.



Finally, the most mourned loss of Transporation in Tomorrowland is the PeopleMover. Circa July 1968:



August 1969 gives a great view of the Rocket Rods when they used to soar majestically over the center of Tomorrowland, and the Mary Blair murals on the right:



This 1969 images shows the PeopleMover entering the attraction building. So much to see on this slow little attraction!



The PeopleMover was changed into the Rocket Rods in 1998; they were a bomb, and ended up shuttering the entire thing by September 2000.



Today, the decaying/crumbling tracks are all that are left of this one.

Did I miss any?

See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

Disneyland Comin' at Ya! Summer 1955, Pt. 1

I was very excited to acquire this group of 3D (presented here in Genuine FauxD©) slides showing Disneyland during its first year. The red white and blue bunting tells me these were taken during the first few months of operation. Look at the landscaping around the Mickey floral - positively barren! The first image shows the left and ride sides layered; the image below is a digital composite of the two, which provides slightly more information on both sides, including the slightly disheveled lady on the right.



The main subjects of our year one series can be seen standing in Town Square, waving to the photographer standing on the steps of the Main Street Train Station:



The panoramic view:



Zooming in, you can see that there’s still a crane near the Sleeping Beauty Castle turrets:



How about that non-themed trashcan that just says, “TRASH.” At this stage, the uniforms of the Disneyland Band were navy.



Our guests are standing in front of the Plaza Apartments just on the edge of Main Street/Central Plaza, with the Red Wagon Inn in the background. A Keystone Kop poses with them for good measure.



The panoramic view removes one of the obstructions from what I “assume” is a Main Street vehicle.



Last one for today shows our guests with their backs to Main Street:



A surrey and the Horse-Drawn Streetcar co-exist!



You can just barely see the Disneyland brochure in this gal’s hands in this detailed view:



Most likely this is what we see in the photo:

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.