Thursday, March 12, 2009

What an entrance!



To more modern-thinking folk, this sign probably looks extremely dated and plain. However, for a retro-guy like me, this is just classic. The original Disneyland sign is pure icon...even if you just saw the first yellow square with the “D,” most Disneyland aficionados would know what it was from. This 2nd shot, from September 1959 also has the added bonus of some real classic beauties on 4-wheels!



Even on a gray August 1962 day, the original Disneyland sign brightly beckons to all:



Head to head with a Denny’s sign, there’s just no competition:



And to think it was replaced with this; too much bling and not enough substance:



See more Disneyland entrance photos at my website.

10 comments:

Thufer said...

ok, your really tugging at my heart strings. love these shots.

PTA Transit Authority said...

A great and iconic sign. Nice pics.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Ditto what Thufer said, that sign is so ingrained in our minds, it leads to the "parking lot", then the "ticket booths", then the "main gate", then ... Thanks Dave.

P.s. I want that 1955 Buick Pillar-less 4 door with the two tone paint job. The Ford, Studebaker and Kaiser (I think its a Kaiser) are nice, but the Buick is my style.

Major Pepperidge said...

It's so funny how often "improvements" (like the sign in the last photo) are not improvements at all.

VDT sure knows a lot about cars, I just know that they're shiny.

CoxPilot said...

The first car is a '55 Dodge. (Possibly a '56, but '56 had more glitz and chrome.) It's a 4 door, with simple two tone paint, so not a coronet.

Anonymous said...

"Too much bling and not enough substance" is a good description of a lot of recent changes to Disneyland--led, of course, by DCA.

Meanwhile, I am coveting any of those classic cars. They're glorious.

TokyoMagic! said...

The old sign could not be any cooler. I'd trade DCA and Downtown Disney for the old sign and the parking lot any day!

Where was that Denny's? I don't remember that. I wonder if that's the corner where Golfland eventually ended up.

Doug said...

That old sign makes me smile. :)

Let's Talk Knott's said...

It comforts me to know that there are other people that miss the parking lot.

Mr. Mouse Monthly said...

That first pic, with the sign, monorail, and Matterhorn all in one shot, is one of the prettiest Disneyland photos I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing!