June 1963: Fantasyland

Let’s hop aboard (well, gently step into would be more prudent) our Storybook Land Canal Boat and spend a day in Fantasyland, circa June 1963. This batch of images sure sparkles with vintage color!



I’m going to say that this is probably some of the best rock work ever done in the park; the modern day version that existed at the Disneyland Hotel until recently just didn’t compare:





I believe this one is shot from the eating area behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant:



Plenty to stare at in this shot, but I’m going to zoom in on just one detail...



What a cute little booth:



Can you believe it’s still in operation? Just a little ways down the path to small world, you can find it being used as a Kodak Film/Information booth. In another year or so, the best information here might be, "What is film?"



I want to thank all of you for reading my blog, leaving the great commentary, and supplying the extra great bonus info that makes all of my work worth the effort. Hope the New Year brings plenty of good things to all of you!

See more Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Traveling Thursdays: Back to Knott's

Daveland reader David W. was very generous in sharing some treasured photos from his family of early Knott’s. Here is David’s commentary:

I have a lot of good memories of Knott's (& that other theme park over in Anaheim). These photos were taken by my Dad who enjoyed photography (these are from before I was around). The Kodachrome colors sure do last. My Grandparents (Dad's parents from Colorado) liked to go to Knott's, and judging by the clothes, these photos are from a few different visits. I recall my parents talking about how my Grandfather was laughing after Sad Eye Joe talked to him at the Ghost Town Jail. The first photo shown here is my Mother (she just turned 88 this month) and the slide
even had the actual day it was taken written on it (April 9,1948). This is the only picture that I have seen where Whiskey Bill has a red shirt.

The 2nd is my Mother (holding her chihuahua) & my Grandparents in the  wagon camp. I believe this was taken in the 1950's (unfortunately the slide was not dated).



Here’s my Mother again, this time standing by The Chapel by the Lake (April 9,1948).



My Grandparents, circa 1950's—I really like the expressions on their faces as they ham it up for the camera!



The final one is of my grandparents at the Pitchur Gallery:



A huge thanks to David for sharing these high quality images from his family’s history.

Had a few requests for the recipe for my Christmas Fruitcocktail Egg Nog Pie (yes, there are still a few retro cooks alive and kicking out there!). It differs slightly from the vintage recipe posted by Tim. Here’s the one I use:

Ingredients: 2 cups prepared egg nog. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1 envelope Knox gelatin. 1.5 teaspoon vanilla. 1 cup (before whipping) whipping cream (whipped). 1/4 cup sugar. #2.5 can fruit cocktail thoroughly drained (draining is key! otherwise pie will be soupy). 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. 9" pie shell (I made a graham cracker crust; either is fine).

Directions: Mix gelatin, sugar, and salt. Gradually stir in egg nog. Warm over direct low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Chill until mixture mounds when droped from spoon. Fold in whipped cream, flavorings, and 1.5 cups fruit cocktail. Chill again 5-10 minutes until mixture mounds. Heap into baked pie shell. Decorate with remaining fruit cocktail. Chill 2-4 hours.

Note: If you’re going to make this pie, don't ruin it by using low-cal or low-fat or lite-syrup anything; it's a retro pie and needs all the ingredients to be fully leaded!

Be sure to send photos!

See more Knott's photos at my main website.

Final Evil Queen & Lana

This one took a lot longer than I thought it would. Typically I use colored Prismacolor pencils to sketch my paintings out before I put paint on the canvas. Especially on this one, the red pencil I used bled through on the lighter colors. And bled. And bled. No matter how many layers of paint I put on (which is against my nature as I typically like a nice flat surface!), the red pencil showed through. About ready to give up, I decided to put a matte sealer over the offending areas; sure enough, it lessened the bleeding. You can still see some pink tint from the pencil, but at least the old gal doesn’t look like she has rosacea anymore!

Here is an updated photo of my Lana Turner painting; finally started on John Garfield:



See more Daveland art at my main website.

Bye-Bye, Viewliner

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, here we see the removal of the “old” Viewliner Tomorrowland station to make way for the new Monorail. Oh the indignity!

See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

Hello, Viewliner!

This September 1958 image shows the attraction that has the dubious distinction of being the shortest-lived in early Disneyland history: The Viewliner. I love the retro design of its engine and cars, even if its size does make it appear toy-like. By zooming in, we can see all kinds of other interesting details from this one photo.

Here, you can easily see what a tight fit this smaller-scale train means for guests cramped into the back of the train:



At the Tomorrowland Depot, you can see a banner advertising the new Grand Canyon Diorama:



For the many inquiring minds out there, here is a photo of my Fruit Cocktail Egg Nog Pie; no Christmas dinner is complete without this retro classic! Note: I substituted a graham cracker crust for the regular pie crust.



To see a vintage ad & recipe, head on over to Tim’s Vintage Disneyland Ticket Blog.

See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

Evil Queen Interlude

Obviously, it has been awhile since I have put the paint to the canvas, so over my 4 day weekend, I decided to take an hour or two and devote myself to a new painting, since I knew that my “Postman” painting would require more than a few hours. 1-six hour session and another 2-hour session later, my “Evil Queen” was finished. Once I start painting, I find it difficult to stop. There’s something about a beautiful villainess that I find inspiring; the lines, the expression, the colors...just had to put this one on canvas.

See more Daveland art at my main website.

Shakey, Shifted, & Scratched: Early Disneyland, pt. 3

It’s the last installment of this group of pitifully treated slides which I will attempt to ‘plus’ by adding in some contemporary comparison views. For the Tomorrowland shot, I’ll try to avoid my usual lament and just let the photos do the talking. Here’s the 2007 view as you enter Tomorrowland:



With the Skyway gone, this angle is impossible to duplicate anymore (unless you are extremely adventurous and want to try to shoot from the Matterhorn!):



Welcome to the Adventureland Bazaar:



Same area; different angles:







The intimidating African Bull Elephant:



She still looks darn good after all these years; I wonder if she does botox?



The infamous back side of water...from the front!



My pitiful attempt of matching this up using my archives is not too swift...another one for the list of “to-do’s” at the park. From 2006:



And a different angle from last January:



That’s it for this series; back to better cut, color, and clarity tomorrow! See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

Shakey, Shifted, & Scratched: Early Disneyland, pt. 2

While you’re burning off all those calories from yesterday’s holiday gluttony, here are some more vintage vs. contemporary views. First up is Frontierland. The Sheriff is just hanging out, waiting for trouble to make his day a little more exciting. In the 2008 view, the structures are the same, even if the paint and tenants have changed. Personally, I enjoy the variety of having different retailers in the shops versus the same Disney merchandise in every store. Note the trees that have been added to this area; great to have the extra shade!



Pepsi has found a home at the Golden Horseshoe, which is festively decorated with colorful bunting.



Today, Slue Foot Sue is but a memory, and the overall look of the Horseshoe is much slicker. The slightly primitive look of the Horeshoe and its signage is long gone.



The town of Rainbow Ridge stands out at the Nature’s Wonderland attraction. Scaled down to give a little forced perspective, they sure added a great touch of realism to the guest experience. What’s so amazing is the time and design details produced here for buildings that you couldn’t even go inside of.



Today, some of the original Rainbow Ridge building designs remain, but the attraction itself has been replaced by a rollercoaster. Even if the ride itself is mighty close to “off-the-shelf,” the theming and environment are 1st Class Disney Imagineering all the way.



The Stagecoach; what better way to explore Frontierland than this classic vehicle? Sitting up front with the driver would be a thrill! Sitting inside, semi-protected would be fun, too...until the durn thing would tip over of course!



Comparing that shot with a contemporary shot is the proverbial crap shoot, but I am GUESSING that somewhere along this corridor (which is now open up to Fantasyland) would have been where the previous shot was taken. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have a photo of the correct portion of the path, other than the detail shot of the signage. Another one for my checklist!





Much easier to duplicate this view:



Again, my “beef” would be that the more homespun nature of the buildings and environs has given way to more of a slick Hollywood-type styling that looks more calculated than random. The staging area for Fantasmic has cluttered up the Island as well. On the plus side, the maturity of the plantings and amount of greenery is fantastic.



Oh, if only the photographer had held this one steady...what a gem it would have been.



I do not have an overall shot such as the previous one; this area of the River has become so busy because of all the attractions and shops that have been added over the years that I find myself focusing (pun intended) on smaller sections instead.





For a Where’s Waldo moment, the Sheriff from photo #1 has found his way over to the Indian Village; his brand of justice is not welcome here!



For today’s batch, this is probably one of the most disappointing comparisons; Critter Country is the biggest waste of real estate in the park as far as I’m concerned.



See more Disneyland Frontierland photos at my main website.

Screen Gem Saturdays: A Christmas Story

Other than an image from “It's A Wonderful Life,” what other movie could I have possibly placed here for Christmas Day? “A Christmas Story” takes you back to the "amorphously late 30s, early 40s" (as quoted by Director Bob Clark) when life was simple and the protagonist, Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), was motivated by his desire for a Red Ryder Air Rifle. For all of you who celebrate this holiday, Merry Christmas!

To round out the holiday cheer, I’ll include a few of my fave images from the past. If Nickelodeon can do re-runs, why can’t I?

Nothing says Christmas like a man balancing a table on his nose, right?





This one is just ripe for some snappy cartoon bubble comments above each of the Dickens Carolers’ head; readers, this is the time to show your creativity!





I saved the most adorable one for last; this group of seniors poses proudly in front of the Disneyland Christmas Tree, circa Christmas 1967:



Time to get back to the kitchen and finish working on tonight’s meal; anyone want a piece of Fruit Cocktail Eggnog Pie?

So see more Disneyland Christmas photos at my main website.