Monday in Adventureland

In August 1958, little Kirk posed by the tiki statue near the entrance of Adventureland. The dark image below is from June 1958 and gives a better look at the statue:



Back to Kirk - there’s something about the early signage in Adventureland that I prefer. It seems so much more natural and rustic.



Here is a corresponding view I shot back in 2011. Huh. I think that’s about all I can say for what happened to this area.



See more Disneyland Adventurelandphotos at my main website.

Shopping with Jayne and Mickey

Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more vintage shots of Jayne Mansfield’s May 1957 trip to Disneyland with husband Mickey Hargitay, another gem pops up! Here the stunning couple go shopping in Adventureland. It could be the Bazaar, or it could be Tiki’s Tropical Imports. Lots of thatched roof structures in Adventureland at the time.



An exterior shot of Tiki’s from 1959:



See more Jayne Mansfield photos at my main website.

Thursday at the Bazaar

This undated 1950s image shows the outdoor seating area for the Adventureland Tropical “Saloon” and Cantina, which would eventually become the I  Presume Sunkist beverage and snack area, and then Bengal Barbecue. I see an interesting selection of gifts from the Bazaar on the shelves; the writing on the wall on the right of the detailed image seems to say something about “stuff from south seas.” I want to know what that flyer is on the right.



In this detailed view you can see a healthy selection of the Jumbo postcards; that would most likely put this image around 1956.



For an inside peek at the Bazaar, here’s a genuine FauxD© image from the 1960s:



See more Disneyland Adventureland Bazaar photos at my main website.

Welcome to the Jungle

The date is December 1966, and a lone figure walks through an empty Adventureland. This must be the past! This style of trash can with the yellow “x” was found outside Aunt Jemima’s Restaurant:



Zooming in further we can see the main pathway through Adventureland with the Sunkist “I Presume” refreshment stand on the left (which opened in 1962 and closed thirty years later) and the Jungle Cruise attraction on the right:



At the very back of the shot you can see two hostesses for the Tahitian Terrace Restaurant, with a Kodak Picture Spot marked on the far right. In other words, photos for dummies.



Our 1966 photographer continued stalking this woman and took a second shot of her, this time posing next to the sign for “I Presume.”



That’s quite an assortment of merchandise peeking out behind her at the Bazaar:



Once again the entrance to the Jungle Cruise attraction; you can see the Adventureland themed trash can in this one:



As we flash forward to October 1987, we have a front view of the Jungle Cruise entrance, which still sports the theming of the original attraction:



Closing in, it is much more primitive in style and themed towards native art:



By the time I took this 2015 shot, the native art had been minimized and the building had been themed to go along with the Indiana Jones 1930’s attraction next door:



See more Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my main website.

Comment Gold from Adventureland

While I may not get a ton of comments on my blog, the ones that are typically left here are gold in my opinion. One of my most faithful readers (and a former DL Cast Member) is KS. When he saw yesterday’s 1968 Adventureland photo, he noticed the staircase hidden away in this detailed view (above). Below, you can see a contemporary shot of the same area, sans guests. Just the way I like it!

Here are KS’s memories of that staircase:

Back then and into the 70s at least while working the Jungle Cruise, we could go up the staircase and sit above the Bazaar to take a break...or use the room adjacent off to the right of the picture. We could see the boats passing by and know when our boat was coming back to the dock to restart our rotation. Called it JUBA...or Jungle Upstairs Break Area. Last time I was in the park, I found the gate to the staircase is now locked. It's now just a memory.

And what about the shooting gallery off to the left? Looks like it was a slow day so it was closed (see photo below).

Here’s a closer look at the (now) locked gate:

And a better view of the second floor:

Many thanks to KS for the “comment gold”—keep it coming!

See more Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.

Vintage Adventureland Panorama

Recently I acquired two vintage slides that were from November 27, 1968. The processing date stamp was January 1969; back in the day, people were not concerned about getting their selfies on social media for that burst of self-absorbed dopamine. This particular slide had “Group of Hindu girl tourists in Adventureland Bazaar” written on the back. I wonder if the photographer spoke to them or knew anything else about these ladies?

This particular shot just shows the same area a little further to the left.

I wondered if the two shots could be lined up to form a panorama, and with a little bit of Photoshop magic and some pixel sweat and tears, here you go:

See more Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.

Inside the Bazaar

Vintage Disneyland slides are always thrilling to discover - especially when they show the exterior of an attraction, shop, or restaurant. Back in the day, most people didn't bother taking indoor shots because your typical consumer camera needed a flash to do the job, and even then, the results were less than spectacular. This is why I was pretty excited to add another Adventureland Bazaar interior shot to my collection. This first one is from July 1963, and shows that the wares are hand engraved solid brass from India. I don't think you'd see that sign on any of the merchandise sold at the Bazaar today.



This previously posted 3D image was undated, but most likely also from the 60s:



...as is this other shot from the same batch:



Although the offerings inside have changed quite a bit over the years...





the exterior really hasn't.



More from the Bazaar at my main website.

60th Anniversary Trip, Pt. 12

It's time for New Orleans Square at Night! The Magnolia Park area is one of the most beautiful quiet spots in the park; a lovely place to sit, relax, and watch the peeps going by.

A few interior shots of Cafe Orleans after the doors have closed.





Let's get a closer look at that copper coffee urn, shall we?



Quite a history!



I am a nut for signage, but even more so at night when it is all lit up!





An interior shot of the Blue Bayou Restaurant lobby:



Time to shift over to Adventureland for more nighttime magic.



Hopefully you've all experienced the joy of Shrunken Ned in the Adventureland Bazaar:







This underused area was once the vibrant Tahitian Terrace:



I spent some time in the Tiki Room courtyard getting these gems of the animated Tiki statues, starting with Koro:



Pele:



Pele mad:



and Maui:



Tomorrow, we'll spend some time in Fantasyland!



More Disneyland night (and day) photos at my main website.