Evolution of a Jester

Another Disneyland character casualty due to change was The Jester. This first shot shows the Jester, circa September 1958, standing in front of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant. This is the earliest shot in my collection showing this roving chap who entertained guests.

I’m not sure how many Jesters were employed at Disneyland, but arguably the most famous was Christopher Fair, shown below on his unicycle in 1959. He was hired out of high school (Chula Vista High School in San Diego) to do magic tricks and juggling at the Park; it was his idea to ride around on a unicycle. From the Disney History 101 Facebook page:

A young Christopher Fair’s first foray into the wonderful world of Walt Disney came during the mid-1950s, when he first appeared on the Mickey Mouse Club’s “Talent Roundup Days.” On these episodes, it became clear that young Christopher had a particular knack for performing magic tricks. Chris was more than a ‘fair’ magician, and Walt Disney kept an eye on this aspiring talent. Three years later, Christopher graduated from high school, and soon received a phone call informing him that Disneyland was seeking a Royal Court Jester to make magic happen in Fantasyland!



This 1960 Castmember spectacular was shot in front of Disneyland’s Main Street Train Station:



Zooming in you can see jester/juggler/unicycler Fair:



And a shot of his backside in front of the castle:



…performing for Annette Funicello above:



This June 1963 image shows him zipping by the Matterhorn Band on his unicycle outside the Castle, with the Sleeping Beauty Diorama sign barely visible on the right:



The shades and deadpan expression of this drummer are priceless…as is the Ticket Book Holder sign!



Another June 1963 image of Fair, with an amazed guest in the background.



Here’s a closeup of the stick he's holding; the mini-jester head on top is reminiscent of the Jack-in-the-box car antenna toppers. Which came first?!?



1963 was the last year that Fair worked at Disneyland. Another June 1963 shot below:



Another look at the mini-jester-on-a-stick:



There was at least one other Jester/Unicycle lad after Fair left, as seen in this 1965 image:



His Jester stick appears to be a different one from that of Christopher Fair:



If you want to see a Jester at Disneyland now, you need to visit the it’s a small world attraction:



This little model was on display at the Opera House in 2009:



See more Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

A Day at Disneyland, September 1969: Pt. 2

It’s September 1969 and we’re back at Disneyland. We know it’s the past, because the Autopia’s vehicles are gas-powered. Oh wait, they still are. What’s going on below? Is a Cast Member getting chastised for taking selfies? Or maybe he was late for his shift? 



These two are looking over Tomorrowland from the Skyway bucket. They should be taking photos; it kind of sucks now.



PeopleMover, Matterhorn, Skyway buckets…it’s just BEE-YOO-TI-FULL!



Someone in the bucket was wise enough to be capturing these!



Here we can also see the Monorail tracks and it’s a small world.



Once they flew through the Matterhorn unscathed, the camera came out again to capture the splendor of Skull Rock Cove:



A delightful little rest/eating area, tucked away behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship:



Once more for those who haven’t read this here: I really miss this area most.



A long line for the Matterhon Bobsleds; back then, nobody cared about whiplash.



I see vintage brochuresw and a camera…and a beauty of a beehive hairdo!



An interior shot from the Carousel of Progress attraction:



I’m too lazy to figure out the placement of this area, but I am guessing it’s somewhere near Central Plaza. Perhaps what was once referred to as Alpine Gardens? If not, please don’t sue me.



A Kodak Picture Spot sign is to the left of Snow White and Dopey:



Two consecutive shots of the Disneyland Band in front of the Castle…





and one detailed view. Anyone know the conductor or band members?



Over in Storybook Land, the Bold Lochinvar boat is ready to get loaded up for another trip through Monstro.



Who’s the stuff shirt on the left? Was this when a male cast member had to be a lead because it female’s could not perform that role? He looks clueless.



Another Storybook Land shot, another aeronautic do, perfectly aerosoled.



A closeup of Peter Pan Park:



Thanks for joining me on this 9/69 tour!

See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

The Wrong Mouse at Disneyland, 1958

Here’s a happy little tot aboard the Disneyland Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, February 1958. Somebody needs to tell him he’s promoting the wrong mouse.

This September 1961 image shows the recently added Skull Rock Cove area, which ranks close to #1 for my favorite “lost” areas at the Park. Great for exploration, relaxation, hiding, and pretty durn cool photos.

What the area looked like before Skull Rock:

What a snoozer!!

See more vintage Disneyland Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant photos at my main website.

Monday with a Crocodile

The Crocodile from Peter Pan is not a character you see frequently walking around the Park. This recently acquired September 1962 shot shows Captain’s arch nemesis hanging around Fantasyland near the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant.

Digging back through the archives I also found this shot from July 1962 which includes Peter Pan:

The Crocodile was also part of the show “Fantasmic!” on the Rivers of America:

I captured this daylight shot of the croc awaiting the night to fall:

While looking through my collection I came across this previously posted March 1968 gem of Mr. Smee:

The highlight for me though is the lady with towering bouffant hairdo in the background and the nails for days!

See more Disneyland Character photos at my main website.

Disneyland Gems from ’56, Pt. 2

Today’s 1956 Disneyland gems take us to Fantasyland, the heart and soul of the Park. One of our dapper vintage guests is standing in front of Merlin's Magic Shoppe. Unfortunately, the camera being used did not produce images that were all that sharp, so the zoom in window view is meh at best. However, you can see the vintage shop sign above the guest’s head.

A nice overall view of Fantasyland that shows the tea cups, Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, and the Casey Junior Circus Train off in the distance.

Zooming in, you can see that the Storybook Land attraction is taking shape, as the framework for the rocks is in progress.

This image yielded a wonderful surprise. At first glance, it just appears to show the mini-lake/pond behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, with Casey Junior chugging along in the background.

A closer look reveals the old Canal Boats of the World sign, unceremoniously dumped against the fence:

A previously posted shot of the sign before it came down for good:

And this image was the reason I purchased this set in the first place:

What a great color detail image of the original Snow White's Scary Adventures dark ride mural!

Still more great 1956 gems to come!

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