Main Street Model Monday, Part 2

Faithful readers knew that at some point I’d get around to part 2, and here we go! This recently listed vintage image from ebay shows the model that was created for Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. If you look closely at the original model, you can see that the original intention was to call the store below Crystal Palace. At some point before opening it was changed to Crystal Arcade.



The model also shows the building below as being a Sporting Goods Store; Coke stepped in at the right time with a sponsorship and won this coveted location…



where it still resides today. Could the Crystal Palace and Candy Palace co-existed peacefully on the same street? I guess we’ll never know.



Eagle-eyed readers will see the concept art for Storybook Land on the back wall…



and Peter Pan’s Flight…



and the Jungle Cruise.



See more Disneyland Main Street photos at my main website.

Disneyland in 3D: June 26, 1966, Pt. 2

Part 2 of June 26, 1966 at Disneyland begins with the Crystal Arcade on Main Street, U.S.A. For these, I have included a flat version which melds the left and the right view, providing a slightly wider frame.



I do love looking inside the shops, especially since we rarely see vintage interiors. Note the window display on the right for the Upjohn Pharmacy, which was next door.



One of the Emporium window displays, also seen in yesterday’s photo:



Across the street you can see Lon Chaney in “The Phantom of the Opera,” playing at the Main Street Cinema:



Definitely summertime, as the patriotic bunting appears on the lightpost at left:



If you’re wondering about the name Edgar Kennedy on the right side of the marquee, he was typically in the Keystone Kops comedies that were featured here, too.



As we approach East Center, we come to the Swift Market House:





See anything you’d be interested in purchasing? Note the old fashioned wallphone visible in the window on the right:



The Art Festival is going on in the East Center Street alleyway:





Guests were once able to have their portraits sketched here. Below are some samples:



The Carnation Company borders on West Center Street:





I could sure go for a sundae right now! It’s so fantastic to be able to see the employees inside the lit interiors at night.



How about a fake bouquet from the West Center Street Flower Market?





$1.25 and 80¢? Not bad!



Still more on the way!

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

Vintage Crystal Arcade at Disneyland

Here's a collection of vintage images of the Crystal Arcade, located on the west side of Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. The first shot is from August 1955. What Daveeland post would be complete without a few detailed closeups?!? Certainly not this one! I am digging the art deco chairs inside the Crystal Arcade. Wonder what happened to them?



Next up is a dusk shot from the 1950s.



The Matterhorn image in the window makes me think this was probably around 1959.



June 1960:



Zooming in to see the merchandise and the stained glass of the Upjohn window at right:



August 1962:



So cute to see the back of the little boy just staring into the shop:



A semi-contemporary shot of the Crystal Arcade today:



See more vintage and current Disneyland photos at my main website..target="_blank">Instagram.

2000th Post Extravaganza: Moving Up Main Street, Pt. 1

Let's continue our journey down Walt Disney's Main Street U.S.A., courtesy of my special Time Machine. This delightful trio of February 1960 guests is standing on the east side of Main Street in front of the Yale Lock Shop and The Butcher Shop. Huh...I wonder if you could get EXTRA lean ground beef at the Butcher Shop?

On the corner of East Center Street and Main Street, guests could find the Swift Market House. Plenty of good times could be found within...



"Oh Madge, you just would NOT believe what is going on here at Disneyland..."



On the other side of the street is The Crystal Arcade, which really weaves its magic at night when it is all lit up, as seen in this 1966 shot:





The Disneyland Marching Band is passing the Book & Candle Shop in this shot. Forget Borders...THIS is a book shop I wish I could have gone to.



Check out all of the hand dipped candles that you could find here!



Daveland reader JG was kind enough to send his fond remembrances of this shop from days of yore:

As fashion would have it, candles became a feature of pop culture in the mid-1960’s with bright colors, exotic scents and all manner of accessories, holders, and candlesticks to match. The old style dipped tapers were retained only as props and the Flower Children’s vision took over the shelves. Mom loved this too, she bought several plastic flower and candle arrangements over the years. I don’t recall that any of this merchandise was explicitly “Disney” or had any kind of brand or movie tie-in at all; it was just the sort of fairly expensive, tasteful (for the era) gifts you would find at Macy’s or another specialty store.

I was an early reader and I was fascinated with the book shop, it was very well designed to sell to children, there were free-standing tables with display panels for large-format books only inches off the floor, right at little kid height. There is a great picture at this link. When I look at that picture, I remember sitting on that checkerboard tile by that little table.

For years, my souvenir of each trip was a book. When I was younger, there were books about the Disney movies; 20K Leagues, Bambi, Pinocchio, etc. As I got older, there were other titles, too, such as science-related books on physics, natural history, dinosaurs, etc. These had subtle connections to Nature’s Wonderland, Tomorrowland, Adventure Through Inner Space, the Grand Canyon and Primeval World, etc. but these were not Disney-branded or marked as a tie-in. There were books by Disney, of course; some even tied to the Disney TV Show like “One Day at Beetle Rock”, but not everything, or even most, were Disney titles. I still have many of these books, both cartoons and science books. I read them to my children as they grew. I can’t read them anymore; something keeps getting in my eye when I do, and so I put them away.

Disneyland was a lot more fun when Main Street was a special experience, found only at Disneyland. Once upon a time, you could get a feel for life in the 1890’s by visiting Main Street. Now it’s just a big mall.

The Disneyland book store became less interesting when the books all became “comic books” about the characters, Main Street became less interesting when all the shops changed from (simulated) real places into “Disney Stores”. I can go the Disneyland Emporium now by walking to the Disney Store here in my home town; it’s all the same stuff. There’s nothing wrong with hats, key chains and princess costumes, but there used to be so much more.

Amen, JG!

On the corner of West Center Street and Main Street, guests could tour the Upjohn Pharmacy and receive free vitamin samples.





The guests in this 1956 photo appear to be enthralled with the exhibits contained within:



And if the pills don't knock you out, then surely the Dapper Dans with their tight vocal harmonies will do the trick!



See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street photos on my Main Street web page.

Opening Day Parade, Pt. 1

Moving past the construction phase, now it’s time for Opening Day. Over the next few days, I’ll be posting photos from the Opening Day Parade down Main Street U.S.A., July 17, 1955. Feel free to chime in and identify the people in the photos!

Nothing like flags and the military to get the patriotism started! Notice the lucky ducks with the birds-eye view up on the balcony above the Emporium.



Walt himself, in an appropriately old-fashioned vehicle. Anybody know what the two little kiosks (no longer in existence) outside of the Upjohn Pharmacy were for?



Somebody needs to tell this clown that he is going the wrong way! Based upon Daveland reader feedback, I believe that is Bob Cummings with the mike (not Art Linkletter as I originally thought).



With today’s unruly mobs, can you imagine crowd control being handled by a lone Keystone Kop?!?



See more Disneyland Opening Day photos at my regular website.