2000th Post Extravaganza: Town Square, Pt. 2

Shifting over to the other side of Town Square, we can catch one of my favorite things at Disneyland: The Flag Lowering Ceremony. The first view is from August 1958, the next from August 1967.



Like any Main Street town of yore, there is plenty of patriotism and history represented here, including the two cannons on display. Here is one of them, featuring my mom and brothers, circa November 1965.



Pulling back, you can see the other cannon as well as a White Wing, helping to keep Disneyland spotless.



Here, excited guests are waiting for the "rope drop," back in the day (June 1961 to be exact) when Disneyland held the rope drop near Town Square instead of Central Plaza.



I would call this December 26, 1955 shot "Town Square Unplugged," as it is virtually empty, other than these two gents taking it all in and making a movie. Wonder where that film is today?





Yes, Main Street/Town Square was very much modeled after the real thing, as it included a bank...



and a real estate company:



Bank of America occupied for the Bank Space for years, and sponsored this 1955 Park Brochure:







This shot of a young boy holding up his Disneyland Guidebook is a favorite of mine.



And this zoom-in detail should make Disneyana collectors wet their pants:



Another view of the Souvenir stand, circa 1956, with the Bank in the background:



The Opera House was one of the first buildings completed in Town Square, but one of the last ones to have a "real" attraction inside.



In the early days, it functioned as a headquarters for the Mickey Mouse Club as well as the home for the sets from Disney's "Babes in Toyland." Here, the Devlin Family poses for a portrait inside:



Finally, in 1965, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened, and it has entertained audiences ever since (albeit with a few hiatuses).



What could be more patriotic than watching Abe "in the [audio-animatronic] flesh"?



See more vintage & current Town Square photos on my Disneyland Town Square web page.

Trip Report: A Perfect Day, Pt. 3

While I reserved a seat in Town Square for the daily Flag Lowering Ceremony, I let mom and hubby cool off inside the Opera House, entertained by Steve Martin's 50th Anniversary Disneyland movie. They loved it!



The Flag Lowering Ceremony is one of those special attractions that elevates Disneyland above all other theme parks. An honestly touching piece of Americana, it is a truly patriotic salute to our country and those who gave of themselves through military service. My stepfather, formerly in the army, was asked to be part of the ceremony. It is something that was very meaningful for him and I am sure will be fodder for his coffee shop buddies back home in Philly!

For the summer, the music is provided by the All American College Band, sponsored by Yamaha, rather than the usual Disneyland Band.







The Dapper Dans were also on hand, providing the appropriate vocal harmonies for the ceremony.



As the flags were lowered, my stepfather held his salute:





Kudos to Disneyland for continuing this fantastic daily tradition.



It had been a very full day, so before dinner, we headed back to the Anabella Hotel to relax for a bit. The Monorail gave our feet a rest as rode it back into Disneyland and then hopped onto the Fred Gurley at the Tomorrowland Station to take us to New Orleans Square & Club 33.





On the way I shot the Kalamazoo Handcar at the Main Street Station:



Yup...it's the same handcar:



As usual, the ambiance of Club 33 was superb.



By the first course, a deliciously unique Gazpacho, mom and hubby were hooked. It was a great experience and a perfect ending to the perfect day.



Before heading back to San Diego in the morning, we had to have a little more Disney magic. Breakfast at the Storyteller Cafe, located in the Disney Grand Californian Hotel, was perfect. Mom had a special escort to the table.





You just never know who might drop by the table at Storyteller:



I love the large paintings that decorate the restaurant; very reminiscent of N.C. Wyeth:



And so ends the perfect day at Disneyland. Not surprisingly, mom and hubby are already looking forward to returning next year! See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.

Disneyland Trip Report, Pt. 2

The poppies, California’s state flower, were in full bloom in Town Square [note: a reader pointed out that these were Iceland poppies]. With only a little bit of time until the daily Flag lowering ceremony, I decided to reserve my front row spot and enjoy a little more patriotism (I was still fired up from Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln!).











One of the best parts of the daily ceremony is that all veterans/active duty military in the audience are acknowledged for their service to the country and allowed to participate. Whether agreeing with war or not, we can certainly take a moment to thank those who have given of their time and lives to make sure the rest of us can enjoy the freedom that our nation affords us.



What attraction did I "squeeeeeeze" in when I only had time for one? Why, The Haunted Mansion of course! Aren't these gargoyles in the elevator just precious?



And I'll just bet you that there's a Disney geek out there who can identify all of the china in this scene from the attic:



My niece made it down from LA and before dinner, we had time to visit Abe again, which she had never experienced. It made me feel good to know that she enjoyed it, too! Dinner was the high point for her though, as she had never been to Club 33 before. The staff was extremely accommodating to her when she made a few requests to keep her meal vegetarian.



While she watched Fantasmic! from the balcony, I went around the side to get a few photos of New Orleans Square without any people or strollers. Not an easy task on a Saturday night during Spring Break!



Full from dinner, we still managed to go on a few attractions, and believe it or not, I put the camera away. It was so refreshing to enjoy the attractions without having my eye stuck to the back of my camera. While most guests were watching Fireworks and a 2nd round of Fantasmic!, we breezed through The Mansion, Pirates, Snow White, The Castle Diorama, and Buzz Lightyear. Both of us look baffled, and even though our scores kinda' sucked, we had fun.



Before boarding the Monorail to head home, I let my niece experience all of the 1980’s goodness of “Captain EO.” She is probably still trying to figure out what people were thinking when they made it (although I think she secretly enjoyed it).

This is the 3rd time I've visited the park with my niece, and it proved that there is still a place where those of different generations can hang out and have fun TOGETHER. Thanks for the brilliance, Walt!

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