The Twelve Astrojets

The Disneyland Astrojet attraction in Tomorrowland opened in 1956, replacing the Court of Honor flags (shown above). Construction can be seen in the 1956 shot below:



The attraction once it was completed, circa 1956:



Note the Skyway pylon that would eventually be covered by the Matterhorn:)



This off-the-shelf-thrill ride gave guests a birds-eye view of the Park and helped alleviate the lack of attractions that were initially existed in Tomorrowland. Circa August 1956:



The rockets were named after stars, with the red ones being odd numbered and the blue ones even.



1958:



In the detailed image below you can see Canopus, Sirius, and Altair:



A July 1959 shot taken from a Skyway bucket:



My collection finally has images for each of the rockets, beginning with Canopus #2:



Capella #4:



Arcturus #5:



Rigel #6:



Antares #7:



Spica #8:



Procyon #9:



A barely visible Regulus #10:



Castor #11:



Altair #12:



And the two I haven’t been able to assign numbers, starting with Vega (my latest acquisition):



and Sirius:



Anyone know the numbers of those two? See more Disneyland Astrojets photos at my main website.

Mickey at the Opera

To make up for my snafu in a previous post, here are some actual vintage shots of Mickey Mouse in front of the Opera House back when it was the headquarters for the Mickey Mouse Club. This one is circa September 1963.

Anybody care to have this sign in their home?



This slide was stamped February 1964, but since the Babes in Toyland wooden soldier is still in front, I am sure the photo was taken much earlier. Note how the opening time has 9:30 instead of 9am in the previous image.



More Disneyland Opera House at my main website.

Ward Gospel Singers at Disneyland

Today's post features two images of the Ward Gospel Singers on the stage of the Mickey Mouse Club Theater in Fantasyland at Disneyland, circa 1964. Note the Mickey Mouse head on the curtain; up until 1963 it was the headquarters of the Mouseketeers.

A closeup of the singers; note that there are TWO piano players!



From the El Sereno Star newspaper, dated August 27, 1964:

"Disneyland Approaches Summer End"

In addition to Harry James and his band, Disneyland After Dark offers the Elliott Brothers' Orchestra, the Spacemen and Kay Bell, the Firehouse Five Plus Two, the Ward Gospel Singers, the Young Men from New Orleans aboard the Mark Twain steamboat and the Royal Tahitian dancers.

I am "assuming" (oh how dangerous) that these two shots are from that time period.





If you'd like to hear what the Ward Gospel Singers sound like, here's "Something's Got A Hold Of Me" from the Buena Vista LP: The Famous Ward Gospel Singers Recorded Live at Disneyland. It was recorded at the Golden Horseshoe on April 18, 1963 and featured Viola Crowley, Geraldine Jones (lead vocals), Clara Thomas, Vermettya Royster, Mildred Means, and Malvilyn (Simpson) Statham. Enjoy!



More Disneyland photos at my main website.

1960's Duo

It's just a quickie for today, as it is definitely a TGIF day for me. This little boy is obviously a Civil War buff (and a northerner at that, judging by his hat!). This photo is undated, but must be somewhere between 1963-1964, as The Mickey Mouse Club is still headquartered in the Opera House.

Here's the same little boy again, anxiously awaiting a visit inside to the Art Corner & The Dutch Boy Paint Gallery in Tomorrowland:



Just to pad out the day, here's an interior shot of the Paint Gallery:



I wonder if he picked up one of these while he was in the park?



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Main Street U.S.A. photos at my main website.

Classic Polyester: April 1977, Part 4

We’re in Adventureland today, starting with a shot of the entrance to the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. Get those "B" tickets ready! The rest of the post has a number of great color shots from everyone’s favorite Adventureland attraction, The Jungle Cruise!





Fortunately, the pole on the boat is blocking out the nasty feeding scene of the Veldt!







And now, it’s time for the big finish. A fun parade in Town Square with the new Mickey Mouse Club:





Two (from different days) featuring the Horse-Drawn Streetcar:





This shot I can’t place; perhaps it’s off property at another park or at the Disneyland Hotel:



That’s it for this 1970’s tour. Hope you enjoyed it! See more Disneyland Adventureland photos at my website.

Christmas in August: Main Street U.S.A., December 1962

With some of these temperatures lately, Christmas is really not at the forefront of my mind these days, however, this is a purty nice set of images so maybe by posting them things might start to cool off in anticipation of the holidays. We’ll begin (as we so often do here) at Main Street U.S.A., or more specifically, the Main Street Train Station. In December 1962, the Baggage Room sign is still posted on the right side of the station.

Things seem positively sleepy over in Town Square; with a wee bit of fog, this shot looks more like San Francisco than Anaheim.



In this closeup, you can see the shoe-shine stand in front of the Toy Store:



This vintage shot (probably from 1963/64) shows the same stand; the striped structure on the left is part of the Mickey Mouse Club that was housed inside the Opera House for a brief time before Mr. Lincoln came to town.



More from the Disney Family Museum: Here is a preview of the next Gallery:



Gallery 5 — New Success and Greater Ambitions:

The worldwide success of Snow White let Disney Studios create new studio buildings in Burbank, CA, and produce even more ambitious features, such as Bambi, Pinocchio and Fantasia. The last film featured classical music and an orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Although well regarded by critics, none of the films was immediately financially successful, in part because overseas revenues were affected by World War II.

Highlights of the gallery will include one of the studio’s original multiplane camera cranes, an animator’s desk, and rare production art.







Download a factsheet on the museum here.

See more Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos at my website.