The Beloved Parking Lot

All of you young whippersnappers...the ones who think you know everything about Disneyland...I'll bet these images are a strange sight to you. This first shot, taken during the initial month of Disneyland's opening back in 1955, shows a parking lot. Not a multi-tiered concrete eyesore, but a flat paved lot full of yummy vintage autos. If you were standing in this spot today, you'd be somewhere near the Hollywood Studio section of Disney California Adventure, or maybe just outside the gate near the shuttle/tram area.

This next shot is from the 1960's; I would happily take any of those retro cars! This photo was taken from the approximate location of the DCA entrance turnstiles, recently retooled to resemble the Pan Pacific Auditorium.



Must...get....closer...



Jumping ahead to August 1977, the parking lot looks amazingly empty; must be early morning.



This last photo is one I shot myself out the window of my car (I think I still had one hand on the steering wheel!) during an October 1995 visit. This was probably the last time I parked in this lot and was able to walk right up to the gate.



On a sad note, Marion DeFore, beloved wife of the late Don DeFore (of Silver Banjo & "Hazel" fame) has recently passed away. Here she is at the restaurant with husband and daughter Amy:



From the L.A. Times:

Marion Holmes DeFore, wife of late actor Don DeFore (1913-1993), died November 17, 2011 at age of 93 in Santa Monica, California. Born Marion Holm in Chicago, Illinois in 1918, Marion began a singing career at age 17 while in her junior year at Kelvin Park High School by winning a WJJD Radio singing contest. She competed against more than 600 girls and won the opportunity to be the female vocalist with Frank Master's Orchestra in Chicago. She was also the songstress for Jule Styne, Maurie Sherman and the Buddy Rodger's band, with drummer Gene Krupa. Marion recorded several songs with the Henry Busse Orchestra, toured the Mid-West and sang at the famous Coconut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Marion joined Chicago-based Art Kassel and his Kassel's-in-the-Air, recording and making famous, "I'm A Little Tea Pot" and performed live broadcasts on WGN radio every Saturday night from the Walnut Room in the Bismarck Hotel, where she met Don while he was in Chicago starring in the "Male Animal". They married in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day, 1942 with Marion's matron of honor, Judy Garland. Although Marion gave up her singing career, her life in the celebrity spotlight increased as husband Don acted in more than 20 feature films in the '40s and '50s.

Don DeFore is best remembered for his television roles (for which he earned a Star on Hollywood Boulevard) as Ozzie and Harriet's next-door-neighbor "Thorny" and as "Mr. B" in the 1960s TV sitcom "Hazel" co-starring Shirley Booth. He also served as President of the Television Academy 1954-55. Marion and Don owned Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue Restaurant in Frontierland, Disneyland from '57 to '62, managed by Don's beloved brother Verne.

Marion was a devoted wife for 52 years and mother of 5 children who grew up in Brentwood, Los Angeles. She served on various committees at the First Methodist Church in Santa Monica and as a Board Member of the L. A. Chapter of the Freedom Foundation in the 50's. Marion was a Board member of the ARCS Foundation (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists), President of the L. A. Chapter from 1960-62, and National Chapter President from 1965-67.

Marion had an illustrious carrier as a residential real estate agent for over 30 years beginning in the early 70's. Many agents in Brentwood have fond memories working with her, enjoying her charm, warmth and friendly persona. Marion is survived by her five children, Penny Hill, David, Dawn Burdine, Ron, and Autumn Moore, and 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers please send a financial gift to BelAir Presbyterian Church (16221 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049) in care of Marion Holmes DeFore Memorial. All contributions will go towards programs that assist inner city youth.

See more vintage & current Disneyland Parking Lot photos on my Disneyland Hotel & Parking Lot web page.

1974 B&W, Pt. 1

A recent acquisition of some black and white negatives will be yielding the posts you will see for the next few days. I love scanning negatives...they give you the ability to zoom in and see details that aren't available from prints. First up is the parking lot, circa 1974...the one that so many have previously bemoaned the loss of to California Adventure. Hopefully the new expansion will rectify those moans!

The water tower at the Frontierland/New Orleans Square Station is an actual working water tower. Those of you that have taken the Grand Circle Tour have most likely seen a train take a thirsty drink here.



How the tower looks today, sans the Santa Fe logo:



I love love love the buildings on the other side of the tracks; just wish they were accessible. They would make a way cool museum of sorts, like the one at The Main Street Train Station.



Zooming into the Telegraph Office window:



The same area today (well, maybe not TODAY, but at least semi-recently):







Time to depart the station (and this post) with one more then and now comparison shot:





See more vintage and contemporay Disneyland Railroad photos at website.

December 1961 Blowout

I wish I knew the background on these two children, especially the little girl decked out in her festive costume, but I don’t. Still a very fun shot, circa December 1961. Thufer...please control yourself as you stare at this vintage parking lot view! These 2 girls are standing approximately where the letters for 'CALIFORNIA' are being ripped out as we speak!

Here’s one of the Castle, tastefully decked out for Christmas; this must have been before the discovery of "bling." Ah, those were the days!



This shot of Tom Sawyer’s Island shows what it looks like before attorneys got a hold of it. You know—those pesky legal types who attempt to protect us from our own stupidity.



Continuing around the Rivers of America, we see the same sites as yesterday...only their 3 years younger!





Can you feel the heat of the flames?



...and that deadly spear through the chest?





Fortunately these are friendly Indians; the guests on the train have nothing to worry about.





I can almost hear the thundering falls of Cascade Peak. Sure was a kicker to the end of the journey; today, the Mark Twain and Columbia cruises end with a “zzzzzzzz.”



Zooming ahead light years, please savor these two shots of the futuristic travel of Tomorrowland—The Monorail and The Skyway:





View more Disneyland Skyway photos at my main website.

Disneyland 48 years ago, August 1962: Pt. 1

Hang onto your Mouse ears readers as we zoom back in time to August 1962. Hop onto the Blue Monorail and check out all those fancy vintage cars in the parking lot. That should keep some of you classic auto nuts busy for a bit.

If you brought your pet with you the the Ken-L-Ration Ken-L-Land is the place for you! Just drop ol’ Rover off here while you spend the day at Disneyland (don’t forget to come back to take him for a walk though!).



The marquee near the ticket booths heralds the upcoming additions that are under construction. Most likely this is referring to the Indian Elephant Pool at the Jungle Cruise.





The combine car sure looks purty here! It’s a shame that RETLAW 1 was ever allowed to leave the premises of the park.





For today’s visit, perky little Pam will be our tour guide. Please be sure to mind your manners around her, otherwise she’ll give you a good “thwap” with her riding crop!



I’ll leave all of you at Central Plaza today, with a glimpse of Tomorrowland and The House of the Future as a teaser for tomorrow’s post.



View more Disneyland photos at my main website.

FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Let’s go to Disneyland, November 1978

Four years ago today I began doing this blog. Can't believe I've been doing it this long; many thanks to all of you daily readers who are kind enough to engage in a fun dialogue and back-story info. You are the reason I keep up with this! And as I've said before, many thanks to Patrick from Stuff from the Park for inspiring me to start this blog. It was his collection of amazing photos and memorabilia that sparked this blog (along with many others out there!).

To celebrate this momentous occasion, I decided to post a series of photos from November 1978 that illustrate what it’s like to approach the Happiest Place on Earth. Since I go so often, I have to sadly admit that I am so focused on just getting there that my sense of excitement is not like it used to be. Just like this photographer did, I used to shoot pictures all along the way...just being able to see the Matterhorn from the Highway was a thrill; the entrance sign even more so! Hopefully this selection of vintage photos will help some of you recapture that feeling.

In shot #2, it looks like there might be some kind of fire off in the distance. Any of you OC Historians know what this might be?



What else can you do when the park isn’t open yet? Take pictures, of course!





Wow! What a selection of classic attraction posters!



Here are all but one of the posters shown in the previous photo:













And everyone has their personal favorite attraction that they run...oops, walk briskly to. This photographer’s was apparently Space Mountain:



Thanks for keeping up with me for the last 4 years; hope it’s been as much fun for you as it has been for me! See more Disneyland entrance photos at my website.

Disneyland, March 1959

I’m still in my Christmas food coma, so today will be a quickie, featuring 3 images from March 1959 (yup, just like the title says!). Image #1 is your basic Town Square & Horse-Drawn Street car shot. #2 is a parking lot view that is more notable for its background than its foreground. The detail shot is provided to show the construction of the Matterhorn.

Last one for today shows the Keystone Kop band playing outside the Opera House. These guys would be fun to have back at the park. In the background you can see the poster advertising the recently opened Grand Canyon Diorama.

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my regular website.