Vintage Disneyland, Circa November 1971

Welcome to November 1971 at Disneyland…or at least according to the date stamps on these images from different batches vintage slides! First up is the Disneyland Hotel. In the detailed view, you can see what appears to be the Lido Fashions shop and the sign at right for the Disneyland Hotel Coral Pool.



Below is an image of the Marina, which debuted in 1970.



I have no idea what that submarine/tank thing was for. Anyone?



Because I’m nosey, I had to peer into the rooms.



Inside the Park, the Snow White waterfall is working just fine.



You can just see the tip of Dopey’s fishing pole:



The waterfall is also working at the Matterhorn:



Attraction lines are apparently nothing new at Disneyland:



Another image of the Matterhorn:



Zooming in you can see two rock climbers:



Over at the Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship Restaurant (formerly known as Chicken of the Sea):



Captain Hook has had a bad day.



A closeup of the sign:



This image of the Main Street Train Station tips me off that this slide at least is most likely not from November, but was probably shot in July, due to the patriotic bunting on the lamppost.



Final one for today shows the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse; not a view you often see.



See more vintage Disneyland photos at my main website.

Wednesday at the Well

When Disneyland first opened, there weren’t many photos taken along the pathway to the right side of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Other than this charming little wooden bridge and the mound of dirt left over from digging out the moat, there wasn’t much to look at. This early shot (with one of the rarely seen Black Swans) is a beauty.



All of that changed by April 1961, when this small little parcel of land near Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street received the addition of the Snow White Wishing Well and fountain. Below is a shot from September 1961:



What a difference in the guest count!



Fall 1961:



In this December 1962, you can see that the bridge stayed the same through the renovation:



Same bridge in July 1978:



…and November 1978:



With this detailed view, you can see the beautiful handcrafted sign next to the Well.



The wood railing and bridge were still in place as of October 1995:



But by May 2006, a less rustic metal fence had taken its place.



From June 2007, you can also see that the color scheme has been punched up in saturation:



This September 2008 image shows that the rustic looking wooden bridge was replaced with what I would call the Home Depot version, complete with hearts.



This March 2012 shot shows how much the landscaping has grown over the years, making this once bare area fairly hidden.



Oh that bridge hurts.



The change is probably more pleasing to the modern day guest, but for old timers like me, I really miss the handcrafted rustic look of the original Park.

See more Disneyland Snow White Wishing Well photos at my main website.

All In The Details, Pt. 1

This shot of the white swans in the Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle moat from approximately 1957 yields some interesting info. When zooming in, you can see the banner promoting the Richfield Autopia Fantasyland Autopia. Yes, the myths are true. There were once multiple Autopia attractions at Disneyland!



Don’t believe me? Just take a look at this December 1956 image:



I’ve always wondered if that Eagle “landed” anywhere?



Back to the first image…if you shifted your camera to the right, you would see the Monsanto House of the Future, as long as it was June 1957. I am guessing the swan shot was taken before construction on the HOF had begun.



This panorama from December 1956 gives you an idea of what the area surrounding the moat looked like at that time.



No Matterhorn…no Snow White Wishing Well…no House of the Future. Just a mound of dirt and some trees, “themed” as Holiday Hill, Lookout Mountain, Snow Hill, and unofficially “Lover’s Lane.”



Snow White’s Wishing Well joined the landscape here in 1961:





So many tangents from one image.

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

Christmas in April

I know, I know…Easter is barely over and here I am posting Christmas photos. This first shot was taken on New Year’s Eve, 1961 (that’s December 31 for those of you not good with dates/numbers!). The Matterhorn Christmas Star looms over Snow White’s Wishing Well. This image calls for a few detailed views.



Check out those ornaments on the Christmas tree near the well!



And finally, had to get a closer look at Snow and the Dwarfs:



From January 1961, we see three lovely Dickens Carolers posing on New Orleans Street, outside Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House:



See more Disneyland at Christmas photos at my main website.

MORE Tarita!

Just when I thought my collection had all of the Tarita shots possible, along come two new ones. For Daveland newbies, here are the three previously posted shots from 1961 showing the beautiful young Polynesian lass who was once married to Marlon Brando.





Of the five images that I have in my collection, this Adventureland photo is the only one where you actually see any guests nearby. Either security was really ramped up or poor Tarita was not generating much interest...or these shots were taken before the park opened. I'll let you draw your own conclusion.



From the publicity blurb that accompanied the two newly acquired photos:

TAHITIAN BEAUTY…Tarita, 19-year old feminine lead of "MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY," on her first trip away from her native Island paradise takes in the sights and participates in the fun of the world-famed Disneyland. The gorgeous Polynesian plays opposite Marlon Brando in the spectacular motion picture which is being filmed primarily in and around Tahiti. Aaron Rosenberg has produced the Areola production with Lewis Milestone directing.



Here she is standing in front of the Astro Jets attraction:



Vintage signage geeks will probably appreciate this close-up more than any views of Tarita!



Craving more Astrojets? Ride on over to my page on my main website.