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.

Tales From The Trunk

When the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse opened at Disneyland in 1962, it had one massive tree trunk.



When it morphed into Tarzan’s Treehouse, a second (albeit smaller) tree was added to the mix.



One of the tree knots was supposedly a tribute to Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars.



Yes, I guess I can see that. I am assuming (and we know how dangerous that can be) that with the recent remodel and removal of this second tree, that Jabba also bit the dust.



Over on Tom Sawyer’s Island, the young ones could climb up into Tom and Huck’s very own treehouse. You could get some pretty spectacular views of the Park from up here.



If you look a little closer at the March 1958 image, you can see that Tom and Becky have their names “carved” into the artificial tree.



It’s also visible in this July 1965 shot:





Just before Tom Sawyer’s Island was converted into Pirate’s Lair, I snapped as many photos as I could in February 2007. The carving appears to be the exact same one, unchanged after over fifty years.



Huck had his own little spot at the base of the tree.



Whether these little details are still around or not I have no idea. I remember Tom and Huck’s treehouse was closed for quite some time, but it appears that guests are able to climb up into it once again. Anyone know if that’s correct or not?

See more Disneyland Tom Sawyer Island photos at my main website.

Trip to Disneyland, May 1964

This collection of images was shot May 1964, the month and year I entered this Universe. In the background are three military men; one is smoking a cigarette, visible in this closeup (along with the little boy falling asleep while he drinks his coke!):



It looks like the family was having lunch at the Red Wagon Inn, now known as the Plaza Inn. A Reuben with mustard?



The adorable little girl is getting her Vitamin D with a nice carton of Carnation milk.



Care to see the pasteurization offices and plants? Of course you do.



Mama takes baby girl for a spin on King Arthur’s Carrousel:



Here’s the original mock-up for the proposed color scheme for this horse from 1955:



How it looked circa 2012:



Back to May 1964, the little boys are ready for a flight to Neverland:



A closeup of the bored operator, the two little devil boys in red, and the control panel. I wonder what the “G” on the hats stood for?



A spin around Fantasyland on the Midget Autopia:



Let’s take a closer look at the vehicle:



The Swiss Family Robinson treehouse wasn’t quite two years old when these images were taken:







The last shot of the bunch is the saddest of all; time to board the Tram to head home. Until next time!



See more photos at my main website.

My Favorite Adventureland Gadget

Some of my very favorite memories of Disneyland as a kid involved the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Today’s first image is from February 1965. Why did it appeal to me? That water wheel...that great big beautiful Rube Goldberg mechanical wonder! If you don't know who/what Rube Goldberg is, look it up! Briefly, let’s flash forward to 2012 to see a very similar view of the Adventureland border below:



Why was I fixated on Rube Goldberg type machines? Blame it on this game by Ideal: Mousetrap! I didn’t care what the rules were or how you were supposed to play it. I just lived for the final moment when you could watch the ball go through the entire maze and see how each section of the game helped catapult it forward. It still gets me excited to think about watching that cage come down on the plastic mouse!



Here are two from July 1963:





Look at the sense of wonder on those guests’ faces!



All that intricate machinery! It’s like Mousetrap...ON STEROIDS! May 1965:



August 1966:



March 1968:



December 1968:



Three from February 1971:







And then...the day my favorite treehouse got dumbed down. Tarzan took over in 2000.



RIP, you beautiful Rube Goldberg wheel! You inspired my brain with your awesome gadgetry!

See more vintage Disneyland Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse attraction photos at my main website.