Vintage Frontierland and Disneyland Temporary Closure

This May 1957 couple is taking a load off their feet on a Frontierland bench. Despite being in the not-so-wild “Western” portion of Disneyland, this lady chose to shop at the Main Street Emporium, which you can clearly see on her bag.



And in much larger news, Disneyland announced that they will be closing this Saturday morning to help reduce any chance of further outbreak of the Corona virus. This vintage shot of an apocalyptic Disneyland entrance seems to be a good illustration for that news.



As of today, the closure will last through the end of March. All Disneyland Hotels will stay open until Monday to allow travelers a little more time to adjust to the change.



Where’s the hand sanitizer?!?



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Welcome to Disneyland, 1959!

Two more negatives from my black and white 1959 (I believe) set today, beginning with the entrance to the Park. Gotta' zoom into the ticket booth to see that FABULOUS prices! People of today, try not to faint...yes, $1.25 for general admission.



Looks like 15,000,000 for the Main Street Train Station population figure; I wonder if they ever update the elevation? Does global warming change that, too?



Moving over to Town Square, a great shot of City Hall...



…and those historic doors that I posted about recently. Guests just seem to be content hanging out here. A sailor doing some people watching, another guy taking a little smoke break (in Town Square?!?), and a few women taking a load off their feet.



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Disneyland Entrance Extravaganza

Spurred on by a recent acquisition, I have compiled this post of Disneyland entrance images through the decades, starting off with this 1950's shot. The place looks positively primitive! No attraction posters, little landscaping, and hardly any signage.

June 1960 is a completely different situation. This is the Disneyland most people know!



Except for the prices! Just a little bit cheaper than what you would pay today!



Looks like the attendance number is either 16 or 18 million by this time. Not bad for a place that was destined for failure according to the naysayers.



Rain? In southern California? Yes...sometimes that does occur, as you can see from the damp pavement and apparel of these November 1971 guests.



This November 1978 looks almost apocalyptic; where are the guests? Where are the signs?



Things are back to normal by August, 1986. The park entrance looks like it’s on steroids with all kinds of ornamentation. Makes my eyes hurt.



Jumping forward to 2010, the landscape has grown and the band is out to welcome the guests.



I hope you enjoyed this little journey through time! On a separate note, I was contacted by a couple who recently purchased some "vintage Disneyland" stuff on eBay. The seller told them that he got a lot of things from an elderly couple who did alot of salvage around Disneyland when they renovated several times in the 70s and 80s. Anyone able to identify possible locations of where these pieces came from, if they even came from the Park?







See more Disneyland Entrance photos at my main website.

Dapper for the Weekend

The minute I saw this image I had to have it. Something about the 1950s dapper gent in this photo really called to me. Walking through the courtyard area at the rear of the castle, he just screams “The Most Interesting Man.” The hat, the tie with hearts, the cigar, the pocket chain watch…this man is an icon of style.



Oh…and the vintage Ticket Booth in the background is kinda’ cool, too!

See more Sleeping Beauty Castle photos at my main website.

Fantasyland Emotions

Two 1956/57 images of a family's day at Disneyland runs the gamut of emotions. The first shot shows center gal having a giggle over something while dad and the tot are less than amused. He should be counting his lucky stars about the ticket prices he is paying!



This last shot was either their attempt at looking like Pirates...



or an end of the day meltdown.



You be the judge.

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

The Fantasyland Depot

Sure it looks flat and cheaply made, but that's part of the charm of the original Fantasyland Depot. This rare image is the best one in my collection and I can't believe I was able to acquire it! Based on other slides in the set, it's most likely from 1956. I'd say a zoom in is definitely called for here!



The colors and detail are so vibrant I almost feel like I could jump into this photo and board the train!

Here's a previously posted shot of the ticket booth:



And what was once my best shot of the Depot. Oh how I love an upgrade!



See more vintage Disneyland Fantasyland Depot photos at my main website.

Disneyland 1963 in BW

This series of negatives from 1963 yielded some very clear shots of Disneyland, beginning with this view of the entrance. Oh those vintage attraction posters are magical!



This lovely lady is about to mail a letter, bragging to her friends back home about what a wonderful time she is having at Disneyland...while they're not. Oh, that hurts.



Made in St. Louis. Wonder if these are the same lamps there today? Banner Iron Works closed in 1986; looks like most of the buildings belonging to it have been demolished.



Wish I could read that address!



This cast member is assisting the guest onto the Amazon Belle (just for you, Matthew!).



Posing with an Indian at the Indian Village.



That wobbly old bridge at Tom Sawyer's Island!



I believe that's a bit of Rainbow Ridge visible in the background!



More vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.

Entrance to Disneyland

Hope you can stand a few more vintage Disneyland entrance shots! First one is from March 1958. What else can be said about those crazy 1950's ticket prices?



This closeup from the same shot appears to be a Guidebook Salesman, or maybe just a kid dressed up fancy in a vest:



This Spring 1957 shot shows the exit, with the Disneyland Railroad's E.P. Ripley looming overheard. I sure do miss riding the trains.



This last shot is one I captured last May; so much more high tech and slick looking compared to its 1950's predecessors.



More vintage and current Disneyland entrance photos at my main website.

Casey Junior's Circus Special

As I mentioned before, I was unable to ride the Storybook Land canal boats due to them being closed, BUT I was able to hop onto Casey Junior's Circus Train instead! Always good to have alternatives. I took the opportunity to snap a recent shot of what was once this attraction's ticket booth.

Interesting to note that while the chimney now has a whimsical bend to it, the roof tiles have taken a turn towards dullsville.



A closer look at the ticket window for you:



Back to present day, as I waited (somewhat) patiently in the queue, I photographed Casey making his journey back towards the station.





Here he comes…I wonder which car I'll get?



Turning around I shot these beautiful topiary arches, which look even better at night when the lights are twinkling.



All aboard!



See more Daveland vintage & current Disneyland Casey Jr. photos at my main website.