1959 New Attraction Preview Map

This vintage image shows a New Attraction Preview map for Disneyland 1959. I have no idea where in the Park this was located, but I think it's pretty cool nonetheless. Even more than 3 years after opening, Tinkerbell is still the spokesperson rather than Mickey Mouse. Apparently the uncertainty of whether or not the Park would make it was the reason she was put front and center instead of Mickey.



A closeup of the Matterhorn/Skyway/Monorail portion of the map. It looks like a tunnel was originally part of the plan for the Monorail to the left of the Matterhorn.



See more behind-the-scenes photos of Disneyland at my main website.

Halloween at Disneyland, Pt. 2

These pictures do not do justice to the lighting effects at Disneyland during Mickey's Halloween Party. As you walk along the corridor between Fantasyland and Big Thunder Mountain, you'll see some of the best lighting effects. I especially liked the eerie glow that emanated from the old Nature's Wonderland tunnels that have been boarded up since Big Thunder Mountain was built:



You'd almost expect a haunted runaway train to come crashing through here any minute. Please—more of this stuff!



Jack Sparrow was posing near the Mark Twain dock at one of the photo stations; the young ladies really seemed to dig this particular photo opp.



Again...photos do not do justice to the mist, fog, and lighting effects that turned the Rivers of America into something out of a Stephen King thriller.



The other Jack (Mr. Skellington) was holding court in New Orleans Square at his own photo station:



The Haunted Mansion had fairly full queue outside of guests waiting to pay their respects to the temporary Nightmare Before Christmas characters.



This was the best I could do in trying to get a photo of the ballroom and the gingerbread laden table:









Back in Tomorrowland, Ghost Galaxy provided more terrifying thrills.



I had been on this Space Mountain Halloween-overlay attraction before, but this year the spooky effects seem to have been improved. Or else my memory is playing tricks on me.



Last, but definitely least, was the highlight of the evening: The Halloween Fireworks show. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the photos definitely do not do this show justice. Jack Skellington's dog Zero stands in for Tinkerbell.













Will I go back next year? You betcha'! But this time, I plan on wearing a costume. Time to stop being a Halloween Bah-Humbug!

See more vintage & current Halloween photos on my Halloween web page.

Happy July 4th!

Time for a patriotic post as our nation celebrates its 235th birthday! Disneyland has always been a place to celebrate patriotism, and what could be more red-white-and-blue than "America The Beautiful?"



In the location that is now Buzz Lightyear was once the home of the film "America The Beautiful," as seen in this September 1959 photo:



When it comes to parades, the wacky America on Parade had Bicentennial charm in spades. Whose nightmares weren't invaded by gigantic Betsy Ross and George Washington figures?!?









One of the most favorite patriotic attractions of yesteryear is America Sings, also found in Tomorrowland. Ollie & Sam served up a heapin' helpin' of July 4th spirit:





Remnants of this audio animatronic Marc Davis spectacular can still be seen today in Splash Mountain. Recognize some of the characters in this America Sings scene?



The 4th is often about the fireworks, and Disneyland has almost always had a spectacular display for guests. Here's one from July 1968:



July 2008:



And finally for today, the man who created America's favorite theme park, Walt Disney. Naturally, there is plenty of patriotic bunting behind him in this opening day shot from July 17, 1955:



Happy 4th all - hope you are enjoying a fantastic day of BBQs, Freedom, & Fun!

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

Current Park Update

At my most recent trip to the park, both sides seemed to be covered with construction walls. Although a little disheartening to see the park in that state, it does feel good to know that it is being taken care of refurbished. Over at DCA, it was pretty amazing to see the large body of water near Paradise Pier drained. I hadn’t realized how much real estate that was! The buzz for the World of Color water show is good, so I am looking forward to the final product on that one.



I also checked out the Blue Sky Cellar Preview Center for the first time. This is great that Disney has dedicated so much space to show guests what is coming down the pike; a very smart idea to generate interest and reminiscent of the showcase that used to be located in Town Square. There is quite a bit riding on the new DCA remodel; the City of Anaheim will be watching this closely, as they have not forgotten the bait-and-switch of the original concept. Here are a few shots of what you can see at Blue Sky:



Naturally, Walt is right at the entrance to lend a little authenticity and historic perspective to the project; I’m just waiting for the day when an audio-animatronic version of him is created just for this purpose.



Strangest to me was the fact that the most coverage seemed to focus on the Paradise Pier area. I have always felt that this was the weakest area of California Adventure. Simply re-theming it to Disney and changing the decor does not seem to be enough. I am hoping that there is some element of "wow" that will occur once this section is completed. In watching the video that breathlessly tells how the Orange Stinger will be transformed into a theme that focuses on the 1935 Mickey Mouse short, “The Band Concert,” I couldn’t help but feel that potentially I was being "marketed" into believing that this "new" attraction was more than it actually was. Again...I will do my best to reserve the judgments until it is open. Here are some photos of the model for the "new" Paradise Pier area and the "new" Boardwalk Games, which will now be themed to Disney/Pixar films:









Here’s the new entrance; gone are the letters that guests love to have their photo taken next to; what will happen to the beautiful tile murals is (apparently) still unknown:



Call me crazy (and you probably already have), but one of the things I’m most excited about is the Red Car Trolley that will greet guests at the entrance!





For a little perspective, here is an overall map of what the new DCA will look like:



I’m not a patient person, so having to wait for all these changes is difficult; still, having the preview center makes it much easier! Meanwhile, back at Disneyland...the area that was formerly the House of the Future then Alpine Gardens then Ariel’s Grotto was recently converted into Pixie Hollow. The first few times I attempted to photograph this area I gave up, as the line was at least an hour long. On this visit, I got there early and only had to wait about 30 minutes. So what’s this area about? With the recent video release of "Tinker Bell" (and a very good chance of more sequels), Disney took the opportunity to push Tink & her fairy friends with this meet and greet area.

On the plus side, this area is much more elaborately themed than its predecessor, picture here:



And the current photos:



The idea is that as you wind around the queue, you are supposed to get the feeling that you are shrinking to the size of Tink. There is lots to see in the queue, including various statues, tiny homes, and cool plantings.





My favorite part was the way that the Matterhorn was framed in at one point in the queue:



At the end of the line, you get to meet Tink & her fairy friends (the day I went was a slow one, so only Silvermist was there) and have your photo taken with them. I opted to take my own photo, thank you.





Is it worth the wait? For a child...yes. It’s akin to having your kid wait in line at a department store to see Santa. From what I observed, the cast members really took their time with the little girls to talk to them, and the guests seemed to be entranced. So...if you’re a parent with a small child, I would recommend this meet-and-greet. On the down side, although the area is beautifully landscaped, I did miss the King Triton fountain, which still has the water feature but no King.





Naturally, there’s a shopping area at the end of this "attraction." Well, that does it for today’s update. See more Disney California Adventure photos at my website.