Disneyland in 3D: June 26, 1966, Pt. 1

For Daveland, June 26, 1966 was a WONDERFUL evening! In my collection, I have a series of 3D slides shot at night of the Park. Of course, I will attempt to stretch these out over two posts. When I digitally combine the left and right slides, I get a slightly wider view for most of these:



By this point, the Main Street Train Station has 50,000,000 listed as the guest count. I love seeing the people inside the station, too. It’s almost like being there.



As we enter the Park, we see that Mr. Lincoln is now playing. At this point, the show had been going on for about a year.



The combined view:



In the detailed view, you can see the interior of the Wonderland Music shop on the left, and inside the Opera House, there is a bust of Lincoln at the entrance.



Continuing up Main Street we see the Magic Shop and the Wurlitzer Music Hall:



The combined view:



A great view of the Wurlitzer display window, with the slogan, “The name that means music to millions.”



A view of Town Square shot from the Main Street Train Station:



The combined view:



If you notice that many of the people are blurred in these shots, that’s because an evening exposure would mean the shutter would have had to stay open longer.



On the other side of Town Square we see City Hall:



The combined view:



Do guests still just hang out at night and sit on benches? I’m guessing if they do, they are busy with their phones.



The Disneyland Fire Department:



Not much of a difference with the combined view other than better focus on the edges.



Since Walt was still alive at the time this was shot, the light in the window at night was not a standard thing to see.



Moving back up Main Street we encounter the Emporium:



The combined view:



I LOVE looking inside the windows! I’m so nosy! Note the photographer with a tripod on the left.



More to come!
 
See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.

Scary Mickey/Minnie Sunday

Some of my very favorite shots from the early years at the park are of the characters themselves. This is just part of my twisted personality. Not only are they fairly "off-model," but some of them look downright creepy. In the first photo, Scary Minnie has grabbed herself two young boys outside of the Wonderland Music Shop on Main Street, U.S.A., and she's not letting go until they empty their wallets. This photo is circa July 1961.

In image number two, our July 1960 Mickey character is attempting to look innocent by putting a finger to his chin. These poor innocent little girls almost seem fooled, but they do appear to be hesitant to get too close. Add smart to their other qualities! Drat that little boy who just had to race in front of the camera. I'm guessing this shot was taken somewhere near the entrance, but wouldn't bet the house on it. Anyone know for sure?



See more vintage & current Disneyland characters photos on my Characters web page.

2000th Post Extravaganza: Town Square & Main Street

I think that before I continue on my ideal visit of Disneyland (courtesy The Time Tunnel), I would need to buy a genuine pair of Mouse Ears. What better place than the Mad Hatter in Town Square?

Let's follow the festive marching band around the corner to International Street.



What? International Street? That's right...if you had visited at the right time, you'd have seen this marquee hailing the debut of International Street in 1957.



And then it became 1958.



There were even "peepholes" that allowed guests to see what was going to be appearing behind the walls.



Behind this quaint older couple...



You can see that the same wall had been painted, and the date was changed to 1959.



Since we're barely out of Town Square, it is fairly easy to tell that this is going to be a long day. Maybe we should join this young couple for a cup of java at the Hills Brothers Coffee House.





The Coffee Garden looks very inviting, and is a great place to people watch. With a Time Tunnel at my disposal, there is no rush to hit the attractions.





Goofy & Pluto! Could the day get any better?





Before wrapping up today's post, I think I'll take a moment to enjoy a musical interlude at the Wurlitzer Shop on Main Street.



Lasting until September 1968, The Wurlitzer Shop was the place to go to hear demonstrations of pianos (player and standard) and organs. You could buy one, too (I wonder if it would fit in a locker?), but chances are you stopped in to be entertained.



Guests would leave their contact information if interested in learning more about what they saw and heard here (which would be helpful if your locker wasn't big enough).





Turning the corner to Main Street, you'll find the Wonderland Music Shop. Lasting barely a year, this store became the Magic Shop and was owned by Merv Taylor until 1965.



So much to see ahead!



Please come back for the rest of my Time Tunnel Tour.

See more vintage & current Town Square photos on my Disneyland Town Square web page.

Disneyland, September 1955: Main Street, U.S.A.

Today begins a series of images taken only a few months after Disneyland opened. Focusing (oh, the puns) on Main Street, U.S.A. and Town Square, these photos show a section of the park whose architecture has changed little over the years (other than paint and landscaping). The first one for today is a shot that is difficult to duplicate today (taken from the train station), thanks to the mature trees that block an unobstructed view of City Hall. So instead, here's one taken from ground level:



I love that the vehicles are almost all still in operation, especially this park fave, the Horse-Drawn Streetcar. Guests still saunter unaware in front of it, soaking up all of the sights, oblivious to the poor horse attempting to plod ahead.



I also dig the fire department; even today, kids explore the living museum with wonder, checking out the stalls and crawling all over the chemical wagon parked inside.



It sure looks purty at night!



Last one for today takes us up Main Street where we see the Wonderland Music shop. Oh for the days when there were a variety of unique vendors on Main Street!



This shop is now home to the Magic Shop:



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

The Wurlitzer Shop

From July 17, 1955 until September 1968, this corner of Town Square was occupied by Wurlitzer, the music company known for pianos and organs. Basically serving as a showroom, guests would leave their contact information if interested in learning more about what they saw and heard here. Next door was the Wonderland Music Company, which folded after a year and became the Magic Shop in 1957, owned by Merv Taylor until 1965.



Here’s an August 1965 shot showing the Magic Shop next door in glorious FauxD©:



Along the way, this space has been a few other stores as well: Walt Disney: A Legacy for the Future (1970-1973), Disneyland Presents Previews of Coming Attractions (1973-79), 25th Anniversary Display (1980-1981), and Disneyland Showcase (1981-1989). Today, the former Wurlitzer Shop is known as the Disney Showcase, selling Disney merchandise:



See more Disneyland Town Square photos at my website.