Twainapalooza

Today we celebrate the Mark Twain with a random assortment of vintage shots of the venerable riverboat at Disneyland. First up are a few from April 1960. Zooming in we can see a raft at Tom Sawyer Island as well as some guests paddling away their churros on a canoe. I wonder how many of those hats ended up in the river?



A lovely shot of the Twain, also from April 1960.



Know anybody?



A July 1967 shot:



Although it was a few years away from being opened, the Haunted Mansion was completely built by this time:



This closeup shows a nearby ticket booth. For the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, perhaps?



Another gem from July 1967:



Here we see the ticket booth for Nature's Wonderland as well as the festive umbrellas for Casa de Fritos:



In November 1968 the Disneyland Marching Band was at the Mark Twain dock:



The leader does not appear to be Vesey Walker, though:



Actor and game show host John Davidson visited the park while he was filming "The Happiest Millionaire" (1967):



Last one has been posted before, but you know how much I love those FauxD© shots; this one from July 17, 1968 shows the Young Men from New Orleans playing their hearts out aboard the Mark Twain:



Get your Mark Twain fix at my main website.

Disneyland After Dark: Satchmo

“Disneyland After Dark” was an episode of “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” that aired on April 15, 1962. It is a showcase of talent performing in the park, obviously, after dark. Today I am posting three photos of the legendary Louis Armstrong, aka Satchmo, aboard the Mark Twain. The first photo shows him with singer Monette Moore. The other two show him jamming with the Young Men from New Orleans. This sequence was shot on September 30, 1961.





See more vintage & current Mark Twain photos at my regular website.

July 17, 1968: 13th Anniversary, Pt. 1

By this time, New Orleans Square was almost in full swing; shops were open, Pirates of the Caribbean was open, and the Haunted Mansion was only about a year away from its debut. Here are a few shots of New Orleans Square, including the Court of Angels:



And a contemporary shot of the Court:



Two last views of New Orleans Square:





Here are The Young Men from New Orleans playing on the Mark Twain:



See more vintage and current Town Square photos at my regular website.

Live Jazz Aboard the Mark Twain

This Jazz Combo aboard the Mark Twain is “The Young Men from New Orleans.” Having live music aboard the Riverboat is a nice touch, and sure would add a lot to the park experience today. The vintage of this transparency is probably the late 60’s or early 70’s.

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