Disneyland aerial, 1969

Examining an aerial shot can provide tons of fun. Being able to zoom in close to certain areas and seeing how they've changed over the years is right up my alley. This March 15, 1969 view of Disneyland and Anaheim is ideal for this kind of activity! Where shall we start?

Let's go for dessert first by zooming right into the park area. No DCA, no Space Mountain, no Big Thunder Mountain, and no Splash Mountain. Good Lord—what DID they have back then? Well, there's Cascade Peak, Nature's Wonderland, The Indian Village, and the beloved Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant in Fantasyland.



Zooming in to the New Orleans Square area, the Haunted Mansion is just months away from first opening. Amazing how big the show building is; you just don't see that when you're inside the berm.



Here you can see the Disneyland Hotel Tower and original buildings surrounding it; no Paradise Pier and no Grand Californian. At the base of the photo, Katella Avenue is visible with a 2-year old Anaheim Convention Center at right, and the property that is now the Anabella Hotel is at left.



Last zoom for today shows Harbor Boulevard, with the Howard Johnson Anaheim property top right. This place is just screaming to be developed!



See any "lost" buildings from your past in this shot?

See more vintage Disneyland aerial photos on my aerial web page.

Tinker Bell Half Marathon & Trip Report, Pt. 1

When I found out that guys were eligible to run in the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, of course, I had to sign up. Disney definitely has the most organized and entertaining races; plus, it was a good excuse to keep training through the holidays (and thus help me from packing on the extra pounds!). Attempting to conserve my energy, I took the Monorail into the park after picking up my race packet at the Disneyland Hotel. This provided me with some overview of the all the construction going on at Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure.





The Monorail also gave me a view of the construction going on at The Matterhorn.



Sounds like this beloved 1959 attraction is getting a complete overhaul. Note the flag on top of the construction site.





The lone bucket.



I was pretty excited to try The Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe; it didn't disappoint, either.



The Merry Cherry Lemonade that's on the exterior menu board is nowhere to be found inside, but that was really the only negative.



The chat boards have lit up like Christmas trees, debating the thematic appropriateness of Mary Poppins on Main Street. I have no desire to weigh in on that particular debate. What I can tell you is that it's a beautiful restaurant and that I very much enjoyed my meal.



Plenty of fun details from the classic Disney film to keep guests occupied while they wait in line (and yes, the lines are long...it appears to be a guest favorite already).



The cast member appears to be attempting to step into Burt's "chalk" scene recreated in tile:





When cast members are ready to take your order, they hold up a penguin fan.



The loss of the Stouffer's meal was a real cluster move on the part of the Imagineers, but I do have to give them credit for this wonderful little tribute.



Great silhouettes of the four main characters from Mary Poppins:



My sandwich and chips hit the spot.



Unfortunately, because of the race I didn't indulge in this delicious looking lemon cupcake. I vowed to take a raincheck.



Another great detail is the Mary Poppins weathervane.



The exit sign frames the Matterhorn perfectly.



Over in Adventureland, the entry sign looks great after its recent refurbishment:





I always try to take advantage of The Haunted Mansion, especially when it's in classic vs. Jack Skellington mode.



I just love it when Little Leota invites me to hurry back.



On the way out of Town Square to DCA, I made sure to stop and look at the beautiful poppies:



The Carthay Theater construction appears to be wrapping up. It will be a great addition to DCA.









We headed over to The Art of Animation to draw Pluto:









A little Tower of Terror action to whet our appetite before dinner:





And the last ride of the evening was The Little Mermaid, which is apparently about to go under tarps soon for a few tune-ups. This makes me happy, as it shows that Imagineers realize this attraction fell a bit short. For me, the Ursula scene is the highlight:



Overall, this attraction could use a little more drama and excitement. Love the music and the design, but just a little more oomph would help.





And then it was time to head "home" to the Anabella Hotel for a good night's sleep before the Half Marathon.



Stay tuned for part 2 on Sunday! See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my Disneyland website.

Trip Report: What's New

Rather than drive to Anaheim at the crack of dawn for the CHOC walk, I decided to go up the afternoon before, spend a leisurely day at the park, and get a good night's rest at the conveniently located Anabella Hotel. Beautiful grounds, clean rooms, tasteful decor, and just blocks from The Disneyland Resort, I cannot recommend it highly enough! On top of that, the staff is extremely courteous and friendly.





Now that we've covered my lodging, let's get down to the good stuff. Best surprise of all was that the Carnation Plaza Gardens were still there.



I did my best to capture as many of the small details as possible; hopefully I'll still have an opportunity to do a shoot at night when the dance floor is full.



How about that terrazzo floor?



Or the mirror ball?



In Adventureland, the rocks outside of the restrooms have taken on a very strange shade of green. Not sure that I really care for this; it seems to be a little artificial looking to fit into the Adventureland theme. It would seem that the ability to create authentic looking lands is not quite what it used to; I would add in Fort Wilderness and other aspects of Tom Sawyer Island that have been redone over the years. Instead of rustic and hand-hewn, they seem very manufactured and pristine.





Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square is still under the tarps getting spruced up.





If anything is going on at The Plaza Pavilion or the new Jolly Holiday Bakery, it must be on the inside.



Detouring over to the Disneyland Hotel, I was happy to note that the geyser was steaming AND shooting up as scheduled!



Construction continues on the pool at the hotel as well—even on the weekend!







Great E-Ticket detail on the pool tile:



Across the way at California Adventure, Buena Vista Street is still in the early phase of construction:





Lighting, signage, and other small details are beginning to emerge in the Carthay Circle portion of Buena Vista Street:







Just two of Cars Land:





And that is it for today's post. More photos to come later this week from my recent Disneyland/DCA trips.

See more vintage & current Disneyland and Disney California Adventure photos on my Disneyland web pages.