Calling All Disneyland Ephemera Nutz!

Calling out to all my Disneyland brochure/guidebook/ephemera nutz! I have a batch of undated slides (most likely 1960s) that include this shot of the Flower Market on West Center Street. Can anyone give a year based on the book/brochure next to the register visible in this detailed view? I know, the lady in the pink fluffy hat is pulling your focus. Try…try hard to look away.



UPDATE! Thanks to Daveland readers Tom & Eric over on X, the mystery has been solved. The publication is Disneyland World of Flowers, released in 1965.





Here are two previously unposted shots that the guest had the kindness to get date stamped! From August 1966 (might even be the same cast member):



…and September 1963, which includes a Keystone Kop:



See more Disneyland Main Street Market photos at my main website.

Carnation Truck Update!

Everyone who was ANY-one had their photo taken at the Carnation Truck parked on West Center Street at Disneyland. Just look at this couple from September 1959. I sure hope she didn’t drop those ice cream cones!



But what happened to that truck? A while back, I was approached by Elbridge Stuart who wrote, “You will be glad to know the truck lives in a museum at the Carnation Farms in Washington just outside of Seattle. It also still runs.”

He followed up with more great information:



“Here is a frame grab from a video of a 1950’s TV show called “Success Story” and was sponsored by Richfield Oil and Gas and documented successful companies. In this particular episode, they toured a Carnation ice cream plant. As they were about to roll the credits at the end, they showed an old truck running around the back lot of the plant. In looking at the picture, we thought it was the Disneyland truck that might have been loaned to Carnation for the shoot. It does have the same markings and says Disneyland on it. However, the Disneyland truck was a ¾ size reproduction using Model A and T parts. The truck in the video is much larger and is full size. Perhaps there were two Disneyland trucks though I don’t think so. It may be the other old truck we have which has been repainted several times.”

How about these July 1955 Disneyland Opening Day shots of Walt Disney and Elbridge’s father?



They got to drive the truck filled with gallons of ice cream to open the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, U.S.A. This is one way to be popular with the public!



Elbridge was also kind enough to send these photos of how two of the three trucks at the museum look today:







“The one on the left is a full size Model T that we are unsure of its history. We think it is the truck seen in the frame grab, which shows the truck painted like the Disneyland truck which is on the right of these photos. The real Disneyland truck is ¾ size and was done to mirror the scale of the buildings that it was parked alongside.”

Here are a few more shots if you haven’t had enough already:





For all you gear heads out there:



Not enough you say? Eldridge also sent pages from the March/April 1956 issue of "Carnation Magazine":





About nine years ago, Elbridge also shared some of this material and additional backstory with Gorillas Don’t Blog.

Thanks to Elbridge for all these great photos and the knowledge that the Carnation Truck is still alive and running! I think I’m going to go have some ice cream to celebrate!

See more vintage Carnation Truck at Disneyland photos at my main website.

Carnation on Main Street

A few previously unpublished shots of the Carnation Truck on Main Street. This 1950s gentleman sure is looking like a poser; best part of this detailed view is the cast member in costume.



A slightly blurry image from Spring 1957. Kids sure loved to posed on that Truck!



This November 1967 shot gives a nice overall view of what the exterior looked like.



Jumping forward to the present, the name Carnation is still on the building, but I believe the sponsorship is long gone.



Instead, it's just named after the flower.



The interior:



Long-time Disneyland employee Oscar Martinez can still be seen here, greeting guests and kindly posing for photos.



I believe he will hit the 60 year mark this December.



More vintage and current Disneyland Carnation Cafe photos at my main website.

Dude, Where's My Gurrmobile?

This post shows my earliest shot of the Carnation Gurrmobile (named for genius mechanical designer Bob Gurr) from December 1955 in its well-known position outside the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor on West Center Street.

Moving ahead 26 years, the Gurrmobile finds itself across the way further down the street outside of the Plaza Inn, circa March 1981. Previously, my latest photos of the truck were from the 1970's. Nice to know it hung around at least a decade later before it was shipped off to the state of Washington.



See more vintage & current Disneyland Plaza Inn photos on my main website.

The Original Carnation Cafe

Most guests that visit Disneyland probably do not realize the history behind the Carnation Cafe; to them, it is a restaurant with outdoor seating on Main Street that recently added an indoor area. Ironically, it began its days at Disneyland as indoor venue, complete with counter seating, just like an old fashioned Ice Cream Parlour.

Up until now, I'd never seen a color photo of the interior. Back in the day, interior shots of dark rides and restaurants/shops were rarely taken, due to the limitations of the camera equipment that the typical guest would own. Now, thanks to the August 1966 image, you can see the colorful interior of the Carnation Cafe in its original form:



Where the outdoor seating exists today was formerly the Flower Market, where guests could buy faux floral arrangements to take home with them. Imagine an old fashioned farmer's market mixed in with the modern wonders of plastic! As you can see in this vintage shot, there were a few cafe tables outdoors where guests could sit and order their food.





Through the miracle of Photoshop, I combined two vintage images to get this panoramic view of the Flower Market area:



The Carnation Company truck, parked in the middle of the Flower Market, was a popular spot for photos, as you can see in this August 1963 shot:



See more vintage & current Disneyland Carnation Cafe photos on my Carnation Cafe web page.

Disneyland March 1967, Pt. 1

Moving up a few years in time, this March 1967 batch begins with a nice shot of a man's bald spot. If only he had ducked his head down a bit, we could have a completely perfect view of all the attraction posters lined up in front of the Mickey Floral! I was too lazy to do my Photoshop magic to blot him out.

Over in Town Square, the Big Bad Wolf is looking for trouble.



Seconds later, The Three Little Pigs enter the scene as a vivacious Disneyland Tour Guide escorts a happy little boy around The Square.



I wonder if this little boy had her all to himself? He must be loaded—Disneyland's most eligible (albeit young) bachelor!



These three young gents are having a fantastic time "driving" the Carnation Company Vehicle parked on West Center Street:



Small world wasn't even a year old when this shot was taken:



Over in Fantasyland, Goofy poses with his adoring fans:



Forget Goofy - I'm more excited about zooming in and seeing a portion of the original Snow White attraction mural!



From the top of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant, you can get a lovely view of Storybook Land:



I'd rather check out the trash can!



Looking in another direction, you can see Fantasyland and the bottom of a Skyway Bucket:



Turning again, you can see the quiet shaded area that provided seating for those enjoying their tuna boats:



Ah, Skull Rock Cove—a rare side view:



Last one for today is an inside view from the Skyway Bucket:



See more vintage and current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland photo web pages.