Jayne signs an autograph

Back to Jayne Mansfield at Disneyland, circa May 1957. As luck would have it, I have been able to acquire a few more images from her family visit to the Park. In the previously posted shot above, Jayne is attempting to sign an autograph on the back of a cast member. The recently purchased image below shows her writing it on the side of the passenger car. I am going to “assume” that she had difficulty writing on the cast member’s back and decided to use the train siding instead.



A closeup of the sign on the back of the passenger car:



This shot has Jayne’s husband, bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay at left, Jayne and daughter, and radio/TV star Art Linkletter, near the Casey Junior attraction:



I wouldn’t bet the house, but the guy at left looks an awful lot like silent screen star Harold Lloyd:



MELTDOWN! It would appear the Jayne’s daughter is on the verge of a meltdown on the King Arthur Carrousel; it had been a very long day!



See more Jayne Mansfield photos at my main website.

Wee Wayfinding

Wayfinding is an important part of…well, finding stuff! Even for the non-existent inhabitants of Disneyland’s Storybook Land, the signage was part of the original attraction, as seen in this 1950’s image, most likely from the initial days of the attraction, judging by the barren landscape. 

By 1959, the Giant’s Patchwork Quilt was growing in nicely:



I am constantly amazed by the detail and artistic craftsmanship that went into the Storybook Land attraction:



An aerial view of the scene from the 1950s:



Anyone able to read what is on the sign at left?



A May 1958 shot taken from a Skyway bucket:



This detailed view provides a shot of the “island” known as Peter Pan Park as well as the Fantasyland Train Depot:



Jumping forward to August 2013, Peter Pan’s Park had been renamed London Park. Poor Peter.



This duck graciously posed for me so that I could demonstrate the scale of these miniature buildings!



See more Disneyland Storybook Land photos at my main website.

All Aboard! Casey Jr. Circus Train, circa 2007

Take a ride aboard the Casey Jr. Circus Train at Disneyland, circa February 2007! Based on the circus train from Disney’s animated classics “Dumbo” and “The Reluctant Dragon” (both 1941), it has been part of Fantasyland since pretty much opening day; technical difficulties caused a brief shut down for repairs.



Even seventeen years ago, establishing shots were important to me, including the original ticket booth (photo #1), the entrance sign, and of course the engine itself!



How Casey looked pulling into the station:



I scored the backseat on this ride, which provides unfettered views of Storybook Land:



…without any other guests, flailing arms, or selfie sticks to get in the way. In 2007, cellphones had yet to invade the world to the degree that we are unable to enjoy living without them.



The Matterhorn looks even larger against the back drop of the miniature landscape of Storybook Land.





An overview of the homes of the Three Little Pigs, the Three Windmills, and Toad Hall.



Gepetto’s Village:



Zooming in for a better look; who wouldn’t like to be able to walk around at their leisure to see all of the little details here?



Alice’s Village:



The French Village below Cinderella’s Castle:



The details of this still blow me away; even decorative items sitting in the windows.



Hope you enjoyed your ride aboard Casey Jr.!

See more Disneyland Casey Jr. Circus Train photos at my main website.

Early Disneyland In-Depth: Casey Jr. Circus Train

When Disneyland first opened, the Casey Jr. Circus Train took guests on a sightseeing journey of…dirt. Storybook Land was still almost a year away, and was initially titled both Canal Boats of America and Canal Boats of the World. Whichever it was, the banks of dirt provided zilcho scenery. That’s ok…Casey provided enough hills and thrills of its own. In the below shot from December 26, 1955, guests had to settle on taking pics of Casey and its passengers, as the dirt banks with little tufts of grass did not make for a very pretty photo!



This genuine FauxD© image from 1955 shows just how bare Canal Boats of the [fill-in-the-blank] looked, and how rickety the track for Casey appeared with nothing to surround it! Guests were probably a tad nervous sitting in an open-air vehicle riding over the wooden trestle bridge.



Another 1955 image:



I wouldn’t be pushing on the cage doors too hard!



Regardless of the lack of scenery, guests still lined up for Casey Jr.:



This detailed shot shows the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship still had some decorative work to be completed even after the Park first opened:



The flags that decorated the perimeter were the only indication of the “World” theme:



By the summer of 1956, the Storybook theme was installed, which benefitted both attractions.



…and yet, this train appears to be running empty!



This Skyway shot shows off the beautifully landscaped Patchwork Quilt:



A couple of lovebirds practically have the entire train to themselves:



A nice detailed view of Cinderella’s Castle and the French Village below it:



A guest aims his camera at…yet another empty train.



Early Disneyland cast member and Daveland initial contributor, the late “Cox Pilot,” gave this information about the box sitting at the lower center of the above photo (detail view below):

I remember that Bronco was one of the early mower companies (now Troy-Built). If you look real close, squint a little, you can just make out a picture of what looks like a mower (just on the lower left). I would suggest that this box was used for garden stuff, but originally was a parts box for a Bronco "Certified" 250 (you can also just make out "250" on the lower right).



Where are all the guests? Either this was a test run or perhaps guests lost interest once the rickety trestle bridges were gone!



See more Disneyland Casey Jr. Circus Train photos at my main website.

Dumbo and Carnation

It’s not TGIF(riday), but TGIF(eather) today. This previously unpublished shot shows the Dumbo Flying Elephants attraction at Disneyland. Although undated, the lack of landscaping at the Casey Jr. attraction in the background tells us it’s most likely 1955/1956. Even more interesting is the hat/headband of the little girl on the lower right, which appears to be a feathered Indian headdress from Carnation. It must have been a bonus from one of the sponsored restaurants at the park that served Carnation products.



See more Disneyland Dumbo Flying Elephant attraction photos at my main website.

Casey Jr., July 1963

It’s July 1963 and our Disneyland Casey Jr. attraction engineer is having difficulty exiting the vehicle. For all you gearheads, I have included a closeup of the dashboard. You’re welcome.



For Chuck: Here’s a comparison shot of the dashboard from 2008. Casey doesn’t need no stinkin’ steering wheel! Ha!



And from 2012:



In the July 1963 background detail view, you can see the second Casey Jr. Circus Train lumbering uphill:



This image came from the same batch, and provides a nice overview of both Casey and the Storybook Land attractions. I love how they are interwoven.



The Storybook Land tour guide looks positively bored.



Zooming in you can see the original Fantasyland Depot, which would be torn down in 1965 to make way the new one.



See more Disneyland Casey Jr attraction photos at my main website.