Cosmic Friday!

This July 1970 slide was labeled as being shot from the Cosmic Age Hotel. What?!? Never heard of the place! Before we deal with that, let’s zoom in to the parking lot area that would eventually become Disney California Adventure. Those orange cones were a cosmic hint of the Cozy Cone Motel that would be installed in 2012! Nanook - I expect you to ID all those cars for us.



A quick check on ebay found these post cards for the Cosmic Age Lodge, located at 1717 S. Harbor Boulevard. GROOVY!!



It was part of the Stovall family collection that surrounded the park. From the Best Western website:

The Stovall’s family of hotels have surrounded the magic of the Disneyland Park since 1964. Hotel owner and operator Al Stovall wanted an out of this world experience for hotel guests coming to Disneyland, and he delivered! With flying saucers, spacemen and aliens adorning the hotel lobby, to a rocket van that would pick up guests from the airport, no detail was overlooked.…The sixties were coming to life! America was just entering the space race, skirts were getting shorter and shorter, and in a small town called Anaheim Walt Disney’s masterpiece was coming to life! Each hotel had its own space age feel and name! There was the fabulous “Inn of Tomorrow” (now Stovall’s Inn), the amazing “Space Age Lodge,” (now Pavilions Hotel), the “Cosmic Age Hotel,” “The Galaxy Hotel” and the “Apollo Inn.”

“…with all the convenience of the Space Age…” the back of the post card touts. What exactly does that include?



The lobby - wow! The tourists would flock to this place today.



“Acclaimed by thousands…”; can I see the source of that statistic, please?



A typical room. Are those plastic grapes over the bed? And check out that TV!



I’ll take two space bubble room dividers, please.



The pool; what do you think the chances are that the model lower right actually caught the ball?



Only 8¢ for postage? No wonder little Frances didn’t feel the need to write very much!



Based on Mr. Google, this place looks like it fell victim to the wrecking ball.



See more Disneyland Parking Lot photos at my main website.

A Day at Disneyland, September 1969: Pt. 1

This multi-part series showcases a September day at Disneyland, circa 1969. For the most part, these are in chronological order. The first one is a nice juice shot of the parking lot, now known as Disney California Adventure. Can you spot the vintage attraction posters on the pylons?



Before “Song of the South” was banned, Brer Bear and Brer Fox roamed freely through the Park.



Really digging the sunglasses, hairdo, and dress on the lady on the left!



Brer Fox - how about those shoes?



Can’t quite make out the population number.



Breakfast was over on New Orleans Street in Frontierland at Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen.



I could sure go for some of those pancakes right now, with a nice dollop of butter on top!



Apparently, the next stop was the Submarine Voyage over in Tomorrowland:



How the family looked as they left the Triton Submarine (D-305):



The Monorail Station is right nearby; how about a ride?



A closer look at Monorail Yellow and the bubble:



At this time, Tomorrowland was all Space Age and Rolly Crump!



From the Ticket Booth on the left:



…to the Rocket Jets, perched high above the PeopleMover!



Come back next week for more September 1969 images!

See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

Unpaving "Paradise"

I’m not sure that I would call DCA “Paradise,” but for the purposes of a catchy title…let’s do it! The Disney Corporation did a reverse Joni Mitchell in 2001; what was once the main parking lot was now Disney California Adventure. Here’s how that space looked October 1972. Imagine being able to drive your car this close to the gate!



Another 1972 image shows the road leading into Disneyland.



In the background is the Disneyland Hotel. Somebody better pick up the traffic cones; looks like one of the guests failed the driving test.



Another image of the parking lot from December 1967:



Oops; there’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. J.B. Allen & Co.: please hurry!



Last one is from May 1968. Look at that sea of vintage cars!



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

Maybe Martin Monday

These two vintage Disneyland images were undated, but the guidebook held by the little boy in the first shot narrows it down to 1956/1957.



I just love little clues like that!



A second detailed view shows the E.P. Ripley as it leaves the Main Street Train Station for another Grand Circle Tour:



This second consecutively shot was the reason I bought these two slides. No, not because of the cool retro sunglasses this lady is wearing…



No, not because of the vintage Disneyland leaflet she is holding (is there ANYTHING less than $3 at the Park anymore?!?)…



The reason: the possibility that this little boy selling the Guidebooks could be actor/writer/musician/comedian Steve Martin.



It’s blurry…it doesn’t show his face, so there’s no way to confirm it. But there’s also a possibility that it is. Thus, Maybe Martin Monday.

See more Disneyland Railroad photos at my main website.

Blue Monorail-Mania

The Red Monorail at Disneyland is the one most often seen in vintage images, but the Blue one has always been my favorite. Something ultra sleek about its blue/silver color combo that really hits the spot for me. This October 1961 is postcard perfect as the Monorail cruises by the Matterhorn, The Yacht Bar, and over the Submarine Voyage attraction. I dig that bubble top, too.



Look at the positively low-tech stroller and Disneyland wheelchair in the lower right:



Last one from the same October 1961 batch shows the Monorail cruising over the Parking lot. Any vintage auto enthusiasts care to identify these retro classics?



See more Disneyland Monorail photos at my main website.

Disneyland Monorail Red, July 1965

In this July 1965 image, you get the Disneyland Monorail, the Disneyland Hotel sign (which looks somewhat similar to the one that was on Harbor Boulevard), AND the Disneyland Hotel. Unfortunately, zooming in the sign is too blurry to read.

Don’t worry about it; in my collection I have a 1966 image that shows the Hotel sign:

Here’s the one that was on Harbor Boulevard, circa July 1965:

This view of the Park entrance was taken from the Monorail, July 1965:

Hope you all enjoy the weekend!

See more Disneyland Monorail photos at my main website.

When Two Worlds Collide: Wax and the Mouse

I don’t know the story behind this image, but that’s the Movieland Wax Museum’s Rolls-Royce parked in the Disneyland Parking lot, circa October 1964. Check out the decal on the side:



Here’s a previously posted shot of the vehicle parked where it belongs:



The new defunct museum once housed a collection of lifelike (and not so lifelike) wax statues and tableaus featuring scenes from classic movies. Did Shirley Temple ever pose on an ark loaded with stuff animals and candy? Hellz no.



See more Movieland Wax Museum photos at my main website.