Mother Murphy’s at Disneyland

Mother Murphy offered meals at all hours at Disneyland as can be seen in this July 1961 image. Located in the mining town of Rainbow Ridge, guests who took a ride on the Nature’s Wonderland attraction were able to see her little boarding house from the train. Where else in Disneyland could you get “nice beds” for only $1?



This April 1962 gives a little more perspective as to where Mother Murphy was located, between Miner’s Hardware and the El Dorado Hotel.





Another angle, circa May 1963, which includes a cast member:



This December 1963 image also shows the train:





Even further back, circa May 1964:



By the 1970s, Mother Murphy bit the dust and was replaced by Appleseed’s Groceries. I wonder what caused this change in proprietors?






See more Disneyland Nature’s Wonderland photos at my main website.

Wonderland Wednesday

Before there was Big Thunder Mountain, there was the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train. What it lacked in speed it more than compensated with thrills. The above undated 1950s shot shows Mineral Hall on the right, where the Black Light Corporation of America had a little display inside.



Behind the post you can see the original name of the attraction, before it became The Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland in 1960.



Another undated 1950s image with a great view of the original Rainbow Ridge mining town. While scale would have proved a problem, wouldn’t it have been great if the Barber Shop, Hardware Store, and Hotel were truly in operation for guests?



Zooming in for a look at the souvenir bag, which is not familiar to me, while the booklet in the gent’s suit pocket is.



It’s the back cover of the 1956 Guidebook:



The next consecutive shot shows a Rainbow Ridge bulletin board:



While I can’t believe a guest shot this back in 1956, I am so grateful!



Another undated (but most likely 1956-57) view of Rainbow Ridge, but this time the train is at the station:



I see three cameras (where are those photos/slides now?) and a popcorn bucket!



See more vintage Disneyland Nature’s Wonderland photos at my main website.

The Rainbow Ridge Hotel

The buildings of Rainbow Ridge in Disneyland’s Frontierland have always fascinated me. Built to a smaller scale to give the illusion of depth for the Nature’s Wonderland attraction (and now Big Thunder Mountain), the amount of detail each one has is truly impressive. This image from May 1967 shows a unique view of the Rainbow Ridge Hotel:

It is interesting to compare the “set” decoration from the 1967 image with this previously posted shot from 1960. Chairs removed, a blanket on the railing added...always something different to see!

Rainbow Ridge must have been a hot spot for tourists (or perhaps the miners), as there were three additional hotels, including the Pioneer:

The El Dorado:

…and the Panhandle:

If you’ve ever wondered why these cute little hotels were never available to Park guests, this 1957 publicity still supplies the reason:

Because of their smaller scale, the average sized guest would have to spend their stay stooped over!

See more photos at my main website.

Wonderland Wednesday Medley

Nature’s Wonderland; this attraction has been gone for over forty years and still warms the heart of those Disneyland guests who once had the opportunity to ride it. Today I celebrate it with a batch of images from the 1950s, starting off with this 1957 shot of the desert and balancing rock area. On the left of the picture you can see one of the Disneyland Stagecoaches. This what I love about old Disneyland; so many overlapping attractions. It gave the sense of movement and excitement!

I wonder how many guests noticed these little structures on top of the rocks?

Two years later, we see the queue to the attraction on what appears to be a rainy/cloudy day:

Notice the sign for Mineral Hall and its geodes for sale on the left, and the guest with the plastic rain  hat on her head:

More guests in rain gear:

…and a stroller with two bags of Frito-Lay Corn Chips, most likely samples from the Casa de Fritos restaurant next door.

Another angle of the queue from 1958:

The final two for today are from December 17, 1966:

The second shot yielded a detailed view of two cast members yucking it up as they wait for the guests to arrive:

Closing in even more, you can see the signage that tells guests to remove their “D Coupons”:

See more vintage Disneyland Nature's Wonderland photos at my main website.

The El Dorado Hotel at Rainbow Ridge

Need a place to stay in Rainbow Ridge? How about the El Dorado Hotel? It’s been around since the fifties, and still booming today! This recently acquired image shows how it looked in August 1976. Wait a minute...sheets aren’t included? What kind of place is this?



One of my earliest images of the El Dorado is from 1956:



When the Nature’s Wonderland attraction was revamped in 1960, everything was rebuilt, including the El Dorado, which you can see on the right side of this photo:



When Big Thunder Mountain replaced Nature’s Wonderland in 1979, the El Dorado was included in the rebuild once again. Here’s a shot from 2007. Either sheets are now included or they don’t tell you until you register.



And 2014:



And the most recent one in my collection from 2015:



See more vintage Disneyland Nature’s Wonderland photos at my main website.

Nature's Wonderland Interlude

Before I wrap up the final installment of the MONA Neon Cruise trilogy, I thought I'd insert these two previously unpublished shots of Nature's Wonderland, a beloved Disneyland attraction of the past. First up is a fairly empty overall view of the loading area and Pack Mule queue from April 1958.

This 1956 shot features the Rainbow Mountain Railroad getting ready to take another batch of guests on their journey through Nature's Wonderland.



See more vintage Disneyland Nature's Wonderland photos at my main website.

Out of Scale and RIP Batgirl

It is fairly common knowledge to most of us Disneyland geeks that forced perspective makes the Castle and Main Street seem bigger than they are. The little town of Rainbow Ridge typically gets the shaft in these discussions. Today's image from May 1963 shows just how effective this little trick works, thanks to a worker who was captured standing next to the buildings of Walt's mining town in Frontierland.



It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Yvonne Craig on Monday at the age of 78.



She is definitely best known as the purple clad Batgirl from the 1966 TV series, "Batman." Here she is modeling the original version of her mask that was used in the not often seen test reel.



Craig was the perfect choice for the role; she did a lot with very little, as her character was typically relegated to damsel in distress status. NOBODY who could do a high-kick like Craig would every REALLY be in distress.



More vintage Rainbow Ridge at my main website.