Disneyland Diary, 1965

1965 ADDITIONS

• GREAT MOMENTS WITH MR. LINCOLN (a personal experience with history, in a new theater in the Main Street Opera House) — Main Street, U.S.A.



• PLAZA INN (offering dining in the grand manner) — Main Street Plaza.



HIGHLIGHTS

Disneyland celebrated its tenth anniversary with a year-long "tencennial celebration."







New Year's Eve brought 20,000 to begin the observance of 1965,

A new addition to Disneyland, "Fantasy on Parade" was introduced during the Christmas season.



Walt Disney's "Wonderful World of Color" television show saluted Disneyland's first decade.

Disneyland's first Ambassador to the World, Julie Reihm, traveled to Europe, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and throughout the U.S.



Valentine's Dance, Catholic Schools Day, "Spring Fling" and special youth days attracted record attendance.

More than 50,000 celebrants from 138 high schools attended four all-night Grad Parties.



Les Brown, Si Zentner, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Stan Kenton, Wayne King, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Tex Beneke, Hootenannies and Humdingers filled the summer with music.



Disneyland's Community Service Awards program honored 17 county organizations with cash awards totaling $15,000. The Outstanding Award was won by the Orange County Association for Retarded Children.

FAMOUS GUESTS

• Lord Louis Mountbatten of England (March)
• President Maurice Yameogo of Upper Volta (April)
• New Zealand Defense Minister Dean Eyre (April)
• Gov. Mark Hatfield of Oregon (June)
• Princesses Chandra and Suddhavong of Thailand (June)
• Prince and Princess Mikasa of Japan (September)
• Gov. Hayden Burns of Florida (November)
• Premier W.A.C. Bennett of British Columbia

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

10 Months Til Christmas, Pt. 2: 1984 Holiday Memories

The Disney Holiday Press Kit for 1984 trumpeted out a ton-o-fun for guests who wished to celebrate Christmas.

TRADITION BLENDS WITH SOMETHING NEW DURING HOLIDAY SEASON AT DISNEYLAND



Tradition will blend with something new during the Christmas season at Disneyland this year, as the Park’s ever-popular holiday pageant Fantasy on Parade will be highlighted, along with a newly created “Audio-Animatronics” show, the “Country Bear Christmas Special.”



During the Dec. 22—Jan. 6 holiday season Disneyland will be transformed into a winter wonderland, with seasonal decorations and musical entertainment adding to the festivities. Fantasy on Parade will be showcased daily, featuring marching toy soldiers, prancing reindeer, snowmen and snowwomen, and classic scenes from favorite Disney motion pictures. The lively procession will also bring together two of the world’s most beloved characters—Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse.



During the Christmas season the Magic Kingdom will also display its dazzling holiday centerpiece—a 60-foot-tall tree in Town Square embellished with 3,000 sparking lights and 2,800 ornaments. A turn-of-the-century Christmas will be re-created along Main Street, U.S.A., with strands of garland arched over the street and with lampposts, doors and windows trimmed with della robbia wreaths. Enhancing the atmosphere will be the harmonious melodies of strolling Dickens carolers.

A variety of talented entertainers is also scheduled to perform during the Christmas season. Orrin Tucker and his Orchestra will appear at Plaza Gardens Dec. 22 and 23, and Jack Morgan and the Russ Morgan Orchestra will perform at the same location Dec. 25–30. Rock ‘n’ roll entertainment will be provided by Krash at the Tomorrowland Terrace and Papa Doo Run Run on the Space Stage on Dec. 22–23 and 25–30. The Magic of Christmas, a musical variety show performed on the Space Stage, will also be featured. A Christmas version of the Fantasy Follies, which stars many of the Disney characters, will be performed at Main Street’s Plaza Gardens.



All this holiday entertainment will be presented at no additional cost for Disneyland visitors who may also enjoy the Park’s 55 major attractions.

Finally, Disneyland’s annual New Year’s Eve Party will be held on Dec. 31 from 8:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. Helping to ring-out-the-old and ring-in-the-new will be special entertainment, complimentary hats and noisemakers distributed to partygoers and a spectacular fireworks extravaganza presented at the stroke of midnight. As this is a perennially popular event, tickets should be purchased as soon as possible. New Year’s Eve Party tickets will be available at all Southern California Ticketron and TicketMaster outlets for $20 per person.

Disneyland’s hours and Fantasy on Parade times for the Christmas season are Dec. 22 and 23, 9 a.m. to midnight (2 and 9 p.m. parades); Dec. 31, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (4 p.m. parade); Jan. 1—5, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (4 p.m. parade); Jan. 6, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (4 p.m. parade).



As a believer in "less is more," the photo of the castle shows that there’s something to be said for understatement. I’m just saying...

See more Disneyland Christmas photos at my main website.

1966: Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color

For the December 18, 1966 NBC telecast of “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” the episode was titled, “Disneyland Around the Seasons.” I am presenting 3 publicity shots for that episode, beginning with a shot from the opening ceremony of it's a small world, showing Walt and Louis B. Lundberg pouring the ceremonial waters from around the world into the small world canal. Lundborg was the Chairman of the Board of the Bank of America, the sponsor of this attraction at Disneyland when Pepsi bowed out after the end of the New York World’s Fair.



Next up is the Fantasy on Parade, with Mickey on the oversized drum.



Last, and definitely not least is the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction at The Town Square Opera House. Voiced by Royal Dano, the life-like three-dimensional figure of the 16th U.S. President amazed guests with its realism and stirring speech, culled from a number of Lincoln’s actual addresses. 



Today, small world has recently been refurbished and polished to like-new perfection, parades still attract guests, causing them to reserve prime seating spots along Main Street at least 2 hours or so before showtime, and Mr. Lincoln is only months away from his re-debut.







See more Disneyland photos at my website.

The Holidays at Disneyland, Pt. 2

Merry Christmas from Daveland; in between baking pies, cranberry sauce, and heating up the ham, I am posting a few images from the December 1967 Fantasy on Parade, beginning with the Toy Soldiers marching down Main Street. Coming up behind the Soldiers is none other than Santa Claus himself, surrounded by some of those silly reindeer that Kevin Kidney loves so much!





One of my favorite holiday traditions at Disneyland is the Candlelight Processional. Unfortunately, I was not near a computer this year when tickets went on sale, so I missed this year’s event. Few holiday programs can get you in the spirit like this one. Here’s an image of Cary Grant presiding over the festivities at Disneyland; he was the narrator in 1973 & 1974.



Meanwhile, over in Orlando (gotta’ give a little equal time for those Imaginerding fellers!), here are a few images from their 1983 Christmas Parade. Sharp-eyed readers will notice Kevin Kidney’s silly reindeer. Apparently they prefer Florida’s climate to SoCal’s.













Back to the kitchen! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! See more vintage & current Disneyland Christmas/Holiday photos at my regular website.