The Golden Girls at Disneyland

Today’s images show a trio of ladies from the 1960’s that I am going to dub The Golden Girls. Two of them are admiring the landscaping outside the House of the Future. I am loving the gloves, visible here in this closeup. If you try to grab those attraction tickets out of her hands, she will cause serious damage to your cranium with that purse.



How do I know these ladies were at the Monsanto House of the Future? Because I recognize the edge of the sculpted chair and the display panels nearby, visible in this previously posted 1963 shot. The House of the Future seemed to attract those Golden Gals; notice the two on the left wearing a white sweater? That’s the standard uniform for that generation. It’s true.



Here are all three Golden Girls departing the Submarine attraction; one dared to remove her gloves. I’m sure she will be shunned by the other two.



Our adventurous gals took a ride on the Skyway during the golden hour of sunset. How about this gorgeous shot of Skull Rock Cove?



it’s a small world appears to be in operation, and the House of the Future is still around, so I’m going to guess that these images are from 1966.



I know somewhere in my collection I have a better shot of that toy train contraption seen on the right side of this detailed view, but I’m too lazy to dig it up. Anyone? Anyone? [UPDATE BELOW]



The Matterhorn appears to be down for the count:



A pickup truck can be seen on the left and the water has been drained from the attraction:



UPDATE: this photos may be much later than what I thought...or could be part of different batches. I found two April 1977 shots of the toy train outside of small world:





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

Disneyland Parking Lot, June 1965

From one June 1965 image I have managed to expand it into 4 views. Ah, the glory of closeups. A closeup of the back of the Monorail station at the Disneyland Hotel.



The next three closeups show various buildings along Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue.



Anyone for a Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's?



Most amazing to me is the amount of school buses visible in the parking lot.



More Disneyland Hotel and parking lot photos at my main website.

Staying in Paradise

The Paradise Pier Hotel was once the "value" hotel of the Disneyland Resort. Now, even its prices have soared out of the price range of the average Park-goer. Still, it is the "cheapest" of the three Resort properties. What do you get for your buck? Naturally, you get a Disney-themed room that is spic and span.







Themed bath products:



Sometimes you get tasty treats on the bed when you arrive:



For extra $$, you can get spectacular views:



...including one of its very expensive sister property, The Grand Californian:



The iconic Tower of Terror:



How about an even closer view?



DCA's Bear:



zooming in closer to see those teeth:



Paradise Pier:



Space Mountain, with the Howard Johnson hotel in the background:



At nighttime, it's even better:



In addition, when you stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, you get to go into the Park one hour early before the masses descend. You can get a lot done in an hour. Is it worth the cost? Only you can decide that one for yourself.

See more photos of the Paradise Pier Hotel at my main website.

Harbor Boulevard, August 1963

Riding aboard the Monorail, guests at Disneyland in August 1963 had this view of a very undeveloped Harbor Boulevard. Within just two years, The Howard Johnson hotel (seen below in a 1970 previously posted image) would be built in the parcel of land on the right-hand side of this photo.



See more Daveland vintage & current Disneyland photos at my main website.

Disneyland aerial, 1969

Examining an aerial shot can provide tons of fun. Being able to zoom in close to certain areas and seeing how they've changed over the years is right up my alley. This March 15, 1969 view of Disneyland and Anaheim is ideal for this kind of activity! Where shall we start?

Let's go for dessert first by zooming right into the park area. No DCA, no Space Mountain, no Big Thunder Mountain, and no Splash Mountain. Good Lord—what DID they have back then? Well, there's Cascade Peak, Nature's Wonderland, The Indian Village, and the beloved Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant in Fantasyland.



Zooming in to the New Orleans Square area, the Haunted Mansion is just months away from first opening. Amazing how big the show building is; you just don't see that when you're inside the berm.



Here you can see the Disneyland Hotel Tower and original buildings surrounding it; no Paradise Pier and no Grand Californian. At the base of the photo, Katella Avenue is visible with a 2-year old Anaheim Convention Center at right, and the property that is now the Anabella Hotel is at left.



Last zoom for today shows Harbor Boulevard, with the Howard Johnson Anaheim property top right. This place is just screaming to be developed!



See any "lost" buildings from your past in this shot?

See more vintage Disneyland aerial photos on my aerial web page.

Like A Good Neighbor: Hojo Motor Lodge

It is difficult to do Disneyland in one day; throw in Disney California Adventure and you will almost guarantee the necessity of an overnight stay. While the Disney Resort Hotels are lovely and (obviously) themed appropriately, the availability and cost often make that choice impossible. One of the favorite "Good Neighbor Hotels" is the Howard Johnson's, conveniently located across from the park on the other side of Harbor Boulevard. Built in 1965, the exterior has changed very little in the last 50 years. The first image for today is from September 1970 and shows the hotel's old Trolley parked in front. Back then, the seven acre property was referred to as a "Motor Lodge."

Today, the retro looking HoJo is still a guest favorite. The architecture of William Pereira has stood the test of time! An interesting side note is that Pereira was also the architect for the original Disneyland Hotel.



As a child, I remember what a treat it was to eat at one of the Howard Johnson restaurants along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Some were full-service, while others were more of a quick-serve format. This vintage October 1960 image shows a typical orange-roofed Howard Johnson Restaurant at some unspecified location in the good ol' U.S. of A.



How many of you remember eating off of plates such as this one, featuring the Simple Simon and the Pieman logo by artist John Alcott?



Thanks to a little butterfat and twenty-eight different flavors of ice cream, Howard Johnson's Restaurants had a long string of success, branching out into the hotel business in 1954. Today, only two Howard Johnson Restaurants remain: one in Bangor, Maine, and the other in Lake Placid. Although there are just 14 flavors of ice cream appearing on the menu, nostalgic diners can still feast on a plate of fried clams, the restaurant's signature dish.

See more Howard Johnson, Anaheim photos on my Hotel web page.