The Matterhorn: It’s Wunnerful Wunnerful!

For eighteen years, Fred Burri entertained guests at Disneyland by playing the swiss-accordion and yodeling. It would appear that at least one other gent performed those duties, based on this recently acquired July 1969 image.

Looks like the same guy from the Matterhorn band in my previously posted not-so-sharp image from July 1968, taken outside the Sleeping Beauty Castle diorama:

Here are a few of Fred, starting with July 1960:

November 1963:

…and undated:

Now, get out a bottle of champagne and enjoy some Wunnerful, Wunnerful accordion music from Lawrence Welk!

See more Disneyland Matterhorn photos at my main website.

Good Night, Until We Meet Again

Who would bother taking a photo of the Exit Turnstiles at Disneyland? At night? Apparently this July 1968 photographer bothered, and I'm so glad he/she did. Leaving the park is always such a dilemma. I rarely want to go back to "the real world," even though my tired aching feet say otherwise. I often stall on Main Street and think of one last photo I should take before I leave.

Don't forget that hand stamp before you leave!



For some reason, this image made me think of the Lawrence Welk song "Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen" that was played at the end of every show.



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

Black & White Gems from 1959, Pt. 3

It's the big finish of my December 1959 collection, with today's post focusing on Frontierland. Our photographer of yesteryear had the good sense to capture the Slue Foot Sue sign outside of the Horseshoe.



While visiting the park, he/she apparently took a trip on the Mark Twain around the Rivers of America. I am able to deduce this because the following photos show what he saw, beginning with the Columbia being docked at Fowler's Harbor.



Zooming in, you can see another amateur photographer on the left-hand side of the photo. As always, I wonder what happened to that shot?



As the Twain passed the real Indian Village, guests could see the entrance and ticket booth, as well as the faux/taxidermied buffalo/bison (I never remember which one it is).



An almost unrecognizable unadorned Castle Rock. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.



Even in black and white, the Burning Cabin is a memorable image:



The photograph was clear enough to handle a zoom-in, so that we can get a better look at the drunken/dead settler:



An intimidating group of Indian figures watch the guests on the Twain as they pass by.



And that's it for this group, readers! Well, except for one random bonus shot that came with the group, showing the Lawrence Welk band. I have no idea where this was taken, but it is also from December 1959.



All I can say is, "A wunnerful a wunnerful." If you are too young to know what that means, check out Lawrence Welk on youtube.

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