Disneyland Hotel Miniature Golf, 1971

This November 1971 shot was taken from the Disneyland Hotel. So many things to see here! Below, you can see the Midcentury Modern Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, with Tomorrowland in the foreground. I see the Rocket Jets, I see the Carousel of Progress…yes, Romper Room at it's very best (IFKYK).



In this detailed view, you can see the Matterhorn Christmas star, still twinkling away.



Here, you see the sign for the Golf Course and Mini Golf Course. What?!? Yes…at one time you could play golf at Disneyland.



Below is a shot I took back in May 2004; same view, but way different sights! Downtown Disney and mature trees have almost made this image unrecognizable compared to the 1971 shot.





The August 1961 Disneylander Newsletter featured this info about the miniature golf course:

The most interesting miniature 18 hole course is practically a replica of Disneyland itself. It will be completely lighted for night play and many feel it will be so popular with Disneylanders as well as Hotel guests and residents of the Disneyland area that it will be the wee small hours of the morning before it closes for the night. Each hole on the miniature course will remind players of one of Disneyland's many features. As an example, the first tee is a replica of the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad Station at the Main Entrance to the Park, while the third tee has a miniature of the Fantasyland castle, draw bridge, courtyard parapet and rock island. The fifth tee represents the Matterhorn ticket office and the hole will feature raceways to three separate greens and will include two metal tubes for crossing the bobsled waterways. The seventh, eighth and ninth holes will remind players of the Rocket to the Moon, the Submarine Voyage and the Richfield Autopia respectively while the eleventh will consist of rock work, benches, and simulated cacti. The Frontierland area is easily recognized in the next three holes with a reproduction of the Frontierland Fort entrance, Indian Village and the Grist Mill on Tom Sawyer's Island. The popular Story Book Land adventure is reproduced on the fifteenth hole with a replica of Monstro the Whale while Peter Pan and the adventures of the Darling children will be seen and enjoyed on the next hole. The eighteenth and final hole will feature a water fountain showing Mickey Mouse himself, holding a golf club, which will make a fitting finale to a delightful experience for anyone who cares to play a game of miniature golf, the Disneyland Hotel way. The Disney art director on the miniature course has been Yale Gracey and Al Applegate [Engineering] has acted as the coordinator of construction. Other Disneyland experts who have supervised the construction include Andy Anderson [Carpentry], Larry Smith [Paint Department] and Bud Washo [Staff Shop]. Their advice is that even Disneylanders who have never had a golf club in their hands should be sure to try a game as soon as possible.



The above and below images were supplied by Daveland reader Ross; a score card and a view from the Park map showing the location of the golf course, driving range, and miniature golf course.



See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

Mine Train Monday

Let’s travel back to a time in Disneyland history when attractions promoted other attractions…where they overlapped each other, affording guests previews and teasers of what they could experience on their next adventure. Welcome to the Nature's Wonderland Mine Train, circa March 1973. The Mine Train is circling around Cascade Peak (with a view of the Rivers of America on the opposite side), on its way through a tunnel that will take them back to the Rainbow Ridge. I included this detailed view of the cast member in case one of my readers knew him.



The next consecutive shot from March 1973 shows the same Mine Train, a bit farther along in its journey.



I am assuming these were shot aboard either the Mark Twain or the Columbia.



This June 1971 image shows the little town of Rainbow Ridge. To the left is the Pack Mule attraction, which had about two more years left before it was removed.



Another view of the Mine Train and Cascade Peak, circa March 1976:



When this shot was taken, the Mine Train only had about a year left before it was shut down for the construction of Big Thunder Mountain. This cast member must have known his days were numbered; he’s not waving.



An undated shot of Rainbow Ridge:



The Christmas Star atop the Matterhorn at least tells us the time of year.



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

Vintage Disneyland Christmas

Let’s travel back in time with this assortment of vintage images showing Christmas at Disneyland through the years, beginning with this December 26, 1955 image. It almost boggles my mind to see the simple decorations that initially hung on Main Street. In this December 1956 image, we see the area that is now Indiana Jones Adventure. Once known as Magnolia Park, it had a bandstand in the center that featured the Christmas Bowl show, which eventually morphed into the Candlelight Celebration.



Dancers, musicians, and a choir were all part of the show:



The Y’s Men was the name of the band; get it?



This family shot inside the INA Carefree Corner from December 1959 looks anything but carefree.



Three lovely carolers in the Park, from December 1960, are standing near Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House:



The legendary Matterhorn Christmas Star, as seen in December 1961:



This December 1969 Town Square shot has me perplexed; the area where the white Christmas tree is located appears to be backstage. Was it moved out into the Park after it was decorated?



These ornaments aren’t going to hang themselves!



From my first visit to Disneyland on December 27, 1970, my oldest brother’s photo shows the Sleeping Beauty Castle decorated for the season:



I’m on the right, sitting in front of the Castle with my Grandmother and my cousins, wearing those damn “corrective” shoes which didn’t correct a damn thing. Just made me look goofy.



The white Christmas tree in the background has a few barely visible ornaments hung on it:



Since the 80s are now vintage (yikes!), here’s one of the Castle from December 1980:



Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

See more Disneyland at Christmas photos at my main website.

Christmas at Disneyland, 1963

Too early for Christmas photos? Too bad, as today celebrates the upcoming holiday as it looked back in December 1963. The tree in town square is HUUUUUUGE! But not big enough to distract me from that fantabulous feathered hat worn by the festive Mom wearing a Christmas corsage to boot!



The Horse-Drawn Streetcar is the perfect way to get to the Castle and get a nice leisurely glimpse of the sights along Main Street, U.S.A.



This shot was probably earlier in the day, before the hats were purchased.



Over at the Matterhorn, the Christmas Star is in position.



I wonder if it receives UHF signals? Anyone remember UHF? The Matterhorn Christmas Star probably helped boost the TV signal inside the House of the Future at its base.



Final one for today shows the original round Skyway buckets floating through the Matterhorn:



See more Disneyland Matterhorn photos at my main website.

More Matterhorn Details

This first November 1967 image of the Matterhorn is great because it shows the Christmas Star perched high atop the peak of Walt's Mountain.

The previous shot taken by our vintage photographer is much better, as there are no Skyway wires obliterating our view.



How about a closer look at the Star? Looks like some kind of crazy Spy Satellite!



and let's not shortchange the Richfield Eagle, watching over the Autopia:



More vintage & current Disneyland photos over at my main website.

Zooming In: 1960's Matterhorn

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, then you know that zooming into the vintage photos is one of my favorite things to do. This photo of the Matterhorn from July 1961 is a great example. At first glance, it looks like a ho hum shot of what has probably been photographed to death. Zooming in, you see a very cute shot of two young brothers, admiring this attraction while wearing cowboy hats.



Here's one from May 1960:



zooming in, we see what appears to be a very enthusiastic cast member.



Another fairly ho-hum December 1961 image...



that yields a great shot when you crop into the family that is speeding around the corner in their bobsled.



A similar find from July 1962:



with the father and child getting sprayed from the splash of their bobsled:



I love seeing the shots from Christmas when the Matterhorn Star once capped the top of the mountain. This one is from January 1964.



Or perhaps December 1963, depending upon how fast or slow the photographer was about getting his/her undeveloped film roll to the camera shop.



From September 1964:





Nearby is the Richfield Autopia Eagle. It's great when you can get TWO fantastic detail shots from one image!



This March 1965 image yields a few detailed views of the Matterhorn Climbers, Hans and Otto:







This December 1965 image gives a nice overall view of the queue and loading area:





A behind-the-scenes construction view from December 1969:





What kinds of details are in YOUR photos? Check 'em out, as it might be a very cool visual treasure.

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