Evolution of a Jester

Another Disneyland character casualty due to change was The Jester. This first shot shows the Jester, circa September 1958, standing in front of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant. This is the earliest shot in my collection showing this roving chap who entertained guests.

I’m not sure how many Jesters were employed at Disneyland, but arguably the most famous was Christopher Fair, shown below on his unicycle in 1959. He was hired out of high school (Chula Vista High School in San Diego) to do magic tricks and juggling at the Park; it was his idea to ride around on a unicycle. From the Disney History 101 Facebook page:

A young Christopher Fair’s first foray into the wonderful world of Walt Disney came during the mid-1950s, when he first appeared on the Mickey Mouse Club’s “Talent Roundup Days.” On these episodes, it became clear that young Christopher had a particular knack for performing magic tricks. Chris was more than a ‘fair’ magician, and Walt Disney kept an eye on this aspiring talent. Three years later, Christopher graduated from high school, and soon received a phone call informing him that Disneyland was seeking a Royal Court Jester to make magic happen in Fantasyland!



This 1960 Castmember spectacular was shot in front of Disneyland’s Main Street Train Station:



Zooming in you can see jester/juggler/unicycler Fair:



And a shot of his backside in front of the castle:



…performing for Annette Funicello above:



This June 1963 image shows him zipping by the Matterhorn Band on his unicycle outside the Castle, with the Sleeping Beauty Diorama sign barely visible on the right:



The shades and deadpan expression of this drummer are priceless…as is the Ticket Book Holder sign!



Another June 1963 image of Fair, with an amazed guest in the background.



Here’s a closeup of the stick he's holding; the mini-jester head on top is reminiscent of the Jack-in-the-box car antenna toppers. Which came first?!?



1963 was the last year that Fair worked at Disneyland. Another June 1963 shot below:



Another look at the mini-jester-on-a-stick:



There was at least one other Jester/Unicycle lad after Fair left, as seen in this 1965 image:



His Jester stick appears to be a different one from that of Christopher Fair:



If you want to see a Jester at Disneyland now, you need to visit the it’s a small world attraction:



This little model was on display at the Opera House in 2009:



See more Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Fantasyland: The Secret Entrance!

When entering Fantasyland, most people walk dead-center through the Sleeping Beauty Castle and encounter the vista of all that Walt intended guests to see. However, there were/are two side entrances that can give guests that feeling of being special, exploring the paths less traveled. This vintage 1950’s image shows a guest who chose to enter Fantasyland via the tunnel on the left. Zooming in, you can see Merlin’s Magic Shop as well as the signage for the other side exit/entrance into Fantasyland.



And speaking of castles…here’s a 1956 shot of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Ho hum, right?



Zooming in, you can see Robin Hood fraternizing with the guests:



Some previously posted shots of Robin and Will Scarlet:







I hope you have an amazing weekend and remember to explore the roads less traveled!

See more Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Disneyland Gems from ’56, Pt. 2

Today’s 1956 Disneyland gems take us to Fantasyland, the heart and soul of the Park. One of our dapper vintage guests is standing in front of Merlin's Magic Shoppe. Unfortunately, the camera being used did not produce images that were all that sharp, so the zoom in window view is meh at best. However, you can see the vintage shop sign above the guest’s head.

A nice overall view of Fantasyland that shows the tea cups, Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, and the Casey Junior Circus Train off in the distance.

Zooming in, you can see that the Storybook Land attraction is taking shape, as the framework for the rocks is in progress.

This image yielded a wonderful surprise. At first glance, it just appears to show the mini-lake/pond behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, with Casey Junior chugging along in the background.

A closer look reveals the old Canal Boats of the World sign, unceremoniously dumped against the fence:

A previously posted shot of the sign before it came down for good:

And this image was the reason I purchased this set in the first place:

What a great color detail image of the original Snow White's Scary Adventures dark ride mural!

Still more great 1956 gems to come!

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