All In The Details, Pt. 1

This shot of the white swans in the Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle moat from approximately 1957 yields some interesting info. When zooming in, you can see the banner promoting the Richfield Autopia Fantasyland Autopia. Yes, the myths are true. There were once multiple Autopia attractions at Disneyland!



Don’t believe me? Just take a look at this December 1956 image:



I’ve always wondered if that Eagle “landed” anywhere?



Back to the first image…if you shifted your camera to the right, you would see the Monsanto House of the Future, as long as it was June 1957. I am guessing the swan shot was taken before construction on the HOF had begun.



This panorama from December 1956 gives you an idea of what the area surrounding the moat looked like at that time.



No Matterhorn…no Snow White Wishing Well…no House of the Future. Just a mound of dirt and some trees, “themed” as Holiday Hill, Lookout Mountain, Snow Hill, and unofficially “Lover’s Lane.”



Snow White’s Wishing Well joined the landscape here in 1961:





So many tangents from one image.

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

The Pylon on the Hill

The Matterhorn is a classic Disneyland attraction; not only because it’s been around since 1959, but also because it’s one of the attractions you can see from the I-5 Freeway as you approach the Park. As a kid (and yes, even as an adult!), it gave me that joyous sense of anticipation. We’re almost there! Before the Matterhorn was built, what was there? A mound of dirt (which had been repurposed from the excavation needed for the Sleeping Beauty Castle and its moat) and an unsightly pylon for the Skyway. Dubbed “Holiday Hill,” “Lookout Mountain,” “Lovers’ Lane,” and then “Snow Hill” (in anticipation of the Matterhorn), this area provided a place for guests to relax and breathe a bit from the excitement of the park. In these undated 1957/1958 images, you can actually see (gasp!) a garden hose as a Park employee is watering the plants.

A shot taken from the Skyway bucket as it soars over the hill:

A rarely seen angle of the Castle as we zoom in:

A wonderful view of the hill as the Skyway bucket approaches the Tomorrowland Skyway Station:

Zooming in you can see the tip of the Tomorrowland Viewliner Station as well as a little tot attempting to get in the way of the Park employee who is watering the plants:

What a charming area; the wooden rails and paths would have made for a lovely getaway. Today, there would be souvenir stands and vendor carts strewn along the way.

See more Holiday/Snow Hill photos at my main website.

Central Plaza Details

The first view from today shows Central Plaza in 1956. Yes, the kids are adorable, but I love that “Be A Fireman” sign!

This shot of the Omnibus at the base of Snow Hill (which would eventually become The Matterhorn) also shows the House of the Future. I believe this shot is from December 1957. Construction of the House of the Future didn’t start until January 1957, and the other shots from this batch show Christmas decor.

Two gents survey Disneyland from Snow Hill...without the Snow.

Look at the crowd of folks near the House of the Future! And of course the little boy in the Tom Sawyer hat.

From the same batch as the previous photo we move over to Tomorrowland to see the ever popular Clock of the World.

Now a closer look (as always):

Besides the nuns, check out the Noel decor on front of the Hall of Chemistry and the Kaiser Aluminum sign. This is the first time I’d noticed that sign; checking my collection though, I realized I have a color shot of it!

See more Disneyland Tomorrowland photos at my main website.

Speeding on the Autopia, 1958

At first glance, this shot is a throwaway. Blurry Autopia vehicle...bleh.

Thanks to the source being the original black and white negative, a tight crop yields this wonderful image showing Snow Hill and the Skyway. That's right...you are looking at the future location of The Matterhorn.



More vintage and current Disneyland Autopia photos at my main website.

Skyway Madness

Anyone in the mood for a Skyway blowout? Let's start with an image from 1956, when the Skyway attraction at Disneyland first began operation. What? No Matterhorn? That's correct. Just a big mound of dirt, which came from where the Castle is. It had to go somewhere to make room for the foundation and the moat. I guess that kind of makes it royal dirt.

The rest of today's images are from August, 1959.



Call me a Peeping Tom if you'd like, but I love looking into the buckets and getting a closer view. You can also see the Richfield Autopia Eagle on the right side of the frame.





This detailed view provides a better look at the Astrojet attraction.



On first glance, this one kind of stinks because of the bar running down the center of the frame.



With a little cropping, it becomes a magnificent overhead view of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship.



Tuna boats for all!

See more vintage Disneyland Skyway photos my main website.

The Boy On The Hill

These two rare photos show a little boy standing where the Matterhorn would eventually be constructed. Dubbed Holiday Hill, Snow Hill, Lookout Mountain, and even Lover's Lane, this little mountain constructed of dirt from the Castle moat gives a lovely view of Tomorrowland. Although these photos were dated January 1961, they must have been reprints, as the Matterhorn was already built by that time.



More Holiday Hill and Matterhorn photos at my main website.

The Viewliner and The Skyway

So many great things to see in this March 1958 image! Vintage Skyway buckets, Holiday/Snow Hill (which would eventually morph into the Matterhorn), The Richfield Autopia Eagle, and BOTH Viewliner Stations! Here you can see the Tomorrowland Viewliner Station:



and in the background, the Fantasyland Station:



See more vintage Skyway images at my main website.

House of the Future Anniversary

58 years ago today, the Monsanto House of the Future was unveiled to guests at Disneyland. The Disneyland Marching Band was on hand to drum up a little excitement about this big white plastic marvel.



Able to identify these Disney-related folks?



And to think this is where it all started:



Note the Richfield Autopia sign, Skyway bucket, and Snow Hill in the background:



See more of this wacky plastic house on my main website.

Riding to Holiday Hill

While I continue to process the 2,000+ photos I shot last weekend, I will dip into the past and do a post on Disneyland's Holiday Hill. Created from the dirt that had to be removed to create the Sleeping Beauty Castle moat, Holiday Hill was a 20' high Lovers' Lane. Shot #1 is from 1958 and was taken from a Skyway bucket. Zooming in for a close-up, you can see the yellow Horseless Carriage…and it's headed out of Central Plaza and getting ready to circle Holiday Hill!



That's right…back in the day, the Main Street vehicles ventured further into the Park and gave guests a longer ride.



Climb your way over to my main website and see more Disneyland Matterhorn photos.

1950's Disneyland Gems, Pt. 6

Standing in Central Plaza, Disneyland guests of the 1950s were at the border of Tomorrowland. The gleaming white plastic Monsanto House of the Future is the main focal point of this slide:



MY main point of interest in this image is the entrance to Snow Hill. Walking up the small set of steps, guests could climb a little mound of earth and neck the afternoon away. The Matterhorn would eventually take this spot over and change all of that!



How about this Skyway shot? Taken as the buckets floated over Snow Hill, you can see Tomorrowland ahead (the Autopia, the Space Bar…)



and even get the briefest glimpse of the blue Viewliner and the Tomorrowland Viewliner station:



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