“A” is for Adventureland

When you have no idea what to post, this is what you do. Vintage Disneyland by the alphabet. This random assortment begins with a July 18, 1955 shot of Adventureland showing Casa de Huespedes (which stands for “guesthouse”) in the background.



My most recent corresponding shot is from 2011 (yikes!); it appears the thatched roof took up too much space and was eliminated at some point.



In March 1958, the Disneyland Bandstand had been moved from Main Street to Adventureland (approximately where Indiana Jones now resides).



One of the many events held there was this Ken-L-Ration dog show with Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.



An earlier shot of the Bandstand sans landscaping.



I wonder if this guest took the opportunity to serenade with a song while enjoying the Bandstand all to herself?



Adventureland was full of Tiki sculptures, as evidenced by this May 1961 photo:



Have to zoom in for this one to get a closer look at the base, which was sculpted to look like a palm tree trunk.



This tired and tatted gent proudly displays a brochure and ticket book in his pocket.



I’d show you what the 1961 brochure looks like, but then I’d be encroaching on the “Bs.”

See more Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.

Where's My Tiki?

This September 1959 shot of a gent standing next to a Tiki statue got me wondering; what happened to it? This next shot from January 1959 looks like the same statue, but with a different paint job. Is it the same one but moved to a different location, or were there multiple versions of the same carving?



This dark June 1958 image would make one think that there were either three of these in the Park or else this guy really got moved around a lot!



This September 1962 shot is the most recent one in my collection; after that, it would seem that this poor guy got booted out of Disneyland. Anyone out there know his story?



More Adventureland fun at my main website.

MORE Gems from Disneyland August 1961

A few more from the August 1961 collection of vintage Disneyland images, starting off with a shot of the Fred Gurley. It's always fun to get a closer look at the cast members of yore.



Our 1961 photographer seemed to like Adventureland and the decor at the entrance.



I had to get a better look at the mask at the top of the entrance sign:



I am in Tiki heaven with this shot:



After admiring the tiki statue my eyes went right towards the signage:



Before moving on to other adventures, the photographer shot one more in this area:



This one was dubbed: "The Castle Fairyland." Well...close.



This double exposed shot is still lots of fun.



How about that TWA bag; wonder if she was a stewardess. Oh, excuse me...flight attendant.



From the Skyway bucket we have this view of Cinderella's Castle from the Storybook Land attraction:



A closer look at the village below:



This inscription on the slide has me intrigued: "Riverboat ride even served mint juleps on the ride." Anyone out there remember beverages being served aboard the Twain?



Another shot of the Twain taken from dry land:



Zooming in to the raft that transported guests to Tom Sawyer's Island:



This one was labeled: "Indian camps along river on the riverboat ride."



This closeup is all about the signage, not the stroller.



A shot from the dock of the Jungle Cruise:



Zooming in we can see that it's the Congo Queen:



This one was labeled: "Jungle ride was so dark!"



Hope you enjoyed this amazing set of vintage images from 1961! More vintage (and current!) Disneyland photos at my main website.

13 Tikis

The word "Tiki" is bandied about loosely, and I would hazard a guess that most people (including myself) have no idea what it really means. So here's what I found: according to Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of a daughter, Hine-kau-ataata. The first clouds appeared at the time she was born. To celebrate my newfound understanding of "Tiki," I am featuring 13 images from my collection of Tiki/Tribal statues/carvings at Disneyland. Feast your eyes on these amazing photos!









Walt looks perplexed:















One semi-current image to show that I am not stuck in the past!



See more Daveland Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.

Tiki in Adventureland

For all you Tiki-nuts out there (and I know there are a few), here's a May 1961 shot of a rarely seen Tiki figure located in Adventureland.

Zooming in for a better look, it appears as if the figure is springing to life from the base of a concrete palm tree.



Meanwhile, the gent on the left doesn't seem all too comfortable about being in this photograph. Still, it's nice to see the brochure and attraction ticket in his shirt pocket! I assume his left hand is clutching a leather-cased camera.

Want to see what’s in his pocket? Of course you do:

The pink block of color is from a ticket book.

How many of you would put this Tiki statue in your backyard?

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