Disneyland Population, Pt. 3

The “population” (aka guest count) at Disneyland hit 75,000,000 in September 1969 (as seen in my previous post). The number by November 1970 on the Main Street Train station had increased to 95,000,000:



For the 100,000,000 mark, Valerie Suldo was the honored guest to achieve that milestone number, shown with Disneyland Marketing Director Jack Lindquist on June 17, 1971:



A color shot from July 1972, still at 100,000,000.



The lady in front of the Mickey floral looks like she could have been the SNL Church Lady’s long-lost twin.



December 1976 saw an increase up to 150,000,000 along with another change from my previous photos; the clock that once said Timex was now sponsored by Elgin:



Something else you may notice is the removal of the Santa Fe logo from the station.



November 1978: 157,000,000





April 1980 saw the number soar to 175,000,000:



Note the blue and white bunting and stripes on the train to commemorate Disneyland’s 25th Anniversary.



August 1980: 192,000,000



August 1985: 250,000,000



June 1987: 263,000,000





The clock sponsorship changed once again; this time to Lorus:



May 1993 marks the first shot in this series that came from MY camera (and includes me). Population is now up to 300,000,000.





In October 1995 the number was still frozen at 300,000,000 in this photo that I snapped:



…AND the sponsorship of the clock was gonzo.



What happened with the population numbers after 2000? Come back to find out in part four!

See more Disneyland population numbers at my main website.

Wednesday WOW: 100 Millionth Guest

Some of you might remember my post from September where I posted an unidentified (to me at least!) photo of a guest with Disneyland Marketing Director Jack Lindquist, standing at the podium at Main Street Train Station. It wasn’t long before a reader identified the mystery girl as Valerie Suldo (sorry, Major - I know you were hoping it was bachelorette #1), 100 millionth guest of Disneyland, in June 1971. I was able to get in touch with Valerie and she was kind enough to send these additional photos from that memorable day.

Here, Pluto, Mickey, and Goofy are changing the sign at the Main Street Train Station. I don’t believe this is something I’ve ever seen in a photo or in person...always wondered who changed the number, how often, and when it occurred.



Here’s Valerie in Town Square looking like a pageant winner with her sash!



Valerie looks like a celebrity being mobbed in this shot that includes the other not-so-lucky guests of the day and Mickey:



Personally, this type of thing is truly a wow. To be able to put something unknown on the web, have it identified in a matter of hours, and then be put in contact with the person in the photo (which was taken 30+ years ago!) is just amazing to me. Another reason to be thankful for this blog and my readers.

See more Disneyland Main Street Train Station photos at my website.

Who Am I and Why Am I at the Podium?

Any of you Disneyland knowledge geeks out there care to take a stab as to who the people in this photo are and what vintage? About the only thing I can tell you is that it’s 11:15am!

See more Disneyland photos at my website.

More from the Disney Family Museum:

Gallery 10 — Remembering Walt Disney:

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. Reactions from around the world, in newspaper articles, editorial comment, and letters and telegrams present an appreciation of the joy, hope, and inspiration Walt provided to millions of people around the world.



In addition to this, The Walt Disney Family Museum is launching its public events program with a series of screenings, lectures, and concerts. Highlights include a special concert—featuring a number of well-known Disney classics—at Davis Symphony Hall with the San Francisco Symphony on October 16.

Click to download the October events release PDF

Download a factsheet on the museum.

Download a factsheet on the San Francisco Symphony Concert here.