February 1970 at Disneyland, Pt. 2

It’s back to February 1970, starting with a shot from the Pack Mule attraction at Disneyland. That’s right folks…real live animals were part of an attraction at the Park. This image gives a nice back view of Rainbow Ridge. I believe that’s a Kodak picture spot sign visible in the detailed view below:



The family must have taken a raft to Tom Sawyer Island; here’s a very Brady shot with a Cindy wannabe on the far right:



Over in Town Square, the kids got to meet Eeyore in front of the Opera House:



Just in case you want to see the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln poster in the background:



Tigger! It was a Winnie the Pooh kind of day, apparently. I assume (which can be dangerous) that this is also in Town Square since sequentially that would make sense.



Both Tigger and Eyeore in one shot:



I had to zoom in for a detail of the “hunny” pot; what’s sticking out of the tree? Is that another critter?



Mickey without the cane that we saw on Monday:



I hope he picked a good one.



Look into my eyes if you dare…



The moms wanted their chance with Winnie:



Another closeup of the “hunny” pot:



A better overall detailed view of the Lincoln poster:



Here’s a non-related shot from April 1970 at the entrance featuring poor Eyeore:



By 1970, the Skyway buckets had gone from round to semi-square:



Bucket number one on the left; anyone care to ride 23? That’s the one with our February 1970 family:



The last one to share was from the same batch; again, I “assume” it’s along the Rivers of America, but I couldn’t quite place it. Bueller? Bueller?



See more vintage and (semi) contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.

Christmas Memories, Pt. 2

Christmas day was always wonderful, but the anticipation of the night before was even more magical. Of course, there would be lots of photos taken, and my grandmother was typically on hand as well. The highlight of Christmas Eve was the reading of "The Night Before Christmas." At the feet of my brothers is the book that was brought out annually for the traditional reading.



Many years later, when I saw the same distinctive edition illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, I was overcome with a wave of nostalgia and immediately bought it (not sure what happened to the copy that my mom had).



Here's one of mom reading us Clement Moore's famous story:



There were stockings to be hung; my brother Jim's had been knitted by a family friend. Eventually, all three of us would have our own.



Zooming in, you can see the vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder that my dad had set-up to capture a few unscripted "kids say the darndest things" moments.



Here, my dad is attempting to explain to my brothers about my impending birth. I think they were more excited about the presents under the tree.



Naturally, my brothers were very angelic the night before the gift distribution occurred; the threat of coal in the stockings was very real from my parents!



Most of the presents were put out the night before, and all three of us would attempt to guess what was inside the wrapped boxes. There were a few gifts that magically appeared after we went to bed; those were the REALLY special ones...the ones that Santa would leave. Perhaps Bobo the Clown was one of those; I'm sure the wagon and scooter were.



My brothers were still looking angelic the next morning, sporting matching Santa outfits. Another tradition was that each person would take turns playing Santa and handing out the gifts. Mom was pretty careful to make sure that there were an equal amount for all under the tree.



My brother's reaction to the phonograph would be typical of what little kids today would have; what the heck is that contraption?!?



Once the unwrapping began, things got a little crazier. You could see wrapping paper and ribbon for days!



Most of the gifts were hits, especially these toy automobile dashboards.



Wow...my brothers were the envy of the neighborhood with these!



Just look at those delighted faces!



These teddy bears were a big success, too; have you ever seen another bear get so much lovin'?



And then there were the gifts that didn't go over so well. Take a look at the pitiful expression on my brother's face.



A few years after we moved back east, the family traveled back to San Diego to spend Christmas with my grandmother. Despite the plane trip, the stockings and other annual traditions were upheld. Note the plate of cookies for Santa with the accompanying note. I still remember the wonderment I felt when I noticed that there ashes from the fireplace on the carpet. Santa must have found us!



One of my favorite gifts was the matching Winnie the Pooh and Piglet set. They were a wonderful souvenir from my very first trip to Disneyland just a few days before!



Don't forget to put out your plate of cookies tonight!

See more vintage & current Daveland photos on my main website.

April 1977, Pt. 6

Welcome to Fantasyland, circa April 1977. For the first shot, all I can do is scratch my head. Whatever this train thing is supposed to be, it sure does look cheap and out of place at Disneyland. I'll just chalk it up to the polyester decade.

The Tinkerbell Toy Shop seems to have Pooh fever!



Let's peep into those windows, shall we?



And the shop itself:



This Skyway shot of Skull Rock is real gem; I still think this was some of the best faux rock work that I have ever seen at the resort:



Casey Jr. will help us exit today's post.



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

Disneyland in focus: Country Bear Jamboree

This guest favorite was located in Bear Country (now known as Critter Country) from 1972–2001. Thanks to the miracle of audio animatronics, guests could see a stage full of bears singing their hearts out multiple times a day. The first few shots here show some of the original models for the characters, such as the Five Bear Rugs. Pictured left to right in the front row are Tennessee, Zeke (the leader), and Baby Oscar. In the back row we have Fred, Ted, and Zeb. Shot #2 shows the Sun Bonnet Trio.



Probably one of the favorite characters in the show was Big Al:



And in this publicity photo, we can see the real Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah singing “All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down.”



This slightly blurred photo from July 1978 was taken “live!”



“Tears Will Be the Chaser For My Wine” was sung by Trixie:



Here we have Henry, the host, and his sidekick, Gomer:



In a nice touch of recycling, Max, Buff (the voice of Thurl Ravenscroft), and Melvin “live on” in the Winne the Pooh attraction in Critter Country, although they are not easily seen. Guests have to look behind them to see these three tacked onto the wall high above.



If you miss the CBJ, you can always head to WDW to see them in person, where they’ve been performing since October 1, 1971.

See more vintage Country Bear Jamboree photos at my regular website.