Halloween at the Mansion!

The final day of my Halloween Haunted Mansion celebration begins quite appropriately in the ballroom. Plenty of cake for the revelers who don’t appear to be able to handle their liquor.



The organist who continually plays upon Captain Nemo’s organ is another favorite tableau of mine.



The Pepper’s ghost illusion of the dueling portraits is another brilliant gag:



Then we reach the attic. Once Constance and her looney story took over, I lost interest. Other than the shadow of the ghost who plays the piano. Ever noticed him?



Oh please make this hot mess of a projection go away.



The Hatbox Ghost at the end of the attic scene does bring me a large amount of joy. I’ll give the Disney Corporation that one as a “win.”



Once we slide back down the hill in our doombuggy, we encounter the poor cemetery caretaker and his undernourished dog:



“Grim Grinning Ghosts” by X Atencio is one of those songs that’s welcome to live in my head ANY time:



The hitchhiking ghosts: that iconic trio that has raked in a few bucks in merchandise for the Disney Corporation:



As you leave, be sure to notice the homage to Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast”:



Little Leota was probably the most intriguing part of this attraction when I was a little kid. “How did they do that?!?”



Happy Halloween to all! Take it easy on the candy and I’ll see you next month!

See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my main website.

The Motorized Fire Engine: A 55 Year Celebration!

August 16th marked the 55th Anniversary of the introduction of the Motorized Fire Engine to the Main Street, U.S.A. fleet of vehicles. Today's post is a tribute to this venerable mode of transportation, which still carries guests from Town Square to Central Plaza. According to the Disney publicity machine, Walt Disney loved to drive it around the park in the morning before opening.

Its design was inspired by a 1916 hose-carrying fire engine. The primary change we made was to place seats where the hose was carried. The Studio men designed a chassis, then pored through standard catalogues for unlikely, but practical equipment – a jeep rear axel, a three-speed truck transmission, the power plant of a small pick-up truck and standard drive-line parts. The bell and siren are authentic, purchased after considerable search. At the turn of the century, gas-driven cars were considered a novelty—and a hazard—lacking the reliability of a horse.



Here's one of Richard Nixon driving his family around Town Square during a 1961 visit:



The Eisenhower Family 1961:



A September 1965 shot of the Fire Engine parked in front of City Hall:



Zooming in for a closeup of the vehicle and its signage:



From March 1968:



It has often been used in parades, as seen in these July 15, 1968 FauxD© images:





How about this batch of Disney Legends, from a ceremony commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean, March 18, 2007? Alice Davis, X. Atencio, Harriet Burns, Blaine Gibson, and Bob Gurr:



A contemporary close-up of the Fire Engine #1 lettering:



Thanks for the many trips up and down Main Street, U.S.A.; here's to another 55 years of trusty service!

See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos on my Main Street, U.S.A. web pages.

Trip Report: Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2013 Pt. 1

I'm finally getting around to doing my trip report from the 2013 Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend. I wanted to get some shots of the park before it got too crowded, so I took the early morning train from downtown San Diego. As you can tell from this shot, the sun wasn't even out yet.



I love the architecture of this 1915 building; especially the vintage tile!



Before I knew it, Amtrak had let me off at Anaheim and I was peeking through the gates of Disney California Adventure.



It still seems funny to see crowds outside of the DCA gate matching the ones at Disneyland; I snapped a few shots through the fence before the masses were allowed in.



A lone cast member was mentally preparing for opening:



Despite the initial DCA photos, my goal was to get into Disneyland, as these two shots at the Fire Department can attest to.



So many cool knick-knacks and details to see inside.



The real treat about getting in is to be able to see Main Street, U.S.A. in all its glory. No strollers, no slobs attempting to get that last souvenir...I love it!



In this before and after shot, you can see the recent removal of the lacy "gateway" that formerly adorned the outdoor patio for Coke Corner.



I can't say I really miss it.



The sign may have said 10 minutes, but I walked on to The Jungle Cruise.



It was nice; not a soul for miles.



The boat wasn't too crowded, which made for a much more enjoyable trip. It was nice to see all my favorites, like The Ancient Shrine:



I really go ape over these guys:



Strangely, this attraction makes me crave bananas, although I can't quite figure out why.



The Skipper makes or breaks the Jungle Cruise; fortunately, we had a good one.



Anyone lolligagging around this attraction could be in for a nasty surprise.



Between the vultures and the natives, this place can be downright dangerous!



From Adventureland to New Orleans Square, I hightailed it over to the Haunted Mansion.



I couldn't wait to see my favorite attraction, Sans Skellington. The stretch portraits looked great:





Since the dead guy at the Burning Cabin is no more, I have to get my creepy thrills elsewhere.



No floating for Leota today. Again - that's just fine by me. She needs no extra trickery.



These two dueling portraits are awesome; I get a kick out of their endless feud.





Over in the attic, I attempted to shoot some props/scenery that I rarely photograph:







No matter how many times I ride the Mansion, this Crazy Constance just seems jarring.



Fortunately, the Marc Davis-style caretaker puts me back in a happy place:



As do the Grim Grinning Ghosts; what a well-done effect!



Thanks X Atencio for one of my favorite Disney songs!





I can't get enough of Little Leota; this exit affect has amazed me since day one.





NEXT STOP: The Columbia!

See more Disneyland Opening Day photos on my Opening Day photo web page.