Early Disneyland, Pt. 2

Welcome back to Disneyland, 1955. The last post left you at the gates of Adventureland. Today, we venture deep into the Jungle! First to come in view is this rare Rhino, no longer visible on the JC attraction. The natives in shot #2 look purty darn threatening! Let’s keep our boat moving!



Two shots returning to the dock and the lanai:





Now I am bored; what else is there to do around here?!? Hey, about the Indian Village, which is situated between Adventureland & Frontierland (before it was moved to the area that is now Critter Country).





Here’s a cute one of a little guest wearing his favorite Davy Crockett T-Shirt; he couldn’t wait to go to Disneyland and display it proudly. Of course I have included a close-up of the shirt:





Have no fear; we’re not done with 1955 yet; come back tomorrow for more! To see more vintage & current Disneyland photos, visit my website.

Early Disneyland, Pt. 1

Although undated, I am hazarding a guess that this batch is from 1955. Our photographer has entered the park and his first shot is Town Square. The patriotic bunting on the lightposts tells us it must be summer! Sure do miss those Keystone Kops; great atmosphere. Other than the Dapper Dans, you don’t see too many costumed characters from the past on Main Street anymore. Our Horse-Drawn Streetcar has just dropped us off at Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Central Plaza. Things look barrren in the background; no Snow White Waterfall, no Matterhorn...what’s a guest to do?!?



Looks like Adventureland is the first choice of lands to visit; here’s the backside of the entry gate. What?!? No Dole Whip stand? That just ain’t right. Stay tuned tomorrow for more from this batch.



To see more vintage & current Disneyland photos, visit my website.

Blurred Gems, Pre-1965: Rivers of America

Board the Mark Twain for a tour of the Rivers of America. So much to see and do here, yet also a wonderful place to sit back and relax while this beautiful riverboat takes around Tom Sawyer Island. Speaking of TSI, here’s a closeup of the Old Mill. Sorry signage geeks, the shot is too blurry to zoom in for detail. So for now, just pretend this slide is a Monet, stand back, and squint. You might get better results.



Another one from TSI; not sure, but this could be the 3 Falls described in the original TSI brochure: “Legend tells us that many moons ago, lightning struck this tree and caused three waterfalls to spring from its roots…and The 3 Falls became the headwaters of the Rivers of America.”



Another mode of transportation for the Rivers of America is this long-gone Keelboat:



And if you still need more variety, how about a canoe, or the Columbia?



Last one from this series shows the Nature’s Wonderland Mine Train passing the falls of Cascade Peak.



To see more vintage and current Rivers of America photos, visit my website.

Blurred Gems, Pre-1965: Fantasyland

These undated transparencies are pre-1965; how do I know that? One of the easiest ways to try to determine a vintage Disneyland slide’s age is by the Skyway; if it’s a round bucket, you know that the slide is somewhere between 1956 & 1965...these are the little things you learn along the way to becoming a Disneyland geek. The fact that these people are sitting behind the ship in the landscaped Skull Rock Cove area knocks it down to the 1960–1965 range. At some point, I will probably get even geekier and be able to narrow it down further, but for know, my geekdom leaves us with a five-year span. Damn, that was long-winded. Back to our blurry collection...this couple is enjoying their lunch behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant under the shade of striped awnings. In the rear, we can see the spire of Cinderella’s Castle at Storybook Land. Image #2 shows the rear of the COTS ship and the bridge that takes you to the dining area, with Skull Rock’s profile on the far left.



Image #3 is one of those that just misses; before digital cameras, there was no way of knowing how your shot was going to turn out, and in this case, something got in the way of the lens. Still, it’s a cool shot of a bird in its cage in the dining area. I wonder if the bird talked? That could have made for some interesting salty pirate-speak for the kiddies!



If it weren’t for the color of his hair, I’d say this was Ralphie from “A Christmas Story”; poor kid is stuck with a dwarf, when all he really wants is a Red Ryder BB Gun. Uh-oh Ralphie...watch out for that stroller coming up behind you!



Last two for today are from Storyboook Land, featuring Pinocchio’s Village & Cinderella’s Castle:





To see more vintage Fantasyland photos, visit my website.

Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Rededication

December 23, 1960: The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant was rechristened when the area that it resided in was “plussed.” Here you can see the COTS Mermaid christening the vessel with...champagne at Disneyland?!? Or maybe just a bottle of sparkling apple juice! Looking on with smiles (and possibly one grimace) are Gilbert Van Camp Jr., Walt (as in Disney), and Gilbert Van Camp Sr. Afterwards, you would have thought it was a Madonna concert judging by the crowds of people hungry to get inside. Okay, so I exaggerate just a tad. Knowing about those Tuna Salad Boats inside, I am sure they were at least hungry.



So what was added you ask? Originally, the Ship was anchored in barely enough water to surround it; nothing fancy at all, as can be seen in this October 1956 Skyway view:



Here’s a November 1960 construction shot showing the area being renovated:



Last but not least, here is an October 1969 shot showing the upgraded Skull Rock Cove and seating area that turned this spot of Fantasyland into a lovely area to rest, relax, and eat:



To see more vintage Chicken of the Sea photos, visit my website.

iasw, Devlin-Style, June 1969, pt. 2

Before we begin with the interior shots from June 1969, here are 3 from a Devlin trip taken in January 1968, some similar to yesterday’s posting, but taken with a 35mm camera instead of a 126. For you non-camera geeks, that's a good thing. Shot #1 also shows a train at the Fantasyland Depot. What a great way to sell this attraction; you hear the music and see the interesting exterior as you ride through on your Santa Fe excursion car. I am sure many have made a mental note, “Let’s come back and see what that’s all about.” Same thing occurs over in Frontierland as the train passes through a musical portion of Splash Mountain. Back to iasw, shots #2 & #3 from the Devlins show more topiary treats.





And finally, some interior shots of varying quality showing iasw from June 1969:















This morning, as I did my daily reading of Disney blogs, I came across yet another lament on the impending changes that have been rumored for iasw. Can I stress rumor enough? Probably not. Nobody from Disney has officially honored or given credence to these leaks, most from a guy with a combover; in fact, they have bent over backwards to deny them and reassure iasw fans that any changes made during this refurbishment will honor the Blair Legacy, which seems to be one of the hot spots that has set so many off. What a marketing bonanza this has been; in the short term, many will ride this attraction for the first time just to see what all the buzz is about; and there will be many who will ride it for the umpteenth time to examine with a microscope each little detail. Does this figure have the exact same color on her dress as it did before? Didn’t that one have 1 more button on it before? I think I am dreading this almost as much as the current mud-fest going on right now. I envision a ton of blogs posting before and after photos, comparing the most miniscule detail and pointing a finger back at the current Disney corporation, saying how they have ruined Walt and Mary Blair’s memory and that they just don’t care about the fans or World Peace or anything of value today. Personally, I think Mary Blair was an incredibly talented artist...in the 2 dimensional form. Other than the fanciful exterior, this attraction has never worked for me. The inside is akin to entering Las Vegas for the first time; an overload of sight and sound. That song that sticks in your head and refuses to leave; over and over again in every key imaginable. The explosion of color; the slightly creepy dolls/animatronic figures...it has always left me cold. One of my coworkers, a brilliant photographer and creative graphic designer, refuses to go on it. She hates it that much. Yet even so, I respect the opinion of those who worship it, and do hope that they will like the result of this refurbishment. Disneyland is a special place, and I hate to read so much anger being directed at it, especially over a ride that is supposed to symbolize World Peace. How ironic. And to think it all started here.



To see more vintage & current Disneyland photos, visit my website.

iasw, Devlin-Style, June 1969

It’s back to the Devlin Family; previously, they shared with us their view of Nature’s Wonderland, Storybook Land, and “New” Tomorrowland. Today, we will see their family photos of It’s A Small World (iasw for all you Disneyland geeks!) attraction building, which is my favorite part of the entire ride (I know, I should be boiled in oil for that one). No discussion of any future changes necessary; this post is just a look at the ride as it was in 1969. Shot #2 is revelatory for me; you don’t realize just how flat the show building is until you see a side-view like this, taken from the PeopleMover.



A few closeups, including the way-cool clock:





Ah, the angst of being a fast-growing teen wearing floods...



And last but not least, a closeup of that wacky topiary:



Tomorrow we’ll take a sneak peek of the inside of this legendary attraction. To see more vintage & current Small World photos, visit my website.

Angels Flight

Built in 1901, the Angels Flight Railway in Los Angeles had the designation of being the shortest railway in the world. It has been moved, closed, reopened, and closed again, and hopefully one day, it will carry passengers up and down in the Bunker Hill area of downtown Los Angeles. First photo is a vintaged July 1963 photo, followed by a few contemporary shots of Angels Flight in its present location a few blocks away.







For more Daveland Angels Flight photos, visit my regular website.

Disneyland 1956, The Semi-Grand Finale

Today’s Trio rounds out this fabulous 1956 series, beginning with an Adventureland/Frontierland/New Orleans Street photo taken from the bridge that I believe would have gone to the original Indian Village location. This is approximately where the Treehouse is currently located. While in Adventureland, we have a Jungle Cruise dock area photo, showing the not-so-often photographed Mekong Maiden in the foreground:



The last one for this series is a lackluster view of Tomorrowland, featuring the TWA Moonliner and some gorgeous chicken wire.



To see more vintage & current Disneyland photos, visit my website.