Dumbo The Flying Elephant: Picking A Winner

Apparently, poor manners are not something that the modern-day guest at Disneyland holds the franchise on. Even back in 1958 (September 3rd to be exact), a guest is caught "picking a winner" near the Dumbo Flying Elephant attraction in Fantasyland.



Moving on to more pleasant things, also from 1958 comes this sparkling image showing the Dumbo attraction and the Ticket Booth:



For our first zoom-in, you can see Timothy Q. Mouse on top of the mirror ball.



Timothy is still there today, although the mirror ball has been replaced with a much less exciting striped balloon basket:



Timothy in motion:



Back to the 1958 image with a close-up of the Ticket Booth itself:



See more vintage & current Disneyland Dumbo The Flying Elephant attraction photos on my Dumbo web page.

See's: A VERY Happy Habit!

For as long as I can remember, See's Candies were part of the holidays and other times of life that my family celebrated. Founded (and still headquartered) in California, See's Candies has been around since 1921. Those of us from the West Coast are familiar with their slogan, "A Happy Habit!" One bite of their candy and you'll be hooked, thanks to their commitment to sticking to the finest, freshest ingredients, with no preservatives. Other brands may be more famous, but I have yet to taste one that begins to match See's.



In this vintage shot that a rep from See's was kind enough to share, you can see the line of people waiting to enter one of the famous black and white shops, where every guest is allowed to sample a free piece of chocolate.

When my family moved out east to Philadelphia in 1966, I was comforted to know that there would be at least two times a year that I'd be able to enjoy my beloved See's. At Christmas, my Grandmother would typically ship (or personally deliver!) a 2-5 pound box of chocolates that disappeared quickly as we hungrily devoured it. Our annual trips back to San Diego in the summer meant that I would find a pad of drawing paper and a box of See's waiting for me at my Grandmother's home.



Going to visit a See's Candy store with my Grandmother was a huge treat. The stores were (and still are) immaculate, and the ladies who worked there were impeccably dressed in their starched white uniforms. They were always gracious, always generous with samples, and always smiled at every guest. My eyes popped out of my head as I saw some of my favorite flavors behind the counter, like Kona Mocha and Apricot Delight, just to name a few.

From the See's website, here's their story:

When Charles See arrived in Los Angeles from Canada in 1921 to try his hand at the confection business, he decided that no image would better reflect the personality of his fledgling venture than that of his mother. Apart from using her recipes as a foundation, See knew that keeping things in the family was the only way to bring about the kind of lovingly crafted product he desired.

See along with his mother and his wife, Florence, opened the first See's Candies shop and kitchen on Western Avenue in Los Angeles in November of 1921. The sparkling clean, black and white shop was designed to resemble Mary See's home kitchen. Benefiting from the wide acceptance of an unusually high quality candy, See's was able to grow steadily from that first shop in Los Angeles to twelve shops by the mid-1920's and thirty shops during the depression. By 1936, See's was able to expand to San Francisco. Mary See died in 1939 at the age of 85, but the company's ability to adjust to changing times - without abandoning the passion for quality and service that Mary See represented - kept it going strong throughout the decades to come.

Following World War II, See's Candy Shops grew as California grew, and the See's family continued the tradition, opening up shops throughout the state. In the 50's, See's established itself with the new and growing phenomenon of shopping malls. See's customers continued to recognize the See's Candies product for its quality and taste, and continued to visit See's old-fashioned black and white shops, enjoying a visit to a time past where service was paramount.

In 1972, the See's family sold the company to Berkshire Hathaway Inc., presided over by Chairman Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charles Munger. Utilizing his philosophy of acquiring solid companies where he could follow his "hands off" policy, Warren Buffett installed Charles N. Huggins as President and CEO. Charles Huggins dedicated himself to the continuance of the company he joined in 1951, guiding it with the old-fashioned values set by Charles See until his retirement at the end of 2005. He is succeeded by current See's President and CEO, Brad Kinstler, a longtime Berkshire Hathaway team member.

Today, "California's Famous Old Time Candies®" are sold in over two hundred shops throughout the West, a true sign of their enduring popularity. And, to this day, Charles See's living motto, "Quality Without Compromise®" continues to guide the company.

I love introducing friends to See's, like my friend Rob from Indiana University who traveled with me to San Diego for Spring Break during my Senior Year in 1986.



Savoring a See's lollipop, he almost forgot the cast on his leg!



The windows are always festively decorated at See's, too; who could resist walking into such a beautiful shop?



As proof of their place in pop culture, even Barbie commemorated my favorite chocolate company:



To order the best chocolates and establish a VERY happy habit, visit the See's website at sees.com.

UPDATE! Frequent Daveland contributor Lee (aka Cox Pilot) has submitted two photos from a recent visit to See's at South Coast Plaza; I know those black and white checked floors anywhere!



Mom and her two daughters are displaying their treasures! If Lee's family is anything like mine, i'll bet they didn't last long!



See more vintage & current Daveland photos on my photography web pages.

Driving With The Dinosaurs

If this scene looks familiar, it should. Those of you who have taken the Grand Circle Tour on the Disneyland Railroad have most likely enjoyed seeing this tableau featuring the triceratops and their babies hatching out of the eggs. But the car...what the heck is that doing in this image? Photoshop magic? Nope; not on this one. Instead, you are seeing this attraction in its original state from The 1964-1965 Worlds Fair in New York.

Called The Ford Magic Skyway, this attraction was sponsored (naturally!) by The Ford Motor Company. Guests were seated in a brand-spanking new Ford from which they were able to view the dioramas. The Ford sponsorship didn't transfer to Disneyland, but the concept of guests riding in slow moving cars did, and thus, The PeopleMover came to be.

This particular scene doesn't look a whole lot different today, proving that oldies can still be goodies!



See more vintage & current Disneyland Primeval World Diorama photos on my Primeval World web page.

Astrojets and Snow Hill, 1958

This 1958 image shows the Astrojets at the back of Tomorrowland. Its' hard to believe this is Disneyland; virtually no crowds and there is plenty of undeveloped space. In the background you can see the Skyway Buckets. But where's The Matterhorn? Too early; it is about a year away from its appearance in the park. Instead, Snow Hill is what guests floated over in their Skyway Buckets.

Zooming in, we see this little girl who doesn't seem to want to listen to whatever instructions her father is attempting to give her.



I missed this one, but sharp-eyed reader PsySocDisney noted that the Viewliner is also visible in this shot:



To see a better look of what Snow Hill/Holiday Hill/Lookout Mountain looked like, here are two previously published photos from December 1956 from a Skyway bucket.



Plenty of room for a Matterhorn or a House of the Future here.



This black and white shot is an even better one showing Snow Hill, aka Lover's Lane.



Imagine this amount of real estate at Disneyland completely empty. Just trees. No moneymaking opportunity, and no attraction. Hard to fathom.

See more vintage Disneyland Astro Jets photos on my Astro Jets web page.

The Furniture of the Haunted Mansion

In a May 1969 publication, just months before the August 9 opening, Disneyland's Haunted Mansion was mentioned in an article about the Cuban Sculptor who carves the furniture that can still be seen today.

The first photo in the article shows him working on the chair for the ballroom that seats the lady blowing out the candles:



For Ciro Rolando Santana y Arrite, a soft-spoken, wiry little Cuban sculptor of extraordinary talent, a temporary position at Disneyland has become a springboard to the fulfillment of a longtime dream — to bring his family from an adopted home in Puerto Rico to the United States and continue his career as a sculptor.

Rolando Santana came to this country yearly in 1969. He had been at Disneyland for only a few weeks when the word went out from WED that new projects required the talents of an additional sculptor.

Rolando went to WED for an interview, presented his credentials, and was promptly made a member of the WED Imagineering staff.

The sculptor's work has been exhibited in many countries throughout the Americas and in Spain. For two decades, art and educational publications have featured articles on his works.

Rolando received his formal art training as a student for seven years at Havana's St. Alexander's National School of Fine Arts and two years at the Havana Center of Fine Arts.



Adept in sculpturing all media, Rolando has begun the resumption of his career at WED by carving wooden furniture and ornamentation for Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

While one part of Rolando's dream became a reality, the other part came true in May when his wife and three children joined him in their new home in the United States.

I have attempted to find some of the pieces shown in the vintage article and was able to match a few, like the first photo in this article and this Gryphon seen in the loading queue which is the second image from left in the quartet of small images above:



This doorway in the corridor matches the handle shown in image 4 from the article:





Photo #1 from the quartet of pics in the article is a closeup of the newel post located near the Gryphon (thanks to Dan Olson for alerting me!).



Dan Olson apparently knows my collection of photos better than I do (or most likely is more patient when looking!) and found this match to the tombstone in mini picture 3:





See more vintage & current Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos on my Haunted Mansion web pages.

My Name Is Dave and I'm A Signaholic

I have a slew of Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant photos, and if you've read my blog even somewhat consistently, you've probably been bored by seeing them frequently posted here. Still, when I had the chance to acquire this shot, I was very excited as it afforded a fantastic view of the entry sign that I did not possess. Yes, the signage geek in me took over. I especially love vintage signs, with their handcrafted appeal. These signs from the past were actually touched and lovingly created by the artisan; no computer shortcuts here. Lettering by hand. A beautiful one-of-a-kind light fixture. The subtle Captain Hook's Hook that holds the sign...this little piece is brilliant.

A Deviled Ham Sandwich is only 35¢. Chances are you wouldn't find this item at any theme park today, let alone for 35¢. A Peanut Butter Sandwich is 30¢; I wonder if jelly is extra? I could make a joke about guests being welcomed to visit Captain's Poopdeck, but I'll leave that up to you, the reader.



Here is a previously posted view of Paco himself. The little boy looks a bit wary of Paco. I probably would be too. He doesn't look like one cracker could fill his belly!



See more vintage & current Disneyland Chicken of the Sea Pirates Ship Restaurant photos on my Chicken of the Sea web page.

Valley Forge: History In My Backyard

It is definitely true that your environment shapes you as a person. Growing up, I was only minutes away from Valley Forge National Historic Park in Pennsylvania, the location of the American Continental Army's military camp during the winter of 1777–1778. When we moved to Philadelphia in Winter 1966, Valley Forge was one of the first places my family visited.

Here, my father attempts to get my attention in front of one of the reconstructed cabins that dot the park. Too late; even at the age of 2, I was thoroughly ensconced in the wonder of this historic structure.



Every spring, we would typically visit Valley Forge to see the blooming of the Dogwoods. The beautiful blooms were a welcome sign that winter was over.



I loved it when my dad would take me to the park, sketchbook and markers in hand.



Zooming in, I can see that I was attempting to draw a nearby statue of George Washington.



The statue is still there today:



During high school, the park was the perfect place to hang out with friends. Picnics, frisbee tossing...what a beautiful setting.





This vintage June 1956 image shows Washington's Headquarters; it was a bit more civilized than the crude cabins that the soldiers had to stay in.



Flashing forward to the present, here's how his Headquarters looks today:





See more vintage & current Valley Forge, Pennsylvania photos on my Valley Forge web page.

Evil Contraptions For Rent

They are the bane of my visits to Disneyland. Those not-so-little contraptions that parents load up with every toy and gadget known to man. Back in the day, strollers were just big enough to do what they were intended to do: help parents get around town with their young children without the burden of having to physically carry them. What a great idea! This vintage shot shows the area that guests could rent strollers from.

Zooming in, you see a father attempting to figure out how to use the stroller. Mom will probably have to show him how!



To accompany this photo, here's an article from The Disneyland Line Newsletter, June 29, 1978:

While Strolling Through the Park One Day...

Among the many services that Disneyland provides for its guests is the facility that helps put our non-ambulatory visitors on wheels: the Stroller and Wheelchair Shop. With 1500 strollers and over 100 wheelchairs to clean, repair and rent out to guests, the location's Merchandise Hosts and Hostesses have plenty to keep them busy.
When a guest pays his or her $1.00 fee and $1.00 deposit for a stroller or wheelchair, he or she expects to be given a sturdy, clean and pushable unit. The Hosts and Hostesses at the Stroller Shop strive to see that every expectation is fulfilled and exceeded. A pool of available vehicles is fed from the neat stacks of folded strollers in the backroom. While Stroller Shop personnel pull from these stacks, they make sure that all units are operational.

Most stroller repairs are done in the Shop by the Stroller crew. In fact, when guests' strollers suffer mishaps while in use in the Park, the Stroller Shop acts as a pit stop where minor repairs can be made. The equipment and skills utilized in the Stroller Shop have become more and more sophisticated. Don Carter, day Working Leader, explains that this increase in repair knowledge and abilities has resulted in a 70-75% decrease in the number of strollers that need to be sent out of the Park for repairs. Don adds that there is a feeling of accomplishment in fixing a stroller and making it usable, and says, "A repaired stroller is a thing of beauty."
Until recently, guests were asked to leave a form of identification when renting strollers, so that they would bring the units back. Now, however, the new procedure of keeping $1.00 as collateral speeds up the stroller-return process at the end of the night.

"The nights are very different from the days," explains night Working Leader Charlie Moss. While the day cre is kept busy repairing and renting out strollers, the night crew seems to get all the units back at one time, right after the Electrical Parade. Then they have to be cleaned, broken down and stacked.
The Stroller Shop, once staffed only by Merchandise Hosts, now is operated by a crew that includes many Merchandise Hostesses as well. The girls like the non-stop hustle and bustle that the shop provides, and find that the lifting and pushing help to keep them in shape.

The Stroller and Wheelchair Shop accomodates those guests who require their own mobile units to enjoy the Park. So, when guests want to get "pushy," send them to the Stroller Shop.

Today, strollers are much larger and parents pay less attention to the guests that they constantly bump into, block, or worse yet...run over their feet! Please Disney...create an annual Stroller-Free Day—I'd be first in line!



See more vintage & current Disneyland entrance area photos on my Disneyland entrance web page.