What a difference a day makes, Aug. 28, 1965 Pt. 3

Today’s post is a quick trip through Tomorrowland and Frontierland, beginning with Alice, who seems a little out of place standing near the Clock of the World. Hopefully the Mad Hatter and the Little Pig can guide her back to Fantasyland. Surely Alice has no interest in going to the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry! Through the foliage of Tomorrowland we can see the Submarine on another journey through liquid space in shot #2:



This shot of signage for the Columbia is like a dream come true for me; how lucky can a signage geek get?!?



Finishing up today is a colorful shot of the Mark Twain:



See more vintage and current Disneyland photos at my website.

What a difference a day makes, Aug. 28, 1965 Pt. 2

Moving up Main Street, we run into the scary Mr. Hyde, of Dr. Jekyll fame. He’s out front of the Main Street Cinema, attracting (or maybe even scaring away) the guests that walk by into the air-conditioned theater. Here is another shot of Mr. Hyde from a different day:



Obviously, I’m a big Mickey Mouse fan, but the Main Street Cinema certainly had a larger feeling of authenticity when it showed actual silent movies. There’s really no reason why Mickey and the Silent Screen Stars couldn’t co-habitate in the same theater. Last one for today is an off-center photo of the Plaza Inn, which seems to focus on the trash-can and the rear-ends of the shapely guests about to enter for a Fried-Chicken dinner.



In present day Disney news, I went to see "Wall-E" this weekend. For some reason, the trailers really turned me off, and I had virtually no desire to see it. However, the fantastic buzz it has been getting changed my mind, and I'm really glad I went to see it. It’s not your typical Pixar/Disney film; in fact it has a number of chilling commentaries on people and the environment. Still, it is well done, and I am continually blown away by the emotion that the Pixar artists are able to give to the characters. I predict we’ll be seeing more of Wall-E and his romantic interest, Eve. I also enjoyed the use of 2 songs from "Hello Dolly"; mercifully, the obnoxious Barbra Streisand is not included in any of the clips shown from the film. Since I’ve never seen that movie, I had no idea that one of the songs played over and over on Main Street at Disneyland is "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" from "Dolly." This song also provides the optimistic inspiration for Wall-E. So get out of your seats and run to the theaters; "Wall-E" should not be missed!



See more vintage and current Main Street photos at my website

What a difference a day makes, Aug. 28, 1965

Named for the Dinah Washington chestnut (one of my dad’s favorite tunes), this series shows Disneyland one day after the last series. Same photographer, same copious notes. On this particular day, he just couldn’t enough of Town Square. Can you blame him? We have the Opera House during the day, and also at dusk.



Right next door is the Mad Hatter:



The Horse-Drawn Streetcar has just left for another one-way trip to the Castle:



Over at the Bank of America, we have a Tour Guide AND Mickey Mouse standing in front:



The sailor walking by the Wurlitzer shop is also quickly approaching one of the Tencennial lightpost signs; should he grab one for you Patrick?



Oh good Lord, what’s the commotion happening in front of the Hills Brothers Coffee Garden? Of course, it’s a vintage double-wide stroller. Dad can barely maneuver that contraption over the curb. I’m sure he’ll run over a few toes with that one.



See more vintage and current Town Square photos at my website.

Disneyland in Living Color, August 27, 1965 Pt. 3

During the day, Tomorrowland, circa August 27, 1965, is a very sedate place. Mermaids lounging in the lagoon, no Monorail in sight, and even the Autopia seems to be standing still. Nighttime is another story: at the stage outside the 20K exhibit, The Avengers are rockin’ da’ house! And somebody please tell the gal out front in the 2nd Avenger photo that a cast member at the Tahitian Terrace is missing her dress!





And as if things couldn’t get any better, here comes the legendary Woody Herman:







See more vintage and current Tomorrowland photos at my website.

Happy 4th of July, circa July 17, 1968

Today’s gallery is from Disneyland’s 13th Anniversary, in glorious Genuine FauxD©. This first view looks like it came straight out of the Wonderful World of Color. The rest of the shots are from the fireworks spectacular, and the very last shot was marked “Grand Finale” by the photographer.













As an EXTRA bonus, here is a Bicentennial July 1976 brochure; what a musical lineup!







Have a happy and safe July 4th! See more vintage and current Disneyland fireworks photos at my website.

Disneyland in Living Color, August 27, 1965 Pt. 2

Over at the bandstand in Central Plaza, things were really swinging with Bill Elliot’s band playing their hearts out. The pretty blond joining him at the microphone is named Terri.



Keep your eyes on the maracas, folks!





Come back tomorrow for a 4th of July Spectacular! See more vintage and current Central Plaza photos at my website.

Disneyland in Living Color, August 27, 1965

The photographer who shot this Tencennial series definitely put the "A" in anal; and I am lovin' him for that! All his slides contain the date, a description, as well as the settings his camera was on when he shot each one. Amazing. And now YOU can share in his fantastic creations. This has to be one of the best sets I’ve stumbled onto. I know...I say that a lot. Anyway, back to to the topic at hand. Shot #1 is an interior shot of the Main Street Emporium, with Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty, dancing with Prince Phillip. This next shot is a closeup of the Chemical Wagon sitting in the Fire Department on Town Square.



Looks like the day is just beginning on Main Street; a cast member stands outside the Carnation Ice Cream Parlour, waiting for the first guest to come in and order a sundae.



Last stop on our first day’s journey is The Sleeping Beauty Castle:



Come back tomorrow for a swingin’ look at the music playing at Disneyland! See more vintage and current Main Street photos at my website.

Disneyland in focus: The Chicken Plantation

Swift’s Chicken Plantation Restaurant, aka The Plantation House, was just a blip on the radar of Disneyland’s history. From 1955 until 1962, fried chicken dinners were served up along the Rivers of America at this restaurant sponsored by Swift’s Premium Meats. Shot #1 shows the front façade, which resembled an antebellum mansion, and I have included a closeup view as well.



Sharp eyes have noticed the resemblance between the mansion located inside the Blue Bayou Restaurant and The Chicken Plantation:



The back of the restaurant featured a design that was more reminiscent of Mexico, not New Orleans or the South:



I have also included a closeup; Fried Chicken for $1.70? Count me in!



This previously posted color shot shows the wishing well located next to the restaurant:



Various photos of the bridge that lead to the restaurant have popped up over the last week; here’s a nice overview shot showing exactly where it fit into the grand scheme of things, with the Gullywhumper Keelboat thrown in as a bonus! This photo is from January 1962, the year that the Chicken Plantation was dozed down to make room for New Orleans Square.





Rounding out today’s entry is a previously posted shot from Day 2 at Disneyland, July 18, 1955, with a few new detailed views, once again showing the proximity of the bridge to the New Orleans Street area on the left:







For Outside The Berm, here’s a detailed view of the Bull Whip sign from yesterday’s post:



See more vintage and current Chicken Plantation photos at my website.