July 18, 1955 Extravaganza, Pt. 1

One of my earliest acquisitions in vintage Disneyland images was this set of July 18, 1955 slides documenting the first day that the park was open to the general public. Oddly enough, there wasn't a single Main Street shot in the bunch! Some of these have been published here before, and some haven't. This is the first time that they've been all put together in one fantabulous place. Hope you like! This little series will start off with some views of the Castle, beginning with the momentous occasion that the drawbridge was lowered for the second time (the first being the previous day).



Look at that storm of people rushing into Fantasyland; you'd have thought it was a concert by The Who!



How about that vintage paper hat? I am sure it is causing some fits of jealousy for a few collectors out there who wish they had one!



No crest on the castle just yet; that would take another ten years.



Ebony and ivory: both colors of swans seem to be getting along just fine in the castle moat.



Hey folks—you're going the wrong way! Either that, or they realize they should try other lands while the herds of cattle invade Fantasyland.



They just keep on going, like the Energizer Bunny. Look at that line!





Note the patriotic bunting on the quaint little bridge:



Come back tomorrow for some great views of Fantasyland!

See more vintage and current Sleeping Beauty Castle photos on my Castle web pages.

July 18th Opening Day Reunion

There has been heated debate over which date is actually opening day, July 17 or July 18, 1955. It seems pretty easy to distinguish between the two. The 17th was the pre-opening special invitation gala opening, whereas the 18th was the first day that the general public could buy admission tickets at the gate for entry. Although the 1990 publicity release and photo state that this photo is from the 17th, I believe this shot of the first two kids entering Disneyland was actually from the next day, the 18th.

DISNEYLAND REVISITED—(left) On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney opened the gates of Disneyland to a waiting world. Two children—Michael Schwartner and his cousin Christine Vess—were honored as the Park's first guests. (right) Thirty-five years later, Disney Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner (center) welcomed the same two visitors back to the Magic Kingdom during festivities commemorating "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary" being celebrated year-long in 1990.



Back in 1965, 7/18 was celebrated as the Anniversary Date for Opening Day. Here, Walt cuts cake at The Plaza Inn.

ANAHEIM, CALIF: Walt Disney's Disneyland marked it's 10th birthday here 7/18 and Mickey Mouse, with plate in hand, was first in line to try a bite of the cake. The party marked not only the park's birthday, but the opening of two new features. A new Victorian restaurant and a Mr. Lincoln exhibit featuring a life-like figure similar to the one Disney made for the World's Fair. With Walt and Mickey is Miss Disneyland, Julie Reihm.



Check out that elaborate cake and its decorations!



Stay tuned as a July 18th extravaganza will be following tomorrow! See more Disneyland Opening Day photos on my Opening Day web page.

Frontierland Rarities, Pt. 4

Today we are going to spend a little time at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon. This undated image shows a quaint little ice cream cart outside The Shoe.

This October 1965 image looks standard at first, but once I zoomed in, I noticed something I hadn't seen before.



Apparently, poor Lafitte's anchor has been moved around multiple times. Here it is, right in front of the Mark Twain dock. Today, it resides in New Orleans Square. Previously, I believe it was located closer to the area that is now The Riverbelle Terrace.



Anyone know what this building in the distance is that appears to say "Wilbur Clark's..." is?



Frequently, I have read that Harper Goff's Golden Garter Saloon design from the 1953 Doris Day movie “Calamity Jane” was reused as the design for Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon. Here are a few screen shots to show you the striking similarities between the two, starting with two exterior shots:





Here are Doris and costar Howard Keel cavorting inside the Golden Garter. In the majority of these shots, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two structures!







Compare with this corresponding shot of the GH at Disneyland:



The differences can mainly be seen when you see the angles that show the back of the house and the ceiling; otherwise, the look and feel of both facilities are very similar.







The back of the house and the ceiling of the GH at Disneyland:



It’s a fun movie to watch, done in the same vein as “Annie Get Your Gun”(1950) (which also starred Keel).



Warner Brothers got their money’s worth out of this set, which was also used in Vincent Price’s “House of Wax” (1953).



For a much more detailed history of Harper Goff's set design, be sure to check out The Disney History Institute.

See more vintage and current Golden Horseshoe photos on my Golden Horseshoe web page.

Frontierland Rarities, Pt. 3

A few new and a few old shots highlighting the Nature's Wonderland attraction in Frontierland. I believe the first few shots here are from 1957.

Keep me far away from that rattler!



An interesting Stagecoach shot.



Two little boys are shirtless and on top of that, there's a sign in the muddy area at left. Wish I knew what was on it!



A trio of Rainbow Ridge views for you; so glad this area is still (basically) intact today!







Moving up a decade, this trio of images from June 1972 shows the Mine Train...



The Pack Mules...



and the Mine Train coming back around after a journey. You can also see a few tables from Casa de Fritos under the brightly colored umbrellas on the right.



Rounding out this post are a few July 1974 images of the NW attraction itself:







Two of the little geysers in the Devil's Paint Pots area:





See more vintage Nature's Wonderland photos on my Nature's Wonderland web page.

Frontierland Rarities, Pt. 2

Black Bart was the dastardly villain that inhabited Frontierland back in the early years. Here are some previously published photos of Sheriff Lucky arresting Bart...



As well as being involved in a shootout by Lafitte's anchor:



Later, I was able to upgrade my collection by coming across a negative that showed the same scene in much better detail.



A few more previously shown random shots of Bart, including one of him actually smiling:



Two more early shots of him hanging out by the Miniature Horse Corral, which eventually became the Shooting Gallery.



Sheriff Lucky on the right seems amused by Bart.



And I finally acquired a color shot of Bart. I wonder if this little boy was ever heard from again? The lady in the background seems to signing for someone to call for help!



Now, with the same batch as the Aunt J. photos, I have yet another color image of Bart, circa Winter 1956. You can see the Ace of Spades in his hat.



Characters like this make the park experience a lot more memorable; the return of some of these guys to Frontierland would surely liven it up.

See more vintage Black Bart photos on my Frontierland web page.