More Disneyland Models

The first photograph is of Walt Disney holding a model of a Jungle Cruise launch with the concept artwork for the entrance to Adventureland in the background and some African masks anf an elepahnt model sitting on the shelf. I believe this image is from Disneyland: A Progress Report/Natures Half Acre shown on television in 1955.

The second image is of the iconic Disneyland model, Sleeping Beauty Castle. It appears the model was used to promote the Disneyland Television Show in ABC Channel 7 in Los Angeles. I believe this photograph may have been taken at a convention or maybe even the Los Angeles County Fair. The map in the background is a nice touch. This model has appeared in various retrospective museum shows.

SOP Saturday- Gulf Oil Gas Stations

What does Gulf have to do with Disney and a Disney SOP? In the early 1970s, Gulf was a corporate sponsor and corporate partner with Disney. Gulf constructed Total Car Care Centers at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Both of these new service stations were of a modern design that was to become the model for all Gulf stations across the country. WED was involved in the design of the service stations and the Gulf employees were treated as cast members. Not only were they gas stations, but information centers and repair centers. Gulf went further and sponsored the Walt Disney Story at Disneyland after Lincoln Savings had dropped the sponsorship. Gulf also sponsored the same attraction at Walt Disney World. And in a final tie in, Gulf published a premium Disney magazine available at Gulf gas stations with a fill up of the gas tank. This SOP is also unique in the colors and in the '70s style graphics. Some of the characters in the gas station attendant uniforms are definitely unusual, especially Pinnochio. The SOP was published in 1971.

Souvenir Friday- New Years Advertising Poster 1962

A great graphic poster advertising the Gala New Years Eve Party at Disneyland. The event featured entertainment by the Elliott Brothers and Their Orchestra, Firehouse Five plus Two, The Spaceman, Jimmy Henderson Orchestra, The Young Men From New Orleans, and also included a special Midnite spectacular as well as Hats and Noisemakers for everyone. It must have been on very happy event looking at all the smiling guests in their party hats and noisemakers.

Since I am in the middle of another storm I decided to bulk up this post with three images of Disney models over the years. The first image is of Joe Grant's model shop with Robert Benchley on a tour. I wish I could walk into that model shop and choose one model, the model would be the Casey Junior sitting in the back.

The second is a picture of the Pirates of the Caribbean model. I believe this is the one that Walt rides through in the 1965 Tencenniel Special.

The final picture is a fairly modern one showing Imagineer Jon Foster putting the finishing touches on Gadget's Go Coaster and Donald Duck's boat "Miss Daisy." Mickey's Toontown opened in 1993 with a gala event. Several of the attractions opened at that time have now joined Yesterland including Chip and Dales Slide and Nut Crawl, Jolly Trolley and Goofy's Bounce House. I don't think Jon wore the Mickey Mouse hat when at work.

Walt and The Submarine Voyage

Today's images are from an article that was published about the new Submarine Voyage ride. I believe the gentleman taking notes is the reporter who wrote the story. Unfortunately I do not know which publication the article appeared. It is interesting to see that the whole Submarine Voyage was storyboarded the same as an animated cartoon.

The second image is of Walt holding one of the Octopus' tentacles. This creature is clearly shown in the new DVD Your Host Walt Disney. The footage of the Submarine Voyage on the Disneyland '59 telecast is amazing, showing the ride in its earliest state. The animation for many of the creatures used compressed air being blown through the figure and the resistance of the water. It is a very effective look, especially when seen from the porthole of the Submarine. In the background are some more storyboard sketches and renderings of sea creatures to be placed into the ride.

Walt and Nature's Wonderland Models

Continuing on with photos of Walt and various models are two images of some of the Nature'w Wonderland models at the WED Model shop. The top shows the spouting geysers in the Rainbow Desert portion of the ride. I love the use of cotton to simulate the blowing steam from the geyser. I am not sure who the gentleman showing the model is, maybe Chris can help me here?

The next image shows Walt with a mock up of one of the Beavers from Beaver Valley. Unfortunately this photo was damaged years ago, giving Walt a spotted look. It is still nice to see him interacting with his toys. Also I like seeing Walt wearing his Smoke House Tree ranch ties.

Walt And Two Models of the Matterhorn

With his love of miniatures, Walt Disney must have loved walking around and visiting the model shop of WED. He also loved the character model shop at the studio and in his TV set office, there are usually some of the character maquettes on window sills and on top of bookshelves as there must have been in his real office. These two images show Walt with two different Matterhorn models. The first is one that shows the complex track work for the thrilling bobsled ride, with what looks like brown Kraft paper on top showing the rock work. The bottom one shows the relationship between Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn. Pinned on the wall are various photographs of the real Matterhorn in Switzerland as well as concept sketches. In both pictures Walt appears to be having a great time.

The Jolly Man in the Red Suit

Hello All- Merry Christmas wishes for you all. I hope the jolly man in the bright red suit with fur trim came dashing on his sled and visited you. And he left exactly what you wanted....

From the finale of the 1959 Christmas in Many Lands Parade. Evidently at that time period, Santa had to be protected by one of Disneyland's finest security guards!

From the end of the Christmas parade in the early 1960s. I love the balloons coming down.

The parade float featuring Santa Claus surrounded by bell players and lots and lots of stuffed animals. This one is from the end of the 1976 Christmas Parade.

Four Great Views of Christmas Parade

Here are four great views of the Christmas Parade at Disneyland. I believe the top two are from 1961, the year Babes In Toyland was released or 1962 the year that the Babes in Toyland attraction was in Disneyland. The bottom two are a bit later and could be from any number of years as the parade did not change much. I love that characters from Fantasia were used for the parade. All of these are Disneyland publicity shots from the time period.

Snow Delay- Souvenir Friday Shirt and SOP Saturday Ticket Sellers

Well I have now dug out the cars several times and driven on snow pack roads witnessing several stuck city busses and a UPS truck. Yesterday's Souvenir Friday post is a Mickey Mouse T shirt still in its original bag. A usual Christmas gift is socks and underwear, but seeing this shirt with the smiling Mickey Face would have been a thrill for some child. This must have not fit as the bag was never opened and the shirt is folded as neatly as the day it was manufactured. The bag still has the original Disneyland price tag attached.

Today's Standard Operating Procedure manual is one developed in 1959 for Ticket Sellers. The SOP really stresses the importance of the job and cash control, but also selling including information on guided tours, attractions and the ins and outs of ticket books. I like the spot illustrations spread throughout the SOP.

Digging out from the Holiday Blizzard in Denver

Hello All- I am busy digging my and my wife's car out of the snow. I will post the blog later this evening, or tomorrow. Take care until then.

Disneyland Christmas Parade of Toys Early 1960s

A selection of various publicity photos of the Christmas Parade of Toys. This was the annual parade which would run daily during the Christmas season before the Very Merry Christmas Parade was started in the mid 1970s.

A star attraction for many years was this large drum, stated to be the largest drum in the world. Just think what a cool souvenir that large drumhead would make! Notice that the Christmas from Many Lands parade happened only once and was the kick off to the Christmas festivities...on December 22. I think the Christmas season at Disneyland now starts on October 22!

I don't know about you, but seeing those floats in the last two photos would have given me nightmares as a kid. The doll is pretty freaky and the tree monster is even scarier. At least the tree creature is being followed by toy soldiers who would keep it in line. I like the dancing hippos behind the doll, I think they should bring those back as part of the current Christmas parade.

Disneyland Christmas at Night 1955

Today's images are of Christmas at Disneyland during night. The first is a beauty shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle. This is one of my favorite shots of the castle, it just looks so perfect with the lighting and the lights over the drawbridge.

A lovely night shot of the Christmas Tree in the Pavilion Hub.

Main Street from the Pavilion Hub towards the Main Street Railroad Station. Unfortunately a little blurry from the photographer movement, but it still captures the lights and Christmas spirit. Due to the lack of people in the shot, I would guess this was taken right after closing.

In looking at this photo, I do not believe it is Disneyland. However it was with the other slides in the collection. It may be the tree at the photographers home. I will let you decide if it is in Disneyland or not. Or if the lights in the background are of Disneyland or just the city?

Four Views of the Christmas Bowl 1955

Today I am taking a break from showing the parade and showcasing the Christmas Bowl off of the Hub in 1955.

This image is of the Disneyland band resplendent in their blue uniforms playing Christmas Carols for an appreciative crowd.

Here we see dancers and singers looking like they stepped off the stage from Thouroughly Modern Millie. I like the costumes on the dancers and the singers.

The last two show the Polish dancers on stage as the sign states that is sitting on the steps. Once again some very cool costumes.

I just want to also state my sadness at the loss of Joseph Barbera. Growing up on his cartoons was a highlight of my childhood and I gained a further appreciation of his work as I became older. He will be missed by many, myself included.

Animals in the Christmas of Many Lands Parade 1959

I must admit that when I looked at these slides, I saw 1960 and assumed they were for the 1960 parade. However I did not look at the month and these are dated Jan 1960, so the parade is 1959. For a good look at the 1960 parade look at Gorillas Don't Blog for some great views. Tiki Ranch Blog has some great posts showing a couple of Magic Kingdom Club posters for Christmas during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Finally check out the Disney History blog, Toons at War blog, and 2719 Hyperion blog for some nice Disney History. Congratulations to Jordan at The Pickle Barrel blog for his mention on the Disney History blog.

A couple of more images from the 1959 parade. Both show animals in the parade, the first is of Russia with a Cossack walking his trained bear in the park. In the background you can see Mineral Hall and Casa De Fritos restaurant area.

This one is more fun showing the Disney walk around characters from the early days. The white rabbit is very frightening. But who would not want one of those costumes in their collection?

This is one of my favorite floats, Japan with a great Tori gate and bridge on the float. Of course making the little girls pull the float is kind of mean.

For those tired of looking at the parade, here is a nice view of Fantasyland from the steps to the Skyway. You can see some decorations on the trees.

Two Christmas Around the World Parade Views 1960

Two more views of the same parade as yesterday, this time of Venezuala and of Italy. This appears to have been a very interesting parade with all the various Christmas outfits from around the world. I know that various groups in the Southern California area participated as I have a couple of plaques given to the groups in appreciation of their participation.

Also for Major Pepperidge is another view of the Slue Foot Sue sign. I think we should all start a petition to bring back the sign! I wonder if the sign is still in the shops at the back of the park? Sorry about the color as the slides have turned very blue...and they are on Kodachrome stock which usually holds the color better.

SOP Saturday- Your Role in the Disneyland Show 1957

Rather than a specific attraction SOP, I have decided to showcase one of the first new employee orientation guides to the new fangled park of Disneyland. The title Your Role in the Disneyland Show should sound familar as Disneyland has used it for a number of orientation training guides throughout the years. This one is special as it is dated 1955 and sets down the culture of working at Disneyland that was to remain consistent for a long time...maybe even up to today. Another interesting note about this is it is copyright Disneyland Inc in 1955 but states information about 1957 and the characters that are used are under Walt Disney Productions copyright and used with permission. You can see that Disneyland was set up as a completely different company in the beginning, just in case it failed. So sit back, take some notes if you want, and pay attention on how to become a Disneylander in 1957.

Keeping up with the Christmas at Disneyland images, here is one of the Christmas from Many Lands parade unit, this is Germany with the group pulling a nicely decorated Tannenbaum while wearing Lederhosen. I will be showing a whole series of this parade all from the same perspective. I believe the photographer was standing in the old Dixieland bandstand that was right on the Rivers of America. I also want to point out the old Slue Foot Sue sign out front on the Golden Horseshoe Revue building, featuring Slue Foot Sue from the animated cartoon.

Souvenir Friday- Disneyland Express Train Toy

What young boy would not want to find this Disneyland Express Railroad Train toy sitting under their Christmas Tree in 1959? What crazed Disneyland collector wouldn't want to see the same thing in 2006? This is one of two toys put out by Auburn Rubber that ties into Disneyland, the other toy is a Disneyland Stagecoach. The box graphics really make this toy with the nice 1959 graphics on one side of the box and the 1959 style lettering used for Disneyland. This box is in good condition, missing the tie downs for Mickey Engineer, Donald Frontiersman and Pluto Engineer holding his lantern. Box is also missing the cellophane that would have gone on the window to protect the toy.

And here is an image of the jolly old soul who brings these types of toys to all the kids in the world. He appears to be checking his list at Disneyland before his big night, I love the sunglasses he is wearing. The publicity tag attached to the photo reads: Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse get together for an hour of music and entertainment on "Christmas in Disneyland" a special program in which an old man (Art Carney) finds the spirit of Christmas.

Christmas Decorations Circarama 1956

This is the opposite side of yesterday's photograph. The decorators did a nice job, putting Merry Xmas on one side and Happy New Year on the other. The Time Clock of the World being lit up is another image that is very difficult to locate. The Tomorrowland of the 1950s was definitely set in its time period with the atomic symbol, the geomertic shapes of the ornaments and the boxy buildings with minimum ornamentation. All those in favor of returning Tomorrowland back to this optimistic and fun view?

Christmas Decorations Monsanto Hall of Chemistry 1956

From the same night as the Christmas Bowl photograph is this shot showing the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry lit up for the Holiday season. I love the decorations especially the Santa Claus as well as the Reindeer. And the atomic symbol on the building lit up in blue light is an amazing design piece. The irregular shapes of the decorations really do fit into Tomorrowland at this time period. These images are what collectors like myself dream of...images of Disneyland that do not exist any where else.

For some more vintage Holiday images around Disneyland, check out Yesterland's holiday page. I especially like the Monsanto House of the Future wrapped in the bright red bow!

Stick around for a shot of the Circarama at night with New Year decorations from the same series!

Christmas Bowl at Night Disneyland 1956

Although fuzzy and not the best shot, this image is of the Christmas Bowl at Disneyland in 1956. Located at approximately the current Carnation Gardens site, the bowl was where all the festivities took place. The centerpiece is the elegant bandstand that was eventually moved and then moved offsite. The Christmas lights sure do make it seem festive. Stick around and I will show some more night shots of holiday decorations.

1956 Christmas Tree in the Plaza Hub

Although not the best image of my collection, this is a view that shows where the second Christmas Tree at Disneyland was located. It was not placed at Town Square in Main Street but rather in the Plaza Hub, about where the Mickey and Walt Statue stands today. I believe the location was chosen to highlight the Christmas Bowl which was one of the original names for Carnation Gardens. On the right hand side of the slide if you look really, really close by the trees you can see an original gold colored Skyway bucket. The trees in the hub look really full, I wonder if they were ones purchased and moved from freeway construction sites?

SOP Saturday (On a Sunday)- Maintenance Magic

Sorry for the delayed post as Blogger was acting up yesterday. The SOP I am featuring today is titled The Maintenance of Magic in the Magic Kingdom and features the Maintenance Division and all of its activities. Published by Disneyland University in 1969, the images are fantastic showing some behind the scenes and backstage areas that are virtually unknown and un-photographed. So sit back and enjoy how to clean a Theme Park!

And to continue the Christmas images, here is a cute photograph of Children of the World interacting with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in front of the Christmas Tree. I like the Japanese kids in their Kimonos.

Souvenir Friday- Wrapping Paper Original Art

This is a piece of original art. The design I believe is for wrapping paper which I thought was appropriate as you need to wrap those Christmas gifts. Based on the designs I believe the paper is from the early 1960s. Thanks to Jordan at Perky Pickle for selling this to me.

This is a closer view of the Disneyland Dickens Carolers. I think the tree they are adding the ornament onto is located close to Carnation Gardens. On the back of the publicity photo is the following press information: A bright star for a Disneyland Christmas tree---placed there by some of the stars of the Magic Kingdom's entertainment-filled holiday celebration. They're Nancy Weaver (center), Sharon Bliss and Bob Hasty, members of the popular Disneyland Carolers who will entertain visitors with yuletide songs and hymns from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3. Disneyland's holiday festivities begin officially with the gala Christmas Parade on Sunday, Dec. 20.

March of the Toy Soldiers Holiday Parade Early 1960s

Always a favorite of mine is the march of the Toy Soldiers seen in the Holiday Parades. Based upon the soldiers in the Annette and Tommy Kirk film Babes In Toyland, they have always fit the theming of a holiday parade. This image was published for publicity purposes and was in the collection from the Long Beach newspaper. More years ago than I care to admit, I passed on one of the Toy Soldiers heads at the Rose Bowl swap meet, thought about it, went back and it was gone. It is one of my regrets, I know wish I would have spent the money. But I will keep looking and with any luck, I will find one...

Dickens Carolers Disneyland Late 1950s

One of the traditions at Disneyland is that there are a group of entertainers dressed in costuming right out of Charles Dickens time period who sing Christmas Carols and other vintage holiday songs. They now appear mainly at night and sometimes can be seen at the Disneyland Hotels. In the late 1950s they were featured prominently in the park and even in a few magazine articles and a book of Christmas Carols given away by Union Pacific Railroad. This shot has them posed on the bridge from Sleeping Beauty Castle to Carnations Garden, with the Castle in the background and the Matterhorn with the star on top.

End of a Holiday Day, Main Street, Early 1960s

A look down Main Street at the end of the day with eveyone leaving the park. The Holiday decorations are up and the lampposts have their wreaths and the garland runs across the street. I can just hear the Christmas music being played and off in the distance can be seen the Town Square tree and Main Street Station. I think the next time I go to Disneyland, I will wear my suit and tie as these guests all appear to be wearing.

Main Street Christmas Tree 1963

From the same Long Beach newspaper is this nice publicity photograph of the 60 foot tall Christmas Tree placed at Town Square. I love the action with the back of the Horse Drawn Trolley and City Hall in a soft light. Onc nice thing is that the tradition of this tree has not changed much. Disneyland still picks a nice tree and have not over indulged with the decorations although there are more presents under the tree now.

Santa Claus Helping Place the Matterhorn Star 1963

Today's Holiday image is of Santa Claus hanging out on the Matterhorn and helping to lower the lighted star on top of the Matterhorn. The lighted star on top of the Materhorn was a holiday tradition for many years and could be seen for many miles. In the early 1970s, Disneyland halted the tradition due to increased energy costs. I think that with all the "bling" lights and decorations Disneyland puts up, they should bring back the star. Just imagine the star becoming lit at the end of the Fireworks show...it would be a show stopper. Of course they should bring back this googie style star with all its spikes and edges.

SOP Saturday- Natures Wonderland

This weeks SOP is The Nature's Wonderland Story Operations Procedures published in 1964 by the University of Disneyland. But before I present the SOP, here is the first of many Christmas at Disneyland photographs for December. This image is of the 1964 Candlelight Christmas on Main Street. Photograph is from the files of a defunct Long Beach newspaper. I like the guests standing on the chairs in the foreground to get a better look.

Souvenir Friday- Coloring Book

For the month of December I will be posting souvenirs that a kid would wish for or at least receive as a Christmas present. This coloring book is one of the nicer editions with a great full color cover of the Matterhorn Bobsled running down the icy slopes with Mickey and Donald. In the background runs the Skyway and sleek Monorail. The coloring book is dated 1959 and does feature the 1959 Tomorrowland renovations.

I found one more image of the Rainbow Ridge town. I believe this was on the opposite side of the Nature's Wonderland Load area and the dirt path in front of the stores was used by the Pack Mules.