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.