B'rer Animals in New Orleans Square

In preparation of Mardis Gras, a lovely image of B'rer Fox and B'rer Bear dancing in New Orleans Square. At this time period, Song of the South was still considered acceptable and released regularly to movie theaters. One of my all time favorite films with wonderful characters and a heart warming story. The costumed characters appear to be having a dance off. My money is on B'rer Bear as he has a tendency to use larger moves. In the background is a nice street sign. I will have to check if the street signs are still up the next time I am at Disneyland.

Matterhorn Madness

Sorry about the sporadic posting on the blog. I am spending more time adulting...but I will still strive to post on the blog. Today is Matterhorn madness with three pictures of the fantastic attraction. First up is a general view of the mountain. The photo is dated January 1968 but I believe it was taken in December of 1967. Looks like a nice sunny and uncrowded day at Disneyland.

The second image is from the same set showcasing the fabulous star that was placed on top of the Matterhorn during this time period. I really wished the rumors of an LED version would have returned. Note the climber almost at the peak...maybe he is going to change out one of the light bulbs? The perspective of the Skyway buckets is nice.

The last view for today is a newer picture showing the Swiss aspect of the mountain...the hole in the mountain to allow the Skyway to pass through. The photographer kindly let us be there with the interior of the top of the Skyway bucket.

Lost Safari and Ethan Allen

Two fun views today. First up is the original tableaux of the lost safari being treed by a rhino on the Jungle River Cruise. The antelope in the background have been moved and the scene is not as large in today's Jungle River Cruise.

The second image is of the Submarine Voyage and the Ethan Allen submarine starting on the voyage under the polar ice caps. I do miss the battleship gray coloring of the subs. In the background is the Douglas Rocket to the Moon (after TWA stopped their sponsorship.

Souvenir Friday on a Monday and Two Frontierland Views

My Friday morning was a little hectic and I was not able to post my Souvenir Friday post. So here is the University of Disneyland Newsletter for July 1966. Lots of promotions this month and no one wanted to see the Dodgers play baseball.

The next two photographs are unrelated. First up is the final Indian Village photograph featuring Melody from my January 25 post. Melody proudly poses in front of the Buffalo still holding her groovy bag.

The second image is of Tom Sawyer's treehouse with a rather dapper gentleman getting ready to relive his childhood days of playing in a tree house.

Adventureland Bazaar

A very interesting view of Adventureland. In the middle of the picture is the Adventureland Bazaar where any number of wondrous souvenirs could be purchased. I assume that this is where the Jungle Cruise snowglobes were stocked along with various Tikis and rubber snakes. The shop on the corner is Guatemalan Weavers with a variety of basket purses for sale.

Computer Troubles, Now Fixed so I am Doing a Mega Post!

So my file transfer program decided to act up...but that is now fixed and I am doing a Mega Post to catch up with everything. First up is the May 1966 issue of the University of Disneyland Newsletter for employees. Some interesting articles announcing management changes, ten year anniversaries, doctor's notes and special events at the park.

Next up are some nice images of a couple of ships at Disneyland. First up is an overhead view from the Skyway of the Fantasyland Pirate Ship. The ship appears fairly empty so it must not have been lunch or dinner time. In the background is Skull Rock and Monstro and way in the background is it's a small world and a yellow Peoplemover.

A nice dusk shot of the Mark Twain heading away from the Rivers of America dock. The Haunted Mansion looks foreboding and there is a construction fence on the left side of the image...maybe for Pirates of the Caribbean?

The last image is a nice view of Cascade Peak and the Three Sisters Falls. Note that the photographer followed the suggestion of a Kodak Picture spot.

Posing in Tomorrowland and Carnation

The first image shows Sherri and her boyfriend (he looks like a Howard to me...) posing at the entrance to Tomorrowland. In the background can be seen the sleek facades and the lovely yellow Peoplemover going by in the background. Sherri and Howard look like a nice couple.

The second image is Howard posing next to the Carnation ice cream truck on Main Street. The visor he is wearing has the peace symbol on it...a definite fashion of the late 1960s.

it's a small world Facade and Topiary

Continuing with the views from August 1970 of it's a small world with a nice view of the exterior façade designed by Mary Blair and Rolly Crump. The plain white color and many different textures and shapes make the exterior of this attraction very interesting. The eye wants to explore the various nooks and crannies created by the varied surfaces.

The second view is of a topiary animal set on the queue and load/unload area. Since the Tower of Four Winds was not moved to Disneyland from the New York World's Fair, the topiaries were placed in the area to add interest and a visual focal point for guests while waiting in line. .

it's a small world August 1970

Two nice views of it's a small world dated August 1970. The first view shows the steam trains passing in front of the show building. In this case, it is engine number the CK Holiday going by...I have always liked the look of an 1890s steam train in front of the fantastical façade of it's a small world.

The second image is of the photographers girlfriend (should we name her Sherri?) standing in line for the attraction. We will see Sherri in some upcoming photographs.

Two Views of Sleeping Beauty Castle

Two not very exciting views of Sleeping Beauty Castle in the late 1950s. First up is an east side view of the castle. The foreground horse hitch is nice and of course the dapper dressed guests.

The second image is a straight on view from Main Street. I wish I could walk up to that ice cream vendor and purchase a nice ice cream sandwich.

Souvenir Friday- University of Disneyland Newsletter May 1966

One of the company employee communications in 1966 was this University of Disneyland newsletter. I have posted three others and today we look at May 1966. The back page has some of the most interesting information with the hours of operation and which attractions were undergoing maintenance (and when the attractions were scheduled to be re-opened.) Note that it's a small world would be opening this month.

King Louie and Baloo Stroll Through Adventureland

After the Jungle Book was released theatrically, the character department at Disneyland developed costumes for the main animals and Mowgli to greet guests at Disneyland. This image features King Louie being followed by Baloo as they walk through Adventureland to greet guests.

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Fran and Melody Playing in the Indian Village 1969

Two friends visited Disneyland in August of 1969 and had a fun time in the Indian Village. In the first image, Fran wearing a fantastic mod dress (inspired by Piet Mondrain) and a souvenir hat poses at the entrance to a tipi. She is holding the tassel of her hat up in a provocative pose.

The second image is of the two friends, Fran and Melody, posing in front of one of the Northwest Pacific Indian Totem poles. Melody holds one of the grooviest bad designs (and a favorite of mine.) This picture just brims with color. I do wonder if they visited the Haunted Mansion.

Blair and Storm

Today's first image is of the North side Mary Blair mural that once graced the entrance to Tomorrowland. The theme is creativity by children. The image shows a group of children singing and making music. I like the bees and flower in the lower left hand side of the mural.

The second image featuring the Mark Twain and river traffic on the Rivers of America reminds me of the dark and stormy weather that Southern California has been seeing the last few days. I hope everyone who lives in Southern California are surviving.

C.K. Holliday at Main Street Station

A nice portrait of the C.K. Holliday (Disneyland Railroad engine number 1) sitting at the Main Street Station. I love the dramatic steam release. On the train engineers hat is the iconic Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad patch.

Souvenir Friday- Hallmark Museum In Kansas City

I have been in Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri) on a work trip for the last several days. I did get a chance to visit the Hallmark Visitors Center and Museum in downtown Kansas City while I was there. Hallmark has a long and strong relationship with Walt Disney, the Disney company and Disneyland. The museum highlights this connection on a timeline, but also with a whole display case featuring Hallmark Disney cards and historical information including several letters from Walt to JC Hall, the president of Hallmark. Of course my interest is drawn to the store that Hallmark had on Main Street. Several of the historical artifacts are a nice picture and interior picture of the Hallmark store as well as a letter from Walt asking JC to look at the information about Disneyland and wanting to know if Hallmark would operate a store. Also some of the great pieces for art are the watercolor rendering used on Hallmark Postcards. The museum has on display the art for the Sleeping Beauty Castle card. If you are ever in Kansas City, there are several sites to visit that are connected to Walt. The building where his first studio was located is still standing as well as one of his boyhood homes. Also the TWA building has had a version of the Rocket to the Moon placed on the building. And of course a stop at the Hallmark museum.

Winnie and Monstro

Two unrelated photographs for today's blog. First up is a little girl posing with Winnie the Pooh at what looks like a gas station. The costume appears to be one of the official Disneyland characters, but the background appears very rural. This may have been part of a promotion from when the Winnie the Pooh films were in the theater.

The second image is of a guest being swallowed by Monstro the whale. Unfortunately it is on the mid 1970s color stock that fades bad and has the funky pattern. Still a fun pose for this older guest.

Chicken of the Sea and Jungle Cruise

Two more images from 1957. First up is a nice view of the Chicken of the Sea restaurant in Fantasyland. Unfortunately the mermaid is obscured by the sail. In the background is the now extinct Fantasyland Skyway Chalet.

The next image is of the great early Jungle Cruise ticket booth. This is a nice shot showing the extent of theming for the ticket booth. My favorite is the painted shield over the top of the booth. Also the amount of palm fronds covering the queue as well.

Two Boats in Black And White from 1957

Two shaky snapshots focusing on a couple of boats at Disneyland. The photographs are date stamped for Aug 1957. The first image shows the Keel Boat Bertha Mae with a large group of guests on board. Many are sitting in the open air top but many are also in the cabin. I wish they could some how bring this attraction back as it was always a fun ride. In the background is the Chicken Plantation restaurant.

The second image may qualify for the worst composition ever. The photographer managed to get the top of the Mark Twain, a lovely lamp and lots of sky.

Two Souvenir Slides

Today's post features two early souvenir slides. Unfortunately they have turned very red. I tried color correction but I am still learning the new version of Photoshop and they both came out a little different. First up is the rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island. Two rafts are moving with the large hill with Tom's Treehouse at the top in the background.

The second image is of the Red Wagon Inn with a group of lovely ladies picnicking on the grass. I wonder if the group was actually cast members taking a break?