Zocalo Marketplace Frontierland

Today I am showing various pictures of the bazaar that was located in front of Casa De Fritos, the Zocalo Market. Filled with the best stuff from Mexico and other Latin America countries. Similar in concept to the Adventureland Bazaar, various lessees would sell their stuff including the Guatamalen Weavers, the Mexican Shop and others. Some wonderful souvenirs came from here including a great sombrero ashtray marked with this name and a wonderful serape with a nice tag. The photographer must have spent a fairly long time here documenting the Zocalo. By the way, Zocalo means town square and was based on the Zorro TV series.

Matterhorn Bobsled Ride 47 Years Old Today

Today is the 47th Birthday of the Tomorrowland construction of 1959. The construction added the Motor Boat Cruise, Submarine Voyage, Monorails and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. And as you can tell, the Matterhorn Bobsleds is my favorite ride. Many firsts were acheived as the ride is the first tubular steel roller coaster. And the track was designed such that all of the compressed air and controls run through the track rather than beside it or under it. The bobsleds was the first real thrill ride to be added to Disneyland and is still one of the most fun coasters to ride as the theming is still outstanding. Even the addition of Harold the Abominable Snowman does nothing to stop the thrill of speeding down a curving bobsled run on snow and ice. So Happy Birthday Matterhorn. For another post showing a great Press Pass for the opening day ceremonies, check out todays post on Tikiranch.

Natures Wonderland Railroad Entrance Tunnel

An early morning photograph of the entrance tunnel you would ride under to go out to Natures Wonderland while riding the mine train. I like the mine shaft in the right hand upper corner, quite a cool little detail. Now that I live in Colorado, I can see all these old mines with similar structures. I visited an actual mine last weekend and rode a similar train through part of the mine. It was quite an experience. You can definitely tell that the imagineers did their homework when designing this ride as the experience was similar to my memories of riding this ride.

Motorboat Cruise August 1959

Since everyone else started to show off their Motorboat Cruise images, I decided to show off mine. This is a very early shot as the ride was only a few months old at this time. And doesn't it look like fun? I do miss this cruise as it was a quirky little ride but well worth the respite from the crowds. Besides you saw some very different views of the Monorail, Autopia and Submarine Voyage. Anything in there would be better than the large parcel of park just sitting empty.

Rivers of America in Black and White 1956

Photograph taken overlooking the old Tom Sawyers Island Raft load and unload area showing some river traffic. On the left hand side in the foreground is the patio area for the Chicken Plantation restaurant and in the back can be seen Fowlers Harbor. Running on the river is the Mark Twain and one of the Keel Boats. The image probably shows the first Keel Boats that were used in filming Davey Crockett and the River Pirates.

I want to point out a new blog from a good friend of mine. He is showing some great advertising and other ephemeral items. Check out his blog: Tikiranch. I promise it will not disappoint.

Sunkist Citrus House Main Street

View of the Sunkist House that used to be on Main Street. This storefront lasted many years and was the home of some of the most refreshing drinks at the park. Sunkist also sponsored a juice stand in Adventureland. And they also fielded the best intra-Disneyland sports teams in Softball and Basketball. The reason was the manager hand picked his employees based upon their athletic prowess. Getting back to the photo, I like the window displays with the white shipping boxes with the Disneyland castle logos, very nice.

Souvenir Friday- Hexagon Candy Bowl 1967

This is one of my favorite ceramic souvenirs, a candy dish made approximately 1967. I love the bright colors and images of the various attractions for the 6 lands. A very nice Japanese made piece with the classic Disneyland souvenir logo on the bottom of the candy dish. I wish I could find the original art for the logos. This goes well with any mid century modern decor.

Hills Brothers Coffee House and Coffee Garden

Two great views of the Hills Brother Coffee House and the accompanying Patio. A lot of people's memories involve around either getting a hot chocolate here while their parents drank coffee early in the morning or late in the evening before hitting the road. I am glad to say that the building and the Garden still exist. Now if Disneyland would only make it back into a coffee house. I am sure Starbucks would pony up the cash to sponsor such a place. And then all the Starbucks addicted folks would be able to get their fix. They should be able to make their money off of all the Orange County teens who have annual passports!

Tom Sawyer Island Mill, Raft and Fishing Dock 1960

Lovely early morning photograph of Tom Sawyers Island before it was destroyed by the addition of the stage and lighting for Fantasmic. The image is unusual in that it shows the old route of the rafts, from basically where New Orleans Square starts to the dock right by the Old Mill. Also seen is the old fishing dock where guests could fish in the Rivers of America and actually catch a catfish. The stories go that it was shut down as too many guests who caught the fish were leaving them around the park...and you can imagine the smell!

And check out the new blog of vintage slides- he has already posted some great images. The blog is Davelandblog.

Indian Village Ticket Booth

Once upon a time there were individual tickets for each ride and each ride had its own ticket booth. This is the one that was in Indian Village where one could purchase tickets for the Indian War Canoe (paddle your own vehicle) and for the Tom Sawyer Island Rafts. I really miss ticket booths and ticket books. I believe they spread the crowd out to more rides as they received smaller tickets for smaller rides. If ticket books were still available, rides such as the Horse Drawn Trolley, Keel Boats, Snow Whites Scary Adventure and even Motor Boat Cruise would have more ridership. And the expectation of the guests for every new ride to be an amazing E Ticket ride that is on the cutting edge would not be there. I actually appreciate the Winnie the Pooh ride for what it is, along with the Monsters Inc ride. These rides are C or even D ticket rides with wonderful theming and maybe not the best ride experience (3-D, speed, thrills, etc.) but still enjoyable. Ah, I am sounding like an old curmedgeon yelling about progress. By the way, I like the kid jumping up and down in joy.

Main Street Flower Market Before Opening 1960s

Another before the park opened photograph, this time of the Flower Market on Main Street. The Flower Market sold fake plastic flowers advertised as the most realistic looking plastic flowers. And the flowers do look pretty real in this shot. The graphics and text style in this time period is wonderful, especially the flower market greenhouse sign in the rear with great little dots on the letters. This is where the current Carnation Cafe stands as an homage to not only the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor which was next door, but also to the flower market.

Swifts Market House Main Street

Front door view of one of the Main Street displays, this of an 1890s market house and butcher shop. The scene of many a checkers game around the pot bellied stove. Some of the original drawings by Ken Anderson about Disneylandia center around the pot bellied stove. The windows seen in the second floor are still there. And it appears that Trinidad was visiting with his sanitation cart sitting out front.

Jungle River Cruise Exit Area

This is what a visitor would have seen when exiting the World Famous Jungle River Cruise in the early 1960s. The architecture of the load building was a lot more open than now and the second floor observation dock was also a great touch. I like the theming of the barrels and the large fish trap. I am assuming the bright red sign with the number 7 on it means there were 7 boats out on the ride. Even though the current theming is nice, I think the vintage theming is a bit more authentic and with more depth than now. There is a whole theory about theming and immersive environments that allow suspension of disbelief and increases the believability of the unbelievable. The Jungle Cruise at this time was one of the shining examples of this theory.

Souvenir Friday- 1955 Puzzle Postcard

For this week's souvenir Friday, I am showing one of a series of very unusual postcards that were sold in 1955. The postcards are normal views from the first photographic views published by Disneyland, but are done as puzzles. The guests would buy the postcards which are in a plastic bag and then send the postcard via the mail. The recipient would then open the bag and make the puzzle to see the image. I can see kids wanting their parents to purchase the postcards, but not many were succesful as these are very scarce postcards. I do have the original bag for this but I only show the postcard and the header card with the information. It is things like this that keep us collectors on the prowl.

Carnation Ice Cream Parlor Main Street USA

Adventureland Side of Plaza Pavillion

Nice second story view of the Adventureland side of the Plaza Pavillion. This shot was taken from the second story of the Jungle Cruise loading dock building. In the foreground can be seen the Tikis store. I really like the angle of this image.

I also want to direct you to a new blog that is posting early Disneyland images as well, Gorillas Don't Blog. Check it out.

Tikis in Adventureland

One shop that was in the center of Adventureland was called Tikis. When I first viewed these photos, I thought of all the great Polynesian Pop items that may have been sold here: tiki statues, toy monkeys, jewelry, shirts and more. And that I could not see them due to the tarps being down. However, I saw some film recently and Tikis specialized in hats and sunbonnets. Still a great name for an Adventureland store.

Hotel and Large Tiki Adventureland

Adventureland was the home of several tikis even before the Enchanted Tiki Room was constructed. This is a view of the hotel which was at the very end of the Bazaar with one of the large tikis. This tiki may have been carved by Eli Hedley as he did own the Island Trade Store in the Bazaar and looks like his work. The Carnation Ice Cream sign in the background is pretty nice.

Eating Under the Umbrellas at the Bazaar Adventureland

Continuing the look at the Adventureland Bazaar, this was the scene at the west end of the Bazaar. It looks like the guests are enjoying the drinks from the drink stand Sunkist, I Presume which featured great citrus based drinks. In the background can be seen some of the variety of merchandise available from the co-op vendors in the Bazaar. I like the Hawaiian shirt hanging up next to some leis. Also the windows of Adventureland can be seen in the upper left hand corner for banjo player and tattoo artist Harper Goff.

Ice Cream Vendor in Front of Adventureland Bazaar

Allright I am now back. I took a business trip and assumed the hotel I was staying in would have internet access, but no such luck. So now that I am back, I will continue with views of the Adventureland Bazaar with one of my favorite shots, an ice cream outdoor vending employee in action. Disneyland today would no longer allow this employee to wear sandals, even though they fit in the theme of Adventureland. Also, he would not just throw the empty box of ice cream on the ground and then stand on it. I do like the peak into the bazaar with the good luck corner shown. I wonder if that is where the rare adventureland good luck postcard was sold?

Adventureland Bazaar Shopping

The Bazaar in Adventureland during this time period was where one could go shopping for all the wonderful jungle, Mexico, Asia, Africa and tiki themed merchandise. It truly was a bazaar with several vendors under one roof. The Japanese lanterns give the store a nice festive touch and look at all the various hats and sunbonnets for sale. Quite an impressive display. The other details on the roof such as the tiki mask, the turtle shell and the large rice basket add touches that are sorely missing in today's Adventureland.

Walt and Van Camp Executives at Chicken of the Sea Restaurant 1960

Two images of Walt Disney and executives from the Van Camp tuna company in the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship restaurant. How many of you remember the Chicken of the Sea tuna salad served in the little boats? I wonder if the boats had any marking or were just generic boats? Any one have one in their collection? For more images of the Chicken of the Sea ship, take a look at Dan Goodsell's blog for May 19, 2006 on A Sampler of Things.

Souvenir Friday- Disneyland Gate Flyer Ticket 1956

I have always liked these early ticket flyers handed out when you drove through the parking lot gate. The simple design, usually printed on brightly colored paper, with the amazing clip art on one side showing the various rides. This one is dated 1956 and advertises the new rides of Tom Sawyer's Island, Storbybook Land, Rainbow Caverns Mine Train and the Skyway. These are also a great source of knowledge for which rides were in existence and which ticket they were (which is a source of endless debate amongst Disneyland fans.)

Eating Area Chicken of The Sea Pirate

Before skull rock was put into place the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship was off in its own area. The area was very barren without much theming as shown by this photo of one of the shaded picnic tables. The shape of the umbrella is very cool and the angle of the photo with the Pirate Ship front coming at you subtly screened by quick growing bamboo to give a little theming is very nice.

Casa De Fritos and Mineral Hall Frontierland

This area of Frontierland is one of the most under photographed locations, with one of the best stores that was in Frontierland. I believe the fascination with Mineral Hall can be traced back to an early E-Ticket Magazine in which Leon wrote about Mineral Hall and showed some of the souvenirs. Mineral Hall was a classic 1950s store showing off amazing science information while still holding the theme. Also the best restaurant was right next door, Casa De Fritos. This image is made all the better by the guests, still wearing somewhat formal clothes although the gentleman in the front is wearing Mexican huarache sandals and a sports shirt jauntily untucked.

Omnibus at Main Street Plaza Hub

Seeing that Disney online created a wonderful model of this attraction vehicle, I thought I would show this shot of the bus getting ready to make the trip down Main Street to Town Square. I love the kids sitting on the second deck holding the large size ticket book and of course the attraction poster art on the side of the bus. And the driver is very cool wearing his dark sun glasses.

Merlins Magic Shop and Carrousel Fantasyland

Color snapshot of the interior of Fantasyland showing what I believe is Merlins Magic Shop and King Arthurs Carrousel. I am always amazed at the fact that Disneyland guests dressed up in dresses, suits, the ladies wore pumps and the guys wore ties. The fifties was the beginning of the sports and leisure clothing industry and I expect everyone to be wearing Hawaiian style shirts and sun dresses. Maybe Disneyland could do a retro 1950s day and have everyone wear nice dresses with pumps, suits and ties, and everything else a 1950s family visiting would have worn. I am sure it would be a hit! Photograph is marked on the back Disneyland 10-30-63.

Burning Settler's Cabin Tom Sawyer Island Frontierland

In almost all of the image collections and slides of vacation trips I have found and seen, there is one picture of the burning settlers cabin usually taken from the Mark Twain towards the interior of the island. In fact, on a home movie reel, the photographer took the view three different times! This photograph is the opposite view from the interior of the island showing the Rivers of America. The poor settler with an arrow sticking out of him was removed years ago and now the cabin does not even burn. My guess is the photographer was allowed to go through the fence that seperates the island and take this image.

Souvenir Friday-Howdy Pod'ner Black Bart Frontierland Kids T Shirt

This is one of my favorite souvenirs, a childs T shirt featuring Black Bart. Who was Black Bart? He was the villian in the early gunfights and action in Frontierland, cast as a card shark and typical villian in the vein of early films. Of course the Marshall would always beat him. The original Marshall was Wally Boag from the Golden Horseshoe Review, who came up with the idea of some gun fight action in Frontierland. It is amazing that a shirt was created and sold at Disneyland featuring the villian, why not the Marshall? Here is an image of Black Bart doing his evilness in Frontierland.

Adventureland Poster Alley 1961

The wall of posters continued down the walkway and also was placed up on the berm. And the selection of posters is amazing. If you look on the right side of the wall, just past the Autopia poster, there hangs one of the most unusual and rare posters, the Casa De Fritos poster. This image is for all the attraction poster fans! Also note that the poles the posters are hanging from have shields, tiki heads and skulls to keep up the Adventureland theming.

Poster Row Adventureland 1961 Continued

Continuing on the path with more attraction posters on display.

Poster Row Adventureland 1961

In 1961 when construction was going on, Disneyland created a walkway from Adventureland to Frontierland around the back of the buildings housing Aunt Jemima's Pancake house. In order to camofluage the backside of the building, they constructed plywood walls and plastered attraction posters on the plywood. The poles do have tiki style heads at the top. This is the first part of the row, slide is marked Poster Row. Two unusual posters are in this view, the first is for the Astro Jets with the same artwork later used for the Rocket Jets and the second is the Satellite View of America in yellow lettering using the same artwork as for Space Station X-1 poster. I believe the current location of this shot is the Bengal Barbecue.

View of Story Book Land from Skyway 1957

Taken from one of the Skyway buckets, the view shows Storybook Canal Boats with the large Monstro entrance and the Fantasyland Railroad Station in the background. The landscaping is so sparse, but at least there are now things to look at on the attraction. If this photograph had been taken a year or so earlier, the landscaping would have been just dirt and weeds, no Monstro, no attraction name, no rock work, not much at all. Also, photo shows how the queue position has changed over the years although the light house ticket booth is still there, now as a scenic element.

Conestoga Wagon in Rainbow Desert

Nice shot of one of the Conestoga Wagons in the Rainbow Desert. On the right hand side can be seen the tracks for the Mine Train Through Rainbow Caverns, the predecessor to Natures Wonderland Railroad. I like the natural arch bridge over the tracks. Photo was probably taken from one of the rail cars. The Conestoga Wagons did not last long coming to a close in 1959 with the upgrade of Rainbow Caverns to Natures Wonderland. Photograph is circa 1958.

Souvenir Friday- Disneyland 9 Years Old Today

Not really a souvenir that could be purchased by visitors, but rather an item that was given to cast members who were working on July 17, 1964, Disneyland's ninth birthday. I love the Mickey Mouse with his almost demonic grin and the back instructions for placing the flower in is wonderful. Size of item is 5.5 by 4.5 inches in size, so it is pretty big not just some small tag that would hang off of the name tag.

Zorro Days Parade Main Street 1958

Back in 1958 Disneyland had a couple of days celebrating their newest television hit show, Zorro. Guy Williams dressed as Zorro would ride in a parade and then take part in a stage show in Frontierland. This image is of Zorro riding under one of the advertising banners for the new Grand Canyon diorama and on the lamp post in front of the Emporium also has a sign promoting the new Grand Canyon diorama. Scarce photo of an event that only happened for a couple of days when the park was only three years old.

Mod Girl in Front of Alaska State Flagpole Tomorrowland 1965

An image I really like, a girl in a great mod overcoat, standing in front of some of the most rare attraction posters, next to the old courtyard of flags that marked the entrance to Tomorrowland with one of the modern light fixtures in the background. Photo is dated March 1965.

Mary Blair Tile Murals Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Although these images are more modern than most of my collection, they do show in color the wonderful Mary Blair tile murals that were in Tomorrowland (and still there from everything I have heard, just covered up by another mural.) The top image is from the Contemporary resort in Walt Disney World.

Headhunter Souvenir Photo Disneyland 1962

I collect these souvenir photos which were taken on Main Street at Disneyland and was extremely happy when I received this in the mail recently. I had purchased a collection of photos for some amusement park snapshots (which are really nice, but not Disneyland) and this was attached to one of the pages of the album. I had been looking for this image for a long time. Just a wonderful image with the cartoon headhunter cannibal and the skull on the spear, and the big black pot with Disneyland on it to give this an Adventureland feel. Several years ago The E Ticket magazine did a whole article on these souvenir photos.