Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Parking Lot, 1964

It seems hard to believe, but now that it's gone, the old parking lot evokes at least a little bit of nostalgia in those who parked their cars there years ago. "Remember, we're in lot 'B' for Baloo". Here are two views from 1964, both taken from the Monorail.


Two things puzzle me in this first image...what is that white structure to the right? It's not the Convention Center. It resembles Space Mountain, and I'm pretty sure the building still exists. I know that you know that I know that you know. And also, you can see Main Street Station...just to the left of it is a reddish roof or structure of some kind. Could it just be part of another Main Street building? Here's a closer look. It almost looks like construction.


This second image was actually taken a month before the first one. We've left the Disneyland Hotel, and we're speeding back towards Tomorrowland. You can just see the Douglas Moonliner poking up. I'm looking for that mysterious structure that's in the first photo, and don't see it.

12 comments:

Matterhorn1959 said...

Major- I would say the large white structure is the Melodyland theater. The other structure may be the back of the Main Street City Hall, but could also be the large warehouse structure backstage behind the Opera house and due to the angle, we are seeing it.

Chris Merritt said...

I concur with PJ - that's Melodyland - my Dad used to run camera there in the 1970s...

I miss the Parking Lot too! The "sense of arrival" we once had just isn't the same...

Anonymous said...

I believe I see the 'mystery structure' in the second picture, but because of the change of angle it appears on the RIGHT of Main St. Station... which might make it the administration building/primeval world, which would have been under construction around that time.

Major Pepperidge said...

Matterhorn and dreemfinder, I think you must be right...it does appear to be that building behind the Opera House.

Jim Moore said...

I believe the structure behind Main Street is the Administration Building under construction. Take a look at this photo…

http://www.zoocrew.us/images/dland_aerial_admin_bldg.jpg

My office used to be on the 2nd floor in the back of the building (visible in both Major's photo and the photo linked above) in what used to be the Disneyland University. I was the University's Audio-Visual Specialist back in the early 80's and spent a lot of time in the A/V booth which backed up against the train tunnel for the Primeval World. You could hear the loop of the baby triceratops screeching over and over all day long – what a hoot!

Merlinsguy said...

Definitely MelodyLand. I used to go there to see productions of Carousel and Oklahoma. And a very young Wayne Newton when we was a chubby kid with a high voice. Great shots.

Anonymous said...

"I liked it better when it was a parking lot"

Steve Tanner at Magical Trash said...

I never got to experience the parking lot (being a Midwesterner), but that's a nice nostalgic photo... for something I never got nostalgic about in the first place! :)

Major Pepperidge said...

Squallsahead, that is a great photo...do you know when it was taken? In my closeup, it does look like you can still see through some of the structure, as if it is under construction.

Jim Moore said...

Major, I don't know, but I'm guessing sometime in 1965 since The Primeval World opened in July '66. As you said, it appears that your photo was taken after this one -- there's more than just framework to the building. The photo I posted is cropped, however the full image is on Dave's Daveland blog, a little more than half-way down the page...

http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html

(sorry Dave, I should have given you credit the first time around).

There's a ton of great details in Dave's photo: The motels and properties on the east-side of Harbor Blvd., Small World construction, backstage on the east-side of Main Street, New Orleans Square/Pirates construction, the Haunted Mansion transition tunnels and the future site of the attraction's Butler building, backstage on the west-side, ...even the hotel's miniature golf course!

Anonymous said...

That structure is Melodyland Theater, on Harbor Blvd.

Anonymous said...

I'm just nostalgic about the cars that are parked on that lot.