Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A Trio from December 1960

December, 1960. Most of you probably remember it as the month that King Baudouin of Belgium married Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragon (Ah, Doña Fabiola, she loved a saucy limerick!). But if it doesn't have to do with Disneyland, then I don't want to know about it. So here are three lovely photos from that park, from that happy month.

This is a Disneyland band, but it isn't the Disneyland band...at least not all of 'em. Is this the Tyrolean band that used to wander around the Matterhorn playing oom-pa-pa music? Anyway, they are standing next to the entrance to the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-thru, and impressively, are playing with carefully trained chickens balanced on top of their hats.


I love the warm golden glow in this next photo. Everybody in the front of the horse-drawn streetcar is smiling and happy, laughing about somethin'. It has to be a knock-knock joke, because what could be funnier?

"Knock knock"
"Who's There?"
"Tom Sawyer"
"Tom Sawyer Who?"
"Tom Saw yer underwear!" HA HA

(Major Pepperidge waits five minutes while you try to regain your composure....)


There's not a lot to see in this night shot, but there is just enough so that I thought that it was worth posting. We're looking towards the Monorail queue area, you can see the ramp that goes up to the top level. To the left, the Yacht Bar, and silhouetted against it is the Astro Jets.

9 comments:

Chris Merritt said...

The nighttime image - that is one heck of a shot! Amazing - I didn't know that tower lit up at night...

and another tantalizing shot of the entrance to the walk thru - but no interiors! Arrrrgggghhh!

walterworld said...

That night shot is notable (the Yacht Bar...WOW!)

Thanks!

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Great Trio, I like them all! That night shot is sweet. I love old night shots like that, you can feel the mood! I dig how the speed ramp is a focal point, I miss the speed ramps, why did they take them out????

Thanks for this neato Trio!

Unknown said...

Best. Vintage. Disney. Joke. Ever.

The Viewliner Limited said...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL (5 MIN ARE UP) That's funny!
Oh yeah pictures are cool too. Very nice TL nite shot - Yacht Bar is the greatest. Thanks Major

outsidetheberm said...

Incredible night shot!

And Chris, we're still digging through the slides. There's hope yet!

Unknown said...

That's not the Astro-jets. It's a support tower for the skyway.

Unknown said...

oops, now I see the astro-jets in the foreground. sorry.

Jason Schultz said...

A little late, but that's the Town Band.

The Disneyland News (May 1956): In the afternoon the Disneyland Band is broken up into three units: The Dixieland "Hatters" tootle in Frontierland; the Saxophone Quartet makes its appearance on Main Street in Keystone Kop uniforms and the Town Band adds its musical talents to Fantasyland or Tomorrowland.
Unless the Disneyland visitor has seen the Town Band play the "William Tell Overture" while riding the King Arthur Carrousel, he has missed one of the Park's spectacular sights.