Monday, April 13, 2009

Four From July 14, 1964

July 14, 1964: mere days from Disneyland's ninth anniversary. Which doesn't have much to do with these pictures, it just gives me something to write about.

Town Square looks like a nice place to relax, too bad it is the first thing you see when you get to Disneyland! All I'm thinking about is getting to my favorite attractions, I'm in no mood to relax. One time I stopped in at the Wurlitzer store and I bought a piano. Nothing crazy, just a modest upright. I didn't want to pay for shipping so I pushed it around with me all day. By the evening, I started to think that was a mistake.


The Surrey is waiting for someone - anyone - to hop on board. Come on folks, what else are you gonna do with those "A" tickets? I like the contrast between the black surrey and the snow-white horses. I'll call them "Edgar Winter" and "Johnny Winter".


Here's a fairly decent photo of the Disneyland Hotel (although I wish there was more hotel and less blue sky). The name on the sign, "hotel Disneyland", has a continental flavor, as does the restaurant, "Le Gourmet". You can see le Monorail track, where you could hop on board and go directly to le park.


All of the churros in Disneyland use flour that was ground at Harper's Mill. As far as I know. A zoom lens has flattened the perspective, making the Mark Twain feel like it is mere feet behind Tom Sawyer Island (I guess it was pretty close, anyway), and the brand-new Haunted Mansion façade looms right behind the Twain.

8 comments:

Chiana said...

le park! How inviting it looks. Already in '64 the square there looks shaded, mature and only lacking some partial newspapers, residents, pidgies, weathered paving, trash and landscaping in poor condition to be just like a real city park.

After totin' that pianer around all day I bet you were wheezy as an old organ.

What cute horsies, the Winters. Outfit's right on for the cast member.

Hotel Disneyland (ah it's So Cal, the palms and oleanders!) I seldom see it that way. I'm used to seeing the expanded tower with the signs reversed. Lotsa air in that pic but hey it's still really neat to me.

Hey I like that last pic of Sawyer's/Twain. It's "packed" isn't it. I put it on my desktop.

PTA Transit Authority said...

All great and beautiful pics, as always. The Town Square pic is fantastic!

Katella Gate said...

Notice that by 1964 the original "point drinking fountain" has been replaced by the pillar fountain. Time marches on.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Here (link) I want to ride in the front!

These all have a nice clean look, thanks Major. Katella, nice spot regarding the drinking fountain, I wonder what year they upgraded it?

Nancy said...

Main Street is one of my favorite places...always bring tears when i arrive as much as when i have to leave :*)

i love the pretty little horsies there waiting to take us for a ride

the Mark Twain is particularly interesting with the look of it being on land or sumfin...

Magical Hotel said...

Hate to ruin the continental flavor but the sign at the Disneyland Hotel (or Hotel Disneyland) says "by" Gourmet not le Gourmet.

Jim said...

Wouldn't you know. July 14, 1964. The very day I turned 4. My Mom still has the pic's of me wearing my Mouseketeer headwear. my kid's think I looked, in their words; "like a dork wearing those". If they only knew how special it was.

Anonymous said...

"All of the churros in Disneyland use flour that was ground at Harper's Mill."

See, that's why I love your blog. All these great previously unknown indeed, unsuspected) facts. I hope you don't mind that I'll be using them in the construction of my own Disneyland trivia book!

:)