Monday, May 23, 2011

Approaching the Main Gate, 1957

I have two images from two different 1957 lots, both featuring the Main Street Station and the entrance to the park.

It must be springtime; the flowers are blooming like crazy. On the other hand, that's not unusual at Disneyland. The park just opened (it's a little past 10:00), and you couldn't ask for a more beautiful day. There is a small group up on the platform for the Disneyland Railroad, and a few people passing through the tunnel, but it looks pretty uncrowded. Poster alert! Let's play "how many do you recognize" again.


This second photo was taken on a less flowery day, and later in the afternoon. The thing that catches my eye is the bike rack. Imagine being a local kid, able to pedal over to the park with a pal, whenever you wanted! Of course it would set you back $2 or $3, so you'd have to save up your nickels and dimes from your paper route. I'll bet those bikes didn't even have locks on them.

10 comments:

Nancy said...

That was my first thought, too. what a way to grow up, with Disneyland as your backyard!

we have an online friend in LA who we met up with the first time we went there in 2001....she had not been to the Park in THREE years...unbelievable!!

my fave of the posters we can see is the first one on the right with the stagecoches from Frontierland :D

Thufer said...

Oh, what a wonderful start to the week. It is always exciting to walk up to the entry and just let your wants and desires for the day to run wild.

Posters! Posters! oh yummy.

Connie Moreno said...

The minute I saw the title of your post, I was bouncing in my chair! Wow, what wonderful photos. How I wish I could view these on a big screen TV because I can't see the posters very well, LOL. GORGEOUS!!!

Your comment about the bikes is spot on. Didn't Steve Martin once say that he rode his bike to the Park? Wow.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nancy, you may recall that I had a four year gap between visits, although I did go last October! So I can't throw stones. You picked a good poster, that's a rare one that I never had and it is a beauty!!

Thufer, I'm glad these were so inspiring!

Connie, he did say that in his book "Born Standing Up".

Katella Gate said...

Instead of "Name those Posters", let's play "How much are they Worth", where you guess the total value of the posters in the picture.

Being completely ignorant of their value, I will guess $100,000.

olddisneylandfan said...

A coworker of mine (now departed, God rest his soul) grew up in the 60s within bike ride distance of the Park. He and his friends would stand at the parking lot exits and ask people for leftover tickets. They made out like bandits. When they had a good supply, they'd buy admission (only)and enjoy an otherwise free visit to the Park.

Mark Hickson said...

Looking at the picture made me wonder what is upstairs in the depot building?

Katella Gate said...

I would like to nominate OldDineylandFan's story of begging for tickets as the most interesting Disney-related comment in the category of "personal anecdotes" I have heard all year.

Major Pepperidge said...

Katella, I think $100K might be a little high, but they would definitely go for a good chunk of change!

olddisneylandfan, what a great idea! Really, most people probably tossed their old tickets. I remember finding some old tickets in a drawer at my parent's house, and being shocked that we had leftover E tickets.

Mark, somebody else is going to have to solve that mystery, but it is a good question.

CoxPilot said...

Not a darn thing. At least there was nothing up there in my day (1959 to 1965). We must have explored EVERY space in the park between our shows (including the basement of the moon ride).