Tuesday, March 24, 2020

5000th Post

Believe it or not, today marks the 5000th post for GDB. Five thousand! That feels like a significant number worth celebrating. Some of you may recall that my original goal was to somehow reach 1000 posts (that happened on April 8, 2009) at which point I would retire to my private island. But things don't always go according to plan.

I continued to acquire slides, and the contributions of some GDB readers (thanks to all of those folks) helped so much. And now it's been over 13 years - the last 10 without missing a single day.

Let's start with one that I have been saving for a while - the true FINAL photo from Fun Dad, circa August, 1967! And ain't she a beauty? Looks like folks who parked on the western edge of the parking lot are trudging toward the ticket booths & turnstiles, while Monorail Blue passes overhead (Monorail Gold can be seen in the distance).


Colorful floral prints were in style in '67! Just right of center you can see the white cone roof of the"Melodyland" theater. A nice selection of attraction posters are framed on the columns supporting the Monorail beamway, including one for Tom Sawyer Island, The Autopia, Nature's Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean (only a few months old), and Peter Pan's Flight.


Speaking of turnstiles, here they are, circa 1961. Where is everybody? There's something so cheerful and welcoming about the oval letters spelling out D-I-S-N-E-Y-L-A-N-D, along with those waving colorful pennants. 


This next shot is just very pretty - a view of Main Street USA from 1964; September 24th if you must know. And because I have "Jason's Disneyland Almanac" handy, I want to give you some fun facts. The 24th was a Thursday, and the park was open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The high temp of the day was 87 degrees (September in SoCal, folks), and the attendance was (wait for it)... 5,711. Not even 6000 people! 

The photo was taken at twilight, when all the sexy vampires emerge from their graves! No doubt the street looks much darker in the photo than it did to the eye (many signs are not yet lit), but that's OK. I still love the warm glow of the Eastman Kodak shop's sign. The banner at the end of the street tells us that DIXIELAND at DISNEYLAND would happen the next evening.


How about this postcard-worthy shot of the Space Bar (from July of 1958)? What a wonderful piece of mid-century design. And once again, the lack of crowds is astonishing.


Let's get up in the air, aboard the good old Skyway (circa 1957)! Our gondola is heading toward the Tomorrowland Terminal. For some reason the colors of the gondolas used at this point appeal to me - lemon yellow, metallic green and blue, vivid orange, silver, gold, and so on. There's the earlier iteration of the Space Bar, and below us in the track (and part of the station) for the Viewliner. That field in the distance just beyond the borders of the park looks like its being graded for development. 



From 1956 comes this Skyway view looking down on what I've been told was "Tomorrowland Lake", where the Phantom Boats (aka "Tomorrowland Boats") plied the waters - when they weren't conking out. This photo is fascinating!


Zooming in to see the boats a bit better, I also notice a Market Basket market in the upper left. 


Well, that does it for today, homies. I would like to thank all of you for your friendship and support over the years; I am grateful for the nice community that has developed. The lack of trolls and weirdos is kind of a miracle in this day and age. At this point I have about two more full boxes of slides to go - around 1,200 images. That should keep me going for another year or two. I've been considering photographing and sharing photos of some of my assorted dumb collections (the non-Disney stuff), maybe I'll do a few test posts and see how those go. I've got a lot of junk! But some of it might be fun for you to look at.

Tomorrow... post 5001!



31 comments:

  1. Major-
    WOW - so much goodness to be had. All those folks in the first image may appear to be trudging toward the ticket booths from the far reaches of the parking lot, but in actuality there was 'big doings' at the Picnic Area.

    We've seen so many images of the Space Bar with that great Tri-Level AP in the nearby planter, I'm always on the lookout for it in similar shots.

    The "Tomorrowland Lake" shot is indeed fascinating. (And I was wondering just what that building in the background was, and if it indeed was a Market Basket - and so it is-!)

    I'll step-back and let others say things that are undoubtedly more insightful than my musings, but before I go, congratulations on this fine achievement and keeping all of us 'fully informed' on Disneyland's [WDW's & Knott's] past, and other roadside attractions, and doing so with such a sneaky good sense of humor. Each and every day is better due to your unflinching efforts.

    Thanks, Major-!

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  2. I don't comment very often, but I do visit every day.
    Thanks for your effort and hard work to keep it fresh and fun.
    I'll be here for post 10,000.

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  3. Major: We - your devoted fans - are grateful that YOU are not a "troll or weirdo", but a wonderful person who is willing to give up so much of your free time to bring so much joy to others, each and every day! I can't thank you enough for all the fun I've had since discovering GDB, last year!

    All the laughs with all the junior gorillas, interesting facts I've learned, and useless, crazy trivia everyone's shared, along with wonderful personal stories, has made this blog the highlight of my day (and my dad's day).

    Major - YOU'RE THE BEST!

    Sue

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  4. Jinkies! These are all exceptional photos, today! I wonder what that man is doing standing in the dirt next to the Viewliner tracks? Is he a gardener? Conductor? Lost guest? The world may never know.

    Congratulations, Major! 5,000 posts is an incredible accomplishment. And I've enjoyed every one of them! I've said it before, but a great big THANK YOU, for all that you do for us, every day!

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  5. Congrats on your 5,000 posts milestone, Major.

    These pics are extra Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

    I echo what others are saying. In light of the world today, this blog is my happy place. This place is a ray of sunshine that helps me get through the day. I'm grateful we have a place to go to and share. The GDB faithful are a great group that make it special too. Thank you, Major for giving us so much.

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  6. Pegleg Pete4:24 AM

    You've really spoilt us today, Major – these are some extra-special photgraphs, indeed. I'll be spending quite some time today poring over those early Tomorrowland pics alone. And the last of Fun Dad!? Say it isn't so! At least his final pics are beauties, and from my birth month which, based on that first shot, seems to have been the high-water mark for the mid-Sixties floral print vogue.

    I can't believe you've made it to 5000 posts! Congratulations and thank you for all the hard work you put in. You've made my mornings over the last dozen years a much brighter place than they might otherwise have been. Here's to another 5000! Only kidding – at this point you've certainly more than earned your right to retire to your private island whenever you choose. Thanks again.

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  7. Congratulations on hitting 5,000 posts! That has to be some kind of record in the non-revenue-driven, fan-produced segment of the Disney blogosphere. You truly deserve an award for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence.

    You haven't just shared your collection and your sense of humor - you've built a community around it, a community that feels comfortable enough with each other to share their own photos and memories to further strengthen our bonds. Most of us have never met in person, but we still share a tie of friendship that is ever more important in this era of fractured communities and social distancing. We owe you our thanks many times over.

    We owe you our thanks many times over.

    We owe you our thanks many times over.

    We owe you our thanks many times over.

    We owe you our thanks many times over.... :-)

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  8. Wow! 5000 posts?! That’s amazing. And to think for the first year I visited your blog, I just read it from the front page. That’s right, I didn’t even realize there were comments! It was full of such great pictures and your narrative that I didn’t realize I was missing half the fun.
    Congratulations on a huge milestone. And thank you, thank you, thank you for providing a wholesome, informative, and fun place to visit that has become a daily stop for me. I always look forward to seeing what you post everyday, and reading the comments for even more great information and fun.

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  9. Wow congratulations! Five thousand is indeed a significant number worthy of note. Thank you for being there to brighten our day!

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  10. Great interesting and different photos today. You don't see many Phantom Boat shots. They were before even my time. I look forward to GDB and coffee every morning. I stumbled on it while looking up articles on the Submarine Voyage. Talk about luck! You have made many a morning for me. I too have a private island, unfortunately it's in the Aleutian chain. Brrr. Let's all raise a coffee cup to Major P.

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  11. I echo what everyone else said - wow and congratulations! 5000 posts?! I've only been alive for 5,736 days, for crying out loud (I looked it up)! You should be very proud of this accomplishment. Even though it's something that you can't go around touting to the world, you can be happy that you've made the lives of so many people just a little bit better, myself included.

    Oh yeah, these pictures are also astounding and are all going on my screensaver! In the picture of the monorails and parking lot, what's the third attraction poster down that's all black?

    As one more aside, I started from the beginning of GDB about a month ago and am about four years in now. I should've put some more thought into what I was getting into (who am I kidding - I love it!), but I hope to try and finish it before I visit Disneyland for the first time. Thanks again for all of your awesome posts!

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  12. Happy 5000th! And that's just what today's pics are- happy! Thank you for the tons and tons of work! Onward and upward!

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  13. Congratulations. Thanks for all the hard work! Me and my brothers tune in everyday. I know my brother Pat Devlin is looking in from above.

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  14. Well congratulations Major!!!! I am so glad for this blog that I can visit every day and share in the joy that is Disney, Knott's and other assorted roadside attractions - not mention world fairs! I am also happy that I was able to impart all those photos my brother had so they had a good home and did not end up in the trash (gasp!). And I am grateful for this community that has supported me when Bruce passed and now as I go through my current health situation (hi Sue) (I am doing well everyone and things appear to be going in the right direction - of course during the current virus situation things are a little scary but I and my family are following the rules!). Keep up the good work Major and I look forward to many more posts from you :)

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  15. To paraphrase Sam the Eagle, we are all weirdos. But I like to think we're the good kind of weirdos.

    I can only echo the others in adding my thanks for having GDB in my life. It's meant more than you could know.

    Today's pictures are the cream of the crop. Lots of vroom, lots of architecture, lots of gorgeous California sky, interesting vintage people, beautiful composition. Happy 5000!

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  16. Thank you for all the nice comments, everybody!

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  17. Truly wonderful. Congratulations from me too Major. I think Chuck put it into words for me.
    All those flower pattern dresses in the first and second pics reminds me of Mom. The perspective is neat too.
    Those last two shots are so...well can't think of a word that fits right now.
    Thanks Major. Glad to be part of the community you've created here.

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  18. Anonymous12:09 PM

    All I can say is "WOW". Congrats Major. You have always brightened my day when I open your blog. It brings back memories of being a kid during visiting the Park as well as remembering the good times as a CM. And let's not forget all those comments from your dedicated readers! KS

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  19. Fantastic achievement, Major! Truly a labor of love.

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  20. Sunday Night4:42 PM

    What a happy day it was when I discovered GDB about 12 years ago. And now 5000 posts later I enjoy GDB more than ever. Thank you for the fantastic photos, restoration work, creative commentary and for keeping GDB ad free. And thanks for making it a friendly place for all your fans. I love the fan group here. Such insight, fun and creativity.

    GDB Rules.

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  21. Sunday Night4:47 PM

    By the way that Space Bar photo is unbelievably beautiful.

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  22. Anonymous7:34 PM

    Congrats on the 5,000 post! I hope that my blog manages to reach that number someday. ;)

    Also, nice pics of the monorail. Then again, any pics of the monorail is always nice.

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  23. Dean Finder9:16 PM

    Congrats on 5000 posts. Glad that I stumbled onto this den of wierdos, brought together by love of classic Disney.

    This place has become my local bar, where I can drop in for a few laughs and see the regulars.

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  24. Everybody: I am so appreciative of all the nice comments, and for all of the fun participation, today and every day. I still have some good stuff for you in the coming months and years (knock wood) - things might change a little, but hopefully will still be interesting and entertaining. I feel like a lucky guy, having so many good people out there as readers.

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  25. Congratulations on this milestone post! We need you more than ever these days, Major. Thanks for all the hard work!

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  26. coming in late to say congratulations! So amazing, to witness such an historic event as this. And they still keep coming! Keep up the great work and thank you so much for all of the wonderful images of my favorite place. Thank you!

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  27. Brilliant achievement, Major. I'm sorry I missed commenting on the big day.

    Not much I can add to the heartfelt comments of my fellow Junior Gorillas.

    This is a special corner of the Net, and I appreciate you and all the friends we have here. As some have mentioned, this blog means more to me than there is time or inclination to share, so I will spare all of you. I've been reading since 2008 and commenting maybe since 2010, so it's a big part of my life.

    Major, I wish you, and all of us, well in this time of trouble. I will read as long as GDB lasts, or I last. God Bless You.

    JG

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  28. Anonymous5:32 PM

    Congrats Major on 5,000 posts!!
    Bill in Denver

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  29. I am sorry I am late to the party. 5000 posts!!! Wow. Major what you do is very much apprciated. This blog at least for me is the very first thing that I "open" each morning. It is a great way to start the day, with a smile. Thank you.

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  30. A day late and a roll of toilet paper short. Sorry I missed the party but let me add my thanks and appreciation for you and the blog. Dz

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  31. Congrats! Your blog is a wonderful thing for our Disney community!

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