Vehicles In The Plaza - 1950's
I wish today's photos had been taken on a bright sunny day; instead we get that gray "June Gloom" sky that is, well, gloomy. But I do love these photos from the Plaza, bustling with guests and vehicles. I just hope it doesn't rain.
If you're gonna ride in a horseless carriage, it might as well be a car the color of cream of tomato soup. Looks like a whole family is trying to cram into that small compartment - I recommend smearing them with lard and using a shoehorn, but that's just me.
Nearby is one of the Horse Drawn Streetcars, with those brass finials on top to attract lightning for some reason. It's always fun to see the towers on Holiday Hill, pre-Matterhorn. I also love the sandwich board sign; "Ride the ultimate in luxurious motor cars". Don't mind if I do.
One of the stops for the Horse Drawn Streetcars was right in front of the castle. Jeez, the color and quality of the light is so strange in these. Maybe it's tornado season? And we can just get a glimpse of a yellow sign through the tree branches, advertising Professor Keller's Jungle Killers. The little girl to the right is adjusting her mouse ears so that she picks up the horse races from Santa Anita racetrack.
21 comments:
Major-
You ain't kidding about the Skyway towers on Holiday Hill - especially from this angle: they're all business. I also see that 'ol 'Paint' is sporting a lovely, two-tone straw hat. He's quite the fashion plate. (No mouse ears for him). I wish we could more-clearly make out all the text on the sign in the second image: "Scenic rides Elegant ____ ____ for Hire". It almost looks as if it says "station wagon", but that seems a bit out of place.
Thanks, Major.
Regarding the sign in the first pic, what does "D.M.C." stand for? "something" motor coach? Also, I'm surprised that the sign reads "Direct TO The Plaza (Entrance To All The Lands)." Shouldn't that sign be down in Town Square?
Love the "Main Street Vehicles" sandwich board sign too. I thought D.M.C. stood for Deluxe Motor Car, but maybe I'm wrong. And yes, I was thinking the same thing in that it should say "Direct to Town Square", not "Direct to The Plaza".
Nice pics today. Thanks, Major.
Ken, oh...you are probably right about it standing for "motor car." I don't know why I thought "motor coach."
Nanook, it looks like it says "Elegant Statistical Magic" to me. I'm not going to bet any money on my translation.
TM!, "D.M.C." stands for "DeLorean Motor Company." Who else would build a car that could take you back in time like a Main Street vehicle?
Ken, the ride was direct to the Plaza. On crowded days like this when park benches were at a premium, they charged you 10¢ to just sit in a parked car.
I've never really thought about being able to see the Skyway from the Hub, with the Matterhorn and greenery popping up over the years. It would probably provide some nice kinetic energy. It's like early pictures of Kings Island, when the Skyway there ran right behind their Eiffel Tower replica and over International Street.
Entrance to all the lands - does that include Holidayland? (I had to be "that guy.") What about Ken-L Land? ;-)
It literally never occured to me that these vehicles were anything other tgst 100% real antiques (or copies of them). Of course, that was the idea. Bob Gurr took the essance of reality and boiled it down into vehicles that never really existed, but look exactly like they did!
The little boy in the streetcar appears to be serenading his fellow passengers. Either that or he is trying to get Mouse Ears girl to notice him. I guess he likes older women. If you listen very closely you can hear him belting out Red Roses for a Blue Lady. I think the car is a 1928 Salmonmobile. It only came in one color. It was very popular with bear hunters of the day. Thanks Major.
So many pretty dresses today. I especially like the blue dress on the girl behind the Motor Cars sign. And matching bobby sox!
My first trip up the Magic Kingdom's Main Street to the Castle was in the horse-drawn streetcar. It was, well, magical.
stu, They just 'borrowed' those motor cars from Mr. Toad. He didn't need them anymore since he got that newfangled aeroplane.
Nanook, The Holiday Hill Skyway towers are definitely all business. Utilitarian comes to mind.
Always loved the chapeaus on the horses.
Neat pics Major. Thanks.
The French word for horse is cheval, so I guess a horse hat would be chapeau de cheval.
Nanook, I forgot to point out the hat on the horse, it seems that they only did that for a year or two, but I like it! Who knows what the horses thought about it. The sign appears to say “Elegant Station Wagon For Hire - Adults/Children 10 cents - At the RR Depot, Town Square” I can’t read the tiny letters beneath the Surrey graphic.
TokyoMagic!, I have no idea what D.M.C. stands for! Disneyland Motor Car? And you’re right, it looks like that sign is in the wrong place.
K. Martinez, I like “Deluxe” better, there is nothing finer than something that is “deluxe”.
TokyoMagic!, I think in ye olde timey days, people did say “motor coach”? It seems I’ve heard that term before.
Chuck, I immediately thought of Run DMC, and I never knew what the “DMC” part of their name stood for. I thought Detroit might have something to do with it. But looking on Wikipedia, it says that Darryl McDaniels really did use “Delorean Motor Company” as his name, though they also say it stands for “Devastating Mic Controller”, which is probably what that Disneyland sign means.
Andrew, the Skyway was visible from the Hub, though guests would have had to be observant to notice, with so much other visual stimulation to distract. Holidayland didn’t open until June of 1957, so I am assuming that these photos are from ’56 or at least early ’57. Still, being “that guy” is what this blog is all about! As for Ken-L-Land, it didn’t open until 1958.
stu29573, it’s pretty amazing, Bob Gurr knew antique cars well enough that he could just design a generic reproduction and have it feel totally authentic. I believe that some of the pieces such as headlamps might be antique, but don’t bet the farm on it.
Jonathan, “Red Roses For A Blue Lady”, gotta look that one up, I have never heard of it. Is it by Herman’s Hermits? Are you sure the car isn’t a Salmonellamobile?
Melissa, that’s one clue that these photos are probably from no later than 1956 - more and more women started wearing pants by 1957. I’ve always wondered if there was a movie star who inspired the change.
DrGoat, they do look a lot like the Toad cars! I wonder if there was ever any idea to disguise or decorate those Skyway towers (not counting building a big mountain around them)?
Melissa, somehow I’ve known the French word for “cow” all these years, but I don’t think I knew the word for “horse”. What is the French word for “hamster”?
The horse wearing a hat reminds me of the cartoon Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet, which makes me cry every time. Darn you, Disney!
Yeah that D.M.C name made me think of “Run DMC” too MAJOR! Maybe there is a connection : like the band REO SPEEDWAGON named for one one of America’s first trucks - the REO stood for Randson Eli Oldsmobile.
In the early teens automobiles had several nicknames like HORSELESS CARRIAGE and sometimes calked a “DETROIT CARRIAGE” ....
Was D.M.C a now forgotten reference that might have been remembered still back in the 50’s ? Is it DETROIT MOTOR CARRIAGE ?
DISNEYLAND MOTOR CAR??? ..... something else? I am thinking it may be refereeing to DELUXE MOTOR COACH. A early poster for Walt Disney World’s MAIN STREET VEHICLES for National Car Rental sponsor uses the phrase “ offering a line of deluxe motor coaches “ while this is a 1970’s created poster designed to sound period - I think it may have once been a common term at one time in the 1900’s.
I also think the sandwich SURREY sign DOES say “Station Wagon” the station wagon name is the 19th Century name that stuck and was used on the American STATION WAGON automobile. Other terms like Depot Hack, Opera Bus, Station Jitney , Hotel Coach were names that fell out of favor . Imagine a 1974 Buick Estate Hack!!!! Or a 1955 Chevy Nomad Jitney!!!
I know I’ve mentioned this before but the Disneyland Main Street SURREYS are technically WAGONETTES due to their seating arrangements. A SURREY must have two rows of forward facing seats atop light elliptical springs . ( called a BRUNSWICK if the body was made of wicker) if the same vehicle used leaf springs and not elliptical springs it is called a SPRING WAGON!
Kathy!, yes, I have to believe that the folks at Disneyland were inspired by “Johnny Fedora” too!
Mike Cozart, you don’t meet too many people named “Randson” these days. Or any. As I said in my first response, I thought that Detroit might be the “D”, but “Deluxe” is good too. I guess it has been lost to history - although your reference to the WDW poster makes a good case for “deluxe”. The Surrey sign definitely says “station wagon”, which is interesting, never heard that term in relation to anything but automobiles. I actually don’t remember you mentioning “wagonettes” on this blog, maybe you did somewhere else? Or else my memory is failing me, which is always a good possibility. Still, an interesting factoid!
Major, that's the Campbell family trying to squeeze into that "cream of tomato soup" scan.
Remember when actual vehicles rode up and down Main Street? I take it traffic became so heavy that they had to discontinue it. That's my guess anyway.
"A SURREY must have two rows of forward facing seats atop light elliptical springs."
Jeez, you would've thought they could have put that in the song, instead of all that foofaraw about isinglass curtains.
From Roger’s & Hamerstine’s Oklahoma! ; “Surrey with the two forward facing rows of seats on light elliptical springs “ in a Broadway favorite!
Vehicles still run on Walt Disney World's Main Street in the morning. They clear the streets for parades and crowds later in the day, so get your rides in early.
Dean, I wish those words were true right now. I heard from a WDW CM that birds have now taken over the WDW parks. Probably a bit messy ?! :(
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