Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Around Main Street, 1984

It's time for more photos from Lou and Sue, with a special guest... Sue's cousin Stu! He took today's pictures, and judging by these examples, he and Lou made quite a team. 

I like this first picture looking down what I believe was called East Plaza Street. There's the Plaza Inn at the end of the street, and the Baby Station (sponsored by Gerber) to the right. "Listen, my baby is really cranky, and they won't let me leave him in one of the lockers. Can I check him here instead?". 

Mr. Smee and Captain Hook  seem a little out of place in this turn-of-the-century area, but I'll allow it. The little boy and girl want their pictures taken with these great celebrities, but they also don't want to get too close. Naturally those ladies walked right in front of the camera - happens every time. Notice the Carnation truck to our left (not on West Center Street), I was a little surprised that it was still on display in 1984 - in an old post I learned that Disney got rid of the vehicle sometime in the early 2000s.


Nearby is the INA Carefree Corner. It appears to have a mouse infestation! But these are nice mice, so it's OK. I am happy to see these cheerful dressmakers from Cinderella, you don't see these characters every day. Did they have names? Cinderella is there too, and while she wanted an entourage, she didn't want the usual bruisers in suits, carrying walkie-talkies and brass knuckles. Notice the woman carrying "Le Bag", so '80s!


The next three pictures are from one block south on Main Street, at the ooooooold Flower Market. That's how you have to say it, by drawing out the "o". No photographer could resist the riot of intense color that was on display, and who can blame them? Along with flowers, you could also buy classy hanging decorations such as teddy bears or leaping dolphins. What to teddy bears have to do with a flower market? About as much as dolphins do! But it's all good.
 

Let's see, I'll take a dozen of those orangey things, and four of those pink ones over there, and mebbe six 'o those white ones. Grandma will be so happy to not have to water these faux flowers.


I think of outdoor flower markets as being more of a European thing. Americans like beef jerky markets! 


A big thank you to Lou and Sue, and to special guest Stu!

EXTRA! EXTRA! GDB friend Mike Cozart kindly shared this photo of a directional sign pointing to the Ice Cream Cone window. This one is from 1985. Mike also sent some other related photos, and I decided it would be nice to do a stand-alone post to feature those. Thanks, Mike!

27 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

Major, that's not the Plaza Inn at the end of the street, in the first pic. That's "First Aid."

Cinderella's friends are Suzy and Perla, but don't ask me which one is which. I wonder what that shop was at the end of Center St.? I can't remember ever entering that space, until the guest lockers were moved over there.

Thank you, Lou, Sue, Stu, and the Major, too!

Nanook said...

Major-
Judging from the dress colors, I believe the names of those 'nice mice' are Mary (in yellow) and Perla (in purple). (Suzy would be in blue).

I want's me some wax flowers-!

Thanks to Lou, Sue & special guest Stu.

TokyoMagic! said...

I just thought to go check a 1985 DL Guide, which I had already scanned and was handy on my computer. It shows that the shop at the end of East Center Street was the Main Street Cone Shop. The description reads, "Enjoy an ice cream treat. Choose from several favorite Carnation ice cream flavors." I definitely never went inside that shop, but I seem to remember that in the nineties, there was a window there (instead of a door) and you could walk up to the window and order ice cream cones.

TokyoMagic! said...

Nanook, I think the one in blue, is Cinderella. ;-) But seriously, I didn't even know there was a mouse named "Mary." Are you sure that isn't Jacques, in drag?

Nanook said...

@ TM!-
The very idea of a mouse in drag in a Disney film sounds so delicious, I'm changing my vote.

Yeah - there really is a 'Mary'. (Or maybe it's Daryll.. or his other brother Daryll). Besides Jaq and Gus, there's Bert, Mert, and Luke - in addition to the three aforementioned gals.

TokyoMagic! said...

Nanook, I just looked up "Mary Mouse" from Cinderella. Apparently, she made her debut in Cinderella II, which was a straight-to-video production, released in 2002.

Did Mickey Mouse ever appear in drag? I know Bugs Bunny did, many times!

TokyoMagic! said...

I forgot to mention that my research turned up the fact that in the sequel, Mary Mouse is a close friend of Jacques and Gus, but apparently, she has the hots for Jacques. Scandalous!

Also, the name of the horse from the first film, was "Major"!!!

Chuck said...

TM!, I remember that walk-up ice cream window. We never bought anything there because there was a more elegant option on the other side of Main Street and we were ice cream snobs. Don't judge.

You can see the famous (infamous?) "test wall" to the right in that same photo (image #5). It appears that at this point in its history, the arched opening was no longer serving as a pay phone nest and had yet to become a drinking fountain roost.

Thanks, Lou, Sue, & Stu!

Andrew said...

I wonder if Gerber sold baby food at the Baby Center? I'd buy it if it was cheaper than the popcorn.

Anonymous said...

Just to clear things up, I am not THIS Stu. Actually, though, I would have loved to be there snapping away! Of course there would have been a lot more pictures of curbs. Don't judge.
I don't think Mickey ever appeared in drag because, let's face it, that would just make him Minnie. Fun Fact: Minnie's stand in was Mickey's cousin Earl. People don't talk about him much.
Thanks, Lou, Sue and Stu2!

DrGoat said...

Lively photos, as usual from the duo, now a trio.
Andrew, go for the peach. It's the best flavor.
Doubt if they would allow Hook and Smee to hang around the Baby Center nowadays.
A thank you to Nanook and TM for the micechat. Grist for the mill.
Thanks Lou, Sue and Stu...and Major.
Love the artificial goodness of the Flower Mart. Low maintenance, except for an occasional dusting.

Major Pepperidge said...

TokyoMagic!, thanks for the correction! “Suzy” and “Perla”, who knew? Not me! I assume their names only appear in the voice credits?

Major, those cute girl mice are fun in the movie, but not exactly specific personalities. Unless you count “always ready to help Cinderellie”! I’m sorry, they are fresh out of wax flowers, and only have examples made out of a mixture of horsehair and beef tallow.

TokyoMagic!, “The Main Street Cone Shop”, OK! I’d like to eat food out of other shapes, but nobody cares. How about a tasty dodecahedron? I thought I had a photo of a walk-up ice cream service window on this blog somewhere, but it will take me a while to find it. And it might be a different location.

TokyoMagic!, having trouble sleeping?! ;-) How can you even tell if a mouse is in drag?! Too much eye makeup?

Nanook, good grief… all the Cinderella mouse info is right here on GDB! I’d rather read about that than what’s going on elsewhere, frankly.

TokyoMagic!, “Cinderella II”; they were making that when I was at the studio. I always thought that the message of that direct-to-video movie was garbled. As they try to help Anastasia (one of the wicked stepsisters) land the local baker. They sing a song about “It’s what’s inside that counts”, and then proceed to doll her up to make her “hot”! I don’t remember Mickey ever dressing in drag, but the trope is such a classic that it wouldn’t surprise me, especially back in the early days when Mickey was less of a proper suburbanite.

TokyoMagic!, everyone knows that Mary Mouse is a tramp. I’m not sure how I feel about a horse with my name!

Chuck, whenever you ordered ice cream, you had to put on your monocle. It seemed odd to some, but how else would people know that you were serious about your frozen dairy treats? The article about the test wall is interesting, I have had my doubts about it for a long time. I still do to be honest, even with that photo from Matterhorn1959. It just doesn’t make sense to me; if you go to places like Boston, or look at buildings like Independence Hall, the brickwork is usually as neat and tidy as can be. The wavy, uneven brickwork looks more like something from a German Expressionist movie (“Der Golem”, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”). I can’t imagine Walt allowing his park to look like that. PLUS, the people involved in building the park were mostly movie folks, who had decades of experience creating believable versions of historic colonial American structures for films. What can I say, I am skeptical!

Andrew, they sold food made out of babies.

Stu29573, you are THAT Stu! The first one. “Stu Classic”, maybe. I love that Lou nephew (and Sue’s cousin) was named “Stu”; I wonder if there was anyone in the family named “Drew” or “Hugh”? I learn so much on this blog, such as the item about Mickey’s cousin Earl. Nepotism at work. Hey, Walt’s childhood friend Walt Pfeiffer worked for the Disney studio, it paid to be his pal!

DrGoat, I think we have a few additional photos from Stu2 among the vast archive of scans that Sue so generously made and sent to me. So stay tuned! Peach baby food, eh? My mom said I liked the apricot tapioca, but I don’t remember. Now I’m more of a strained peas guy. Now that my mom is older, she appreciates her few artificial flowers, after a lifetime of growing and loving the real things.

Anonymous said...

Always love the Flower Mart pics. Mom's favorite part of Disneyland, I think.

Thanks everyone.

JG

Nanook said...

@ TM!-
Oh boy - a Cinderella controversy-! 'My sources' tell me that in the original film, she worked on the top lace of Cinderella's dress with the other mice, and is considered a "minor character" in the 1950 original. As you noted, her 'breakout role' was in Cinderella II, as Jaq's 'love interest'. The big question is: Just where is she now-??

Nanook said...

Major-
I should've mentioned - I'm flattered you mistook me for you, but... Just what are you drinking @ 7 AM-?

Major Pepperidge said...

JG, of all the things in Disneyland, I think it’s sweet that your mom liked the Flower Mart so much!

Nanook, we all know that Mary had substance abuse problems, but overcame them and went on to help others. And of course she won an Academy Award later in life, which resulted in a comeback.

Nanook, I think I was just reading TokyoMagic’s factoid about the horse named “Major” as I was writing the comment to you! As for what I was drinking, it is Kumis, made from fermented mare’s milk. Want some?

Nanook said...

Major-

Kumis - I should have known. The perfect accompaniment when munching on durian. (Oh brother-!)

MIKE COZART said...

The Main Street Cone Shop has very limited seating once guests left the service window - the idea is that they would walk around with the limited ice cream offerings. Sonetimes a sign would let guests know there was additional seating inside the Market House . The seating area was a 1/2 octagon shaped room to look like the grocer’s back room . Sometimes a small band organ was located in this room . Eventually the room was taken over by the Disneyanna Shop in the 90’s and was used for animation art. The cast called it the “cake room” I’m not sure if maybe at one time birthday parties could be held there or because of its shape???

I sent major some sing images of the Cone Shop : a marque and a directional “lollipop” sign from 1985. Three other photos taken in 1987 of the shop’s menu boards — and the first appearance of “ frozen yogurt” .

The December 1985 CONE SHOP offerings :

SUPER WAFFLE CONE SUNDAE $2.75

ICE CREAM CONES $1.00
chocolate vanilla strawberry orange sherbet and flavor of the day

*sales tax included

Anonymous said...

Lou & Sue & Stu & Baloo & Zazu & the Major too! Tally-ho & yoo-halloo!

"Flavor of the day" reminds me of a documentary I was watching the other day about Milton Hershey. It said he kept trying to push ice cream flavors like onion and celery and was always disappointed when other people didn't like them. The only one that got any reaction at all, and very little at that, was beet sorbet. (Which doesn't sound that bad to me.)

Melissa said...

That anonymous beet sorbet comment was from me, Melissa. Not sure what happened with the sign-in there! Maybe Google decided nobody would really want to go on the record as being pro-beet-sorbet.

TokyoMagic! said...

Nanook, ha, ha....a Cinderella controversy! My source for the Mary Mouse info (about her debuting in the sequel) was Wikipedia, so you know how it goes with info from that site. But as far as the names, Suzy and Perla, I remember the two female mouse costumes always being listed as such, in the park's Character Dept. and Parade Dept., back in the eighties.

And later today, I remembered that I had a couple of my own pics of Suzy, Perla, Mary, "Jacquesuzette," or whoever that is in the chartreuse dress!

This pic is from July of 1981:

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KyBL-2TyB34/TAGZkYhsutI/AAAAAAAADuQ/ZuAcGbE2Jow/s1600/01+July+17th,+1981+(18).jpg

And this pic is from November of 1982:

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KyBL-2TyB34/SvYmrjmgoGI/AAAAAAAACek/disRZbi4RQY/s1600-h/1982+Nov.+Mickey%27s+Month+(4).jpg

Major, I never saw Cinderella II. I think there was even a Cinderella III. Gee, that was the time when they were cranking out sequels to almost all of their classic animated features. I have seen very few of those straight-to-video features.


TokyoMagic! said...

I forgot to respond to Mike Cozart's comment about the octagonal room in the Market House, where Main St. Cone Shop guests were directed "for additional seating." Kevin Kidney did a post 11 years ago, explaining why that room was referred to as the "Birthday Cake Room" by some cast members:

https://miehana.blogspot.com/2009/07/birthday-cake-room-happy-birthday-to.html

And here is a picture that I took of that same room, filled with Easter merchandise, back in 1995:

https://meettheworldinprogressland.blogspot.com/2010/03/easter-on-main-st-1995.html


"Lou and Sue" said...

Stu, Stu2, Stu29573, Stu-Classic; Major, Major the Horse, "Major/Nanook" - hahahaha! I feel sorry for any new reader who started with today's post. They'll have a fun time trying to figure out who's-who!

My cousin Stu LOVED Disneyland and would've loved knowing that his pictures are being enjoyed by all of you. He's no longer with us, but I'm glad to share some of the "memories" he left behind. He was a fantastic person whom everyone loved, and he loved having fun! In the future, I'll scan some pictures from the 40 years he worked at Bob's Big Boy Restaurants around the Disneyland area. Maybe some of you will recognize him or some of the others he worked with, from around 1964 to 2004.

Thank you, Major and everyone, for all the laughs and interesting information, and links and pictures. As always, this blog is a blast!

Sue

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I have had durian, got it from a 99 Ranch Store. It was packaged like pork chops, on a styrofoam tray with plastic. To me the general impression was “fried onions”, though of course that’s not entirely accurate. I’d kind of like to try it again, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either.

Mike Cozart, is there anything that you don’t know? ;-) Thank you for all the info, as usual. I don’t know why the “cake room” rings a bell, but not enough to evoke any solid memories for me. Thank you for the images of the Cone Shop, I will post those in an article all on their own!

Anonymous, I went to an ice cream place in L.A. (Silverlake, maybe) that had alll kinds of unusal flavors, one that I recall is rosemary. The place was FULL of kids who had just gotten out of high school! I didn’t even see regular flavors on the menu. Funny that Milton Hershey was trying to get folks into onion ice cream. Weird! There’s a garlic festival up in Gilroy and they famously have garlic ice cream.

Melissa, all I can say is that you are not alone in your sign-in problems, DrGoat was having issues just a week or so ago.

TokyoMagic!, I love the photo of the girl with the mouse, she’s holding her balloons and frowning. The magic of Disneyland! So much Cinderella mouse info, I had no idea that it would spark such controversy. Can’t we all just get along? ;-) There WAS a Cinderella III, but I never watched it. I only watched Cinderella II because employees got freebie DVDs. I’m sure it’s below average at best.

TokyoMagic!, OH YEAH! I remember the “Birthday Cake Room”! Thanks for the link, I’m going to go back and reread it. I wish Kevin Kidney was still blogging, but I guess he’s moved on to other things.

Major Pepperidge said...

Lou and Sue, oops, sorry I skipped you by accident! You make a good point, a newbie would feel very baffled by some of our references. But hey, you can’t be cool in a day. You have to work at it! I remembered that you’d said that Stu has passed away, such a shame. I’m sure everyone will love seeing the Bob’s Big Boy photos, I know I will! Thanks so much.

JG said...

Sue, please post Bob’s Big Boy pics. My Dad loved that place. There was one in Visalia near our home, and we visited others in LA area on travels.

Major and everyone, thanks for a great thread today. I was too buried at work to keep up but the links and comments will entertain me later in the week.

My daughter loved Cinderella and would carry a shoe around on a pillow in imitation when she could just walk. I am grateful to learn the character names after so long.

JG

Melissa said...

A vintage Bob's Big Boy picture came across my Tumblr feed today!

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/vintagelasvegas/640165496039292928