Wednesday, May 12, 2021

15th Anniversary!

Way back on May 12, 2006 I decided to try my hand at posting a photo on a Google blog - just to see how to do it, really - but also with the thought that perhaps it would be fun to share some of my vintage Disneyland slides with fellow fans. By now most of you have probably seen that first post; humble beginnings to be sure. And here we are, FIFTEEN YEARS later. WHAT? Please explain to me how time works. All of the other anniversaries seemed big, but fifteen... that's a lot of bad writing and so-so pictures, with some good stuff sprinkled in by accident.

GDB has never had a huge readership, but I am very grateful for the small community of nice, friendly, supportive people who seem to be drawn here by some miracle. So THANK YOU to all of the regulars who read and comment and make this endeavor so satisfying and enjoyable. And thanks to those who have helped by contributing their own family photos and stories, those personal touches make such a difference. I never would have imagined that I would still be blogging in 2021!

On to today's pictures. I'm starting with this very nice aerial shot (dated "January 1962"), presumably taken from one of the L.A. Airways helicopters as it commuted to (and from) LAX airport. What a view! Notice the Christmas star atop the Matterhorn. There's so much to take in that I decided to zoom in on several areas. 


In this northernmost view, we can see Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the surprisingly large buildings that contained some of Fantasyland's shops and attractions, including the classic dark rides. The Pony Farm is visible just above Storybook Land's "Cinderella Castle", while other mysterious outbuildings can be seen nearby. It's fun to look for tiny details such as Skyway gondolas and Matterhorn bobsleds. We even get a tiny bit of the Rainbow Desert, and can see the mist of a geyser (Old Unfaithful?). Oh, and the Monsanto House of the Future of course.


In the northeast corner, there is a lot of unattractive sprawl, industrial areas and office parks, perhaps. The Monorail roundhouse is there, along with two very long buildings - not sure what those were for exactly. I believe that the grassy field is where the later (and current) railroad/Monorail roundhouse would go, as well as some of the "it's a small world" show building. Do you think that the Global Van Lines headquarters would be built around where that dirt lot is?


Oh yeah! The Land of Tomorrow, with the Yacht Bar, "Hobbyland", and Art Corner (upper left), the Flight Circle, the Flying Saucers, Rocket to the Moon, the Space Bar, the Autopia, and the Subs and Monorail to boot. Notice the Carnation truck parked backstage in the lower right.


And this view is mostly backstage parking, though still fascinating to a guy like me! The round building held the 20,000 Leagues walk-thru (the giant squid was in that rectangular shed), while the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry is to the left of that.


Next is this pretty photo dated "April, 1959" with folks strolling along a curved walkway, with Sleeping Beauty Castle out of the frame to our left (and a bit behind us, I suppose). The nutty house o' plastic can be seen to our right...


... but of course the big star of the show is the Mighty Matterhorn, under construction but still far from completion! Only the top 1/5th seems to be done, and the rest is steel and wood scaffolding and framing. Pretty neat.


I love this 1956 shot of the Harbor Gate entrance to the parking lot! Just seeing this makes me start planning all the things I want to do for the day. The Disneyland Hotel can be seen way off in the distance (beneath the "YLAN" of the sign). Some people would say that the parking lot is the first attraction that guests experience, but I would argue that going through this gate is the first attraction, and that the parking lot is the second attraction. It's possible that I don't know what an "attraction" is.


The next two photos are rare interiors of the Market House, circa September, 1966. It was sponsored by Swift and Company from the very beginning, but by 1966 there was a co-sponsorship with C&H Sugar, which explains why you can see C&H products on the wall at the back (with "antique" boxes out of reach on the higher shelves). That nice lady is taking a breather next to the pot-bellied stove, because Disneyland is so cold in September.


Here's the lady's hubby, his socks match his shorts, which is how they did it in Milan that year. Right behind his head is a display of colored sugar crystals - healthful food dyes to make you strong. I've seen pictures of people actually playing checkers on the board nearby... who goes to Disneyland to play checkers??


And finally, check out this beautiful photo, from 1973 as far as I can determine - from a lot of negatives generously given to me by my friend Mr. X! The Carousel of Progress was still going strong, though I'm sure many guests would be surprised to learn that it would close in September of that year; the ride would reopen at the Magic Kingdom in January of 1975. I love the bustling crowd, this must have been near "peak Summer".


I hope you have enjoyed today's photos! Once again, thanks to everyone who reads (or looks at) GDB on a regular basis. If you only look on rare occasions, you can go to heck! (Just kidding). I still have hundreds of slides to scan (much reduced from when I had many thousands), so I'm sure the blog will continue for a while - who can predict anything? Not me!

56 comments:

  1. Thanks for your hard work and dedication.
    Here's to 15 more years.

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  2. Thank you for making my mornings at work more bearable! It's always nice to glimpse back in time before the day begins

    Happy anniversary!

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  3. Major-
    Can it be 15 years already-?? Ouy vey-! The traditional gift for the 15-year anniversary is crystal. So... I guess that means a fabulous and expensive 'bobble' from the Arribas Brothers. (Well, forget that-!) The next time I happen to pass by a mechanical claw, I'll certainly be able to pick out "just the right" crystal [plastic] gift suitable for a 15th anniversary. Just give me a few days for it to appear in your mailbox.

    You managed to capture a nice car in the shot of the Harbor Blvd. Gate. On the left is a 1956 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon, probably in Harbor Blue & White - how appropriate. (On its right is a 1956 Ford Customline, in Colonial White).

    There's so much goodness in the aerial shot, I'll be returning to it in the AM to study it further.

    Thanks, Major for all your hard work, and witty descriptions never failing to make me chuckle. GDB is often the best way to start the day - no matter how early in the morning-! Happy anniversary.

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  4. D-Ticket1:07 AM

    Fabulous!

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  5. This is a wonderful selection of photos you have saved for the special occasion, today. You know which one is my favorite...it's the exterior shot of G.E.'s C.O.P. It's taken from a slightly elevated shot. I wonder where the photographer was? I suppose he/she could have been in the raised seating area for the Tomorrowland Terrace.

    I believe you are right about the Global Van Lines building eventually being erected in that dirt area. And that would also be the spot where the Team Disney Building is today. We can also see the Pope House in that aerial shot, just above and to the right of the Skyway Chalet. That house was moved over near the Team Disney Building, during the construction of Wookie World.

    I don't know if I have ever seen a close-up pic of the original Harbor Gate, before. It looks very similar to the Katella Gate, which retained this look right up until the time when it was demolished in the 1990s.

    Happy 15th anniversary, Major! Thank you for everything you do to keep us thoroughly entertained, every single day of the year. And thank you also, for being a friend!

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  6. Wow!!! 15 years Major!! Congratulations and thank you! Today’s images are a GDB ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR! The Tomorrowland view is great in that it features the layout of the original Tomorrowland layout ..... but it’s matured a bit. It’s also amazing to know that those two entry corridor buildings are STILL standing under several layers of alterations ... but 1955 is still INSIDE Tomorrowland today.

    That path looks like it intentionally leads to the Matterhorn. I bet imagineers had the mountain’s tip-top quickly finished off so to advertise all around of what was on its way! Growing up and going to Disneyland - driving up from San Diego - our hearts would start to race as we searched the skyline to the left of the freeway to see who would spot the Matterhorn first!

    When I was in kindergarten (1972) my teacher “Miss Cindy” shared with us a slide show of her trip to Europe ...... and on one slide she asked the class “does anyone know what that is”?? I excitedly raised my hand and answered, “THE MATTERHORN!!” Miss Cindy was impressed I knew that and the other students looked at me like how did you know that ???
    And thought in my mind “ how the HELL did no one else recognize THE MATTERHORN???” Of course I only knew of the Disneyland Matterhorn and didn’t know what Switzerland was.

    That image of the Harbor Gate reminds me of a Disneyland visit around the Bicentennial ...... for whatever reason automobiles were being diverted back onto harbor ..... and then onto Katella and enter the parking lot from Katella Gate . When out car continued passed the harbor Gate my sister and I freaked out! We thought we were being denied entrance to Disneyland..... and as we entered the somewhat clanky looking Katella Gate we felt like we really were not entering Disneyland .... but quickly got over it.

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  7. Major, thank you for the traditional 15th anniversary gift, crystal. A whole table full of it, right there in the Market House. How thoughtful of you!

    That aerial is simply amazing! So much goodness packed into one shot (and its close-ups. A few neat details that stand out to me: the Christmas trees in the moat, the bobsled emerging for that amazing (and now lost) view at the top of the lift hill, the backs of the "Alps" behind Geppetto's Village, the salmon and black (!) station wagon parked near the 20,000 Leagues building.

    The Matterhorn grew from the top down, just like real mountains. One more of the "hard fact" details that Walt strove for that makes us love the place so much.

    I played checkers with both of my boys (aged 8 and 5) at the Market House while my wife was waiting in line to buy something. One of my favorite memories of that trip.

    Thanks again for 15 years dedication to spreading happiness through your blog. You've kept at this longer than many of our favorite things have lasted - the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World's Fairs, Freedomland, the Flying Saucers, Pink Lady and Jeff - and your efforts have made a difference to so many of us on some very dark days as well as on many more happy ones. You've given us an opportunity to make friends we would have otherwise never met. You rock.

    There are a few open chairs around the pot-bellied stove. I'll see you all there.

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  8. Congratulations on 15 years! That’s a long time to be bringing others joy, information, and nostalgia. Thank you for doing that, and I look forward to many more.
    These shots are great. So much going on in and around the park

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  9. Pegleg Pete5:26 AM

    Great pictures today, Major – thanks! That aerial shot is something else. And that CoP photo is full of 1970s grooviness. Thanks for all the hard work over the last fifteen years. I'm struggling to remember how I began my day before stumbing over your blog all those years ago!

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  10. I knew this post was coming but didn't remember exactly which day it would be! Happy 15th anniversary!!

    That aerial image reminds me of the view from an observation tower. Disneyland should have one of those (plus a bungee jump tower and the world's fastest roller coaster).

    Thanks, everyone, for making the comments an enjoyable place and especially for putting up with my ignorant remarks. ;-) And of course, thanks so much for keeping the blog going against all odds, Major!

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  11. Wow, 15 years. Congratulations Major! What great photos today, and the Moonliner to boot, is there anything cooler? I think not. I think blue socks guy looks like the D.B. Cooper sketch, just sayin. I look forward to GDB every morning, and I feel like I know everyone here. You have done a remarkable thing here, and I am very grateful to you for bringing us all together. THANK YOU MAJOR P.!

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  12. Congratulations! That is a big accomplishment!
    Mark
    Insights and Sounds blog

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  13. Stefano7:27 AM

    Congratulations and many thanks, Major!

    GDG is the best way to start a work day, full of color and dazzle and humor and warm nostalgia.

    The aerials remind me of my fifth year, building block villages and hovering over them, moving a piece here, adding one there. Never knew that that 20,000 Leagues squid has his own shed; a semi-detached, very chi-chi.

    The Knott's General Store also had a checkerboard round a pot-bellied stove, and I did see tourists playing a game and warming their hands there.

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  14. Congratulations, Major!!

    THANK YOU for hosting this GDB party 24/7/365/15 for all of us to enjoy! Being able to stop in anytime to chat with friends is so much fun! Your blog draws some really terrific people, and your hard work and devotion is truly appreciated! Every day I look forward to what you have to share, and everyone’s comments!

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  15. Major, I still look at your 64 World's Fair pictures hoping to see myself in the background. Keep it going for another 15 years and I'm sure it will happen! Happy Anniversary!
    Dennis, Levittown, L.I., NY

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  16. And, WOW! regarding today’s pictures!! I’ll look at these more closely, later, when I have more time. Thanks, Major!

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  17. Congrats and happy 15th anniversary! Thank you for this very special post!

    You suggest the gate was the first attraction but Mike and I say it's spotting the Matterhorn from the freeway.

    Thanks, again, for your dedication but I don't know why you don't delegate more of the work to your staff or are they too busy keeping up the mansions?

    zach

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  18. Congratulations! Wow, 15 years! Thank you thank you for all your hard work in sharing these wonderful photos! GDB is always one of my first stops of the morning, to see what delightful Disneyland (or other vintage America/people) are up that day.

    And today's photos are also a big wow. Love the aerial shots and love the Matterhorn under construction!!

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  19. Major, congratulations. My family and I can’t start the day without checking out the blog. Keep up the fantastic work!

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  20. Major, can't impress enough upon you what GDB has meant to me this last decade or so. Start the day with some great photos, relevant descriptions and of course discussion and comments from the neatest and nicest bunch of people I've never met in person. Thanks to all of you.
    Congratulations Major, for a grand effort, and all the time consuming work.
    As Charlton Heston once said in the Ten Commandments "There is the obelisk of your jubilee". Couldn't have said it better myself.
    That aerial shot of Tomorrowland and the Flying Saucers is joy to behold. Need to really ponder these pics as the day goes on.
    Nanook, we had a '58 Nomad station wagon in Tropic Turquoise and Arctic White. Boy, I wish we had kept that one. It brought our family to Disneyland many times, from about '59 to '62 or '63. Reading Classics Illustrated in the back and napping my way to the happiest place on earth.
    Thank you again Major, and all the friendly, caring people this blog has attracted.

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  21. Congratulations on fifteen years! Wow, whoda thunk? And here you'd been concerned about running out of photos to share. No sir, you have managed to stretch the magic box of photos out into an unlimited supply. Kudos to you and thanks for ALL of your EXCELLENT work in photo restoration!

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  22. 15 years! Time certainly flies, right? Congratulations. This is a fun blog, with great photos, captions and folks who make the best and very enlightening comments. Here's to many more years of merriment!

    Just as an aside, I really miss the Market House. It was one place that really hadn't changed all that much over the years (until Starbucks got their hands on it!).

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  23. Congratulations Major, on a real accomplishment. You have done more that just post pictures here, you have created a community of friends, and that's rare.

    GDB has been a daily therapeutic fix for me since 2009, although I was too scared to comment for several years. Thank you for responding warmly to comments and making everyone feel at home. I certainly appreciate all you have done for me and others. Who knew that old photo memories could be so helpful?

    You know I am going to love any aerial photo, and this one is a great example. Interesting to see how the backstage area grow more complex over time, and how little effort is expended on their appearance offstage.

    The Flying Saucer pic shows the operation clearly, with the "windshield wiper" booms, and it appears to be a quiet day since only one bay is in operation. The Giant Squid had a nice little place there, but I heard he had a weekend place up in Malibu.

    Chuck, the Matterhorn did grow from the top down, it was planted using genuine Mountain Seeds from Switzerland, it's structural core is 87% pure chocolate with a 17 jewel movement and frosted with glucose snow. This is not widely known.

    The Harbor Gate picture is concentrated memory goodness, I agree with Zach though, the first attraction is the Matterhorn from the freeway.

    Like so many others, I miss the Market House. Bless the Major for creating this virtual version where the conversations are at least as interesting as the real thing. While I love my Starbucks, why did it have to go here, when the Jolly Holiday Bakery is only a few steps away?

    Are those people in front of the COP waiting in a line? Many seem to be looking off to the left for some reason. I don't recall the Skyway ever having much of a line. Look at the hair and clothes...

    JG

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  24. @ DrGoat-
    Isn't that Twilight Turquoise and India Ivory-? So many *fun* colors back then-!

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  25. Anonymous10:13 AM

    Congrats on 15 years of perseverance and sharing of this great treasure of yours Major! Pop the cork!! KS

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  26. Anonymous11:23 AM

    I haven't been on in a few days due to work kicking my booty, but I'm glad I checked in today!
    HAPPY ANNIVERSERY!
    Ok, gotta get back to work...

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  27. Graffer, I’m glad you have enjoyed GDB over the years!

    Andrew, hey, making somebody’s mornings more bearable is a noble thing! Thank you.

    Nanook, thanks to you for all your contributions, you are definitely a big part of what makes this site so much fun.

    D-Ticket, thanks!

    TokyoMagic!, Mr. X has told me that he often liked to stand on a bench or a planter to get above the heads of the riff-raff (my word!). Thanks so much, TM!

    Mike Cozart, I have a few other aerial shots of Disneyland to share, but today’s is definitely one of the best. So much to see and enjoy, almost like the souvenir wall maps. I agree, how did nobody else know the Matterhorn? Funny that you thought that you were being ejected from Disneyland. “They think I did something bad! I’m innocent!”. Thanks Mike.

    Chuck, I didn’t even notice the Christmas trees in the moat! I did notice the bobsled though, since that is an obsession of mine (as you know). I guess I can understand playing checkers while waiting for something else, so you are forgiven (I’m sure you are so relieved). Thanks to you, Chuck!

    Budblade, it IS a long time, but… time flies when you are having fun!

    Pegleg Pete, I was trying to decide what to share today, and realized that I had a good scan of that aerial slide. It was a good start!

    Andrew, I’m so glad you found GDB, and thanks to you for all of your comments (none of them are ignorant!). An observation tower 1000 feet up would be quite the thing - and so would a bungee jump. I’ll watch YOU do it. Thank you, Andrew.

    Jonathan, I didn’t know D.B. Cooper was bald? I’ll have to look at that famous drawing. I’m so glad you enjoy GDB every day, sometimes I wonder that people don’t get tired of it!

    Mark, THANK YOU!

    Stefano, I appreciate the kind words. The giant squid knew he was a star, and he could use his pull (no pun intended) to get his own trailer. Somehow Knott’s seems much more low-key, I can understand folks stopping for a quick game of checkers in the General Store!

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  28. Lou and Sue, Thanks so much to you for all you do for the blog, and for your kindness and friendship! And a big thanks to Lou too!

    dennis, I have LOTS of World’s Fair slides that I haven’t shared yet, I guess I need to start scanning more of them. Some are pre-opening and “last day” pix as well!

    Lou and Sue, the pictures aren’t going anywhere, you have time!

    zach, hmmm, you and Mike have a good point! So now we have: 1) Spotting the Matterhorn 2) Going through the gate, and 3) The parking lot and tram. Three attractions before you even get to the ticket booths! And I have sold all my mansions to be “one with nature”.

    DKoren, thanks for the nice comment, and I’m glad you liked today’s pix!

    TommyTsunami, Thanks so much.

    DrGoat, I am grateful for you too - you’ve shared your personal family photos with us, and share kind comments all the time. I’m so glad that you are feeling better and can continue to participate with all of us!

    Tom, there were times when I really thought I would run out of photos, but then I would go on subsequent buying sprees! But now eBay sellers expect $10 for a red, crummy slide of the castle. I might be priced out! Thanks to you.

    Irene, what can I say! You are one of the few Junior Gorillas I have met (and hugged!), thanks for sharing your brother’s photos with me (and all of us)!

    JG, I am glad you started commenting, even if it took you a while! I’m not THAT scary, am I? I try to keep things friendly here. I have loved aerial photos ever since “The E-Ticket Magazine” had their “Wings Over Disneyland” feature. I wish I had more of them to share with everyone. I’m not really sure why so many people are waiting there, maybe it was just a really crowded summer day. THANKS, JG!

    Nanook, I kind of like “Tropic Turquoise” (it evokes crystal clear lagoons); “Twilight Turquoise” is kind of melancholy!

    KS, THANKS!

    Stu29573, I’m glad you checked in today too! Work can wait, just tell your boss you had to look at GDB. He’ll understand.

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  29. Happy Anniversary! Thank you for 15 years of fun and a delightful daily escape. Here's to many more!!

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  30. Happy anniversary, Major! What an accomplishment, and what a fun site for us all.

    So strange that they started the Matterhorn from the top. I’m trying to imagine buying and carrying around a bag of sugar at Disneyland all day.

    Thank you for hosting this place!

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  31. Nanook,
    I looked up the colors for a 1958 Chevy and that was the closest I could come in my memory of that car. Looks like Twilight Turquoise was the 1956 version. In either case, you're probably right. If I could have any of the cars my Dad bought when we were growing up, it would be that one.
    Love the Market House pics. Fun wife, sourpuss husband. Bags of Fritos.
    Love the last pic with the blue People Movers and the definitely early '70s hair.
    Thanks again Major and everyone. A great 15 years, Major.

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  32. Sunday Night12:54 PM

    Happy 15th Major! Adding my thanks, with your many other fans (millions?), for bringing us so much Disneyland and other vintage goodness - and all commercial free!!!! (unlike so many other blogs). Disney ought to throw you a party at Club 33.

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  33. Anonymous1:00 PM

    Happy 15th! Thanks Major for all the hard work you do. Great photos today. A lot to look for in the aerial shots- real challenging to find the skyway buckets. GDB is always a nice place to visit.

    -DW

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  34. DW, did you see the skyway bucket hiding in the last picture, by any chance (that Mr. X took)?? Btw, thank you Mr. X for sharing that picture.

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  35. @ DrGoat-
    I wasn't paying close-enough attention. (That never happens-HA-! I didn't catch the 1958 model year). Undoubtedly you're correct.

    As for as the 'whites' are concerned, the mind can merely ponder over the difference between 'Arctic White' & 'Snowcrest White'. Boy, the days of two-tone automobiles - which if you hadn't noticed - are on quite the display backstage-!

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  36. SunnieDaze21, I’ll keep going as long as I can!

    Kathy!, thank you. It makes sense that they worked on the Matterhorn from the top down, so that they didn’t drip cement and paint on the lower slopes! But you probably already knew that.

    DrGoat, who can keep track of those crazy car color names? I mean, besides Nanook?? I’m not even going to try. I see there’s a spittoon near the potbellied stove, I’d sit there all day, play checkers, and expectorate! Funny, I don’t covet any of my dad’s old cars, it sounds like your dad had much cooler models!

    Sunday Night, thank you. Yes, I have volunteered to forgo the 11 cents a year that Google would pay me to have ads on GDB. That’s just the kind of guy I am! I wish I could have a party at the OLD Club 33.

    DW, thank you, and thanks for your contributions! Glad you found your way here.

    Lou and Sue, that gondola is pretty easy to see, but I can only find three old round gondolas in the aerial photo. Maybe you can find more!

    Nanook, we’ve probably all heard about how Inuit people have 30 words (or whatever) for “snow” - car companies have at least that many for “white”!

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  37. Major, I see 7 gondolas in the aerial photo...

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  38. Happy 15 Years! Today's photos and comments show what a great spot in the internet realm this is. I always love aerial photos and this one takes the cake. Being grounded on that curved path with the Matterhorn, House of the Future, and the modern mushroom path lights is pure 1950's magic - as is the no-nonsense parking entrance. This blog seems to have been as much about popular fashions as the park itself. That man not only has matching socks, but shoelaces as well. And, to wrap it all up with my favorite attraction during my favorite time - the Carousel of Progress in 1970's Tomorrowland. I wonder what music that crowd is enjoying? I remember Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon..." being a big hit that summer. Thanks Major for all your hard work!

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  39. Anonymous3:34 PM

    Sue- The 1st time I looked at the picture, it was just an overall look, but yes, looking at the details, I see the turquoise skyway bucket. It's interesting that the PeopleMover is above it at that point. I'm still looking for a couple more buckets in the aerial shot, though... ;)

    -DW

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  40. Grant4:31 PM

    Major, Major congrats on your blog's longevity :) I truly enjoy it daily, even the Sunday zzzzzz's.

    It's such a fun group here. Reading the comments is almost as much fan as seeing the pics.

    Looking forward to GDB's fun times ahead!

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  41. Nanook, you are so right. Look at all those lovely 2 tone classics! I especially like that white number with the red top parked next to the gray building, center of the photo, but that little white sporty thing up front has got me wondering what that is.
    Have a lovely evening. I've got a date with the last 2 episodes of Fawlty Towers.

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  42. Anonymous5:27 PM

    Dr. Goat, don't mention the War.

    JG

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  43. DW:
    Update: I think I count 10(!) buckets (gondolas), when I look at that aerial shot on my computer - enlarged. I think we need to make this more challenging and count the waste cans.

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  44. Dean Finder6:53 PM

    Thanks, Major, for keeping it up. I started following 5 or 6 years ago, so I'm still a relative newbie. Thanks to all the other junior gorillas for keeping this a fun, friendly, and educational place after all this time. In some ways, the comment threads here are more "Disney" than Disney.

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  45. Congrats on 15 years... it's been very educational along the way!

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  46. A bountiful beautiful bumper crop of perfect pictorial panoramas! A happy fifteenth anniversary to GDB! Major, if you bring a little joy into our humdrum lives, it should make you feel as though your hard work ain't been in vain for nothin'. Junior Gorillas, bless you all.

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  47. Lou and Sue, now you’re just showing off! ;-)

    Omnispace, thank you - I’ve been saving some of these scans for a long time (some for over a year) so that I could share them on this occasion - so I’m glad folks like you liked them! I don’t know if this blog is ever “about popular fashions” (I know nothing!), but it is fun to see what people were wearing during particular eras. Almost any of Tony Orlando’s songs would be appropriate for Disneyland, so… not a bad guess!

    DW, I’ve always thought it was weird to see the Peoplemover above the Skyway at that point… and yet sort of cool too. I’ll need to wait until I get home to really examine the aerial photo for more buckets than Sue!!

    Grant, thanks a lot! For me (like many others), it’s the nice people that make this a fun place to be.

    DrGoat, I’ve always particularly loved that aqua and white (insert fancier color names here!) combination, though red and white is pretty sweet too. Have fun with Fawlty Towers!

    JG, I should probably get that reference, but I haven’t see Fawlty Towers since I was a kid. I mostly remember the Waldorf Salad episode.

    Lou and Sue, I did a quick look, and sometimes there are blurs that may or may not be gondolas. Like I said, I need to really sit down and examine the pix when I have more time.

    Dean Finder, wow, it’s only been 5 or 6 years since you found GDB? It feels like you have been with us all along. I make an effort (believe it or not) to be welcoming to all, as long as they are nice!

    Magical Trash, thanks!

    Melissa, thanks for all you do, with your great verse and song lyrics, and sense of humor!

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  48. Anonymous8:31 PM

    DrGoat- That little sporty white car looks like it might be a 1956-57 Corvette- I wish I could see more of the details.

    Sue- The skyway buckets are enough of a challenge for me, I'll let you count the waste cans... ;)

    -DW

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  49. I don’t know if this blog is ever “about popular fashions” (I know nothing!), but it is fun to see what people were wearing during particular eras.

    As someone who's always been interested in the history of clothing, I've had more fun than I could have imagined over the years poring over pictures at GDB and looking at what everyday people wore for leisure time over the years. It's also fascinating to look at the Cast Members' costumes, which have always had to tread a fine line between adding to the different lands' themes and atmosphere, and being practical and comfortable to work in.

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  50. Congrats on 15 years, and thanks for all of your amazing posts!

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  51. DW, when you consider the size of a 35mm slide, and then think about how much I had to blow up the image, it's amazing that we can see those cars as well as we can!!

    Melissa, I agree... I used to think that I wanted photos of Disneyland with as few people as possible, until I realized that the people were often half the fun (if not more). And that includes the hairstyles and clothing.

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  52. Late to the party...Wow...there is much to look at!!! What great pictures with such high resolution- I certainly have had fun zooming in to everything! Congrats on your 15th anniversary. It all goes by so fast. It seems that I was walking over that property just yesterday when it was more than 40 years ago! Amazingly so, I am sure that a few of those service buildings probably exist today in some form or another. The round house has no home for the Disneyland RR, so I'm not sure where they parked the train back then. I was always fascinated with the round house as we frequently drove out the parade gate by Small World and it smack in front of you. There were real train crossings, and it would be very very very bad if you tried to get around things before the trains would get in their spots back there. I would be a lot of time, and sometimes it was faster to go completely around to the West side to get to the East side. Thats what I remember anyway. I remember auditioning for "Cast Communications Network" in the garden of the Pope House. It was such a sweet little house and garden It still had it's original kitchen and someone from training made me a cup of coffee in there. Also near there was the hill of horseshoes that dated to 1955...they never threw out a single one and that hill was monstrously large. I'm wondering what they did with all of those horseshoes when the pony farm was evicted? I love that old parking lot entrance. I was such a contrast to the Harbor Blvd old Disneyland Sign- as kids we would squeal when we approached. I briefly worked in the Parking Lot- you got a great farmers tan, and HOLD on to that scooter when putting out cones because the cones are flying at you at lighting speed- there was a trick to the spin and twirl of cones being re-stacked when picking them up. Great memories and photos. Here's to another 15!

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  53. @Bu

    Don't feel bad I'm later than you on this. I regret I missed this huge milestone Major. This insane real estate market had me working till after 8pm weds and I just plain missed out. Anywho this is a great feat (15 years) for any blog and you should feel proud (or a little crazy). Thanks for putting up with us that long. Extra primo good selections on the photos today. Thanks for all you do.

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  54. Anonymous3:05 PM

    Congrats on 15 years!!!
    Bill in Denver

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  55. Bu, glad you checked in! You have so many great memories of your time at the park. Can you please remind me of the years that you worked there? Almost anything to do with the Disneyland RR would be of interest to me, including the roundhouse. Your description of the intervew in the Pope House sounds very homey and nice. I remember hearing about that huge pile of horseshoes - my guess is that they all got trashed. Or maybe recycled? I can’t imagine they would have moved it. But maybe I’ll be surprised.

    Alonzo, hey, better late than never! I do feel proud, and yes, a little crazy - I think of so many blogs that were around when I started… almost all of them have been kaput for years and years. It’s like I’m still broadcasting via telegraph when everyone else is watching hi-def TV!

    Bill in Denver, thank you!

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