Christmas at Disneyland
Hooray, Christmas is so close I can smell it! I'm so excited I could plotz. Realizing that I have not done any Disneyland/Christmas stuff this whole month, I figured that today must be the day.
Let's begin with this photo of the Monsanto Plastic Home of the Future, from the 1958 holiday season. Normally I'm used to going outside on Christmas morning and finding a Mercedes or Audi in my driveway (with a large red bow on top). "How did you know??". But I would really love to get a house of the future, just like this one. Hint hint.
I always like a picture of the Matterhorn when it had its giant Christmas star on top. Frankly I'm surprised that they haven't brought this feature back... maybe there are structural issues? Notice Hans and Otto (or is it Fritz and Gunther?) are up there to change one of the bulbs.
And finally, from December 1977 comes this photo taken in Town Square, looking toward the big Christmas tree on a pretty day. Never mind that the clouds might bring some rain! We'll still have a great time at the park.
29 comments:
This is the first time I've seen the House of the Future with a bow on top. How cool is that!
That's a terrific view of the Christmas star.
Love the Christmas tree, too. I would assume this is a real tree. I think I remember reading that Disneyland used real trees, but added fake branches where needed, if areas were sparse. Are there any funny/interesting Disneyland Christmas tree stories - Bu? Mike? KS? Anybody?
Major, please don't plotz.
(Like Sue said) I never knew they gift wrapped the House of the Future. It's kinda clever.
Um, just out of curiosity, Major, do you prefer your plastic houses in eggshell white, bone white, or cream white? (Now if I can just find a really huge ribbon dispenser!)
I think that's the sharpest image of the Matterhorn Star we've seen on GDB. Hans and Fritz (or Ted and Alice) look like they have safety lines attached to them. I wonder if any of the Matterhorneers ever had a mishap while climbing?
Last photo: That must have been a very localized snow flurry they had in Anaheim. It all landed on the Disneyland Christmas tree!
The Lady in Pink (front and center) steamed the wallpaper off her kitchen walls and made pants out of it. Take THAT Frauline Maria!
Nice, clear Christmasy images, Major.
- Jovially Blazing (the Ghost of Christmas Present lighting up Scrooge's chamber)
I've seen several pics of the House of the Future gift wrapped, but I think this is the best image I've seen of it. Wonderful!
Always love seeing the Christmas Star atop the Matterhorn in pics and wonder as well why they've never brought it back. And it rotated too!
Thanks, Major.
I know at one time a big deal was made at selecting a real tree for Disneyland way in advance each year. I know that because of the length of exposure it was treated with a fire retardant of some kind - and that parts were filled in here and there ..... but I’m not sure if relocated branches or artificial fill - ins were used. I recall one year the tree caught fire backstage prior to park installation and a quick fix was trucked in from the San Bernardino mountains and two trees were attached to create the height for the park tree that year. I also recall one time the wind blew the tree at an angle and it had to be straightened. Another time the strong winds snapped the top part off and it had to be attached again .... and I think some fill - in branches were used that time I recall. A artificial tree has been used now for quite sone time for both fire safety and ecological reasons.
The Matterhorn Christmas star was discontinued during the energy crises of the early 70’s.... I don’t think it ever returned after that. It was kept backstage north of frontierland on its storage stand for many years - where it probably rotted away.
The Monsanto House of the Future is one of my FAVORITE Disneyland retro decorating .... although I never saw it in person as it was cut up and carried away the year before I was born. Incidentally the Plastic house was intended to be left unpainted by its MIT designers - to show the weather resilience of the exterior. Walt was not pleased with the orangey-sand color and the darker seems where the sections cane together . Walt quickly had it painted the common Tomorrowland color DISNEYLAND 1/16th TECH WHITE ....... or for you Paramount Studios fans ..... NAVAJO WHITE!!
Interesting. It looks like they were storing one of the Castle's turrets (not the dented one!) inside the House of the Future. ;-)
Jovial B., Hans and Fritz (or Bob and Carol) did use safety lines as they ascended the Matterhorn. To descend, they just used the giant spiral slide, inside the mountain.
And I guess that lady in pink (in the last photo), ran out of time, or ran out of wallpaper, before she could make herself a matching blouse and babushka.
I have an article, which appeared in an employee publication, that talks about Disney's selection of a tree, and about how they fill in the bare spots with real branches. They actually used to select three trees, because they needed two smaller ones for the Castle moat.
Mike, I remember that year that the wind made the tree in Town Square go wonky. There was also a year (may have been the same year) where the winds made one or both of the smaller trees in the Castle moat lean over. I believe that was the last year that they had the smaller trees, and I just always assumed that was the reason why. But it could have been because the swans were scaling the trees and eating the ornaments. ;-)
- Tokyo O Little Town Of Bethlehem!
I’m all for hard facts and showing it like it was, but that’s pretty blatant advertising on the old Wurlitzer building on the corner. Goldie’s Place at Knott’s was at least a little more subtle about what went on upstairs.
I’m not sure if that’s wallpaper or the woman ran out of laundry and just used a convenient roll of Christmas wrapping paper.
Digging that deep red sport coat on the man in front of the Christmas tree.
The Monsanto bow has been Disneyfied with cute curly q’s…looks like a package that Mickey would give to Goofy. I’m sorry I never got to see that house- it has legendary stories attached to it. Everyone is right about the tree- not an artificial branch to be found- they did fill in with extra branches to ensure “fluffiness”. That article about the tree was in the Disneyland Line…so they still do that? An artificial tree today…well…T. R. E. I remember driving backstage in what I thought was October and the tree had already arrived- it was going through its adding branches thing. I thought “wow” isn’t it going to be dry by the time you get to Christmas…since it’s so big, I guess not, AND It was painted with green fireproof paint. Marineland took a stab at a Disneyland type/scale tree one year. The snow was styrofoam teeny tiny balls and it was everywhere…nothing like foam blowing around at the beach. They randomly placed the tree and instead of presents underneath there was a big plastic sheet to catch the falling foam. Even as a kid, I was “wow…this is a giant mess! This would never happen at Disneyland!” I do remember the leaning tower of tree whatever year that was. You can see those stabilizer wires connected to Main Street buildings. I don’t think they helped that year. I was curious as to why they “disguised” the wire with garland rather than ignoring it. I thought it just drew more attention to the fact that the tree wasn’t standing on its own. I was sad to not see the Matterhorn star never returning. What an engineering feat to balance that thing up there. It’s not exactly the top of a symmetrical building. I never saw it rotting backstage (not to my memory anyway) but I agree that this is the clearest photo I’ve ever seen- where the lightbulbs are visible. Christmas was swift at Disneyland and it seemed to disappear as fast as it came. It did come magically overnight. I’m sure now it’s a different scenario.
Major, you must have the shpilkes, which leads to plotzing.
I visited Disneyland twice for Christmas '72, the week before the 24th, when there were no lines, and the week after, when the park was jammed. That was the last year for the Matterhorn Star, I remember it well and noted that it would fit nicely on half the funky motels of Anaheim, especially Stovall's.
You are right about rain a-comin' for Xmas '77; SoCal got socked that season, prelude to one of the record rainfall El Nino years. It looks like a rare wet Xmas for LA this year, so wishing you a moist, happy, healthy holiday!
The Star was like the Barker Bird for me, I remembered it, but it vanished and I couldn’t prove it ever existed, and thought it was imagination. Major, I remember you posted a GIF that proved the rotation was not a myth.
I imagine the star never returned for money reasons. Kevin Kidney has a photo on his site of Santa directing the Star placement by crane. I’m sure this is expensive to do, although the dressing of the Park now can’t be cheap. But then add the structural rehab of the Mountain and it adds to quite a pile.
Combining trees and filling in bare spots makes sense. In the years when we had a real tree, I would fill in gaps the same way. I’m surprised that it took so long to go to an artificial tree, there’s a lot of benefit in having the same assembly year after year. I remember one year they had blue trees beside the Castle. I think that might have been 1968 or 69, since I only went one Christmas before 2015 and not sure which year it was.
Stefano, the winter of 1977 was an answer to prayer. The farm well was “surging” that fall, a sign that the motor is outrunning the water available to pump. That was terrifying because everything depended on the well. We just got the last of the walnuts off the ground as the rains came, and continued, and kept continuing. Normal rain resumed and all was ok until the next drought.
I’m glad LA is getting rain, it’s pouring here now as I write, flood warnings just posted. Glad I don’t live in a low spot.
Thank you, Major, very seasonal and enjoyable.
JG
These are just some nice festive photos today. Monsanto looks pretty cute with that ribbon (and swirly wirey bits). In the last photo, I like the bucket hat on the slim guy in the background beyond Grandma. Is Pink Pants holding a pink brochure of some kind or is it just an accessory of hers? That’s a SoCal winter for you; someone in a puffer jacket and knit cap next to someone in short sleeves. Yup, it’s raining here now too. Thanks Major.
I look at the HOF, all 'wrapped up' thinking this looks better than the current Tomorrowland to me. Why not bring it back when the Land, someday, is redeveloped? In fact by the, the land could be nothing but a Metaverse Virtual reality. NO buildings, or projections...just several acres of chairs where one is given a headset and a seat to enjoy their choice of virtual attraction? OK...no room for being cynical.
Yes, the tree was real back in the day. Well, it was real tree materials..being that it was set-up behind Hills Bros for several weeks being sprayed, augmented with branches to make it perfect, and decorated. And there could be wind damage while they were doing that too which only made it a longer process.
I think a new star, with LEDs, would be a great seasonal addition.
The crowds back then only came Christmas week. The Park would even close early on Christmas Eve. The employee party was held a week or two before Christmas where management suited up and ran the operation. One year, I changed from my street clothes into a Small World outfit and did the Load/Unload position since it was similar to Pirates where I was previously an RO.
And of course we employees also got a merchandise discount during the holiday season, so many of us did our Christmas shopping after our scheduled hours at the various shops when they were independent operations selling unique non-Disney items. So much fun. KS
Major-
The HOF all gussied-up for Christmas. It looks pretty keen. (Decorating in the future looks awfully familiar, somehow...)
@ TM!-
I thought Hans and Franz used the only curving Stephens-Adamson Speedramp to descend the mountain-?
Thanks, Major.
Lou and Sue, I don’t know if they used the bow on the House of the Future for more than one year or not, but it’s a nice touch! Yes, I’ve read the same thing as you, about how they would add branches to make the tree more symmetrical. I wonder if that’s a tradition from places like Rockefeller Center?
JB, they should have used shiny foil paper (with a snowflake pattern) as well as a ribbon! I I like “eggshell” white, though I’m also a fan of the warmer “ecru”. I’m glad that the Matterhorn climbers have safety lines, imagine if one of them fell! What a horror. Weather in Anaheim is crazy, why just a few hundred feet away there is a steamy tropical jungle. Some say it’s due to gravitational anomalies, like the Bermuda Triangle.
K. Martinez, I’ve often thought that with efficient and bright LEDs, a new and improved star could be placed on top of the Matterhorn. Maybe there’s a good reason (money!) that it hasn’t been done.
Mike Cozart, as Sue said, there have been articles in magazines such as “Vactionland” and “Disney News” all about the selection of the tree, and how they filled in empty spots with branches from other trees. I think they should just use the world’s largest “Charlie Brown tree”, spindly, slightly limp, dropping needles… only it has to be 40 feet tall. I had no idea so many problems happened with various trees. I wish I could see a photo of the Christmas star as it sat backstage! Sad that it rotted away. I probably saw the Monsanto House when I was a very tiny child, but I sure don’t remember it. Weird that the MIT designers thought that Walt would be OK with a house that was unpainted. If anything, it should (and would be) a display of what a clean, ultra-modern home could be.
TokyoMagic!, at first I didn’t know what you were talking about regarding the castle turret! But now I see it. Now I want to go down that spiral slide, who needs the basketball court? The article you mentioned is probably one of the ones I remember reading. What do you think, “Disney News”? Man, I miss that fun magazine, though it would not be the same if it was around today. I suppose they were lucky that those trees just leaned, and weren’t dunked into the moat.
Chuck, that sign was very important, what if you forgot that you were on Main Street? It’s so easy to get confused. Actually, when Wurlitzer left, I’m surprised that they didn’t just remove that sign altogether. I guess it was just too good of a location.
Bu, I was rather shocked when Mike Cozart said that the trees used nowadays are artificial. Well, maybe not shocked, but surprised. They always made such a big deal out of their “real trees”. I suppose that when the tree can be seen in the round, you can’t just put a bare spot toward the wall like we used to do at home. I just put lights on my mom’s little cypress tree by her garage, it was a real pain, but I’m glad I made the effort. Oh man, those styrofoam balls sound just like the stuff they use in bean bag chairs. If you’ve ever tried to refill a flat bean bag chair yourself, you know that those things get everywhere. Static electricity is the enemy. Since I’ve heard rumors of other potential structural issues with the Matterhorn, I wonder if the weight of a giant star would be a bad idea now? I’d love to see one of course.
Stefano, I definitely have the shpilkes! I totally believe that your two visits were so different; if you look at “Jason’s Disneyland Almanac” you can see attendance estimates, and there can be days with perhaps 15,000 people, and then a Saturday closer to Christmas can be 45,000 people. I am loving the rain that we’ve had (we need it so badly), but it’s going to suck driving three hours (or MORE) in it tomorrow.
JG, yeah, that GIF was fun, thanks to some home movies that Mr. X gave to me. That photo of Santa helping to place the star always gives me the heebie-jeebies, Santa is standing on a little step ladder, with no apparent safety cables. Yikes. My dad finally gave in and got an artificial tree, and he used it for about two years, before deciding that he’d rather just go get a real tree, even if there was more work involved. Hey, he had sons who by that time were more than old enough to share in the physical labor, and the decorating. My sister in San Luis Obispo said that it was storming “hardcore”.
Kathy!. I have other Disneyland Christmas photos, and only realized recently that I had not shared ANY of them on GDB. So I had to rearrange some things to get these in. That bright pink thing in Miss Pink Pants’ hand might be a flyer, I think I have one that looks like that, though I couldn’t tell you where it is. That’s one of the things about my collection, I have to dig through five boxes to find anything, and the object is usually in the fifth box.
KS, ha ha, don’t give Disney any ideas!! “Why build rides when we can just give them VR headsets?”. I’ll bet somebody has suggested that very idea. I sort of love that the old trees used to be such a big deal for the park, though I totally get why they’d pony up the money for a good artificial tree and not have to worry anymore. I wonder how many pieces the fake one breaks down into? Hearing about the holiday season back in the day makes me want that time machine even more than usual. I’d go on a crisp, sunny day and enjoy the beautiful park with LOW CROWDS! I’m also imagining what kind of treasures you bought for people at those old shops. Probably some really great stuff.
Nanook, hmm, now I’m trying to imagine what “futuristic” Christmas decorations would be. Maybe lasers would be involved. And nanobots.
That Matterhorn Star stirred up so many good memories that it is now my PC background screen for the Holidays.
Major, I was actually referring to the sign to the left of the one that says "Main Street," but, yeah, it does seem odd to have left that one after Wurlitzer left.
Mike C., thanks for all the tree lore. Interesting stuff.
Toky O Little..., I was wondering if anybody would get the "Ted and Alice" reference.
The spiral slide, a.k.a. the Matterhorn Bobsled track.
Yes, the swans were scaling the trees, but it wasn't the ornaments they were after. They just wanted a high perch from which to leap down on unsuspecting guests!
Chuck, haha. I did see the "Tricks" sign but I didn't make the connection. I guess it takes a certain kind of mind. ;-)
Paper dresses were a thing back in the '60s (for about 5 minutes). But I'm sticking with the wallpaper theory.
Bu, thanks for more tree lore. Marineland: amateurs!
Major, 'ecru' it is, then! Expect your plastic house to arrive any day now. (You wouldn't believe how many postage stamps it took!)
I think we caught a glimpse of the Star backstage here at GDB. Not sure if it was one of your images or a link to (perhaps) Daveland?
Major, that photo is terrifying, Santa on a stepladder on top of the Matterhorn. I get vertigo on the step stool in my kitchen. But Santa is a tough old bird.
My son in SLO took the day off today and took a 10 mile hike in Montana De Oro park in the rain, he just sent me a video of the storm winds. Drive safe!
I think futuristic decorations would probably be projections. They could put the devices on the neighboring roofs and use the Matterhorn as the screen, as they do for the Castle and Main Street. No cranes or structural improvements needed.
JG
MRaymond, cool!
Chuck, well now I’m blushing. For two reasons.
JB, well I got the “Ted and Alice” reference, even though I have never seen the movie. The name was parodied in “MAD” magazine as “Boob & Carnal & Tad & Alas & Alfred”. I’m starting to think that MAD magazine wasn’t as serious as I used to. I once read an article about paper dresses, and was intrigued by the idea that Andy Warhol designed at least one that women could buy for cheap. Just think how much one would go for today! Thank you for the plastic house, and in my own custom color. I might have chosen “tangerine metal flake” if that was an option. Is it too late? I don’t have an image of the star backstage, so maybe it was Daveland, who prizes quality over quantity. (I think he’s on to something).
JG, I don’t see any signs of a cable or strap keeping Santa safe, so… oh man. It reminds me of all those photos we have seen of builders on the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building… workers casually eating lunch while dangling their legs hundreds of feet above the ground. I can hardly stand to even think of it. My sister said that she tried to pick up the roast for Christmas night, and a rock slide blocked the road! I hope the otters are OK over in Morro Bay.
I think we caught a glimpse of the Star backstage here at GDB. Not sure if it was one of your images or a link to (perhaps) Daveland? --Bu
I don’t have an image of the star backstage, so maybe it was Daveland, who prizes quality over quantity. --Major
I do remember a picture that Major posted on GDB, from many years back, where we could see [part of] the star (behind the Tomorrowland area, IIRC). The star was sitting on the ground, but the picture was taken from the Skyway.
I love all the comments today. Very interesting and also very funny!
I remember walking in the House of the Future. I remember seeing women's paper dresses for sale (and feeling them--they had a light plastic coating). I remember my childhood artificial (aluminum) tree and watching my dad put it up - cutting his fingers, in the process. All wonderful memories.
Thanks, Major and everyone!
^ oops, it was JB who "said" that first quote I listed above - not Bu. Sorry about that.
Lou and Sue, gosh, you'd think I would remember a cool thing like seeing the big star sitting backstage, but it rings NO bells at all. Could the photo have been from some other (lesser, ha ha) blog? I'd be curious to see one of those vintage paper dresses, the idea is so kooky. I know that paper can be strong, but can it be soft enough to make for a comfortable piece of clothing? A plastic coating, just perfect for when you want to eat pasketties.
Major, I remember seeing that photo when I went back and read all your posts, about two years ago. We couldn't see the entire star, just part of it. Someone noticed it and mentioned it in the comments. The star was not the topic of that post. (I hope I didn't dream all this.) Maybe JB, who just read all your posts recently, can chime in more, from what he remembers.
Major, I never saw the movie either. But it was in the national zeitgeist at the time.
I can send you a 3 lb. bag of tangerines (they're cheap right now) and some glitter. Will that do?
Sue, about the Star photo, that is my recollection as well. Seems like it was (backstage) over to the right of Small World? I know I saw it here, but I have no idea what year it was.
And don't worry about mixing me up with Bu. We both tend to ramble on in a sort of 'word salad' stream of consciousness fashion. (Like this sentence.)
Major, I'm positive the photo was either here on GDB or it was linked to from here.
Sue, you'd think I would remember more about it, but noooo. It sounds like we both read through that part of Major's blog at about the same time (~ two years ago). And my recollection of it is, almost word for word, what you wrote above. I can see it in my mind; laying on its side, partly obscured by the roof of a foreground warehouse (I think), to the right of center in the photo.
JB, when you get a chance, email me at louperryandsue@gmail.com
Major, the article that I'm thinking of was not in the Disneyland Line or Disney News Magazine. It was in an employee magazine that wasn't around for very long. I'm sure that it had the same information as any other articles that had been written about the park's Christmas tree. There were photos, and I think one that showed it laying on the back of a flatbed truck. I should probably look for that article. I know I've scanned it, but it is on an external hard drive, and not my computer....along with the pics of my brother and me on Jungle Island, at Knott's.
Nanook, our own Major's great-grandfather worked for Stephens-Adamson, right? That would be a difficult choice, to descend the Matterhorn via a curving Speedramp, or a spiral slide. Of course, they could have just hooked their "clip" (I'm sure that's the technical term for it) and slid down Tinkerbell's wire. Of course, there wouldn't be anyone at the bottom of it, holding a dirty mattress to break their fall.
I do remember a photo on GDB, where someone noticed the Christmas star sitting backstage. I just don't remember when that was.
Major and Chuck, if you look at the bottom of that vertical "Main Street" sign, you can se the word "Hotel" scrunched up at the bottom, and spelled out horizontally. I think that sign panel went into the sign framework, as soon as Wurlitzer pulled their shop out of Disneyland. It kind of works, since that building does look like it could possibly be a hotel.
Chuck, so that is what was meant, when Karen Valentine was asked "How's tricks?" in the film, "The North Avenue Irregulars"! And that was a Disney movie! At the time, I thought they were just doing some "product placement" for DL's and WDW's various magic shops. ;-)
JB, like the Major, I have also never seen "Ted and Alice and Snow and Cindy," but I am aware of it. It was a Disney movie, wasn't it?
There's no better present under the tree than a Disneyland trash can!
Steve T., I couldn't agree more. Thanks, and Merry Christmas!
https://www.magicaltrash.com/
It's interesting that the support cables for the tree are decorated with garland. Today, they are just cables (at least at WDW). You have to wonder which approach is better, as the naked cable look seems more invisible.
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