"Walt Disney's Disneyland", Part One
I'm starting a new series of scans, with thanks to our friend JG, who did all of the actual scanning on his "Scanbot 3000" liquid-cooled nuclear scanner and popcorn popper. JG scanned an entire volume of "Walt Disney's Disneyland". This wonderful book was written by Marty Sklar, author of many press releases, and ghost-writer of more than a few quotes attributed to Walt Disney. The first edition was published in 1964; over the years (possibly annually?) it was updated as changes occurred at the park. This particular version is from 1973 (based on a clue seen in a future post).
There's the front cover! Clearly somebody thought that more people means more implied movement and energy, but yeesh, it's crowded. Do you own a copy of this book?
For tax purposes, here is the back cover.
And the endpapers, with a pretty swell shot of Main Street Station, the floral Mickey portrait, and the Disneyland railroad, chockablock with guests.
We're just getting warmed up, so why not take in this pretty night shot of the Mark Twain with fireworks?
"Hmmm, what is this durned book I'm holding, anyway? Is it a gripping spy novel? A biography of Ty Cobb? Or an account of hippies on a psychedelic bus as they cross America? Maybe it's a lusty romance novel with ripping bodices!". Nope, it's the story of Disneyland, ya goof! "The Man Who Made It Possible"? There's no mention of C.V. Wood at all.
Those flags are either going up, or they're coming down, but they are definitely going somewhere. I know they do a flag retreat at Disneyland, but do they also do a flag-raising?
Walt was gone by 1972, but his spirit still loomed large. Walt's dedication speech (he kept it short and sweet) is quoted - it was probably written by Marty originally, don't you think? If so, he did an excellent job.
This nice photo of Snow White greeting two very cute kids was used in a number of Disney publications over the years, including as the cover of "Vacationland" magazine. I always have to smile when I see a balloon seller in that ridiculous getup, I can't decide which is sillier, the giant baby-blue bowtie, or the "shorts" that go almost up to his chest and down to his knees. "Oh nerts, here comes that girl I like. I knew I should have held out for that Monorail position".
"Walt Disney's Disneyland" might be a picture book, but it's definitely a book. Some reading may be required - though I'd wager that many people skipped the text and mostly looked at the "pitchers". Is Disneyland still "California's #1 tourist attraction"? Marty has written some gems that strain credibility, like the child asking, "Mommy, what kind of parking meters are these?", or "Will we see Santa Claus?". Classic Marty!
MORE WORDS. If I wanted to read, I would go to the liberry! Only nerds go to the liberry, am I right? The text is typical ballyhoo (that's not a bad thing), though I enjoy the tension of the true-and-not-made-up story of the lady confronting the Texan about Disneyland's fireworks (near the end of the page). "I'm calling you out on your BS, cowboy!", she said, brandishing a switchblade. They don't mention that the Texan and the lady fell in love and got married that very day. Kind of an important detail.
Well, that does it for "Part 1". For the next six Tuesdays, there will be a new installment in this series from Walt Disney's Disneyland. THANKS to JG for scanning and sharing this book!
31 comments:
I’ll definitely read all of this later today, thank you Major and JG.
In the meantime, let me comment on the pictures...
Cover of book: The Dent! And red shirt possibly picking his nose. Possibly with two fingers.
Back cover: Swan!!!!
That balloon seller is wearing the goofiest costume Disney ever designed. I bet he’s still in counseling, to this day.
Major-
I had always heard the dedication speech was penned by Winston Hibbler. No matter who is responsible for it, I would argue that it could easily be considered the best 'mission statement' ever written-!
Whoever "designed" that balloon seller outfit must've been coming-off a really bad acid trip. Words can barely describe its "beauty".
I love Marty's prose as much as the next fella, but Joe Mankiewicz he was not.
Thanks to JG for the scans - and future posts. (You too, Maj'-!)
You mean I have to wait all the way until next Tuesday, to find out what happened to that 15 year old "news butcher"???
Actually, I do have a copy of this book. I posted a few pictures from it in the past, but nowhere near the entire book and none of the text. I remember getting my copy during the summer of 1973, when my grandmother who lived in Maryland, came for a visit. She told my brother and I to pick out any souvenir we wanted, that day. My brother chose a Davy Crockett racoon skin cap. I chose this book. It was and is, one of my favorite DL souvenirs. My copy had something "pasted" inside on one of the pages, which dates it to 1973, even if I wasn't able to remember the date on my own. I wonder if JG's copy has that same "pasted" insert?
Thank you JG for taking the time to scan the entire book! And thank you Major, for posting it.
Upon a second look, that’s probably not a swan, but just a reflection of the light, I think. False alarm.
Sue, it's a reflection......cast by the dent!!!
JG, does your Scanbot 3000 scanner also do grilled cheese sandwiches? Might be kinda greasy on the scanning bed though.
Major, yep. We have a copy of that book as well. My mom bought it in Disneyland when we were there in '75. Ours say (in Roman numerals) 1969. And under that it says "75-6". Maybe that's the year of the reprint?
JG's copy has the Roman numeral 1969 as well. But his has "72-8" underneath. (In the flag raising/lowering pic.)
The balloon vendor: I agree, Major, I think the main thing that makes it look ridiculous is that huge floppy bow tie... and black leggings... and the Mickey Mouse shorts... OK, the whole get up is pretty embarrassing.
Sue, Disneyland churros hadn't been invented yet. So, definitely a nose picker.
Yep, there's one of the killer swans. He looks kinda fat and contented here. Probably just feasted on the red-shirted nose picker from the front cover.
Sue, I think it IS a swan. There doesn't seem to be a light directly above it to cause that reflection. So be afraid! BE VERY AFRAID!!
(Pay no attention to Tokyo. He always ruins everything.)
Thanks to JG and the Major for this series.
In the flag-raising photo, above the drummer and below the lamp post globe lights, I spy the Rad Plaid Four.
One last comment before I call it a night...
As if it’s not bad enough to have to wear that balloon vendor costume in public—but to then be photographed and plastered in millions of magazines and books—to be viewed by millions of people for years—for decades. Oh my. (I’m sure that young man looked very handsome in a nice business suit, but we will never know.)
But Sue, just think of the royalties!!!
This is one of the best vintage books about Disneyland. That balloon vendor photo is one of my favorite Vacationland magazine covers. Thanks for sharing with us, JG. Looking forward to more.
Thanks to you too, Major.
There was a copy of this book - I want to say with a 1966 copyright date - in my third grade teacher’s classroom liberry. I fell in love with it and very seriously considered borrowing it permanently, but eventually came to the realization that it was there for the enjoyment of everyone and I had no right to keep it. And then I wondered for years if I had done the right thing since nobody else ever looked at it…and wondered if I would ever see another copy.
Then about three of four yeas ago (the pandemic makes the years sort of run together), Mrs. Chuck gave me a copy for my anniversary or my birthday, which is one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. Mine is also copyright MCMLXIX with a 72-8 underneath it, although before I noticed that detail I had deduced the general year because of the clue that will be seen in a future post.
There actually is a reference to C.V. Wood in the book, hidden underneath the endpapers. That text includes the secret history of Disneyland they’d like us all to forget, things like the Aunt Jemima Pancake House, the Wizard of Bras, and the fact that the Red Wagon Inn once used a cookbook called “To Serve Man.” Please don’t try steaming the endpapers off on your personal copy; the hidden text was only included in the earliest examples of the 72-8 print run. Most copies actually have a concealed photo of the Beatles wearing white coats and holding raw meat and decapitated baby dolls.
Thanks, Major! I have a mid-1960s edition of this book which someone who had been to the park gave to me about a decade later. At that time I had only been to the Magic Kingdom in Florida and so I pored endlessly over the book and it's no exaggeration to say that the photos from it are seared into my memory. I always found it interesting that the book was printed in Italy by a Veronese publisher which specialized in the sort of glossy souvenir books about Italian cities and tourist sites which used to be quite ubiquitous (the books not the sites). I still have my copy of the book but it's falling apart, so a digital version is very much appreciated. I'm looking forward to the next several Tuesdays indeed. Thanks again, Major.
That poor balloon vender is thinking, "I should have taken the Knott's job..."
Chuck, if you read the book backwards it tells about the building of Freedomland. Oh, and summons a demon. Don't do it for both reasons (mainly Freedomland).
Actually, I thought it was the Fab Five holding the meat and babydolls. The Beatles? Pffft, they'll never catch on.
Fun stuff, JG!
Thank you, Major and JG!
I bought this book in the summer of 1977, when it had a new cover but much the same text and photos. It was already nostalgic because Nature's Wonderland was still described, though it had been bulldozed by that summer of Space Mountain. Also, in the snaggy, shaggy, ratsy, matsy late '70s, those pictures from the early to mid sixties were something to behold-- you mean people dressed NICELY to visit Disneyland then ?!
Major, Marty's prose style could be geeky but marvelous; I think he also wrote the booklet notes for the ViewMaster slides of the Magic Kingdom. That Santa Claus quote I remember in the Tomorrowland pack, from a little girl seeing the Submarine North Pole; and another small child allegedly said of Rainbow Caverns, "That was just like Heaven!" The funniest episode concerns actress Betty Hutton, which closed this hardcover book as late as '77, though few people under 35 would have known who she was.
Wow, this looks good on-screen! Yes, the balloon seller costume is beyond ridiculous.
Thanks Major for posting and the added dialog.
Scanning this took about 12 minutes and would have been harder to do with only the pictures. JB, I usually re-heat soup on the scanner exhaust port, it’s only a couple meters wide, about the size of a womp rat.
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I don’t remember this book from childhood, or ever reading it before last year. I found it in my library, it must have been purchased by Mom or Dad and hidden away in the mass of their books. It’s in very good condition as might be imagined. I figured most of the Junior Gorillas would have their own hard copies, but if you want a bound PDF version suitable for an e-reader, send a message to the Major.
JG
Lou and Sue, yes, this time I knew that the dent would be getting some mention here! Is there a swan in that night shot?? I can’t see it! If I had any talent, I’d make a costume like that balloon seller outfit for a D23 convention.
Nanook, aha! I’d never heard that Winston Hibler wrote that speech, but it makes sense. After listening to that “It’s a Small World” album endlessly when I was a kid (it was written and narrated by Hibler), I feel like I can recognize similarities in the way he wrote that, and in the opening day speech. Marty seems like he was a lovely person, but some of his stories really do sound like baloney.
TokyoMagic!, yes, you are just going to have to wait. I’m sorry, but it’s the rules. I have several copies of this book from different years, including one that was printed in Italy, it seems like the quality of that one is better than others. I think you made a great choice when you got that book, I still remember getting certain books when I was a kid (like those ones by Valerie Childs), and loving them so much. I think I remember the pasted-in item that you mentioned, and I think JG’s copy has the same thing. Funnily enough, I don’t have that version!
Lou and Sue, I’m glad it was a false alarm, because I was already halfway to my car. ;-)
TokyoMagic!, dent reflections are the most dangerous kind!
JB, yum, grilled cheese. With salsa! It’s hard to say, but it seems that they reprinted this book every year or two with minor changes. Even my 1966 copy (the one printed in Italy) isn’t drastically different, though of course many changes came to the park in the next few years. I no longer wear big floppy bow ties, and instead I wear cravats. I look like Austin Powers.
Lou and Sue, I wonder if all that plaid was from the Pendleton shop??
Lou and Sue, I agree with you. Think of the millions of people who saw that photo, over and over, on multiple publications! That poor guy.
TokyoMagic!, royalties, plus balloon vendors made $175,000 a year, base salary.
K. Martinez, yes, any self-respecting fan of vintage Disneyland should have a copy of that book. Only now they can look at JGs scans!
Chuck, my school liberry had a copy of Bob Thomas’ “The Art of Animation”, which I checked out repeatedly, I think that was a pivotal moment in my Disney fandom. I didn’t acquire a copy of that book until many MANY years later, and by then I was a book snob, so I wanted it to be in near-mint condition, with the dust jacket. I still absolutely love the book though. So nice that Mrs. Chuck gave you a copy, she knows her hubby! Ha ha, as soon as you mentioned steaming off the endpapers, I thought of the paste-over copies of that Beatles album. I used to dream of finding one of those with the “Butcher Cover” underneath the paste-over, but I’m sure by now every one has been found. I’m OK with C.V. Wood getting a mention, sorry, Walt Disney Company.
Pegleg Pete, I know what you mean, certain Disneyland books were so important to me when I was a kid that I feel like I memorized the whole volume. And yes, some of those photos really ARE seared into my memory. When I’ve forgotten my own name, I’ll still remember those photos. Aha, I see you have one of those copies printed in Italy! All of my versions are at my mom’s house, it would be kind of fun to go through them and observe the changes as the years went by.
stu29573, yes, at Knott’s, that guy would be dressed as a cool cowboy, or a prospector, or at least a saloon barman. I looked in a mirror and said “Freedomland” three times in a row, and C.V. Wood showed up. He talked me out of all of my money, and I was happy to give it to him. What a smoothie.
Stefano, it seems that this book brings back a lot of memories for a lot of Disneyland fans! I know what you mean about the difference between photos from the ‘60s and photos from the ‘70s, and YET… those Valerie Childs books are from the late 1970s, and they have beautiful photos! I guess the photographer avoided the hairiest park guests, ha ha. I did not know that Marty wrote the blurbs for Viewmaster packets; as a Viewmaster collector, that’s super interesting. I don’t really have anything against Marty, like I said, he seems like he was a very nice man, but at a certain point, I began to realize that some of his stories were probably “writer’s inventions”. Hey, that was the job.
JG, thank YOU for taking the time to scan this book, and I’m sorry it probably seemed like it took forever for it to finally appear on the blog. 12 minutes! That’s crazy. It would literally have taken me many hours (days?) to scan this book, but then again, I don’t have a scanner that is as amazing as the one you used. Thanks again!
Major, my document scanner takes about 1.5 seconds per page at high resolution, the biggest time suck is turning the pages and positioning on the document glass and making sure it is (mostly) square, so call it 3-5 seconds per page. Add a few minutes to organize in Bluebeam PDF software to resemble the original book with the two-page layout.
The book format was "slightly" larger than the scan area, so there are some odd margins here and there. I tried to move the pages around on the glass to capture the content, but may not have been fully successful. My apologies.
Please enjoy, everyone, and thank you for the tips on the age of my edition. I knew it was newer than 1969, but I was not sure where to look to verify.
JG
My 1969 edition …dent behind olive trees, jungle cruise end papers… is the first book and originating basis of my still expanding Disneyland library (can’t wait for House of the Future book!! And just what has happened to that new one from WDW50, lost on a boat still?).
Interesting how that book turned on my OCD at age 6; A glass of water spilled on the table it was laying on, wetting the back cover, to my absolute Horror. I frantically dried it and pressed it flat again, but became ultra-aware of taking really good care of my stuff, especially Disney stuff, every since!
Cheers-
MS
Sue, there is definitely a swan on the back cover (night scene), and one of the weird little mushroom lights that we always comment on, is turned on, the whole thing glows, not what I expected.
There also appears to be a narwhal, or perhaps the Nautilus in the moat to the left.
JG
I don’t have a copy of this book (the shame!) so this will be a fun treat. Poor Mr. Balloonio looks so defeated. If you wore that outfit to a Disney Dapper Day or other event, Major, I think you would be very popular! Love the marbled balloons. I also like the little honeycomb heart the girl hugging Mickey has. Thanks for sharing JG and Major!
JG, I can’t even imagine a scanner taking a mere 1.5 seconds per page. At high resolution! I don’t scan as much paper material, so I got a scanner that would excel at slides and transparencies. I think the tiny amounts of the book that were cropped off are not that noticeable!
Michealand, there was a time when I would buy EVERY book having to do with Disneyland (and other Disney parks too), until it got to the point where I just didn’t have room for more. Now I have to be very choosy. If I had endless room and endless money, I’d have a whole library room! I’m very picky with my books, and have had a few damaged by careless people who always seem surprised that I care so much.
JG, those mushroom lights make me think of a miniature golf course that I used to go to a lot when I was a kid!
Kathy!, hey, you can get a copy on eBay for not too much money! But I know that sometimes a digital copy is the way to go. I could wear that balloon outfit to other occasions (weddings, job interviews), so that it would make it worth the investment.
Hi Major, I have the 1964 printing I got at a garage sale years ago (binding in rough shape). If you are interested in seeing it i'll loan it to you to share.
I'm still not convinced it's not going to turn out to be a lusty romance novel. Walt rescues Lilian from the evil clutches of the Fleischer Brothers and carries her off on his riverboat, the steam whistle echoing the cries of their passion as they consummate their desire on a pile of used D-tickets. "Don't be frightened of the mice, my dear," he whispers hoarsely in her ear. "They're on the payroll."
Chuck, haha. I was trying to remember where my mom's steam iron was stored when I read your admonishment not to steam the endpapers. Caught it just in time! But now I'm thinking of that Beatles image and wondering anew where that iron is. Hmmm...
Pegleg Pete, steam the endpapers off! You may have one of the original printings that Chuck mentioned, with all that arcane Disney lore hidden underneath!
Stu, a half hour later, the balloon vendor probably thought, "I shoulda taken that Alligator Farm job..."
Donald Duck used to be on the front cover picture, that's why it was so crowded in front of the castle. (Don't bother looking, they airbrushed him out.) But people noticed that Donald was barefoot and surmised that he had passed away, this being Disney's way of letting the public know about it.
JG, I can top that: My scanner exhaust port is about the size of a bantha. I use mine to re-heat Vulcan plomeek soup.
Kathy!, I love your name for the balloon vendor: balloon guy, dressed like Pinocchio = Balloonio. Perfect!
Major, "If I had endless room and endless money, I’d have a whole library room!" Haha, you spelled liberry wrong.
Melissa, (haha) now I think I need to take a shower!
The mice may be on the payroll, but the owls are not what they seem.
JG
I never had any of these souvenir books when they were new . I’ve since obtained 5 different cover versions .... but I think there may be as many as 7 content variations. My last version features America on Parade. The first of the souvenir books I got was the burgundy Disneyland The First 30th Years. A teacher of mine face me a pristine copy of the blue Disneyland The First Quarter Century .... which I think is the edition that replaced the series featured in this post.
Like Major , I used to pour over these books as well as Disney News. Back then there were very few books featuring .... and especially focusing on Disneyland so it was a big deal when such things began to appear. I remember one time on a trip to my grandparents in North Carolina I bought the big Valerie Child book picture book of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. On the same trip I bought Walt Disney World viewmaster reels at a Sears!!! I was so excited!! In North Carolina was all Walt Disney World stuff !! Very rare to a kid from California!!
My grandmother always seemed a tad irritated at how obsessed I was about Disneyland and WDW. My grandparents on my mom’s side in California LOVED places like Disneyland , Knott’s and Santas Village!
I remember when the massive book EPCOT : creating these world of Tomorrow. I was blown away - all the models ... the artwork ...the construction pictures.
Does anyone remember when randy brights Disneyland The Inside Story cane out?? The Disney Gallery couldn’t keep it in stock!! Guests clamored for it!! They would get little groups of like 20 at a time in . Castmembers and employees were buying them up. At the Randy Bright book signing before Christmas they ran out of books fast! People in light filled out a card and purchase the book in advance and Disneyland shipped it free ... but the book was not signed ... it was a special
Galkery card insert.
Today there is or has been an amazing amount of great park related books that never seemed possible 25 - 30 years ago.
"But people noticed that Donald was barefoot and surmised that he had passed away, this being Disney's way of letting the public know about it."
Ha JB! More Beatles lore!
I see that we now know who 'MS' is - it's Michael! (Welcome!)
Now we have a Mike and a Michael.
And a Jim A. (Welcome!) and a Jim B. 'JB' - not to be confused with 'JG', Major. ;o)
"If I had any talent, I’d make a costume like that balloon seller outfit for a D23 convention."
Major, I'd pay good money to see you in that costume.
Melissa, aren't you able to create something like this, for our leader?? I'd pay you good money. ;oP
JG and Major, thanks for sharing this book. I'm looking forward to Part 2.
Thank you everyone for commenting, I see so much more in the pictures from reading your memories and observations.
JG
Jim A, I might have a 1964 version! All of my copies are in my old bedroom at my mom’s house, so I can’t check them. Still, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kind and generous offer to share your book with me, truly amazing. Thanks Jim!
Melissa, I don’t want to give anything away, but there is at least one beheading, and there may or may not be a werewolf. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
JB, I once went to a record store on Wilshire Blvd. that had what were supposedly the “slicks” used for the “Butcher Covers”, examples that had never been glued on to the covers in England. But I just couldn’t believe that they weren’t fakes, so I never bought one. Maybe I blew it. Was Donald airbrushed out by Stalin? You know how he liked to erase people from history. And you’re right, I did spell liberry wrong!
JG, whoa, a Twin Peaks reference, you get an A+.
Mike Cozart, I might have five different versions as well. As usual, I used to want to get every variation I could find, but then I ran out of steam. I vividly remember buying “Disneyland: The First Quarter Century” at the park when I went with my high school friend Kevin. I still have it, of course. My relatives were amused at my enthusiasm for Disneyland, though I’m sure they thought it was weird too. Oh well, who cares! All of the comic book nerds have survived long enough for comic books to be cool, but being a Disneyland fan will probably never be cool! I do remember when Randy Bright’s book came out. I probably bought mine at a Walden’s book store, but at some point it became an expensive collector’s item. I think that it can be bought for more reasonable prices today, but for a time it was out of reach for many collectors. Nowadays, “The Nickel Tour” is another book that has just gone into the stratosphere, price-wise. Glad I got my copies when it was new.
Sunday Night, are you telling me that Donald is dead??
Lou and Sue, yes, I feel a bit foolish to just assume that “MS” was Melissa, but the initials worked! I used to date a girl who was great at sewing, but I never wanted to take advantage of her skills. It’s a lot of work! Still, I wish I’d asked her to make me a nice plaid suit (really!) for Dapper Day.
JG, I knew that this would get a good response!
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