Parking Lot Arrival, March 1962
Oh boy, a parking lot! Normally I like photos of dumpsters, but parking lots are even better. I love that our photographer was so excited that he (?) snapped two photos before he even got to the front gate.
Two well-dressed (one with white gloves!) pose with the Matterhorn and the Monorail track in the distance. Unfortunately, a kid suffering from Horizontal Neck Syndrome ("HNS" to medical professionals) happened to walk past just at the wrong moment. Smart visitors knew that they could eat a free can of Kal Kan dog food at Ken-L-Land. Meaty, and no fillers or by-products. It sure looks a beautiful March day.
This one is a bit less great, but I'll take it. Did our photographer marvel at the vastness of the parking lot? Or was he fascinated by the Monorail track? Or did he just like buses? Enjoy your day at 1962 Disneyland, you lucky people.
32 comments:
Sixty years ago...possibly 60 years to the day. You know that those youngsters probably still have vivid memories they treasure from this day at Disneyland.
I’ll take that pink/salmon-colored car. Nanook, what color is that??
Thanks, Major.
Oooh! Hans (or Fritz... or Otto) is atop the Matterhorn! I'd recognize his red shirt anywhere. I don't think I see any other red-shirted climber. Maybe he fell off... y'know... red shirt.
Those two ladies look very 'no nonsense'. Like Cloris Leachman's character in "High Anxiety"- "Those who are tardy do not get fruit cup!"
Hmm, #2 is indeed a puzzler, Major. Since the bus is centered in the frame, I would guess that was the main subject, but... it's just a bus! And it's far away! Maybe he was capturing that cloud to the upper left of the bus. It looks like a merganser duck (with its tuft of feathers on top).
Sue, I was wondering about that car color as well. Flamingo pink? Miami pink? Strawberries and cream pink?
Thanks for the parking lot pics, Major. Now, how about those dumpster photos! Some with a single lid, some with a double lid. And one "with a little path running down the middle."
Major-
I think someone just put a live snake down that lad's shirt-!
Starting closest to us, that's a white 1955 Pontiac [with a broken lens on that backup light]; we can just barely see the tip of a 1954 Mercury - possibly in 'Canterbury green'; a 1955 DeSoto in 'Emberglow'; then a 1961 Rambler Ambassador in 'Jasmine Rose'; maybe the right tailfin of a 1959 Chevrolet; a 1956 Buick probably in 'Cadel blue'; a dark vehicle of some sort; just the right corner of a 1960 Ford; and finally at the very end, a 1954 Lincoln in 'Arctic white'.
Behind those ladies dressed 'to the nines', is a 1959 Cadillac; behind it is a 1959 Ford. You're on your own for the remaining vehicles.
Thanks, Major.
JB, it definitely looks like Hans.
Flamigno pink, I like it. I hope that’s what it really is.
My cell phone just did that (posted my comment again). Stupid phone.
Nanook, so that color is Jasmine Rose? Pretty. Thank you.
It’s Emberglow, my mistake.
Fun fact: Little "horizontal neck boy" would go on to serve as a model, for one of the boys dancing on the stage in, "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
Nanook, "Emberglow"... so poetic! I (and Sue) were rooting for Flamingo Pink.
Sue, I think you're right about Hans. He has that mole on his left cheek that makes him instantly identifiable.
JB, Hans is mooning the entire park? You have really good eyesight! DON'T LOOK ETHEL!!!
Tokyo!, HAHA! I actually thought of that when I wrote the comment. Too late, Ethel looked! (I think one of those two ladies is Ethel.)
No love for the red corvair? They never get any respect.
I'm pretty sure Hans is the one with the big red nose.
Since there is so much air in these wonderfully atmospheric photos (see what I did there?) I shall comment on it. I really like the high nitrogen content with a subtle touch of O2, but the ozone knocks off a couple of points.
I like the pickup camper.
Annnnd...I'm out!
I can remember always feeling anxious once we exited the freeway .... like it felt like it was taking too long to get into the parking lot.... then if we were parked past the inner monorail beam I’d feel even more anxious like I wanted to run into Disneyland as fast as I could! Seeing the train station .... and city hall’s tower peaking above the trees got me all excited. And the sound of a monorail passing overhead would really send me over the top! Even today , while the sense of “arrival” diminished a bit with the removal of the parking lot , I still get excited hearing a monorail Passing above. But yeah as a kid I just couldn’t get into the park fast enough .... luckily for some reason we usually already had our Magic Kingdom Club Tickets ... so my family rarely had to wait at a ticket booth line. And we usually got into the park before rope drop . Rope drop was back in the days Main Street would be open early and later after a short daily “opening ceremony” a rope would be lowered and then guests would be let into the rest of the park. Another thing I can remember is when entering the park and you looked at “ these attractions are currently not operating today “ ...... and you saw one or two of your favorites on the list and i’d get a knot in my stomach!
Back in the day the Disneyland parking lot and entrance were almost one of Disneyland’s “ lands”.
By the way : Chrysler’s popular pink automobile colors during this period were PERSIAN PINK , CHAMPAGNE, and CARIBBEAN CORAL. I think “flamingo pink “ was a 1980’s term for a generic 1950’s pink - the 1980’s were a time of big 50’s revival ...
I agree with Mike that the Parking Lot was another Land. It was the first act with a few more acts to come. I have to admit that STILL flying into SNA I am on the lookout for the Matterhorn. The sound of the parking lot going in- you could hear the music and the Jack Wagner spiel at the booths, the sound of the monorail, squeals from kids...all very "anticipatory". The heat from the parking lot not really hitting the mark yet. The exit was the final act, very quiet. Lots of tired moms, dads and kids. The very specific sound of the parking lot tram. It wasn't like Christmas day when you opened presents and then it was "done". There seemed to be a contentedness that Disneyland would still be there when you returned...and maybe that ride that was closed would be open...or something new would be there. The ladies with gloves seem like the type that the Main Street and New Orleans Square shops were built for...meandering and discovering Bellique china, or an antique chandelier...perhaps do a bit of perfume blending before heading off to the Tinkerbell Toy Shop to pick up a few things for the kiddies. Back in the day you didn't even need to go on "rides", but it seems like the ticket system is back...pay a fortune to enter, then buy individual (whatever they call it) to go on popular rides. They think that this is unique? It's just another ticket book...just virtual and high tech. Everything does come back.
Yes indeed, the Parking Lot was the first “land”, and while it was not a carefully orchestrated entry sequence (this came with the tunnel entries under the railroad), it offered a unbearable sense of anticipation. All the fun you were going to have that day flashed before your eyes, in the best possible way and became an indelible part of the original Disneyland experience.
Todays tram rides are similar, but so subdued in comparison. I’m grateful to have experienced the Parking Lot.
Those ladies may be glad of their gloves, but I suspect they will regret the footwear. An average day in the Park today is over 7 miles walking, though perhaps less In 1962, and I would hate to try it in those things. Fortunately men are able to wear sensible shoes without undue reflection on their fashion sense. I once went a whole day in crocs.
I wish Thufer could have seen these, Major. I miss Thufer. Thanks for posting.
JG
Bud beat me to the red Corvair, with white wall tires yet! Little bit of rain the night before....I want in.
Getting just 1 or 2 days every summer (and one for Knott's) made the approach to Disneyland an E-ticket ride if you count the emotions involved. That includes the pre-trip ride through the mostly desert from Tucson. I was so excited, I'm sure I was 20 feet ahead of my Mom and Dad in that parking lot. I can hear my Mom shouting at me to slow down.
Thanks Major
Those ladies are well dressed indeed. I thought ladies gloves went out of fashion in the 40s or 50s.
@ Budblade-
I don't want to hog the entire stage. There's also a 1958 Chevrolet hiding in that same row.
Lou and Sue, you’re right, it could have been exactly 60 years ago! Makes ya think. I wonder if the kids remember their trip, since I took my niece and nephew… she was 8, and barely remembers a thing about it.
JB, yes, I did see that tiny red blob. I just assumed that it was a red blob on top of the Matterhorn! It happens. “Nurse Diesel”, a classic character in an under-appreciated movie! Yeah, why would that photo just show a bus? It’s not even the bus that they arrived on (presumably) since it’s so far away. Maybe it was Elvis’ bus? I like “Strawberry Milkshake” pink, myself.
Nanook, I admit that I used to put live reptiles down people’s shirts during my days as a prop comic. No wonder everybody loved me! While I can’t see much of it, I like that Rambler a lot. Thanks for the IDs!
Lou and Sue, remember, Hans is blond, while Otto has brown hair. It’s easy to mix them up though.
Lou and Sue, you should punish your phone! Make it watch Instagram influencers for hours. “Jasmine Rose” would be a nice name for a girl. “Emberglow”, not so much! But it’s a good name for a car color.
TokyoMagic!, yes, I recognize him now! This was three years before “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, but it’s so obvious when you look closely.
JB, Slide collector extraordinaire Charles Phoenix is a car nut, and he has a much more rude term for pink cars which I can’t repeat here, because none of you have heard bad words before. I’m not going to sully those ears!
TokyoMagic!, mooning the park from the top of the Matterhorn would be a pretty great thing to do on your last day as an employee. Just saying.
JB, Ethel ALWAYS looks.
Budblade, I like the Corvair! Jay Leno recently did a video about one of his Corvairs, it’s a pretty sweet car, I’d gladly own one.
Stu29573, So Hans is like Dale (of “Chip and Dale” fame)? Don’t forget the dash of hydrocarbons in the air, it’s like adding pepper to your food.
Mike Cozart, you were an anxious kid! ;-) I’m sure I was pretty amped up when we went to Disneyland, but it was so long ago. The last time I was pretty anxious was the aforementioned trip with my niece and nephew, I wanted everything to be great for them. And it was! It was busy, but not THAT busy, and the Fast Passes worked in our favor many times. We did all the good rides, and I will never forget riding “It’s a Small World” with my niece. “This is AMAZING!” she said. I was so proud. I feel like the parking lot was akin to the preshow area of the Tiki Room, does that make any sense at all? You were “there”, but not quite really there yet. BUT SO CLOSE! Thanks for the fun comment.
Bu, I always thought it was funny that the Monorail spiel used to refer to the parking lot as “your freeway retreat”. Well, I guess it was, in a way. By the way, I always looked for my car whenever we had a view of the lot, and never could see it. So disappointing. I’m sure that folks these days can’t understand why anybody cares about a parking lot of all things, but you had to be there. It really was part of the show. Perfume blending - I know that was a thing in the Perfumerie, but if I had to stand around for half an hour while somebody tried to mix their own custom perfume, I would have lost my mind. “Come on! The Haunted Mansion is right over there!”. Maybe I would have to go ride it myself. I’m so turned off by the new system, but that’s OK, there are plenty of folks who will love anything Disney throws at them.
JG, I mentioned recently that I drove right past Disneyland Drive last weekend, and was bummed that I could not see the Matterhorn from the freeway. It used to be so thrilling to know that it was so close. The “Mickey and Friends” lot is well done as parking structures go, I love the exits from each level, making it easy to get on the freeway going home. But my last visit, they put us in some distant lot because they expected it to be busy that day. I thought, “So make the latecomers park far away! I’m here early!”. But I didn’t cry, I was very brave. Yes, poor women and those uncomfortable shoes, they sure do suffer. Maybe they get used to it. I’ve never worn Crocs, are they nice enough to wear for the whole day? Sounds like you were good friends with Thufer, I’m sorry that he isn’t with us anymore.
DrGoat, yes, this would have been SUCH a great time to go to Disneyland. My problem is that I wasn’t born yet, so that’s an issue. Looking back, we lived so close to the park when we lived in Huntington Beach, but we didn’t go that often. I think it was partly the cost, and partly the “whole day” investment of time. If only I could have gone more! Whenever I see well-dressed people like those two ladies I just assume that they came directly from church. But… you never know!
Nanook, don’t hide your light under a bushel!
Major-
So that's why I'm always so warm-! Who knew.
It was a little-known fact back then, and probably nonexistent now, that when you were onboard the Monorail, looking at the parking lot, you were actually looking at an image projected onto the Monorail's windows. Sort of like seeing the miniaturized people in the ATIS tube. So it's no wonder, Major, that you never could see your car in the parking lot; it was only a facsimile, showing the same image every time.
Nanook, you also wear an anorak everywhere you go, so that could be another reason why you are warm.
JB, don’t they do some sort of technology like that for the “Diagon Alley” Harry Potter park in Florida? For their train ride that doesn’t actually go anywhere? I could be wrong!
Sorry, Major. I Don't not know nuthin' 'bout no Harry Potter train ride in Floorda. It does sound interesting though. Hopefully someone else will chime in.
Been itching to get at this all day, but that darned job that pays for my internet connection and electricity got in the way.
The red, white and silver bus in the center background is a Flxible Hi-Level intercity bus, introduced in 1959.
Just to the right of the camper, driving between two Monorail support columns, is what I think is a GM TDH-4515 "Old Look" bus. That assessment is partially derived from these 1964 parking lot photos (which I originally found here - properly credited, I might add) that show a TDH-4515 in the same livery parked in the bus section of the Bambi lot. The livery looks like the old Metropolitan Coach Lines paint scheme, and MCL did own 37 TDH-4515s. MCL was sold to the LA Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1958, but the color scheme lived on for a time on the older buses. It's also possible that it was sold to a charter outfit that just painted out the old name and kept the green scheme.
There is one more bus to the left of the camper, partially obscured by the gentleman in the grey jacket. It's a deck-and-a-half, split-level model, but I can't see enough of it to be sure. It might be a Beck 9600 or possibly a Flxible VL 100 VistaLiner, although what I can see of the back end doesn't look right for a VL 100. It's definitely not a GM PD-5401, the famous Greyhound Scenicruiser, which had a higher rear deck.
Boy, do I miss the parking lot.
Sorry - appears I linked an individual photo rather than the "properly credited" website I originally found it at. Here's the correct link. There's a link to the original GDB post between the two photos.
The Hogwarts Express train between the Harry Potter lands in Universal Orlando really does move, but the windows are screens that show a simulated trip from London to Hogsmeade Village (or vice versa, depending on which of the 2 stations you board), which is much better than the actual view of the concrete causeway built between the parks for it. It's a slightly curved hemispherical screen (rear projected, I assume) that gives a surprisingly effective illusion, coordinated with some movement engineered into the ride.
It also helps that the ride vehicles are extremely accurate reproduction of English rail compartments from decades ago, as I was informed by an elderly British couple who shared a compartment with me on my first ride.
Chuck, thanks for the detailed bus info. You should do something about that, what did you call it? Job? It sounds very intrusive and time consuming.
Dean, yay! I knew someone would tell us about the Hogwarts train. How far does the bus actually travel?
JB, I meant to tell you that I do see that cumulus duckus cloud. Cool!
Mike, I forgot about that Monorail-overhead-swoosh sound. Extra cool!
And the old tram rides where you sat sideways and had to hang on [somehow] when it turned corners and ‘whipped’ you...extra cool and fun!
There is a YouTube video on the operation of the Hogwarts train, it’s pretty amazing.
JG
The HP train route is about 2300 feet long single track with a short passing siding to allow 2 trains to operate simultaneously from both ends. I marked the route with pushpins on a map here.
I think this is the video about the operation of the train that JG mentioned.
Thanks for the video heads-up and link, JG and Dean. It IS fascinating.
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