Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Frontierland, May 1979

I have a swell selection of photos for you today, thanks to the Mysterious Benefactor! All of these were labeled "5-79", and who am I to argue?

First up is this nice shot of the sign outside of the River Belle Terrace (sponsored by Oscar Mayer), with the menu on display so that you could decide if this was where you wanted to rest your feet and refuel. Pancakes and waffles are always welcome! But what if I want a baloney sandwich (Oscar Mayer bologna, of course) on white bread, with mayo and yellow mustard, just like my mom made for countless school lunches? I might have been out of luck.


Here's a pretty shot of the outdoor dining area for Casa de Fritos - somehow those thatched umbrellas make me think of Tahiti rather than Mexico, but then again, I am always thinking of Tahiti. I love the sky full of fluffy clouds, generally a good sign that this is from Springtime in SoCal.


Yes, it's almost the same photo, but I'm not complaining. Let's see, I think I'd like two enchiladas, maybe a chicken taco, rice and beans, and a Pepsi. Yum. The bed of colorful flowers in the foreground is one of those extra-special touches that you wouldn't see at most amusement parks.


This last one is very contrasty, but it's still a beautiful shot of the Mark Twain on a bright sunny day, with the Pontoon Bridge and happy guests right in front of us. Notice the folks to the left (in the distance) waving to the passengers on the Twain!


 Many thanks to the Mysterious Benefactor!

29 comments:

  1. My bologna has a first name; it’s S-T-O-R-E,
    It also has a second name; it’s B-R-A-N-D.
    Oh, I have to eat it every day,
    And if you ask me why, I’ll say,
    ‘Cause Oscar Mayer’s nice, but, hey,
    Food costs rise more fast than pay.

    Lots of great people watching today, and I never get sick of this sight of the Mark Twain hoving into view.

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  2. Major-
    It seems to be a busy day at The Park - but still looks as if there's plenty of elbow room, if need be. Those two ladies staring at the River Belle Terrace menu board look 'somewhat in doubt'. Evidently they were on the hunt for that elusive bologna sandwich, with disappointing results-!

    Thanks to the M B.

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  3. A great period of time for Disneyland . That shot of the Mark Twain and the barrel bridge has been published in several Disneyland printed items. Thank you Major & MB!!

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  4. #1: According to that menu board, we can own Becky Thatcher, Mark Twain, or Tom Sawyer for just a couple of dollars. Such a deal!
    I wonder what's going on with the group on the right. The gal with her back to us has lost a sandal, and is barefoot. The teen in front of her is being forced to waddle like a duck.

    #2: Really nice flowers blooming in that planter. Some of them are pansies, the deep pink ones might be petunias. The coral-colored ones might be impatiens.

    #4: Geez, took me a while to find the people waving at the Mark Twain. They're elevated!

    All these eateries being shown and I can't see a single trashcan! There must be a ton of 'em around somewhere, but I'm not seeing them.

    Catchy little tune there, Melissa. "When You Wish Upon A Star", right? ;-)

    Thanks for bringing these vibrant photos to us, Major and Mysterious Benefactor.

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  5. In the first photo, there’s a guy to the left of the sign with a Polaroid OneStep Camera around his neck. Those things were very popular (I received one myself for Christmas 1979), but in practice they were somewhat inconvenient to use on a vacation; the camera itself was a bit large, the film cartridge was bulky, expensive, and only good for 10 photos (or maybe it was 12, but still not many), and then you had to carry the developed pictures around with you afterwards.

    No idea what’s really going on, but that sandal scene reminds me of a re-enactment of the glass slipper fitting in Cinderella. Our Cindy stand-in has her long hair held back by barrettes on either side of her face, a popular style at the time and exactly like the way my 1979 crush wore her hair. Haven’t thought of that for years.

    Melissa, you deserve an award for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence. Good show!

    JB, surprisingly, your suggested tune works.

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  6. Chuck beat me (not literally) to the comment about the reenactment of the "shoe scene" in Cinderella. The young man is wearing a t-shirt that has "Smitty-something" printed on it. Is he advertising "Smitty" cologne, which was a popular fragrance at that time? Did he work for Coty, who made the cologne? Why do I know so much about this cologne? I remember my mom liked it and I bought it for her on at least one occasion. She also wore "Enjoli" at one point, because she could bring home the bacon, and fry it up in the pan.....

    Speaking of fried pork products, I hope you could get fried bologna at the River Belle Terrace. Has anyone tried that? It's not bad, although I probably haven't had it for 40 years (when I was only 3 years old). ;-)

    JB, I believe those flowers in the second and third pics, are all Martha Washington Geraniums. Mary Todd was very jealous that the first First Lady had a flower named after her. She tried to upstage Martha by marketing her own line of chamber pots, but once the indoor flushing toilet became mainstream, she didn't have much left to go on.

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  7. I forgot to thank the M.B. and the Major......thank you!

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  8. Thatched umbrellas in that style can be found in many resort towns on the coast of Mexico.

    The Mark Twain and barrel bridge pic is wonderful! Thanks, Major.

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  9. Anonymous6:19 AM

    Everyone is especially funny today, and it’s so early. I’m impressed. I also see what you did there, TM!

    TM! I loved Enjoli. Forgot all about it til you mentioned it.

    It’s going to be a great day in Disneyland, thanks to MB and MP.

    —Sue

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  10. The year after my last visit before the 20 year break, when things were still as they should be. Major, you’re right, I looked away for 20 years and Disneyland went to pot.

    Another vote for Martha Washington geraniums (technically pelargoniums), and those umbrellas are exactly like the ones on the beach in Acapulco and Zihuatenejo.

    I’d welcome a commute across the barrel bridge about now.

    Thanks Major and MB.

    JG

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  11. What a busy day on the West Side. Again, I am anxious about heading into a realm that is this impacted with humans although I did experience it most days back then as a "Casual/Seasonal"...which basically means what all those guests mean: a paycheck. Some odd things in these photos today...wonder if these are taken on the same day? Casa de Fritos looks barren in contrast to the Riverbelle Terrace. Maybe people were lined up for those Mouse Pancakes? I can't read the menu enough to see if those Mousekecakes are listed. As a kid I wanted them, but they were "too expensive and too elaborate". As a adult: I didn't get it. Especially the frilly toothpick wiskers. Do not eat. This is not a toy. I had that same OP shirt (or is it a Hang Ten?) as Polaroid guy, and those cameras were rented for free with the purchase of film if I remember correctly. Yes, they were very horsey, but photos "in the moment" were a big deal. I had the fold down "SX-70" camera, with the leather embellishments...wish I would have kept that: apparently it's worth something. The SX-70 was very pricy back then as well...and the film was too with it's 10 shots. Not a particularly "green" set up with throwing away the film case with the batteries in it. "Smitty" on the ground looks like Bobby Brady's real brother Todd...but I suppose all the kids back then kind of looked like that...why one would wear a shirt that was a promo for a woman's perfume? That is probably a whole mini-series waiting to happen. Mr. Lookinland (the real father) was an administrator at my High School- hence my understanding of what a Todd Lookinland would lookinland like. Mr. Lookinland had a lot to say about the USSR as the kid did a movie with Liz Taylor there. Why they shot in Russia, I don't know, but we heard a lot about it. It's all very odd. To answer a previous question of Major's: YES...I was the one jumping wildly on the pontoon bridge trying to get people wet and having them grasp onto the ropes for dear life. Didn't all us hooligans do that? I was not a hooligan on the mainland however, I only did shenanigans. I like the smell of geraniums, but they are annuals where I live, so I rarely plant them. Geraniums in California grow like weeds like everything else. I did find the last private orange grove in Anaheim....its close to Disneyland on Harbor and Santa Ana. Apparently, people are trying to "save it" as the last vestige of Orange County. It doesn't exactly look "farmed", apparently the same family owns it since the 1800's and the beginning of Oranges in Orange County- hence it's historic significance. Although they may not be "Disneyland" oranges, they could very well be a close cousin. In my OCD NCIS investigation I did discover that a good portion of the Disneyland land was walnuts as well. The last Disneyland orange tree died just prior to the demolition of the the original Disneyland hotel garden rooms...which is the original Disneyland Hotel. I don't remember seeing it there, but I'm sure I passed it in my many travels through the hotel grounds. Walnut trees take some time to produce walnuts. Walnut wood is beautiful and expensive. There must be a walnut tree close to me as the squirrels leave them on my patio. They are rather tough to get into for the little critters. That tree on the left next to the menu sign I think is the one that was "diseased" that was just cut down....could be (?) Thanks for the morning memories.

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  12. I had completely forgotten the Polaroid OneStep! My aunt had one, with the little rainbow stripe down the front.

    That Enjoli commercial was certainly an earworm and a half, wasn't it? I wish I could get back even a quarter of the hard drive space in my brain that's taken up by decades-old advertising for products that probably no longer exist.

    TM!, I used to make myself fried bologna sandwiches all the time, with plenty of fried onions.

    Thanks to Milton Bradley and the Military Police!

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  13. Melissa, I’m actually not much of a fan of bologna, even though my mom made it for us a LOT. I think she got a deal at the Navy commissary (just like the gallons of milk we went through).

    Nanook, those ladies just want a hamburger! Is that too much to ask? Actually, one time I was there with my date, and we had to look high and low for a burger, surprisingly. We wound up at the Hungry Bear, our usual place.

    Mike Cozart, yes, these are all photos taken for potential publicity, I’ve seen only a few in other places, but it makes sense that the last one might show up somewhere else.

    JB, I’m in the mood for a Columbia. Sure, I’ll be full afterwards, but it’ll be worth it. And why would somebody need to be forced to waddle, when waddling is so fun? I love that the park took the trouble to plant those beautiful flowers, even though probably a large portion of the guests didn’t even notice them. And yeah, where are all the trash cans?!

    Chuck, I always liked the idea of Polaroid cameras, but as you pointed out, in practice they left much to be desired. PLUS the resulting photos were often not sharp, and the color was lousy. And hey, let’s remake Cinderella, only with flip flops instead of slippers. Or how about glass Ug boots??

    TokyoMagic!, look up “Smitty Did It”, that was a thing for a while. Don’t ask me WHY it was a thing, it just was, OK? Jeez! My mom liked “L’air du temps”, and another one that I can only remember was “White… something”. Not Liz Taylor’s White Diamonds. White Buffalo? White Whale? Must be one of those. I’ve never had fried bologna, thankfully. I know people love it, but just the thought makes me queasy. Don’t laugh, I still use a Mary Todd chamber pot, those things are DA BOMB. And the perfect gift for him or her.

    TM!, you are welcome.

    K. Martinez, I’ve only been to Ensenada, and who knows, maybe there were some thatched umbrellas there. Our dumb cruise allowed us such a little amount of time on land that we were in too much of a hurry to relax.

    Sue, does “Enjoli” still exist? And was it better than Hai Karate?

    JG, it’s so strange thinking of some of the ways that the Disneyland experience has changed, but a lot of that is due to the insane crowds. There’s just not room enough on the rides and in the restaurants, unless they put in a crummy reservation system.

    Bu, based on my own observations, and stories from friends who have been to the park recently, some cast members are definitely feeling the strain from dealing with those crowds of people who don’t listen to them as they shout. I think having a Mickey pancake is a rite of passage for some people, or maybe a fond memory from childhood. I just sent Sue some photos of me from a few years before these Disneyland photos were taken, and I was happy to see one of my beloved Hang Ten shirts. Tasteful dark olive green, with little gold feet. I bought a Polaroid camera for my niece a few years ago (for Christmas), and it was expensive. The film was through the roof. And just as I predicted, she used it a few times, and now it gathers dust in a closet, just like every other Polaroid camera. Turns out they aren’t that fun. Yes, the “Smitty” kid looks like half the boys in high school. I’m glad to hear that there is at least one orange grove left near Disneyland… the trees are probably identical to the ones that were on park property. And yes, walnut groves were also part of the pre-park crops. I only just noticed what appears to be some scaffolding to the left in the first photo, wonder what that was about?

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  14. Pancakes were definitely a must back then. Years later they started selling Mickey Mouse Beignets. A stack of those powdered sugar coated items would do the trick. Make your hair stand on end if you eat more than 2 or 3. I remember filling up on those things and about an hour later the sugar rush dissipated and a fruit drink seemed to be the only antidote. Or some bacon wrapped asparagus from the Bengal Barbecue. A couple of Tail Wagger specials if you were going to ToonTown. If you ended up on the Monorail in the morning, Tomorrowland, had some pretty good French Toast sticks too if you were on the go.
    Great park photos MB, thanks and thank you Major.

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  15. Anonymous9:55 AM

    Major, if I had to call out one thing (beside Pressler's obvious mismanagement) that destroyed the Disneyland experience, it would have to be the Annual Pass concept, which then led to the formation of this class of Hyper-fans who go every day or every weekend and just clog the place up. Also now contributing is the gaggle of video bloggers posting their visits and providing breathless commentary on the latest occurrences.

    When it was super-expensive (relatively speaking) to get in for a day, it was more of an occasion and less crowded as a result. We are seeing this play out now, as Disney is ending the AP program under threat of a lawsuit, and the Park is less full as a result. The suit will settle, and some fairer form of the AP will come back, and the crowds will return to "spam-in-a-can" density, and I will still stay away and look at my GDB screensaver collection, for which I thank you profusely.

    JG

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  16. Stu2957310:25 AM

    I would have really been out of luck. I only like my balone-ee (hooked on phonics...or foniks...) fried!
    I still would have loved to be there, though! Heck I'll just eat whatcha got! Make it quick, though, I got attractions to partake of! Yay!!!

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  17. Melissa, I definitely remember the Enjoli theme, and I probably haven’t heard it for, what, 30 years? The sign of a good jingle! Now I’m hungry for bacon. I watched a Bon Appetite YouTube video of a guy making fried balogna, believe it or not. I still don’t want it!

    DrGoat, the only time I ever have pancakes for breakfast is when I travel. Either at a hotel in the morning, or at my sister’s, when she makes breakfast for the whole family. Do you prefer blueberries, bananas, chocolate chips, or plain? Anything but bananas for me! “Bacon wrapped asparages”… you could wrap a pencil in bacon and it would be pretty good. French Toast sticks, were those supposed to be finger food?

    JG, unfortunately I think you are right, the Annual Pass program made the company millions (billions?) of dollars, but it was a real blow to the park experience. That being said, if I’d been the right age and if I’d lived close enough, I probably would have wanted an AP and would have gone as much as I could have, too. I didn’t know that a lawsuit had anything to do with the ending of the AP program.

    Stu29573, I’d prefer a good old ham and turkey sandwich, personally. Or my true fave, a BLT when you can get good tomatoes!

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  18. Anonymous12:30 PM

    Major, I don't know all the details for certain, but it sounds like Disney tried to have it both ways; sell Annual Passes allowing (or implying) anytime access to the Park, then requiring reservations for entry and only a limited number of reservations available. It seems like the AP holders were locked out of certain dates, which "seems" like a violation of the anytime access "implication", hence a lawsuit. Disney is now not renewing any APs until this is all settled.

    Disney will have to square that circle somehow because they don't want to give up the reservation system, and no one sees any solution other than some kind of limit on the former AP privileges, which seems fair to me. Obviously they want a solution that will maximize profit, even if it comes at the expense of the guest experience, they have proven this before.

    I'm only interested in the controversy because I'm bored and it's entertaining to watch the fight.

    The way the Park sounds and looks now is like a "Stranger Things" UpsideDown version of the Park we loved. Everything that isn't broken or abandoned in place is splashed with pink and gold paint. I am increasingly likely to not return.

    Re pancakes, one of my favorite dinners is "breakfast for dinner", eggs, bacon, pancakes, and home-canned peaches on the side. Just had that for Fathers Day. One of my Dad's favorites too.

    JG

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  19. Major, I prefer plain pancakes with butter and some good maple syrup. If I had to make a choice of the others, it would be chocolate chips.
    Those French toast sticks came in a paper tray with some of those little jelly packets or with syrup. A quick breakfasty thing but it does the trick for a while. Sold them (1995) from that food bar in Tomorrowland.

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  20. Tokyo!, I had a fried bologna (I have to spell it that way because it was Oscar Mayer) sandwich just yesterday! On lightly toasted bread with ketchup and mustard.

    Tokyo! and JG, I still think the flowers nearest us, with dark centers, are pansies. THIS MEANS WAR!!1!1!!

    I also thought of the glass slipper scene when I saw that sandal. But decided not to run with it (the meme, not the sandal.)

    Melissa, you deserve a break today. So have a joke and smile. It'll double you pleasure, double your fun.

    Major, fried bologna tastes better and has a better texture; more meaty. Basically, it's the same as a hot dog.

    JG, you mentioned "Spam-in-a-can". I like Spam (out-of-the-can) cold or fried. I like the "reduced sodium" variety best. It's still plenty salty, and more palatable.
    We also occasionally do "breakfast for dinner" as well. I usually substitute the pancakes with French toast. And most likely include hash browns.

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  21. I agree that the APP's were the beginning of the end. A very entitled group that caused lots of unreasonable situations tying up way too much time with management. I was there in the first iteration, when it was $60 and that was quite a lot of $$$. Little did they know of the monster they created, but they soon found out. The per-caps told the whole story- which was a good story...until it wasn't apparently. APP's were not an "admired" group amongst the employee sector- on all levels. I'm sure there were some good ones that faded into the woodwork, but the overall concept was that of a gym membership...you pay...then maybe you show up, and probably you don't. And if you show up, you shop and eat and shop and eat. Not sure if that ended up happening. Also- parking was included at the time. Ask an ex-parking lot employee about that level of entitlement-wow. If the park can pack them in at full price, I'm not sure why they would need the APP's...maybe the math works. Not sure if it's worth all the headaches or the many lawsuits they create. I love bacon wrapped asparagus but it doesn't particularly scream "jungle cuisine" to me. Baloney/Bologna...whatever it is..."no". Very thankfully my parents weren't fans either so it was never in my world. Salami: yes. French Toast Sticks...yes! But things of that nature were way too fancy. Another awesome bacon wrapped thing is bacon wrapped dates- the big medjool dates. If you stuff the dates with blue cheese they are even better. Sounds weird, it's not- they are delicious. It's also a plausible menu item in a jungle that is teaming with date palms.

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  22. Anonymous2:45 PM

    JB, you are making think of the HeeHaw skit where Rindercella slopped her dripper.

    I love SPAM too much to fight over a flower. SPAM musubi in Waikiki is the perfect breakfast.

    Bu, you are right about bacon-wrapped dates. Very Spanish, we make those at home with the blue cheese and a glass of sherry.

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  23. Bu, by the time we were APH (1994-5) it was in two tiers, with or without blackout dates. With was $100 apiece, while the unlimited passes were I think $150. We could juuust afford the blackout date passes by using leftover per diem from a three-week business trip to Oahu (it was tough staying in Waikiki and eating all but three meals in my room or out of a brown bag from stuff I’d bought at the Hickam AFB Commissary, but I managed to pull it off). Consulting Mrs. Chuck, we think it was a $20 add-on per pass for parking; we only got it for her pass, reasoning that she could use it when I was deployed. The two times I went without her (Christmas shopping and to set up an anniversary dinner at the Blue Bayou), the $5 parking cost seemed pretty reasonable considering the location.

    I promise you we were woodwork APHs; we were guests, for crying out loud, not part owners, and we loved the level of service everyone got regardless of what kind of pass they got through the turnstiles with. The only time we went to City Hall was one time when I was in the Park in my Air Force uniform and everyone thought I was a security host and kept asking me questions about where they should go if they lost a member of their party. I had been directing them to City Hall and wanted to make sure I wasn’t steering them the wrong way.

    Actually, being a polite, low-maintenance APH got you into some more open conversations with cast members that would recognize your face after a few visits. I remember one conversation in particular with our server at the Carnation Cafe in Feb of 1995, and she was already giving hints that things weren’t quite right under the Pressler regime and that a lot of her coworkers were seriously thinking of leaving.

    JG (I know that’s you), yeah, Spam anything is good, and Spam anything in Hawaii is even better. Only place I have been able to order it off the menu (I only ate at Burger King and on base during my 23 hours on Guam).

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  24. JG and Chuck,
    I had a Spam, rice and egg breakfast at McDonalds on Maui. I don't usually frequent fast food places anymore (except local Tucson ones like Lucky Wishbone) but I couldn't resist and it was pretty darn good. I think the location had a little to do with it. Fried Spam is great for a snack. Travels well.

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  25. Sue, I ended up going down the "chamber pot" road, because something came up a couple weeks ago here on GDB, and I mentioned having seen Mary Todd's chamber pot in a museum exhibit of Lincoln's "personal" items. You can't get much personal than a chamber pot!

    I forgot to mention that my great-grandmother always had those semi-clear carry bags with handles, just like that older lady in the first photo is holding (the one with her arms crossed). It's what my great-grandmother used to carry her fried chicken (and sides) into DL, back in 1975. I actually have one of the bags that belonged to her. It's hanging in my garage, and I can't bear to toss it out.

    I remember in the 1970s, Kodak came up with it's own "instant" camera, called the "Colorburst" camera. Polaroid sued them and won, so Kodak had to stop making it. I still have mine, which my dad gave me for Christmas, one year. That thing was bulky and heavy. After the suit, if you pried the little "Kodak Colorburst" name plate off of the front of it and sent it to Kodak, they would give you a small rebate, and some coupons for some savings on their film.

    I have a friend who liked the bacon-wrapped asparagus from the Bengal Barbecue so much, that he would make his own. Boy, the grease from the bacon makes the flames on the BBQ go REALLY high!

    Major, I looked up "Smitty Did It!" and realized that is exactly what is on the guy's t-shirt. I couldn't make out what was below the word "Smitty," but that's it. I also wasn't sure that the t-shirt was specifically advertising the cologne, or if it was referring to something else. But now in addition to the words "Did It!" I see that the font and the red ball matches the Smitty font and logo, too. Was the cologne that your mother used to wear called, "White Shoulder's"? My mom used to wear that one, too. My mom was often changing her brand of cologne. She also used to wear "Babe." I see the promos for that on the vintage game shows on the Buzzr Channel...."There's a new Babe in town, and it's you!" I remember my grandmother used to wear "Ambush" which came in a glass bottle, but the bottle was coated entirely with a layer of pink rubber. I guess I remember these names/brands, because a bottle of cologne was something that was fairly easy for a teenager to buy as a birthday or Christmas gift.

    And of course, the jingle for Smitty was a variation of Peggy Lee's song, "I'm a Woman."

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  26. Mom used to make awesome fried SPAM with fried grits. Why I didn't have a heart attack by age eleven I'll never know. (She also made us unlicensed Mickey Mouse pancakes.)

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  27. JG, ah, I can see why the APs would be angry about what Disney implied when they sold those passes. I’ll be curious to see what they do in the future, because it seems hard to believe that they will just ignore all that potential money that OC natives are just waiting to throw their way. I think the best solution is to make the passes cost $150,000. Hire me, Disney! I’ve been talking to two people about possible visits to the park, and the more I read or hear about what I need to preplan, the less excited I get. But I’m sure it can still be fun if I manage my expectations. I used to love having “breakfast for dinner”, my dad would do custom omelettes for everyone, or we’d do waffles with bacon. But we didn’t do it that often, so it was always a treat.

    DrGoat, I can deal with blueberries or chocolate chips, but I think I prefer just plain too. No need to gild the lily. My next invention: liquid French toast. Kind of like Gogurts. See you wherever millionaires live!

    JB, I guess my life has been a cruel, hollow mockery, devoid of laughter and fried bologna. I hope it’s not too late for me. As for Spam, my grandpa worked at the Hormel factory in Minnesota, so we were a Spam (and other Hormel products) family. I still like it, though I have friends who wrinkle their noses when I mention Spam. Meanwhile, you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the Spam Jam in Austin, Minnesota!

    Bu, I didn’t really think about the fact that AP holders might be more demanding than the usual guest, but upon further reflection, it’s not that surprising. And Disney established a model that meant that employees must do everything in their power to make the guest happy. Within reason of course. I loved hearing YouTuber Jenny Nicholson (who I think is awesome) describing her time working at City Hall taking complaints. She was so chill that she didn’t get upset no matter how awful the guests were to her, I love it. I’m sure that most AP holders were perfectly nice; like most groups, there are always the bad apples that make things crummy for others. Bacon wrapped dates, I’d try it. When I was a kid my mom made rumaki, water chestnuts and chicken liver wrapped in bacon. I loved it!

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  28. Anonymous, so fancy! Eating anything with a glass of sherry instantly makes you fancy, you know. Did you wear a velvet smoking jacket and a monocle? I would have, just so you know.

    Chuck, it seems hard to believe that a person could get an annual pass for $100 (or $150), such a deal. Yes, I realize that this was a lot of money at the time, but looking back… if you went once a month (which I’ll bet many people did at LEAST that much), it was an incredible deal. Eating fro brown bags while in Waikiki doesn’t sound like much fun, but then again, you were in Waikiki. There are worse ways to live! I used to truly be aware and amazed at the cheerfulness and friendly demeanor of the Disneyland cast members years ago, and I’m sure most of them still go out of their way to make the guest experience as good as possible. But I have occasionally run into the aloof weirdos! I’m sure that job can wear a person down, which is why I am still so appreciative of the ones who manage it so well.

    DrGoat, it’s crazy to go to our local 99 Ranch supermarket (an Asian store), and go to the aisle where Spam is sold. There are another 15 brands that look essentially the same, just in different colored cans. But there’s no substitute for the original if you ask me!

    TokyoMagic!, yes, for some reason Mary Todd Lincoln’s chamber pot seems to be pretty famous. I wish I had a famous chamber pot, but I can’t dare to dream that big. My grandma had a semi-clear plastic carrying bag too, hers was printed with colorful flowers, but you could see all the junk in the clear spaces. I think my family might have had a Colorburst camera, and iin my memory, it was just as crummy as the Polaroids. No wonder Kodak was sued, it was a blatant ripoff. What did they expect? And can’t you bake bacon-wrapped asparagus in the oven? Maybe that would be easier. Of course you miss out on the grease fires. I’d love to know the origin behind “Smitty Did It”, was it just a weird non-sequitur? Thanks to Sue I remembered that my mom liked “White Linen”. Sue said it was a powerful scent! I couldn’t tell you, I wonder if I got a whiff I would suddenly have tons of memories flash into my brain? “Ambush”, ha ha. And in a bottle coated in pink rubber? Why grandma!

    Melissa, to my knowledge I have still never had grits in any form. Somehow.

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  29. Chuck, that was me.

    JG

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