Horse Drawn Streetcar, May 1984
Let's all with a very happy birthday to GDB friend JB! Good old Juan Diego Francisco de Paulo Bautista himself. Sue B. wanted to be sure to honor JB with this festive photo of a giant hunk of cream cheese ($1,000 worth) surrounded by sliced ham. No editorializing was implied! The tomato roses are a nice touch.
The rest of today's photos are also from Lou and Sue (from May, 1984), and they feature the wonderful Horse Drawn Streetcars. Thank goodness these are still around, I hope they never go away.
Here's an excellent portrait of both vehicle and horse - a Belgian Draft Horse, looking calm and powerful. People hear his accent and assume he's from France, but he just chuckles to himself.
Clippety-clop! I've always wondered how hard it was to pull a fully-loaded streetcar; you know it took some real strength to overcome the inertia of that heavy vehicle. They can't use diminutive horses for this job.
You know Lou, he could never take just one photo! Film costs? Processing fees? Don't make him laugh! Now the streetcar is heading north, back toward the Castle. Amazing that the park is so empty in May. You might not know it, but May is just before June, and that's when the summer school break begins!
The Carefree Corner is... well, on the corner. If you went in to ask them for assistance, their reply was predictable. "Where is the nearest telephone booth?". "We don't care!". Notice the sign for Donald Duck's 50th Birthday on the lamp post.
Think of how many people who went to Disneyland rarely (or never) saw a horse up close? Guests just like to see these wonderful animals.
Many thanks to Lou and Sue, as always!
36 comments:
Major-
A double-dose of goodness... JB's birthday and a number of swell [Lou Perry] images of DL's Horse-drawn Streetcars. (Actually, I think it's a triple threat, as the first image easily qualifies for inclusion in the Gallery of Regrettable Foods-!) There's nothing quite like a savory delectable disguised as a sweet tooth-pleaser-!
Happy Birthday to a fellow Gemini. Thanks to Lou and Sue for the images and The Major for the laughs.
Yep, that's me all right; cheesy ham. Sue really knows how to pick just the right photo. Major, I didn't realize I had so many names!
Yeah, I also like the tomato roses. And the radish roses, too.
I didn't think I was gonna make it this far, due to a couple of serious health setbacks over the last 18 years. But I did! And I'm doing fine now. I'm planning to be here on my 100th birthday (in 31 years).
I added the second photo to my Disney Stuff folder. That's my birthday present.
In the last pic, the horse is giving birth to an awkward four-legged critter wearing Adidas. It doesn't seem to be bothering her (him?), she didn't even break her stride. Disney horses are so well trained.
Thanks, Nanook. Are you a Castor or a Pollux? ;-)
Thanks for the birthday wishes, Major and Sue. And thanks to Lou for the photos.
You know what’s missing from these photos? Brick pavers. Lots and lots of brick pavers.
It’s either 12:35 or 1:35 in the afternoon, and the crowd is comparable to Nara Dreamland circa 2000. Simply amazing. I bet the wait time for Peter Pan was still about an hour. I swear that ride has a line even when the Park is closed.
I count seven trash cans total in these photos. Note that there are some duplicates that show up in more than one picture.
I love the low angles in several of the photos. Not just good composition but interesting perspectives. Great work as always, Lou. Thanks again!
Nanook, I had no idea you and JB were veteran astronauts.
Happy birthday, JB! Sue picked just the right picture for you. Based on your plan, it looks like the Major will be continuing to maintain this blog for at least another 31 years. Hooray!
$1000 worth of cream cheese? Really? How? Why?
Thank goodness these are still around, I hope they never go away.
Your looking swell, Trolley....I can tell, Trolley....your still rolling, your still glowing, your still going strong. Trolley don't ever go away.....
Okay, I'll leave the rhyming to Melissa!
A very happy birthday to you, JB!!!
And thank you, Lou, Sue, and the Major, too!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JB! We hope you have a day filled with fun and laughter!
I truly think there’s a complete ham under all that cream cheese, The ham and 8-legged horse have “JB” written all over them, don’t you think? ;o)
—Lou & Sue
Nice way to start a Monday. Happy Birthday JB, Have a great one. You deserve it.
Wow Sue, that is some cream cheese and ham. That must be the Philadelphia brand cream cheese with a hefty price tag like that.
Great photos, beautiful horse, thanks Major and Sue.
Have a great day JB, and everyone else too.
I’m sure that the creator of that cream-cheesed ham was debating whether to do ‘that,’ OR drop the whole ham into a lime jello mold.
Sue
JB, Happy Birthday, Many Happy Returns of the Day!
Lou & Sue, I love ham, and Belgian Draft Horses, which are greatly preferable to the bottled kind, which produce a foamier head that makes me burp.
Seriously, Major, you are right, these streetcars are signature Disneyland, and at 10 cents a ride, no way they ever broke even. I’m sure their cost has been calculated by current Disney manglement, even though their value cannot. One day, they will vanish, never to return, unless somebody can write an IP that they will front for. Johnny Depp Finds Nemo on the Streetcar of Impracticality or something.
Great pics, as always.
JG
Only Lou can make an overpriced glob of heart-attack-on-a-platter look sexy. How does he do it? What special powers does he harness from the cosmos? We may never know. I love the streetcar photos as well. I can just hear the horse now..."Wiilbur, you told me I could quit my job and come home to the barn." Speaking of heart attacks, I just about had one laughing from JG's comment. Good one buddy. Happy birthday JB, thanks to Lou and Sue and Major P.
JC, happy to oblige. Belgian Beer is great, why not horses too...?
JG
Happy returns of the day Josh Brolin! We know it's you just like all the other celebrities that are Junior Goriilas incognito. Horses on Main Street are awesome. They are awesome in parades too. They are overall awesome everywhere. These draft horses love to work, it's in their DNA. Horses generally like to play and well...horse around...(sorry, couldn't help it.) The older photo with many horse drawn vehicles on Main Street is even more awesome. The horses give this "fantasy" some legitimacy as "reality". Horses don't know that they are in a theme park. They might as well be in 1895...it's all the same to them. This is what lends to the authenticity of the overall show element. Popcorn: a money maker for sure, but it is completely plausible in this "fantasy" that they would have a popcorn wagon. More authenticity, more immersion. More immersion...more money. If you read some of the early writings of the park it often speaks to the authenticity and mentions many things that don't exist anymore. These features, like a pickle barrel, or a nickelodeon...or a penny-odeon... gave some legitimacy to the show. Plush does not add authenticity. Churros do not add authenticity unless they are served at Casa De Fritos. Highly saturated colors do not add authenticity. They scream for attention, which is the opposite of why Main St. was created. So...all these wonderful things in the past put Disneyland on the map. They authenticity of a turn of the century street, or a cruise down the Amazon, or a tree house to climb, I could go on. Let's be clear: Disneyland was created to make money...this is America after all. I can honestly say, if Disneyland was created based on current leadership it would have been the gigantic flop that was predicted long ago. With each iteration of "TRE", comes the chipping away of what truly amazed people- so much so, they came back and came back and came back. Adding or changing attractions serves the need for "coming back". TRE is not adding. It is taking away. Not everything was built to churn a dollar, but those things that don't churn...may help churn other things...this was a STRATEGIC business decision by Walt Disney himself. It is a successful business model that I STILL use in my job. The average per cap today is probably staggering compared to 40 years ago when I was there. Good for them. I was told after the takeover from a high ranking exec "the leadership was burning the company into the ground". There were some poor choices, yes. These photos taken in 1984 indicate that the business was not as robust as they would have liked it to be. There was a lot of anxiety in 1984. I wouldn't be surprised if Main Street were given a dose of TRE to add 50 years to it...to be more nostalgic to the boomers...not sure if horses fit into that scenario. Well...we did it back then with "Blast to the Past" which was actually a pretty cool thing. Fuzzy dice for everyone! Where are those photos? Main street with plastic "neon" tubes running all through the windows and over the buildings. My op-ed is done. If you've read this far, thanks. Happy Birthday again to JB, and tell your step mom I loved her in Hello Dolly.
Happy Birthday JB! I think I may have gained a few pounds just looking at that ham and cheese dish. As Bu mentioned, there are/were elements in the Park that were there because they were an important element of the 'theme' of a land. And some of those were not there to maximize profit. It was a loss leader. Much like getting that $1.50 hotdog/drink combination at Costco. Though even Costco has degraded it by cutting down on the condiment selection and eliminated the polish dog option from the menu. Those horses do like to have a job. Pulling comes naturally to them. Take it from me, who proudly has a couple Belgians, their power can be awe inspiring...and also a bit humbling to the ego at times. KS
Nanook, I try to keep up with Junior Gorilla birthdays, but Sue REALLY keeps up! She makes sure I don’t forget, ha ha. My grandma and grandpa used to take me to their country club (pretty fancy!), and the buffet table would have all kinds of odd molded items, many that were untouched because nobody wanted to be the first to sully the glossy aspic coating.
JB, you should be proud of your family name(s), you come from a long line of noble people! I like tomato roses, but radish roses are of the Devil. Gosh, I’m so glad you overcame your health setbacks and found GDB! I’d like to believe that I am directly responsible for your youthful exuberance. Draft horses are so strong and calm and wise (they speak with deep voices, like Gregory Peck) that they can give birth to 4-legged mutants without even batting an eye.
Chuck, oy those pavers! In theory I would think that I would like them, but they remind me of the driveways on my mom’s street. They don’t really look like old cobblestones, if that’s what they were going for. Mr. X just went to Disneyland, he said that the revamped Snow White ride had a line that was actually longer than Peter Pan. He also said they did a “magnificent job”, which surprised me, he hates change. Nanook and JB were on Gemini 22 - the one that seemed to disappear from all sensors. When it reappeared, JB and Nanook seemed slightly altered. But I’m sure it was nothing.
TokyoMagic!, I would gladly spend $1000 on cream cheese. The cheese of kings! Love your “Hello Dolly!’ tribute, I imagine it in Carol Channing’s weird voice. And TM? Get a haircut! (I saw your photo on Facebook, ha ha).
Lou and Sue, I dunno, I like to imagine that that is a solid block of cream cheese, mined in Bavaria and transported to the US via armored car. Oh, to someday visit those cream cheese mines.
DrGoat, is there any other brand of cream cheese? If so, I don’t want to know about it, so don’t tell me. I used to love cream cheese and salami sandwiches when I was a kid, but haven’t had one now in… decades. KS works with horses like that every day, the lucky guy.
Sue, at that country club that I mentioned earlier, they had lots of weird meat molds. Not sure if it was chopped liver, or tuna, or what, but it would be covered with geometric designs of vegetables, and then somehow covered in a glossy layer of gelatin. I can’t say they looked very appetizing.
JG, Belgian Draft Horses always get offended if you assume that they are from France. Don’t make the mistake that I did! What a faux pas. I never thought about the cost to run the streetcars, but you’re right, there’s no way they could get enough riders to pay for caring for the horses and maintaining the attraction (cost manglement, ha ha). Obviously Walt didn’t care, he wanted them anyway. I do worry that the Main Street vehicles will someday be phased out, and if that happens I will be very sad.
Jonathan, I imagine Lou taking photos of that ham and cream cheese the way fashion photographers in the ‘60s took pictures. Rolling around on the ground, climbing ladders, doing anything it takes to get the best shot. “Look at the camera! Yeah, baby!”. That’s what will be in my soon-to-air big budget bio-pic.
JG, what’s the difference between a Belgian beer and a non-Belgian beer?
Bu, I’m not that worried about the horses being overworked, but I do worry that some guests probably get too aggressive and physical with the animals. Somewhere I have a photo where you can see FOUR horse drawn streetcars in one image. Hard to believe! It looks amazing. Popcorn wagons and horse drawn streetcars definitely belong in Willoughby, so I’m OK with them. Are you telling me that 1890 Main Streets didn’t sell tons of plush animals? What did people spend their money on?? I like churros, but it’s true, they aren’t very turn-of-the-century. Soft pretzels work though. It is interesting to think what Disneyland would be like if it had been built in the 2000s. We have relatively new Disney parks in other parts of the world, and some of them are OK from what I’ve seen, but they definitely lack the charm of the original. At one point years ago I’d heard that some Imagineers were proposing that Main Street be updated to be a 1950s street, a la “Back to the Future”. I do not care for that idea!
KS, it’s clear that Walt knew that some of those attractions and features were there just to add richness and depth to the experience, and that they would never make money on their own. I’m sure plenty of people told him why those things were a bad idea. I’ve never had a legendary Costco hot dog, but am tempted on the rare times I go. Who doesn’t love a good hot dog??
Best celebrity sighting ever: Costco Burbank: Zsa Zsa Gabor shoving a famous Costco hot dog into her mouth...I had to do a double take. It had relish on it. Random people in random places.
Bu, did Zsa Zsa have lots of diamond rings on, and 'everything'? Just curious if she was all "dolled up" for Costco.
KS, are your Belgians ("the biggest dogs you ever owned") both rescues, or have you had them since they were little?
Hey, JB, where's the party tonight? I'll bring the ham.
Sue: YES! Zsa Zsa looked like Zsa Zsa. Pearls though. Diamond rings and some gold bracelets. Ivory cashmere cape. It was summer in the valley...but capes are needed! I didn't see the "husband"...Count Granzinsky, or Prince Poopypants, or whatever his name was. She was wearing giant Jackie Onassis style sunglasses, but they were lightly tinted so you could see it was her. She was standing at one of the high top tables in the parking lot voraciously eating her hot dog as it was the first meal she had had in a long time. Perhaps it was.- She was there along with all of the Burbank/Sun Valley/North Hollywood normies and me. No one was pointing or looking- by that point the Beverly Hills cop "SLAP" incident was way behind her. At the Costco snack bar there is no dilly dally with celebrities! There is only GET PIZZA, GET YOGURT, GET HOT DOG! No matter who you were you were pushed out of the way by the hooligans of Burbank and environs. With all the celebrity sightings during my time in LA, she was the only one I ever saw at that Costco. Now Target in West Hollywood is quite another thing....that was the Brown Derby of 2001. Movie Stars love a good value! Plenty of free parking! Take Fountain...it's a easy drive!
Major, I am not sure what distinguishes Belgian beer from common, ordinary beer, but there is something. I think it's style, like sweet, or sour, or fruited etc. I know there is a raspberry one, but I have never had it. It's probably good with cream cheese and ham. I'll have to ask my son, when he was in restaurant work, he was in charge of beer selections for the bars.
KS, I think it is wonderful that you have horses like those. My Dad loved horses, he started farming with horse-drawn equipment in the 30's, which is what there was. All his working ones (and all the livestock, cows and chickens etc.) were gone by the time I arrived. He sold them all in 1942 when he left for the Navy and bought tractors on his return. I have some pictures of his horses, but that's all.
JG
Bu, I rarely go to Costco, but my brother saw Dick Van Dyke at the one in Westlake, and I think he saw Brett Spiner there too.
Lou and Sue, I’ll bet Zsa Zsa had a feather boa too! I want a Belgian horse for a dog.
Bu, didn’t Zsa Zsa get married something like 8 times? Or was that Liz? I think it’s funny when I go to the Costco in Westlake, an affluent community, and see all of the Audis, BMWs, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, etc, in the parking lot. Even the rich like a bargain I guess. It seems weird that Zsa Zsa wouldn’t at least have a chauffer or handler with her to keep the fans away. She still had fans, right? Of course she might have slapped anyone who had the temerity to approach her. She took no s**t.
JG, I am definitely not knowledgeable about beer. For a while I used to like to meet a friend at a local brew pub on Fridays, but we haven’t done that for months. It was interesting to try some of the new, weird offerings. A blood orange ale? A “s’mores” stout? And so on. I admit that I usually don’t care for the novelty brews. My mom had a horse in Encino, when that place was still mostly orchards and empty fields. My grandma said that she got it on the condition that she took care of it, mucking out the stables at 5 AM and so on. I guess she was a good caregiver!
@TM!-
An apropos reference from a [mostly] lackluster show. Touché-! (Okay, yes, it was pretty swell seeing Pearl Bailey heading up the all-Black cast when it was playing on Broadway; but still, in the pantheon of truly great musicals, sorry, it's just not there). It's merely an also ran - although it has 'ran and ran and ran...'
And then there's Cats. Enough said-!
Chuck, I purposefully left that line ("be here on my 100th birthday in 31 years") ambiguous, so it could be taken either way.
Sue, "The ham and 8-legged horse have "JB" written all over them". Indeed they do! Like I said above, you really know how to pick 'em. Thank you for being Major's GDB birthday wrangler.
Don't forget the shredded carrots and canned pineapple in the lime jello mold. (NEVER use fresh pineapple or the jello won't set up!)
Bu, whoa, a deep, thoughtful, and serious comment today. You make many truthful observations. Which the current Suits either are unaware of or just don't care.
Major, I like the way the radish roses look, not the way they taste. I'm not a radish person. So yes, they are "of the Devil". I used to be a cook (still am, at home), and I've made my share of radish and tomato roses over the years. These here look pretty nice.
And yes, GDB helps to keep my 'thought juices' flowing. And improves my outlook on life, in general. Many thanks for that. So you see, you HAVE to keep this site going for at least the next 31 years! No pressure, though.
Sue again, Hey, I thought I WAS the ham! Nothing out of the ordinary for my birthday today. I don't make a fuss about it; sometimes I almost forget it's my birthday. (But not anymore, with GDB to remind me!) When I was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer about 18 years ago, I started paying more attention to my birthdays. Now I'm kinda surprised, and thankful, that I'm still here another year. Ditto, when I had a heart attack in 2019.
Major again, ah yes, Brett Spiner; Brent's evil twin brother. He played "Lore" on Star Trek TNG.
Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. Let's all do it again next year!
Major, re: Costco. Several years ago, I consulted on a huge expensive house in a very exclusive neighborhood. Six bedrooms, a guest house, two pools, gymnasium, underground garage for 8 cars, elevator, caretaker apartment, etc. All the usual stuff for a billionaire starter home.
One of the basement rooms off the garage, right by the elevator was a room identified on the drawings as the "Costco Room".
Cool that your Mom had a horse, I think it would have been fun, but Dad said they were a lot of work, sounds like he was right.
JB, here's to the next 31, and more!
JG
Major, I grew my hair long, just to tick off the ghost of Walter Knott!
Nanook, I agree with you about "Hello Dolly," one hundred percent! I love the song, but the movie leaves a lot to be desired. I've only seen it once.....and I've never seen the Broadway production. I am also not a big fan of Barbara. And I misspelled her name on purpose, just to tick her off. I know she is a "lurker" on this blog, even though she never comments. I don't understand what the big fuss is over her. They should have given the lead role of "Dolly" to E.J. Peaker....THE MOVIE STAR!
There are a lot of Belgian beers, but most people think of Trappist ales when they talk about Belgians. Trappist ales are a style invented by monks as you could guess from the name. They're very malty, almost sweet and not hoppy (bitter). There are various specialties, like Tripels and Quadrupels, which are stronger versions of the style but still with those qualities.
If you haven't guessed, I'm a homebrewer.
@ TM!-
"I am also not a big fan of Barbara. And I misspelled her name on purpose... Perfect. I merely refer to her as "The Nose".
TokyoMagic, and yes, I left off the "!" on purpose, just to tick you off. ;-p
@Dean Finder, thank you!
JG
Nanook, I’m sure I’d much rather see Pearl Bailey, but I admit that “Hello Dolly!” doesn’t seem to have the love that other musicals of that era evoke. So… you don’t like “Cats”? I’ve never seen it (my grandma had two tickets and took my older brother instead of me, which was fine).
JB, I’m glad you can laugh at today’s birthday photo! Why won’t Jello set up with fresh pineapple? What has been removed once it’s in the can? I NEED ANSWERS. I think I liked radishes because my grandparents in Minnesota always had certain things on the table. A plate with white bread (maybe a dozen slices), with a tub of margarine to slather on the bread. And bowls of radishes, with smaller bowls of salt… in my mind it was “grownup” to eat salted radishes! I admit that I never buy radishes now that I am in charge of my own food. But I can totally understand people not liking them, they are a little weird. Very earthy, with that hot bite. WOW, I am so glad that you beat your cancer, such an amazing thing. I’m sure it helps to make one grateful for so much that most of us take for granted. And I swear “Brett” was a typo. You believe me, don’t you?
JG, I gotta get me one-a them billionaire homes with two pools. One with cold water, one with hot water. And then an empty pool for people who can’t swim. That’s based on a corny joke my grandpa told me. Was the “Costco Room” just a large pantry? Not sure I’m getting it. I’m picturing a ton of supplies for a possible Doomsday scenario. So much toilet paper!
TokyoMagic!, Walter Knott IS going to haunt you, please don’t anger him! I admit that I was shocked to see your photo, since the last time I saw you (years ago, admittedly) you were a nice boy with good morals, and not a heavy metal hooligan! I don’t understand your love of E.J. Peaker when Sandy Duncan was ready to go. Or (you knew it was coming) Ruth Buzzi!!
Dean Finder, sounds like I would appreciate a nice Belgian ale. I’m not into the hoppy IPAs. I do like a good porter or stout. My best friend has not met a beer too hoppy for him, including a “triple IPA” (whatever that means) finished with green hops added at the end. To me it was like sipping battery acid, but he loved it. Cool that you are a homebrewer! The same friend who likes IPAs used to make mead at home, it was really good!
Nanook, is it more that you don’t care for Barbra’s personality? Or her singing? Or both?
JB, so much ticking off today. Can’t we all just get along?
Major, fresh pineapple has an enzyme that stops gelatin from setting up. The enzyme is destroyed in the canning process.
And of course I knew that "Brett" was a typo. But nothing goes unnoticed... or unpunished here on GDB. ;-p
Major-
I don't really mind Barbra - and although she has a lovely voice, it's a bit overrated, me thinks. Let's not get started on all her other "talents", as I can't deal with all 'that surrounds her' - some fan induced; some of it self-promotion. Too much "marketing hype", if you know what I mean. Just do your thing(s) and get on with your life.
“Costco Room”… I went to a garage sale in Beverly Hills once. Same old stuff you see at every other garage sale. I bought two records, a UA compilation of popular arrangements of movie themes and a Dr. Seuss story record. I may have paid $3.50 for the lot.
Major, I guess I chose E.J. Peaker, because she was also in the film version of "Hello, Dolly!" But yes, I'm sure Sandy Duncan, Ruth Buzzi, or even Lesley Ann Warren, would have been wonderful in the role.
Sorry, if I offended any of Barb's fans. I don't hate her, but I agree with Nanook, she is a bit overrated. I suppose if I had to choose, I would rather hear her sing, than watch her act.
JB, you can leave the "!" off anytime you want. It won't tick me off!
JB... Wow. You beat cancer! Yes each birthday is so important these days. I'll carry your inspiration with me when I go for my hip replacement next week. I've been fortunate to avoid major issues all my life. Last cavity was in 1959.
Sue.... The recent one was a rescue from a 'kill pen' in Oklahoma. He needed saving quickly and was in bad shape. It took 7 months at a vet there to rehabilitate him before transport last month to Oregon. He still receives vet care, therapy etc on a routine basis for his underlying condition. And meds. He is 19 hands and is doing well. A 5 yo that acts like a 3yo kid. Like a kid going to college, I'm paying tuition...to Sanford!! But it is worth it. KS
Major, the "Costco Room" was basically just a walk-in pantry lined with shelves, but the room label just cracked me up. I could imagine the planning meetings with the client... "...and we need a Costco Room!"... and the architect saying "what?"
JG
JB, I think I do have enough stuff to share for another 31 years. I'm also very happy to hear you pulled through everything. Laughter is the best medicine, so you picked the right place to show up, everyday.
KS, that little horse of yours is the luckiest guy around. I bet he's truly devoted to you, as they (animals) know when someone rescues them. People like you are amazing!
BTW, I bet you'll get through your hip replacement with flying colors. My father-in-law had it done a few years back (in his early 80s) and the doctor had him walking that same day. They don't let you lay around any more. With the new procedures, you'll be horseback riding again, real soon, I bet. Keep us posted. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks Sue. Sure hope so. I'll be off line for a while. All the best to you and everyone ouy there in cyberland! KS
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