Disneyland Souvenirs
It's souvenir time! A time when we all gather 'round and eat raw onions while listening to 33 1/3 rpm records at 45 rpm. If it was good enough for the Pilgrims, it's good enough for me.
Hmmm, what's this? A thick paper (or thin cardboard?) folder, with a sort of marbled pattern. The kind of folder that might hold a baby portrait or a wedding photo. But this one has "Disneyland, September 22 1963" printed in gold. The suspense is killing me!
Awww! It's a lovely family portrait. There's mom, dad, and four kids. The little guy is wearing a tie, pretty spiffy for a seven year-old. The photo was taken inside the Opera House, where the sets from "Babes in Toyland" were on display.
Next is this official Pilot's Certificate, given to special gusts on the S.S. Mark Twain, "In accordance with the Act of Congress". What an honor! Sure, it's quite an experience to get to go up to the pilot house and spin the wheel, but the best part is getting to pull the rope that toots the whistle. Do you dare to do a "shave-and-a-haircut" sequence of toots?? This particular certificate is interesting because the section where the a date could be entered starts with "195_____", meaning that it has to be from 1959 or earlier, so that's fun.
This next one is much more recent, possibly from the 1980s. There are some font changes, and of course that classic drawing of the Mark Twain is now in an attractive carmine-red, and it's also printed on something that feels like parchment, but otherwise it is much the same as the old one. I've seen other variants out there, but I'm good with two of them in my collection.
I hope you've enjoyed today's souvenirs!
23 comments:
That family portrait was probably taken during a special event. Notice the "name" stickers. Grim Grinning Disneylanders.
Thanks, Major.
Major-
Bonus points to both 'Butch' and "Junior' for having proper-length pants-!
That 'Pilot's Certificate' is an honor - almost as grand as achieving one's driver license-!
Thanks, Major.
Major-
AND... looks as if the family got their picture taken at the Babes In Toyland exhibit with just a little time to spare - as the exhibit closed on September 30th.
I tried to discern a repeating pattern on that photo cover. Some areas are very similar but not quite the same. The obsessive/compulsive in me is confused and disappointed. While the artist in me is impressed that there is no repeating pattern.
I do wonder why little brother is wearing a dress shirt and tie when no one else is.
And somebody's been using their time machine... gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com is printed at the bottom of the photo! My mind is blown!
These Pilot's Certificates truly are special. We can tell because it took an Act of Congress to make them possible. The "bracelet" font in the latter certificate (the "Pilot's Certificate" text) has always been one of my favorite display fonts. It's often used for circus posters and such.
Thanks for sharing your souvenirs, Major.
Very cool. I have a collection of the riverboat pilot certificates from all the magic kingdoms. Several variations from the Disneyland Mark Twain …. But none with the “195__” pre-printed decade …. So yet another variation …
I’ve got variations from Mark Twain from Disneyland , Tokyo Disneyland( BEAUTIFUL!!) and Disneyland Paris … and several versions of The Richard F. Irvine (WDW) and the Liberty Belle (WDW) and even the Molly Brown ( beautiful!) from Paris ….. but I have never ever seen or heard about one for WDW’s ADMIRAL JOE FOWLER ??!? ….. did this first WDW steamship not get one ? Or was it something that just wasn’t saved or surfaces very much. One of my “IRVINE” certificates is dated 1976 …. So both the “IRVINE” and “FOWLER” boats were operating at the same time.
I’ve heard now that Florida opted to not print Tom Sawyer Island hand out maps because one of the complaints with Disneyland custodial was the amount of tossed maps that had to be fished outta the Rivers of America ….. so maybe early on the Admiral Joe Fowler was without a Pilot Certificate…..since the “IRVINE” was added later maybe the pilot certificate was done to help promote it … I dunno . Another mystery.
Apparently you have to renew your pilot license each year! Getting one of these certificates in the first place is hard enough! I still don't have one.
Aw, what a nice family portrait! You can really see a resemblance among most of those folks. Hopefully a Junior Gorilla with better eyes or some institutional memory will be able to ID those name tags. The daughter with the white Keds has kind of a Hayley Mills thing going on.
O' course they had to start showin' the blood-soaked decks of the Mark Twain in crimson after... the incident. You know, the... incident. We don't talk 'bout the incident. Well, 'cept for me mentionin' it three times in a row just now, which don't count. We very rarely talk about... the thing what happened. It happened, sure 'nough, but we very, very rarely make it the topic o' conversation. Least said, soonest mended. That's what Granny always used to say. Well, she used to say it... afore the incident.
For decades, I had a souvenir page the printing press operator printed and gave me in a living history village museum we went to when I was five. It must have gotten lost in some move or another, along with the picture of me standing next to the printing press and holding up the page. I remember feeling really special because there were other parents who wanted him to make more for their kids, but for some reason he didn't. Maybe he ran out of paper or something. The only other thing I remember about that trip is some roadside attraction with a lion in a cage. He was all sleepy and cute, and he had one paw pressed up against the side of the cage. And my sister and I had matching homemade outfits made of bandanna-print fabric, hers in blue and mine in red. I think the only reason I remember the lion and the outfits is that we had pictures of them for a long time. We went on a lot of day trips that summer. I didn't mean to go quite so stream-of-consciousness there, but I've been up all night again.
I wonder if Annette or Tommy Sands took that family photo? I've heard that Walt forced both of them to work the "Babes In Toyland" exhibit everyday, 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with no breaks), until the exhibit closed down.
For years, I had heard about people "piloting" the Mark Twain and receiving one of those certificates, but I never attempted to do it. I finally decided to ask, during a birthday trip to the park. After running the boat ashore near the Friendly Indian Village, they took away my certificate and asked me never to return.
I am late but do want to thank everyone for the B-day wishes, and belated of the past couple of days. What a nice day that was to see them :) I am not a big "self birthday" guy, although I do like cake. No time for any Tolstoy today, besides a small Mark Twain pilot story...for later :) Thank you all very much, with giant thank you to Sue and Lou, and the Ambassadors of years past.
That first certificate isn’t necessarily from 1959 or earlier. It could be from the 196th Century. Hear me out - if Walt was able to personally sign pilot’s certificates from the 1980s with a web address printed at the bottom, some 14 to 23 years after his death, it only stands to reason that his time machine could go to dates farther forward in time. I wonder if he ran into Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieaux. Maybe that’s how she ended up being cast in The Black Hole.
TM!, didn’t you read Melissa’s comment? We don’t talk about the Incident. Not nowhere, not nohow.
Wow, these are cool!
I had no idea the riverboats could fly! Why else would they need pilots? I'd like to take the Mark Twain and buzz Universal! That's probably why they won't give me a Pilot's Certificate. That and the fact that I'd like to see if the whistle can go all the way around the river with one long blast! I'm a party animal!
Thanks for putting these up to view Major. I have one of the latter certificates, which I got in the late 80's I think.
I wonder how a photo like that, obviously precious at that time, came to be detached from the family and end up in your hands. Life does have it's way, like it or not.
Melissa, You're right about the Haley Mills thing, and a little Fred MacMurray in the dad.
Thanks Again Major.
What a nice family portrait. I’m with Dr. Goat, how this came to be here must be a story all on its own.
Those certificates are fun, I’d love to earn one piloting. I wonder if the Mark Twain has a pilot light?
Tokyo, I’m afraid my efforts would end in similar fashion and I would Not Be Spoken Of Either.
Thanks Major!
JG
PS Major hope you saw my response about the SLO motel.
K. Martinez, yes, I did notice those stickers, I feel like I’ve seen those before, but I can’t recall where exactly.
Nanook, I guess Sears was out of “floods”? Not many people have an official steamboat pilot’s license (compared to driver’s licenses, anyway)!
Nanook, interesting! Thanks!
JB, that pattern reminds of when I was taking painting classes, one way to achieve an interesting texture was to use a crumpled up thin plastic bag to dab paint onto paper or canvas. That looks very much like the same texture. I can only assume that Mom dressed the youngest boy, while everyone else was on their own. No self-respecting seven year old would wear a tie voluntarily! I’m not sure I knew that that font on certificate #2 was known as the “bracelet” font.
Mike Cozart, I have had opportunities to acquire other variations of Mark Twain pilot certificates, but figured that two was enough. Which I admit is odd for me, because I am usually obsessed with getting ALL the variations of a particular item if I can. I’ve never seen the certificates from Tokyo Disneyland or Disneyland Paris. Cool that you have three different versions from WDW. I wonder if those maps in Florida were “tossed” into the river, or if they just got dropped or the wind took them out of people’s hands?
Sunday Night, yes, you only got one of those certificates after minutes of study! :-)
Melissa, looking at Daveland’s collection of photos from the Devlin Family , we can see that they are wearing similar tags. I feel like I have seen more detailed information on the subject, but don’t have time to look it up now. I do appreciate the two-color version of the Twain certificate, but I have to go with the earlier version, pre-1960. Aw, I’m sorry you no longer have your item from the printing press at the history museum. Those are the kind of things that we don’t value until they are gone (as Joni Mitchell said). I would have felt bad for the lion in the cage, I still remember seeing animals in tiny cages at a zoo in Virginia, even as a young boy I thought that it looked cruel. I’d like to think that the zoo either closed or improved the facilities.
TokyoMagic!, Walt was just out of frame, alternately pointing at his fist, and then pointing at Tommy Sands. And coughing. No detail was too small for Walt’s attention. You should have made the Mark Twain do a “wheelie”!
Chuck, you make some interesting points. Yes, very very interesting (slowly side-steps toward the door, careful to make no sudden moves).
Stu29573, riverboats only fly when there are too many ‘gators in the water. And as you know, for a long time gators were almost hunted to extinction, so flying wasn’t really necessary. In flight, the sternwheel flips out and becomes a helicopter prop.
DrGoat, I’m glad you didn’t store your pilot’s certificate with your Donald Duck hat! I agree with you, I can’t imagine letting that Babes in Toyland photo go, but… people have different priorities, I guess.
JG, I always just assume that the surviving family members already have homes bursting to the seams with their own stuff, and just can’t keep everything. So… it goes on eBay. It seems a little sad, but I do understand it. I don’t think I saw your response about the SLO motel, was that yesterday? I’ll go look.
First....BU...a very belated Happy Birthday to you sir. I always enjoy your comments...as well as everyone else's of course. I only can visit infrequently these days.
On a second note, I would say that I gave out Pilot Certificates like the latter version pictured in the mid 70s. Hard to get one? Yes it was. It was by invitation or, should a guest ask to join me in the Pilot House. Sometimes we liked the solitude but it was fun to bring folks up. There is a steep staircase to get to the Wheelhouse so some folks would have to stay in the Pilot House below.
Now I have to look for the one I gave to my future wife! KS
KS, does your current wife know??
;o)
—Sue
Major, it was the Avenue Inn motel on Marsh St. Can't just be a motel anymore, every place has to be an Inn.
Reminded me a lot of the old school motels, which it had been one, once upon a time.
JG
Major: the first riverboat certificates for Tokyo Disneyland and Euro Disneyland - Disneyland Paris now follow almost the exact same design layout as Disneyland California’s Mark Twain Certificate. Tokyo has changed their’s the most and they evolved into very nice and large format certificates almost the size of a college Diploma - if you told me that you had to pay for them I wouldn’t be surprised .. but they are given to guests . Also you’ll see the replacement of the illustration of the Mark Twain boat itself eventually get replaced with the same line art developed for the 1983 MARK TWAIN RIVERBOAT attraction poster used at TDL & DL once. Walt Disney World’s certificates ( for Richard F Irvine ) have mostly been done in a 19th century style but in color. Later versions are vertical and more in style to the decade they are being made in with little attempt to look “period” again I’ve never seen one for the ADMIRAL JOE FOWLER.
Cast members who pilot the water craft on WDW’s Seven Seas Lagoon & Bay Lake , used to be given a great looking Pilot’s Certificate with the silhouettes of the 3 main types of watercraft on it including the Water Launch, The Kingdom Class Ferry Boats and the Osceola Class “walking beam” Steam Boats ; sadly scrapped back in the 1980’s and 90’s.?
Remember refusing to go into the Babes in Toyland exhibit as a very wimpy runt. I knew intellectually that the spooky trees from the movie were totally fake -- the comic book had photos of them being made -- but I figured they'd be in there and I stayed away from anything that was, in my mind, going to make an effort to scare the heck out of me. That included Snow White, Mr. Toad, and the Mark Twain (I remembered the burning cabin from TV and fretted that the whole cruise would feature carnage and maybe an attack).
On a later trip I had matured enough to take on such attractions. Enjoyed the Mark Twain, but by that time I had a vague memory of "Disneyland After Dark" and was slightly disappointed not to find New Orleans jazz and Coca Cola amidship.
To this day I eschew scary movies, too-tall coasters and haunted houses. Avoiding things designed to make people soil themselves is a good life strategy.
I love posts like this, where I learn more about park history than I would in an official publication.
Any mention of piloting a boat makes me think of Ruth's song from The Pirates of Penzance.
I’m checking in late today. The photo is not quite Knott’s Pitchur Gallery quality in terms of props but that’s a nice family with many shared facial features. I got to pilot the Mark Twain once in the 00s and got a license, I wonder if it’s any different than the later one (I don’t remember it having red on it). I notice that it says “his” qualifications, was I the first female riverboat captain?!? But I do wonder if they’ve changed that nowadays, though I don’t exactly know where mind is to check. Thanks for some good ol’ souvenirs, Major.
During the second half of the Paul Pressler regime , Disneyland stopped issuing the Mark Twain certificates. Cast Members- on there own we’re photocopying an original to give to the guests …. At the CM’s OWN expense! The company eventually began issuing a mini certificate postcard type thing to commemorate the guests visit to the wheel house. Today I think Disneyland issues the original type certificate again.
Sue...You devil you! I figure she knows that was before her time! LOL KS
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