Two From July 1961
I have a couple of good scans for you today, starting with this nice portrait of a brother and sister in Tomorrowland. Walt's personal Autopia car can just be seen to the left, while wondrous souvenirs we sold beneath those conical shades. Perhaps the girls ribboned hat was purchased mere moments earlier at the table to the right of the boy!
Next is this fairly-standard view from a Skyway gondola. It might be a standard view, but we can't get anything like it today, so I appreciate photos like this!
ADDENDUM: I received an email from Rob, and he had a question regarding a restaurant that used to be near the park:
I have fond memories of a breakfast restaurant in Anaheim that served huge portions. I remember a pound of bacon to a side order, a dozen eggs to an order and a quart of tomato juice in a huge glass. This was back in the '80s when we would go to Disneyland and I remember looking forward to going to this restaurant several times through the '80s.
I don't think it's around anymore but since I saw your email associated with motels in the area during the same time. I thought perhaps you'd remember the name of the restaurant.
As I told Rob, I never stayed in any of the motels or ate at any of the nearby restaurants, so perhaps one of you knows the place that he is thinking of.
11 comments:
Major-
'Standard-view' or no - the image is full of former Disneyland goodness - always worth a look - especially now.
To answer Rob's question, it sounds as if he's describing Belisle's Restaurant - on the SW corner of Harbor & Chapman in Garden Grove - about 1 mile south of Disneyland. It closed in 1998. Info about it is easily found on the internet. And somewhere, I have a small book on the restaurant.
Thanks, Major.
I'm a little miffed that Dad (or whoever took the photo) didn't aim his camera a little higher to get the top of the Moonliner in view... and a little less slurry at the bottom of the pic. Looks like there are a whole lotta those red-ribboned hats at the hat kiosk. Nice photo of the siblings.
In the second pic, we see little Sis with her ribboned hat in bucket #49. I'm guessing that's her mom next to her. I'm also guessing that big brother and Dad are in the bucket, taking this photo. And there's a (yellow & blue) Bobsled careening around the corner on the right!
Nice vintage Disneyland goodness! Thanks, Major.
DEFINITELY sounds like Belisle's Restaurant!!!! They also had giant waffles with strawberries and their massive strawberry pies!! As we used to have cast member meet ups there in the 90’s . Disneyland International occupied 2 floors of the Alicante Hotel about 100 feet away from Belisle's and had going away parties there for employees It was located right where Anaheim turns into Garden Grove …I think the Joe’s Crab Shack and Outback Steak House was built on that corner where Belisle's stood. it was a big deal when it closed .
Another note : when Disneyland used to throw end-of-summer BBQ parties for Disneyland employees, Belisle's Restaurant supplied their GIGANTIC strawberry pies!!
I can't remember if this question has been asked before......but was Walt's Autopia car displayed with a plaque, explaining it as such? Or was it just "another car" to the average guest, and we only know now that it's was Walt's personal car?
Thanks for the 1961 DL pics, Major!
I don't think I've ever seen "Walt's Autopia Car" in any photo in Disneyland...does anyone know how long it was there? The hat is a "portent of things to come" with the "it's a small world" costumes in the 70's/80's. I don't think I've ever seen this hat on any other guest in the park in vintage photos. The kids are cute, and wonder if they are still around today. The Sub lagoon retaining wall looks great...and a nice transition to the rock of the Matterhorn: and the Swiss chalet is of course, wonderful. Belisle's is most definitely the restaurant with enormous things: I don't think you would truly understand the scale of these giant desserts...they were literally "Land of the Giants" size. I especially liked the GIANT chocolate eclair: it was at least a foot tall....the Strawberry pies were even taller...not kidding...this was a hangout for pre and post work employee bar hopping...I used to call it "Beezlees", like Mrs. Beasley of "Family Affair". I remember all of the Beezlees kids were working in there and one of them would be out on Harbor with a sign. It was an iconic building as it was painted pink. https://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2009/08/belisles-restaurant-garden-grove-1955.html. It pre-dates Disneyland, by a few months anyway...and the sign has a Disneyland vibe to it, although Belisle's had theirs before the Mouse had his. It's last chapter was quite sad. This was most definitely an institution...and not like "Chaos" or other places along Harbor, and I have a special fondness for it. Thanks to Rob for asking about it! Thanks Major for today's dose.
I love today’s photos, kids (and parents) having fun at Disneyland.
Yes, her hat is brand new, after the picture was taken, they set forth to Fantasyland. Just excellent, thank you Major!
Wow, the Junior Gorilla crew comes through with the goods for Rob! Belisles sounds like a lot o fun, no wonder it would stick in your memory.
Thanks everyone, a good day on GDB.
JG
Nanook, oh wow, years ago Mr. X emailed me about Belisle’s, the place was a fond memory for him - I’d never heard of it. Very cool that it’s the same place Rob was talking about!
JB, I can’t tell you how many times I wish a photo had been framed better - we’ve talked about the phenomenon on GDB… presumably the composition seen through the viewfinder was not exactly what the camera itself was going to capture. Good eye on the bobsled, for once I didn’t look for one!
Mike Cozart, another vote for Belisle’s! I just read an O.C. History blog post about it, I wish I’d gone there, it sounds awesome! What the heck is “Disneyland International”?? “Joe’s Crab Shack” sounds like a place the Simpsons would eat.
Mike Cozart, strawberry pies?! Nice!
TokyoMagic!, I think I’ve read that there was a plaque explaining what was so special about that particular Autopia car, but I’m not 100% positive.
Bu, we’ve seen Walt’s car before, it’s usually in the background (like today’s pic), and because it was under its own awning, it is often in the shadows. There are rare close up photos of it, I can’t remember if I have one or not. I agree, that hat looks very much like ones that were part of the cast member outfits for IASW. Sort of a “gondolier” hat. I always like the concept of huge portions at a restaurant, but then I think of the many delis I’ve gone to in which a sandwich is so huge that I can barely eat half. Of course then you had leftovers for days! Yum, a giant eclair, I love those things. Had just a regular-sized one about nine months ago, it was delicious. I read on that O.C. History post that there would sometimes be a “huge man” outside of Belisle’s, waving a sign or ringing a bell or some such thing. Ha ha, I see that you link to that very article! Reading the comments at the end of the article, some said that the restaurant had already started “going downhill”, while others said that meddling by the city ruined it.
JG, I have childhood photos of myself wearing mouse ears (when I was around 3 years old), and still have a Donald Duck “squeaky bill” hat, but I could have gotten something cool like a turquoise trilby or a hat with a pink ostrich feather - something that I could have worn to work, school, weddings, you name it.
Major : Disneyland International was the division set up to market Tokyo Disneyland and later Euro Disneyland … it was first located in the Monsanto VIP office behind Adventure Thru Inner Space around 1977. Then when INA insurance vacated the Royal Suite In New Orleans Square Disneyland international relocated there. It became a pretty big division by the 80’s and started to have satellite locations in offices buildings around anaheim . In 1986 they consolidated and moved into several floors of the new Alicante hotel towers in ( technically garden grove ) this opened up the space above pirates of the Caribbean leading to the idea of The Disney Gallery - which opened in 1987.
Disneyland international handled marketing and press , training of American Disney employee training for overseas location and setting up corporate sponsorships within the parks and lots of other tasks involving the development , operations and promoting of Disney parks outside the USA. Actually Disneyland marketing also was located on other floors of the Alicante Hotel in garden grove . The offices , lobbies and hallways of Disneyland marketing and Disneyland International were filled with vintage attraction posters!! And the newest silkscreened posters for Tokyo Disneyland and Euro Disneyland . When Disney vacated the Alicante hotel the attraction posters were mostly given to employees ( frames and all ) all few were put on the walls of the then new costume issue but were eventually removed because of space.
Walt’s special Autopia car ( there were actually 3 ) they featured special paint jobs , upholstery, and a windshield and did not have the speed govenors in them. One was featured in the 1998 Disneyland New Tomorrowland vehicle event exhibit hosted by The Disney Gallery …. And one currently in part of the Walt Disney family museum collection.
You know what? It's fun just to see the Monorail beam on the left and right of the Matterhorn. And room to take a photo of the kids. I want to find them and give it back.
Thank you, Major
Zach
Mike Cozart, oh interesting, I don’t remember hearing about Disneyland International before today. I’m also not sure I knew that INA had the Royal Suite in New Orleans Square, although that sounds like something I might have just forgotten! I miss the old Disney Gallery above “Pirates”, for some reason I went to that gallery more than the one at the end of Main Street. So does Disneyland International not exist anymore? Obviously they are still expanding all over the world. Why am I barely interested in the upcoming Abu Dhabi park? I just don’t care. I really like some of the Tokyo Disneyland posters, and would love to get the “Pirates” example, once in a blue moon I’ll see one offered at auction, but they go for way more than I can do. So there were three Walt Autopia cars! That makes sense, because I knew about the one at the WD Family Museum, and then I saw one on display elsewhere… I guess I just assumed that it was on loan from the WDFM.
zach, as happens so often, I see these wonderful family photos and am suprised that nobody seemed to want them. I’m glad to have them, but will never appreciate them as much as the folks from the original family.
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