Park Entrance, April 1973
I have a pair of so-so photos from April 1973, from the area outside the main park. It's a bit weird that these two are the only Disneyland slides that were in the batch, leading me to suspect that there were others, but they were cherry-picked and sold separately. Why they missed these two is a mystery.
It looks like many folks are walking toward the ticket booths from the parking lot, presumably dropped off by a tram. April can be chilly, look at all the jackets and sweaters, and one babushka. I guess the crowd of people to our right are in line to buy tickets? Mama mia! Perhaps it was Spring Break?
Normally I would theorize that the seller did not recognize some of the slides as being from Disneyland, but it's pretty hard to ignore the giant smiling face of the floral Mickey portrait. Maybe they thought it was a portrait of Al Pacino? I definitely see a likeness. I don't know what those people to the left are up to, and I don't want to know. As always, I enjoy seeing the Santa Fe name (in this case it's on the train cars); Santa Fe would cease its sponsorship in September of 1974.
4 comments:
Major-
"I don't know what those people to the left are up to, and I don't want to know".
Clearly, the 'gents' thought it would be fun to spontaneously play 'necking the orange', or 'the orange game' - undoubtedly inspired by Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and a fellow 'dancer' in Charade (1963). LOOK HERE.
Thanks, Major.
So, are we looking toward the east, with the train station off to the left? I think we can see a train through the trees. This photo was taken on the day that the Park was listing toward the south(?). That's why all the people are piled up on that side of the photo. I think that red babushka is more of a fashion statement than anything else.
Mickey's flowery face is in full bloom; the last few photos of him were pretty skimpy looking. I don't think I'll venture a guess either, what those guys on the left are doing. There are at least two men scrunching down doing... something. The others seem amused by their antics.
Nanook, perhaps they are playing the 'orange game'. I thought maybe they were 'duck walking'. Maybe Donald was nearby.
Thanks for posting Park pics, Major.
Major, I bet you are right about it being Spring Break. I remember similar lines to buy tickets, during a childhood visit two years later, in 1975, during "Easter Vacation" (before it was called Spring Break!). I also remember super long lines inside the park during that visit.
I looked up April of 1973, and Easter was on April 22nd, so these photos very well could have been taken during that week.
A Monorail on the beam would have improved that photo immensely.
Thanks, Major
Zach
Post a Comment