Out Front
I always enjoy a look at the entrance to Disneyland from just outside the gates - they evoke just a bit of that anticipation that I felt as a child. At this point we were so close! I'm sure that we could already hear the "area music", as well as other sounds that I love to this day.
This first one is dated "July, 1962"; it looks like we've purchased out ticket books (Jumbo 15s, of course) and the view of Main Street Station with the Disneyland Railroad's freight train is so impressive that we've already fired off one photo. The chain link fence isn't so great, but it was practical, and you could see through it for the most part. I like the bright flower beds, long-gone today. There's what I believe is a souvenir booth that seems to be zipped up to lock in freshness. And you know that I'm all about freshness! I can see a rare Flying Saucers poster to the left, can you see it too?
One year later (yes, July 1963) somebody took this pretty photo - it's interesting how different the colors look. Different film stock? Look at all those dang flowers! We're actually just outside the EXIT, though I have no doubt that our photographer had just come from the parking lot and was headed toward the ticket booths. Unless they were one of those psychopaths who left the park at 2:00 in the afternoon. The chain link fence has been gussied up with beautiful red roses, but watch out for that barbed wire on top!
Zooming in, we can see some bike racks, with five or six bicycles parked - did kids even have to lock them up back then? There's also a group of men in suits gathered at what I believe was an entrance for people with "special admission" tickets or some such thing. Are they all Disney executives?
11 comments:
Lou and Sue
^ Ooops, I’m commenting on my cell and accidentally did that, plus I’m about to fall asleep…but I had to mention that I see Mickey in that first image!
Major-
Those of us who regularly experienced Disneyland starting at the original entrance 'esplanade' will never forget all the feelings that would run through one's head in anticipation of the excitement ahead.
Those 'gussied-up' red roses are actually the Carousel rose. And those pink flowers beneath them are satin petunias.
Thanks, Major.
"a rare Flying Saucers poster to the left, can you see it too?" Nope. All I can see is that trashcan in the foreground; my eyes gravitate towards it.... Maybe it has a black hole inside. Oh... I (and Sue) can also see Mickey's head on a pike. Well, on that flagpole atop the Station, anyway. The Station clock looks like it says 10:20, but the sun's shadows are coming from the west. So the time must be 10 minutes 'til 4. Or maybe it's set to Greenwich Mean Time. Or maybe they set the Station clock to the Clock of the World in Tomorrowland (Disney couldn't figure out how to tell time from that clock either). Despite this being in the afternoon, the photo has a morning feel to it, to me anyway. It does seem odd that the souvenir stand is "zipped up".
Oooh, this IS a nice picture! It's the "blue sky" effect... Plus all the colorful flowers... and the graceful foreground tree... The green grass... The shiny train... OK, everything about this pic is nice. There appears to be a security guard with the 'suits'. I bet they tried to sneak in, and got caught! To the churro mines they go!
Nice photos, Major. Thanks.
These are great images! Just seeing them Re-creates that excitement of entering Disneyland !
I will say that as many times as I’ve seen early entry pictures of the park , the chain link fence looks really junky to me. WED and Disneyland wanted to completely redo Disneyland’s entrance as far back as the early 70’… but other priorities came up. They did have a goal however to have it competed by Disneyland’s “silver anniversary “ in 1980. Because of extreme rains at the end of the 70’s in Southern California the deadline was barely met. It’s seems the area was just called “Main Entrance” … in 1980 with the front extension lined with trees - that is referred to as “main entrance promenade “ …… I don’t think “esplanade” is used till construction of DCA.
Reg. The 1980 main entry renovation , WED said the number one goal is to get rid of the chain link fence and the large areas of black asphalt. The red concrete that replaced the asphalt was 4” to 10” deep depending on how heavy the traffic in the area was anticipated . The roofs to the new 16 ticket booths ( replacing the old 14) were made backstage by the Disneyland staff shop … in one piece out of molded fiberglass! ….. like the castle’s turrets. I wonder if any of the ticket booth roofs had and “dents” ???
Sue, I see the Mickey you are talking about (not just the one on the flag over the train station). It's the Top Hat-Wearing, Arm-Dangling, "Clod" Mickey! It appears that nobody wants to meet him or pose with him. That one man looks like he can't get away from him fast enough! The situation reminds me of the "lonely" Pooh pic that Major posted last Sunday.
Thanks, Major!
Nooo, JB, I really DO see Mickey (and possibly Minnie alongside him, with a blue flower coming out of her hat)—standing on the ground, between the last two posters on the right.
Ha, TM! You were commenting while I was typing. Thank you for believing in me. :o)
I also heard/read that this rose at the entrance was "Carousel" however, when researching it: I found that (today) a Carousel rose is pink not red...but possibly in the 50's/60's it was red. I'd take either color, it seems like a pretty sturdy rose. The red ones could have been a "Lincoln" rose: another sturdy (and red) choice...or a hybrid from Carousel. The "rose people" are very serious about these names, lineage, etc. I plant what is pretty and smells nice and hope that it lives in my heavy soil. That being said, I also get a tinge of past-life excitement when looking at photos of the Main Gate. Even as an employee: the vibe out there was much different than inside the park. There was a phyisological and magical visceral change between: "Toll Gate" "Parking Lot" "Tram" "Tickets" "Gate" "Mickey Floral" "Tunnel" and finally: "Town Square"....and it seemed that once you got to Town Square it was quite the black and white to color sensation of the Wizard of Oz: a sense of calming from the anxious excitement of getting in, and then realizing you WERE in. Something to study. I feel sad for today's world: where the first experience is someone digging through your purse/backpack after being smelled by German Shepards, and inspected by the Anaheim Police Dept....it seems like this "process" could be humanized a bit by having Tour Guides out there greeting or something: at least someone out there smiling and saying hello...and not so much "TSA". If I was boss I would spend some time on this important aspect of the park experience. As we know: it really sets up the entire day: which is why these photos are so wonderful to all of us! Thanks Major!
Sue......yep, you are right again! That has to be Minnie on the other side of Mickey. Like you said, we can see the flower, but we can also see a bit of her pink hat sticking out in front of Mickey's top hat. I had been wondering what was going on with Mickey's other arm and why it was hanging lower than his other one....and also why two of his arms were visible to us, when we were viewing him at a side angle. You solved the mystery! But unfortunately, it is the Flowered-Hat Wearing, Pink Parasol-Carrying, "Clod" Minnie!" :-)
I feel sad for today's world: where the first experience is someone digging through your purse/backpack after being smelled by German Shepards, and inspected by the Anaheim Police Dept.....
Bu, maybe they could swap out the German Shepards with Dalmatians, and have the Security/Police people all dressed as Cruella De Ville?
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