Two From April, 1972
That popcorn vendor might look lonely, but he's actually doing advanced quadratic equations in his head. Every once in a while, a chuckle will escape his lips - there's nothing more beautiful than math! Luckily, he also loves popcorn, and will tell guests about the history of this snack food; he even wrote an operetta about it - in Italian. Disney really hired the best of the best!
In 1972, some visitors probably thought that the giant chipmunk wasn't really there. "Stop following me, giant chipmunk! First my job interview, and now this! Shoo!". It's both tragic and hilarious. Meanwhile, the lady in dark blue is greeting Chip as if he is her best friend in the world.
15 comments:
Major-
I take notice of the 20₵ sign hanging underneath the 'roof' of the popcorn wagon. How fortuitous that signage was saved as they have been repurposed for today's guests at 20-dollars/bag-! Isn't it nice how coincidences work out-?
Thanks, Major.
That’s an interesting popcorn wagon ‘stand’—with that platform underneath. I never noticed that in other pictures. Did the carts tend to roll away?? Maybe Mr. X (if I recall correctly, he was once a popcorn vendor) or Bu can explain…
Chip (or Dale??) is cute…but my favorite thing about that photo is the purple and yellow swirled flowers.
Thanks, Major.
A nice study of a Disney popcorn wagon. The Roastie Toastie figure looks like it's in the shape of a clown. I know from Bu and other Jr.Gs that vendors should not be leaning against anything, like this fellow here. At least he doesn't have his hands in his pockets! Like Sue, I noticed the wagon is on that slight ramp. Is it to make sure the popped corn goes into the bin on the right? I'm sensing that Screaming Kidney Kid's tree is one of these here, or somewhere nearby?
The second photo has a little bit of everything for everybody: Flowers; I think the yellow ones are marigolds, but what are the purple ones? Disney characters; I wonder if Dale is nearby? Like Tweedles, the chipmunks usually travel in pairs. The Castle; it looks great poking up over the trees. Balloons; we can see evidence of a balloon vendor below the Castle. Palm tree trunks; for those who get turned on by that sort of thing.
Popcorn and chipmunks; a nice combo. Thanks, Major.
I want know more about that cart. Im weird like that. Is it electrified? Did it plug in? Or how was the popcorn keep warm except for the California sunshine? Solar power in 72 was pretty strong I hear. What was in the drawer on the front? What was in the box behind? Is he wearing sunglasses? As that allowed? What is in his pocketses? What was that platform about? Seems a bit much just to keep it in-place.
And what does striped shirt lady have in her hands? Her and her daughter? Look angry to me.
I feel like I’m about to get the “go away kid, ya bother me” today. 6 year old me wants to know it all.
Wow! There are some bad clothing styles and funky hair don'ts. People looked best in the 50's and early 60's at Disneyland. Thanks, Major.
I think it's pretty obvious that the platform is there to keep the popcorn cart level, as the hub paths slope away from the center. I have a love-hate relationship with Disneyland popcorn. It always smelled and tasted wonderful. But it was as dry as sawdust!
Oh, and Sue--that's Chip. He has a small black nose.
Nanook, even adjusting for inflation, let’s say that popcorn back then was the equivalent of $2 a box (probably less); a box is now $6 or $7 a box. For POPCORN! Of course you can pay that much for a bottle of water too. Yeesh.
Lou and Sue, that particular platform seems to be compensating for the slope of the ground. I also think they put metal plates under the popcorn carts in flatter areas to catch butter/grease drips so that the cement wasn’t permanently messed up. I like the purple and yellow swirls too!
JB, The Roastie Toastie (or is it Toastie Roastie?) figure is usually a clown, though I always like it when Disney customizes them to be Buzz Lightyear or a Haunted Mansion host. It looks like that vendor is barely leaning, he mostly just has his arm on the cart, but is pretty upright. No notes! I think the “angle” of the popcorn cart in that photo is an illusion, and that it is probably fairly plumb and level in reality. We’ll have to see what TokyoMagic! thinks about Kidney Kid’s tree, I thought that was closer to the Matterhorn, but I am usually wrong.
Budblade, I believe that the carts were electric, and that they were placed in areas that had outlets nearby. The popcorn was kept warm by the friction of thousands of cockroaches rubbing together. The drawer in front - to facilitate cleaning? Just a guess. Sunglasses make sense for a CM who has to stand for hours in the sun, though that must have been a relatively new change in rules. Who knew that the platform would be so captivating!!
K. Martinez, you aren’t kidding, I have some 70s photos where the guests really look awful in their fashions. My hair in those days was pretty dopey as well!
Steve DeGaetano, I agree, and now I assume that they had to custom-build the platform for that particular spot; maybe there were other platforms to compensate for different slopes? As I said to Sue, I also believe that they wanted to keep oil/butter from messing up the pavement underneath. I am not sure I’ve ever actually had Disneyland popcorn! I’ll opt for a soft pretzel or a churro if I am in the mood for a snack.
Steve DeGaetano, the nose knows!
The category is Stripes.
Nice ticket book in mom's hand.
Thank goodness they fixed the popcorn hat to avoid confusion with white wing.
Swirly flowers and bench seats! Slay the day.
MS
Higher math and Italian librettos just go with popcorn, it’s a law of physics. Like the one that keeps the melted butter from ponding in the bottom of the cart. I guess that wedge is there to keep the cart level, but I have no insight beyond that. I just assumed the cart was powered by the little figures, they are turning the generator after all.
I suppose one might see a giant chipmunk after eating too many mushrooms, not popcorn, but maybe there’s something in Disney popcorn besides butter. I think this is a fun picture. We can see the glad-hand lady’s husband squaring off for the photograph, proves Disneyland isn’t just for kids.
The 70’s really was a special time. Thanks Major!
JG
I don't recall ever seeing the castle from that angle. The lady in the striped blouse behind Chip brought her bowling ball, why not.
So the Popcorn seller had to stand on a slant all day by the looks of it. I couldn't do equations under those conditions. I wonder if he stood crooked the rest of the day.
These are nice today. Happy Grandmas, stripes and pretty flowers, all good. Thanks, Major.
zach
We’ll have to see what TokyoMagic! thinks about Kidney Kid’s tree, I thought that was closer to the Matterhorn, but I am usually wrong.
Major, you are correct! JB, that first photo was taken in the Plaza. Screaming Kidney Kid's tree is alongside the road that leads towards the Matterhorn, and adjacent to the House of the Future/Alpine Gardens/Triton's Fountain/Piece-O'-Crap Hollow.
That last comment was from me.....TokyoMagic! :-)
MS, it’s funny that you pointed out the stripes, because I wore plenty of stripes in the early 70s! I still remember my pants with lots of very narrow multicolored stripes.
JG, I’m pretty sure that dark matter is involved in perfect popcorn production, but it is way beyond my understanding. I’ll have to do a seance and speak to Al Einstein! Disneyland should sell magic mushrooms at ODV carts, THAT would be the thing that makes Disney parks the place to go (as opposed to Universal parks).
zach, you make a good point, I don’t think I have any other photos showing the castle from this angle. Ha ha, if I had a custom bowling ball (something I always wanted when I was a kid), I would take it everywhere too, even Disneyland. People would look at you, and you KNOW it would be jealousy.
Anonymous, I only sort of know the location of Kidney Kid’s tree because it came up just a few days ago, when we looked at those black and white photos of the House of the Future construction from Daveland! I can’t be too mad at fountains at Disneyland, even though part of me wishes they were more fun or fancy.
Anonymous, I knew it!
Thank you, Steve DeG!
TM! POC Hollow—LOL!
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