Two Nice Ones

Here are two nice Randos for you on this warm Friday. We'll start with this great view from April, 1973, as guests exit the park. There's still plenty of daylight left, so I can only assume that they all remembered that they left the stove on. It's the only excuse I'll accept! It looks like April (of 1973) would have been a great time to go to the park, it's a perfect day. You can just see a sign for the GAF Photo Trail to the left (the blue sign). "GAF - Our Film Is Terrible!". That should have been their slogan, anyway.

It's quite amazing to see a rare photo of Waldo himself, minus his knit cap and glasses (at some point he'd had lasik surgery).

Next is this nice portrait of Screechy the Iggle as she soars (?) above the Fantasyland Autopia queue, circa June, 1967. I like that a guest appreciated the noble magnificence of Screechy and wanted to capture this awesomeness in a photo.

November, 1961

I realized that it's been quite some time since I shared some scans of slides that were very faded and pink. As usual, I attempted to color-correct them, and they definitely look better, though they still leave something to be desired. 

So... here's one, in its unrestored state. Pretty bad!

The restoration improved things a lot, we even have a bit of blue in the sky. There's still a pinkish cast to some of the buildings; after fiddling around with it for a while, I decided that this was about as good as I was going to get. Imagine going to the park on a November day (presumably a weekday), and seeing it so empty! Walt was surely not happy about it, but the holidays were approaching, and I'm sure tens of thousands of people would show up soon.

Next: Fantasyland, right next to Merlin's Magic Shop (to the right). There's not a child to be seen! 

Well, there might be a youngster or two on King Arthur's Carrousel. I'll call the truant officer immediately!  There are some fun details, like the Keppy Cap in the window of Merlin's (above a sign advertising Kodak Film); the funny little ticket booth; the sign telling us that the Carrousel was 10 cents, and the yellow sign with general ticket information.

Nature's Wonderland, 1960s

I'm always happy to find photos from the classic Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland attraction, gone nearly 50 years now. These aren't the greatest pictures in the world, but I still like 'em.

If there's one thing I know about bobcats (having majored in Bobcatology at Yale) is that they will climb things at the drop of a hat. It's just their way! You can't stop them. This fellow has scaled a saguaro cactus, if I remember correctly, there was a family of wild pigs at the base of the saguaro, ready to eat Bob (you could tell they were going to eat him because they had little knives and forks in their hands).  

Next we are crossing the trestle bridge in Bear Country; sure enough, there are bears there, scratchin' and fishin' and sleepin'. This scenes seems to have been in shade for much of the day, as it is here. If you look closely, you can see the baby bear climbing that dead tree to reach a beehive fully of hunny. 

Blinking Next to the Sub Lagoon, June 1967

You can see why I had to post today's photos as a pair! They're not super exciting, it's fun to see this groovy gal posing next to the beautiful Sub Lagoon, filled with Bombay sapphire gin. I blink in about 90%  of the photos taken of me, so I feel a camaraderie with this girl. I'll bet dad waited too long, fiddling with some knobs or something.

The second try came out perfect! Knobs were properly twiddled. The girl's short hair, Op Art dress, and frosted lipstick all say "1967" to me.

Scenes From the 1970s

The Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland is one of those attractions that I always looked forward to, growing up. When it morphed into Tarzan's Treehouse, I liked (but didn't love) it, though I was glad that it was changed and not removed. Now the Swiss family is back, and the attraction is pretty different. They have so much free time on their bountiful island that they are able to build things like orreries, or nutty music machines. There's definitely more "fantasy" than there used to be, and it took me a little bit to get used to it. And as before, I'm still so glad that this was not ripped out for something less imaginative.

The Matterhorn is looking particularly rosy in this photo (not sure why), as if it is made of southwestern sandstone rather than Alpine gneiss. This is a perfectly OK photo, but I am amused by the family hurrying toward their next destination - perhaps the bobsleds! Even Dad is running. I appreciate his enthusiasm! 

 

Snoozles™

Photos of the Jungle Cruise yield more Snoozles™ than you can shake a stick at. Whatever that means! Issues range from "same old, same old" images, photos with big silhouetted heads, or pictures of a lush jungle (and not much else). 

This first Snoozle was taken as the naphtha-powered launch approached Schweitzer Falls; I wonder if the photographer knew that he was about to see the Back Side of Water? "This is my favorite part!". It's too bad that the Back Side is a a black hole, devoid of hope or happiness. 

You might not know it, but there's a headhunter behind that log and that grass. Maybe even more than one! But the photographer's timing was way off, a common problem among Jungle Cruise pictures. The skull looks great though!

Marineland of the Pacific

Let's set the Wayback Machine to Palos Verdes, California, to visit Marineland of the Pacific! Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Marineland operated from 1954 until 1987, when it was purchased by the owners of SeaWorld San Diego.

This first one is dated "July 1958", and is an interesting look at some signage that I don't recall seeing before. Perhaps it predated this one that I am familiar with (see it HERE), with the leaping pilot whale and two dophins. Don't just go to Marineland for the fish (and sea mammals)! Go get a cocktail, a nice meal, and maybe stay in their hotel (I didn't know they had their own hotel). "Honey, there are goldfish in the toilet!". 

This next one is undated, but certainly from the 50s; a family poses for a group shot in front of a large flowerbed, with some of Marineland's buildings in the distance (possibly the restaurant, based on that sign that we can barely see). "I'll have a seal burger, one fried-fish sandwich, and some tuna ice cream for dessert". "VERY good, sir". 

And finally, here's another group, from July 1960; they are in front of the iconic large amphitheater with the zig-zag ramps. I'll bet you would have seen Corky and Orky in there - two orcas who liked living in a little swimming pool. Or perhaps Bubbles the pilot whale. Or Pablo the porpoise. OK, I made that last one up, but he would have been a star!

Delicious Leftuggies

Happy Friday! I have two Leftuggies™ for you today. This first one is date-stamped "May, 1967", and seems to be taking place during a parade featuring members of the Horseless Carriage Club. I thought that the HCC stopped participating in Disneyland events long before 1967, but here we are. It would be fun to have old flivvers putt-putting up Main Street again, but I suppose the logistics (or crowds) might make it impossible. The boy to the right is holding a pinwheel with Mickey's likeness, I wonder if it was a Disneyland-specific piece of merchandise? If so, I've never seen one on eBay.

Next is a photo of the Motorized Firetruck, also from 1967 (only this time it's October). I was happy to see this vehicle out and about during my last visit, Cruella de Vil was on board, enjoying the adulation. It's nice to see the Plaza Gardens looking so busy, it was of course the place where many great big bands performed for years, especially on warm Summer nights.

Main Street Stuff, March 15, 1957

Good old Main Street USA; under-appreciated by some, but not by anyone who reads this blog! I have admitted that, as a callow youth, I liked Main Street, but did not love it the way I do now. 

The floral Mickey portrait looks fine here, in full bloom. It's almost as if your walking into Disneyland was like walking into a Mickey Mouse short subject, since this version of his smiling face is the same as the one that was featured at the beginning of so many films. Where's the Kalamazoo handcar?? I'll bet teenagers stole it for a joy ride while listening to rock and roll music. 

Next is this great photo of Town Square as seen from the steps up to Main Street Station; you get a feel for the charm and appeal of Main Street, with the Disneyland Band performing at the base of the flag pole (there's Vesey Walker, just visible). 

Along the River, June 1962

Gosh, it's been about ten minutes since our last visit to Frontierland. I still maintain that it is the most-photographed land, though I have no hard data to back up that claim.

First up is this nice sunny photo of the Friendly Indian Village, at the north end of the river (and right near the train tracks). Shiny boy and his faithful pooch watch as our steamboat passes, perhaps wondering what life is like for the people on board. The tribe members are all involved in useful chores, from food preparation and preservation to the cleaning of hides.

I feel like the photographer must have been a guy (though I suppose that is sexist) - the mechanical wonder of the steamboat would be fascinating to somebody in the mid-20th Century.