Thursday, March 10, 2011

On the Skyway, 1960

If I had a nickel for every photo I have that was taken from a Skyway bucket, I'd have a LOT of nickels. And I could take those nickels to one of those coin machines at the grocery store, and after that stupid machine took 17%, I could go buy a bag of Doritos.

Today's pictures are from 1960, and were snapped as our photographer headed towards Fantasyland (I posted them in reverse order so that it looks like we're going towards Tomorrowland). This first one is my favorite, since we are inside the mighty Matterhorn looking down at the fabulous early T-land and its many wonders. It always amazes me at just how undeveloped Anaheim looks even after Disneyland had been there for a full five years.


Sub lagoon, sub lagoon! Nowadays the lagoon is part of the Great Barrier Reef. Crikey!


I miss the sensation of the Skyway buckets swinging gently as they were drawn higher and higher away from the ground (or water, in this case). Nearly everybody in the queue for the subs is wearing white, which is kind of strange.

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10 comments:

  1. Vintage Disneyland Tickets7:10 AM

    Super clarity on these - its like "you are there" nice!

    Hey, why is everyone wearing white in that last photo? Nurses Day Maybe???? Camarillo State Hospital Day?

    Great post, thanks!

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  2. Thufer7:25 AM

    Very nice set of pictures.

    I love the starkness that the 'Grays' brought to a trip to Tomorrow which this section of the park gave to it's guest. A stark 'realness' that added to the overall excitement of the time and the place.

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  3. Katella Gate8:28 AM

    Very nice collection. Truly enjoyed looking at these.

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  4. Major Pepperidge11:33 AM

    VDT, it was "Welcome Insane Asylum Employees" day!

    Thufer, I know what you mean; I think that the Disney powers that be have forgotten about creating a fantasy that *feels* real.

    Katella, you are too kind! These had turned magenta, but I always get a kick out of the views looking through the Matterhorn!

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  5. Nancy2:09 PM

    very cool....i love the panorama :)

    any idea what the building is that we see in the first picture there on the right, the one behind and to the right of space bar? i guess there were a lot of ancillary buildings then (and now they hide them better!)

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  6. Nancy2:10 PM

    forgot to say hi to Monorail Blue peeking out from the station! i know...im so weird...

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  7. Connie Moreno3:45 PM

    Hot dog! These are GREAT!

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  8. Anonymous4:31 PM

    Nancy, I'd say that is the building heading into the Grand Canyon diorama. Adjacent to that is a separate building which, when I was there, housed the men's and women's locker facility.

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  9. Nancy8:50 PM

    thanks, Anonymous. there is so much about the early days of Disneyland that i dont know ;)

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  10. JG10:41 PM

    I agree with Thufer, as on most days. I was in high school i think, before i realized the submarines weren't real.

    JG

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