Entrance & Main Street, September 1963
Today's first image was taken from a speeding Monorail as the photographer pointed his camera toward Main Street Station (and the exit). Somehow there is no blur at all! Well, maybe a little bit in the lower left, but still, I'm impressed. The grassy areas and rose beds are all long-gone (as are the water fountains, I presume). Bike racks show that some lucky kids lived near enough to not need mom and dad to drive them to the park. Imagine being able to ride your bike to the park whenever you wanted!
The Disneyland Band performs a noon-day concert, but the thing I like the best is the banner in the background: "Disneyland Welcomes Benny Goodman". For all you young'uns out there, Benny Goodman was famous for making adorable animals out of felt and googly eyes.
8 comments:
Major, someone is hidden behind the flag pole in the second pic. Is that Benny Goodman puppeting a life-sized Vesey Walker made of felt and googly eyes?
I love these views of the park.
These are FANTASTIC!! I sooo wanted to jump into that first picture but I stopped myself because that would mean I'd fall on that hard, uneven looking walkway. Ouch! What a cool shot, though.
As for picture #2, I wonder why there are so few people enjoying the band??
It's hard to top the first image for pure Disneyland Main Gate nostalgia. (Check out all those wonderful attractions posters-!) There's a lot of eye candy to behold if one looks around. The only downside is the thick "haze" in the sky - smog, fog, whatever.
Wow, that first picture really shows how much the entrance has changed over the decades.
I see an area on the left for bicycles, and wonder if there are areas today where local Anaheim residents can just ride and park their bikes -just think how much you save on parking.
Of course, this is the Los Angeles area, where people who walk can be heckled by people in cars who tell you to "get a car."
Or called a tourist.
But beyond employees who live in Anaheim and could bike if they so chose to do, is there bicycle racks for annual passholders?
There is a bike rack just outside the security checkpoints... right by where the hotel buses and trolleys drop folks off at the east side of the main gate.
In 2012, the Disney company needs to replace the flagpole with the original idea of having a bandstand. Walt moved the bandstand because it originally blocked the view to the castle from the train depot and his "weenie" concept of enticing the guest to the next attraction. Everyone knows where the castle is today. No need to entice the guests down Main Street.
They should bring back the bandstand and replace the flagpole.
Didn't Steve Martin ride his bike to Disneyland when he applied for his first job?
Andrew, it looks like that might not be Vesey (I think I see black hair, and the body isn't quite as stooped). It could be Vesey's son Tommy.
Connie, kids these days, they only want to hear the rock and roll.
Nanook, you see the haze in a lot of old photos - in this case I am fairly sure it is plain old smog!
David, lucky for me Sebastian left his comment, because I didn't know the answer.
Thanks Sebastian!
OC Native, I like the idea of a bandstand in Town Square, but now it will block the view of the "Partners" statue (which I don't like)!
Chuck, Mr. Martin did say that he rode his bike to the park at the age of 10 and got his first job!
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