It's time for PART NINE of a series of 1965 Donruss bubblegum cards - the scarce "blue back" set that has larger photos on their fronts (read more about it here). This is the penultimate post… in other words, there will only be one more, and we'll be all done!
Card #53: Disneyland Mark Twain carries Frontierland visitors along Rivers of America.
Somebody glued cotton balls to the top of those smokestacks! The Haunted Mansion makes a special guest appearance too.
Card #54: Disneyland Indian Village features ceremonial dancing by the Rivers of America.
The photographer stood on stilts for this one.
Card #55: The Columbia is a full-size authentic replica of the first American ship to sail around the world.
It was also the first America ship to have a sno-cone machine.
Card #56: Disneyland's mighty Matterhorn mountain towers above the submarine lagoon in Tomorrowland.
There's the old Yacht Bar!
Card #57: Comical reindeer streets guests during the Disneyland annual character parade.
I love these crazy reindeer, designed by Bill Justice; my understanding is that they have recently been replaced with less-awesome reindeer.
Card #58: Mickey Mouse leads the Disneyland Band in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
Sorry, Vesey Walker, you have been replaced by a rodent!
Card #59: Squid "attacks" shark in Disneyland's submarine lagoon as viewed by passengers aboard authentic air-conditioned submarines.
This has always been one of my favorite lagoon tableaus because it is so preposterous.
Seven more cards to go!
I have pics of the horribly boring "non-silly" reindeer dating back to 2003. I don't know if that was the first year that they swapped them out or if it was done even earlier than that. The "silly" reindeer were a Disneyland classic. Why on earth would they try to "update" them? That would be like taking a super cool version of Tomorrowland and......oh, nevermind!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize the Indian dance troupe was called "Rivers of America."
ReplyDeleteAnd that squid looks suspiciously like an octopus... :-)
I'm sure I wouldn't be poking fun if I had to try to cram everything I post on the Web into the length of a caption on a bubblegum card. I'm so glad nobody's developed a communication medium that requires something so ludicrous.
TokyoMagic!, wow, I just looked on Google and saw the "new" reindeer. It's not that the new ones are terrible, they're just sort of bland. The old ones were instantly recognizable and instantly silly. I'd love to hear the conversation that resulted in redoing them, because I'm sure the reasons were idiotic.
ReplyDeleteChuck, each Indian was named after a different river. In fact, I'm sure I recognize old "Susquehanna" in the card's photo! As for the "squid", I wonder if the writer mixed up the other scene, with the giant squid battling the orca (another silly scene)? I'm sure they never imagined that adults would be reading what they wrote 50 years later and caring about what they said!
Oh, man do I remember those cards. This post is the first I've seen in the series. (I must have been doing silly with my life before I starting following your posts daily, Major; probably something foolish, like working.)
ReplyDeleteI had a small number of the cards myself. But my brother Mike had a job and managed to collect the whole set. I'd sneak into his room (sorry, Mike) and just go all glassy-eyed at those shots and dream of our next annual visit. And I did put the reverse-side puzzle together a few times.
Now I'm off to look at all the other posts and get glassy-eyed all over again. I mean what's a day off for?
Major-
ReplyDeleteDid Cared #58 really say "Sleepy Beauty's Castle"-? - And also with the image flopped-? Oh my.
Thanks, Major.
Yes - just as I said "Cared" instead of card. Hmmmm....
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that Tokyo Disneyland uses both the "silly" reindeer and the "updated" reindeer. The newer ones are used in their Christmas parade, but the older costumes are used in a little "impromptu" procession down the parade route (at non-parade times), followed by a motorized sleigh containing Mickey and Minnie. It's kind of odd that they use both versions, but I guess I should just be glad that they use the older ones at all.
ReplyDeletePatrick, this has to be around the eighth post of Donruss cards! I got lucky years ago and found the puzzle-back set for cheap (in great shape), and shortly afterward I found the much rarer "blue back" set, still for a great price. I can't recall seeing another blue back set since then.
ReplyDeleteNanook, ha ha! No, that is just another example of Major Pepperidge's unique typing skills. I'll go fix that dumb typo (maybe auto-correct zapped me) right now.
Nanook again, see? That's what happens to me all the time.
TokyoMagic!, that IS odd that they use both kinds of deer in Japan, but as you said, at least the older ones are still used….