Random Disneyland Stuff
Like the title of this post says, today will be all about some pretty random Disneyland stuff. Hopefully it's fun stuff!
First up, how about some complimentary main gate admission tickets? They're from various years, so the price went up and up. From what I understand, it now costs over $20 to get in! Who am I, Richie Rich?? These tickets are supposedly still valid, though I don't intend to see if they work.
This next one is unusual; it's a pass for the Carolwood Pacific Railroad - Walt Disney's miniature railroad that ran through his property in Holmby Hills (which is right next to Beverly Hills). As you can see, the pass is dated "1954", though history tells us that Walt stopped operating the "Lilly Belle" in 1953 due to an accident in which a child was scalded by steam, and probably also because plans for Disneyland were really starting to coalesce. I can only assume that these passes were printed up before Walt decided to put the Lilly Belle in storage.
If anybody knows anything about this little plastic token (beyond the obvious), I would love to hear it! Who received these, and why?
And finally, how about a gate handout from 1972? The cover art refers to the Main Street Electrical Parade, which debuted in June of '72, so only a month before this flyer was printed. The back cover (on the left) lists the many choices for both daytime and "nitetime" entertainment, including the All-American College Band, the "Kids Next Door" in Tomorrowland, the Royal Street Bachelors, the Pearly Band, Los Camperos, and Teddy Buckner and His Band - to name just a few.
The inside artwork is a mixture of styles from the 50's and 60's, though the colors border on "psychedelic". Notice that the map shows "Bear Country", which had opened in March of that year. There was lots of music in the park at the Tomorrowland Terrace, the Tomorrowland Stage, the French Market, and the Plaza Gardens. What a wonderful era in the park's history!
I hope you have enjoyed today's Random Stuff.
23 comments:
Major-
$7.00 just to get into the Park-?? That's an outrage. Why, it's highway robbery-! (Oh, for the good old days).
It was, indeed, a wonderful era in the Park's history.
Thanks, Major.
Okay, add as the summer of '72 to the time machine's bucket list. We got some concerts to go to.
I can still remember the look on my Dad's face when he saw that single day tickets to the Magic Kingdom were going to set him back $17 apiece. I was sure steam was going to come out of his ears just like Yosemite Sam.
$17 will just about get you a chili dog lunch inside the park these days.
Groovy, man, groovy!
I can't help but notice that the serial numbers on the complimentary tickets keep dropping as the value increases. I wonder what happened when the serial numbers reached zero? Was that when Paul Pressler arrived and the Apocalypse began?
The plastic token for lunch at the Pavilion was part of the Aztec Bus lines tour of Disneyland. Not only did they bus you up from San Diego but you also got a ticket book and lunch.
The Summer '72 flyer is really nice. Thanks, Major.
Oh, man, the things I missed at The Plaza Gardens! Tex Beneke and Paula Kelly fronting for what is basically the Glenn Miller Orchestra! I was a silly kid without vision, and now I'm a silly old man without a time machine.
The Sound Castle was best when Kurt Russell was singing with them.
Love the graphics on the front of that flyer. The dots! So many dots!
Nanook, of course that little slip of yellow/orange paper cost me more than $7! Still, I think I got a deal on those admission tickets.
Melissa, as a kid I could probably think of nothing more boring than sitting and listening to musicians play, particularly while we could be riding rides! I looked at an inflation calendar, and it says that $12 in 1972 was roughly $97 today - unbelievable. No wonder your dad was cross!
Scott Lane, I hope you were playing bongos when you said that.
Chuck, the are so many precautions in place to prevent the making of a ticket with a “000000” serial number. If it was to happen, our universe would cease to exist.
Matterhorn, THANK YOU! Amazing, I figured this one would remain a mystery.
K. Martinez, I know there are variations of this flyer - I’m all about variations, as you’ll see in some future posts.
Patrick Devlin, see my comment to Melissa - if my mom and dad had wanted to stop to listen to a big band, I would have whined and complained like crazy! Well, maybe not, but I wouldn’t have been happy.
Tom, did Kurt Russell actually sing with a band at Disneyland??
Major, he really did in this "Wonderful World of Disney" episode from March 22nd, 1970 (intro is at 23:45; song starts at 23:58).
@ Matterhorn-
THANK YOU, indeed. It really did seem to be a mystery for the ages, but easily solved here. I see there are matchbooks for the Aztec Bus Lines, featuring the "Disneyland Express". I'm gonna go board one right now.
Brought to you by the miracle of Aztechnology.
Too bad the Carolwood Pacific pass isn't signed by the "President!" The graphics are just great.
I vaguely remember that Electrical Parade brochure. I can't swear to the contents or the edition, but the overall graphics look really familiar.
Fun post, Major. Thank you!
JG
Chuck, I’m not sure I’ve seen that episode since it originally aired! My main memory is of the guy (manager? promoter?) who is constantly pointing at his watch. And the Haunted Mansion stuff of course. I’m not convinced that Kurt Russell can sing, but he still looks cool, damn him.
Nanook, now I can get back to solving what happened to Amelia Earhart!
Melissa, Erich Von Daniken wrote all about those alien-inspired Aztec buses.
Steve DeGaetano, IF ONLY!
JG, those graphics remind me juuuuust a little bit of those special stores that had mirror balls, lava lights, and day-glo blacklight posters.
Honey ♫♪♫♪......aaaaaaaah, sugar, sugar!
Open every day until 1 a.m.!!!!
Major, are you thinking of the Spencer Gifts stores? Super neato items today, by the way!
TokyoMagic!, Spencer's was it! I still have a black light that I bought at a Spencer's in Pennsylvania back in the 70's (and it works)!
Major, me too! But mine was bought at a Spencer's here in So. Cal.....but also in the 70's and it also still works!
I also have a blacklight purchased in the '70s at a Spencer's in Illinois! I think it still works (it's still in its original box). The florescent crayons I bought at the same time are long gone, though. That particular Spencer's is still open, although I haven't been inside in decades.
When I played the fairy queen in A Midsummer Night's Dream in High School, we lit all the Fairyland scenes in blacklight, and all of the fairies had fluorescent makeup on their skin, fluorescent paint on their costumes, and a LOT of accessories from Spencer Gifts! We even put dayglo paint on the edges of the leaves of the trees in the forest set. It was a little bit like the lovers had wandered onto a Valid Coats ork ride.
As usual, I overdid it on the makeup comma so even Under The Lights I kind of looked like some kind of evil anime Kabuki nightmare Geisha clown.
When I played the fairy queen in A Midsummer Night's Dream in High School, we lit all the Fairyland scenes in blacklight, and all of the fairies had fluorescent makeup on their skin, fluorescent paint on their costumes, and a LOT of accessories from Spencer Gifts! We even put dayglo paint on the edges of the leaves of the trees in the forest set. It was a little bit like the lovers had wandered onto a Valid Coats ork ride.
As usual, I overdid it on the makeup comma so even Under The Lights I kind of looked like some kind of evil anime Kabuki nightmare Geisha clown.
Chuck, my black light is still in it's original box, too. I thought maybe the original Spencer's price tag was still on it, but I just checked and alas, it is not. I also have my set of large fluorescent Crayola Crayons in the original box! I've had those since I was in fourth grade. Surprisingly, they weren't used very much.
Melissa, I want to see pictures of your Evil Anime Kabuki Nightmare Geisha Clown character!
Melissa, "Evil Anime Kabuki Nightmare Geisha Clown" is my new favorite phrase.
TM!, no price tag on mine, either, but I just verified it does still work, which kind of surprises me since it's been through seven moves since I bought it. It sat in my grandmother's attic for 24 years, so maybe the fact that it missed the next eight moves has something to do with that. Or maybe light bulb filaments are more durable than I think.
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