Monday, March 13, 2017

Random Disneyland Stuff

I photographed and scanned a bunch of random Disneyland souvenirs and ephemera, and thought it would be fun to share an assortment today.

Let's start with this chunky brass sheriff's badge - this thing is nice and heavy, a quality piece of merchandise! Not to mention that possession of said item grants me the authority to enforce the law in all 50 States and all U.S. territories. I wish it was dated, but the small shield says "Walt Disney Productions", so it is at least pre-1986, though I suspect it is from the 1970's, if not the 1960's.


Now here's a piece of ephemera! It's an individually wrapped toothpick from the Red Wagon Inn or the Plantation House (both sponsored by Stouffers). I got this for next to nothing on eBay - maybe they are common, but I don't recall ever seeing another one.


And finally, here is a nice gate handout, dating from 1966 (when "It's a Small World" debuted). The "Primeval World" dinosaurs were added to the Disneyland Railroad on July 1st, 1966, so that narrows down the date even further.


Here's the inside - brown monochrome representations of two famous attraction posters, plus some fun text to get you all pumped up. Looks like they used a Haunted Mansion font ("Ravenscroft", though I suspect that it had a different name in 1966) for the word "Fantasyland".


And on the back, just look at all that quality entertainment, all included with your admission to the park! 


13 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

Major, those are some mighty nice souvenirs! I actually prefer my toothpicks to be individually wrapped. That has to be a pretty rare item. And just think how exciting it must have been to visit DL in 1966 and see those two attractions when they were brand spanking new. And then the next year would be the debut of the New Tomorrowland and Pirates of the Caribbean. Oh, if we could only go back in time!

Nanook said...

Major-

A nice collection of souvenirs you've got here. And just for the record - make that Swift's Premium Meats who sponsored both the Red Wagon Inn and the Chicken Plantation House.

And seeing the Can-Can dancers and the dinosaurs co-mingling on that handout makes me think Disneyland missed the boat by not having the dinosaurs take a little detour into Fantasyland to 'liven-up' It's a Small World-!

Thanks, Major.

Debbie V. said...

I had to google Humdinger - apparently it was like a hootenanny but for younger (high school?) folk.
Along the way I found this great book about rock in roll in Orange County. with a line up of the 1966 bands at Disneyland. Wow.
https://books.google.com/books?id=oRV3CQAAQBAJ&lpg=PT42&ots=wuFMUJvNXf&dq=humdinger%20musical%20performance&pg=PT42#v=onepage&q=humdinger%20musical%20performance&f=false

Scott Lane said...

Wow! I've always been a fan of the group, Guest Band Night! I have their album!

Debbie V. said...

Well my link to the book worked differently on my laptop than here at work. Guest band I would have loved to have see - The Association. I'll see if I can get the list when I get home tonight. It was pretty awesome.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Wow those folks in the 60's really knew how to swing. A Hootenanny and a Humdinger all in one week (back to back nites yet). I would need to rest for a month.

@Debbie V. My high school actually had a Hootenanny. It was an annual concert of all student bands. So If'n you had a garage band you could air out your bad Cars, Eagles, Jackson Browne cover tunes. Oh well it was the 80's.

DrGoat said...

Major,
That badge is so cool. What a great item to pin on your vest. Since that poster is an ad for summer events, there's a chance we attended some of those events. I can't see my Mom passing up a Hootenanny.

K. Martinez said...

Major, so when are you going tear open that wrapper and use that toothpick? Can't let it go to waste just sitting there in its wrapper. A toothpick's gotta do what it was meant to do.

As always, you have some awesome ephemera. The handouts at the gate are some of the best things to collect. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

Nice wording on the Primeval World text with a quick tip of the hat to Longfellow's Evangeline.

(Now just what is this monkey-boy Patrick talking about? He's high on post-op percocet again, I tell you!)

Major Pepperidge said...

TokyoMagic!, the best toothpicks have that curly colorful cellophane at one end. For all of your elegant parties! And yes, I would love to be able to see any of those attractions when they were brand new.

Nanook, D’OH! I don’t know where my brain is. Of course it is Swift’s who was the sponsor.

Debbie V, I did not know that a “humdinger” referred to a kind of performance. I just thought it was a descriptor, as in, “Man, Fred’s new car is a real humdinger!”.

Scott Lane, what if the Guest Band is A Flock of Seagulls?

Debbie V., it is hard to believe that a band with big hits would perform at Disneyland; I would almost think that they would find it to be beneath them. Maybe the park paid the going rate?

Alonzo, all those bands were in heavy rotation EVERYWHERE!

DrGoat, lucky you! My dad would never have gone to Disneyland for something like that, even if it came with the price of admission.

K. Martinez, I guess it’s kind of like the toys in “Toy Story” - they were made to be played with, and a toothpick was made to pick. Sorry, toothpick, you’re going to sit in a dark box forever!

Patrick Devlin, if there was a tip of the hat to Longfellow, it was completely lost on me. I’m more of a dirty limerick guy.

Matterhorn1959 said...

Love the toothpick. The badge is nice as well....

Major Pepperidge said...

Matterhorn1959, I still have the drinking straw that I bought from you years ago!

walterworld said...

There once was a Toothpick from Nantucket...

Ahhh but I digress.

I had one of those Sheriffs badges from the late 70's and proudly wore it the entire trip one summer. I purchased it at the Davy Crockett Frontier Arcade back when it was a cool place that sole unique merchandise. They had a great selection of miniature cap pistols that were made in Italy by Armodelli. I still have one Colt and one Remington from the trip, but sadly many other pieces were lost over time...

Thanks Major!