Nice Fantasyland, 1956
I found a couple of very nice 1956 views of Fantasyland - nothing extraordinary, but they have lots of good color and energy, and plenty of 50's charm.
First up is this view looking southeast-ish - I think the Dumbo ride would be to our right, more or less - and we're facing the Mickey Mouse Club Theater, featuring the "3-D Jamboree". I still keep hoping that this film will pop up, intact and fully-restored. Maybe they'll air it on Disney+! I'm unclear as to whether the entire film had the Mouseketeers performing in color and 3-D, or if they included Disney's few 3-D cartoons ("Melody" and "Working For Peanuts").
I can see that the little souvenir booth has some "jumbo" postcards on display - those things can easily sell for $30 apiece today for "common" examples, up to hundreds of dollars for rare ones.
Next is this great, lively view looking past the Mad Tea Party toward the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, with the Skyway overhead.
There's yet another souvenir stand, with Keppy Kaps, sunglasses, more postcards, plates and spoons, and other items that I can't quite discern.
15 comments:
Today's pics are AWESOME!! I feel like I can step right into these scenes back to Disneyland '56. Love how color is used in the early years of the original Fantasyland.
Seeing the Skyway buckets above Fantasyland with the Pirate Ship in the backdrop is pretty wonderful too. Thanks, Major.
Major, I love today’s pictures but your commentary just made me feel a little ill. My dad purchased one of each of those large postcards, but they are rubber-cemented to a scrapbook. Honest. I think I have to go and lie down.
I just pulled out the scrapbooks and counted 11 jumbo postcards and 2 panoramic postcards, not counting the many regular-sized ones, all rubber-cemented. There’s even a beautiful moonliner one - complete with blotches of rubber-cement soaking through to the front of it. * sob *
Sue, maybe the postcards could successfully be removed from the scrapbook, with Bulldog Cement Remover No.2 ?
I see the lady working in the souvenir stand (third and fourth pics), is sitting down. I'm assuming that was allowed back then? And now I'm wondering if Walt was ever responsible for any of the employees being fired, after his walks through the park.
That souvenir stand in the first photo must be larger than it looks if it features restrooms and a telephone. Unless...maybe the sign is for the trash can?
My eyes are drawn to the souvenir plate of the castle in the last two photos. I wonder what it's made of? My grandmother collected commemorative plates, and although she didn't buy one at Disneyland, it would have been right up her alley as long as it was ceramic rather than plastic.
Thanks, Major!
Chuck, I've seen those plates for sale in antique malls. The Castle is done in "relief" or 3-D. There is one for sale right now on ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fantasyland-Castle-Collectible-3D-Plate-Disneyland-Walt-Disney-Prods/392314031825?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item5b57bd0ed1:g:A0IAAOSwzbtdA-6B&enc=AQAEAAACUBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qUl0kEMJOaBeSyqRyrNT9u%2BCM2BkvELenO5qtqPfmeHAHZ7bATWejB9tO%2F4G%2FUpqqm%2BPrx3uIgEmVXwo7dQiGdjrnRIW1J7Q%2B%2BtuhmzqZWcv8pOMLWqlff9FvYK9zU0Vxcta04imeFfD85hc9bHX55jfT5rYBqlI%2BazB0V3dEOkIGp4o9s5jqj2qIQyivbHIpl0pkCHItAvAGRVZT4Kx17Np%2FfIvybont38qzH9Ji5NV3%2FyQT9P040FwVfMj1Xmwl%2BZYIjPZyijDoBthLUhO5%2BhltAEtLJqODBvickozBCxDbze7Nx8X4FmsYrWnIrlM%2Bk9m4rpdhemtTiMIkFT92WpBWWDdA5zsI2ZvnWxEc7YbHUqvQXPf3JGnkdxIkeK%2FAaJRMDqMgedsEXHHC6zk41l4PvcxTE9b4GXEAVB4kJIkW5DUhAHctJDmXSqAZxyRkLALqNwYATfLkXZtjQhfjkhrZpOrMHYGVPx%2FvWIC%2BZF2lKvW2I%2BKscRDCpiGzQ4KFeW63i%2BxXcKLtHJBnLCofkDbr5rb%2Bep9Y8KINH7fxWwXjxFR79sdRDo2cG9cZjCB9X1gQ%2Brg2tCy0nyqnnuf6VcMwbyDlTruXM8H5M4FrCX2CfClQF%2FyD%2BS4tfCTQTMPQat0WBf0k5ubby3pDMlQwvSguMG2lDf3m95kKfm1DNcFqOlcMwZZVqTsXer1I5SZzn24qQh%2FOU73ifYb63MqZebL8qlMVTJsXSyITpwGJmTIeZ9R3Tjicx7u0JcbhXOvCg%3D&checksum=392314031825c6db54b5512640bd9e88d519204bab68
TM! Re the Bulldog Cement Remover No. 2: :)
Re the castle plate: I'm surprised one isn't rubber-cemented to the front of one of 'my' scrapbooks.
Sue
Managed to hang onto a similar plate and an ashtray my Mom bought back then. Do wish we had gotten one of those Fantasyland hardhats! I'd be wearing it now, off to find elusive paper products in the local grocery store.
Now that would be scrapbooking, Sue.
Really great shots today. Step right in that first one, right behind K.
Happy weekend guys and gals. They cancelled the Book Fair and I think the Street Fair here in Tucson. Maybe a nice hike in the desert. It just rained so it's beautiful.
Thanks Major, truly wonderful pics.
@ Sue-
Don’t know how lighter fluid would work on rubber cement, but it will not harm the paper. Always worth a shot.
As beautiful as the ship was, it sure was improved when they added Skull Rock. Then it went "Super-Hyper-Incredi-Cool!" Just proving the old saying, "Skulls make everything better!" Still, I would have loved to be there then. I too wonder about the movie. You know Disney+ could do a series on discontinued films from the parks! Or, maybe that wouldn't appeal to "normal" people....lol!
The man in the hat and striped shirt in the foreground of photo 1 speaking to the little blonde girl, looks a little exasperated, at least their postures seem that way. She looks sulky about something.
They are also visible in photo 2, Mom in the blue dress is turned 3/4 toward us, but the toddler is too short to show over the people in between.
Looks like the two groups were passing in opposite directions, depending on the sequence of the photos.
I love how the theater touts "Air Conditioned". That was enough to get me in the Main Street theater. I don't recall ever going in the MMC theater shown here.
Just beautiful shots today, Major. So fun.
Sue, I recall there was some kind of rubber cement remover, but I can't recall what it was called. What a shame about those cards.
JG
What wonderful observations by everyone! I guess what catches my attention is the beautiful, decorative, iron arch that is holding the Mickey Mouse Club emblem... and what the heck are nautical flags doing in Fantasyland. My guess is more flags make for more kinetic energy? More of that tournament feel the Imagineers were going for? Just a thought.
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
Souvenir hats on parade!
K. Martinez, I love this kind of colorful, busy look at early Disneyland. How awesome would it be to see it like this?? Those Skyway buckets sure do manage to “photobomb” a lot of pictures!
Lou and Sue, arg, rubber cement is the worst! It’s easy to understand that Lou had no idea that the large postcards would ever have any value.
Lou and Sue, I have a pretty serious collection of Disneyland postcards, including many (but not all) of the jumbos. I do have a complete set of the panoramas though, and posted scans of them years ago. All you can do is enjoy them for what they are, I suppose, maybe somebody would want them even with the flaws.
TokyoMagic!, the trouble with rubber cement is that it turns the paper brown because it is so acidic, and after 60 years, that stuff turns to some sort of space age polymer that no solvent can touch! I’m glad that lady gets to sit down, maybe she hops to her feet when a customer looks like they need help?
Chuck, the souvenir stand is like the Tardis, it’s bigger on the inside. I see that TokyoMagic! has already addressed the mystery plate. I used to want the set of those, but I just don’t want to store heavy fragile ceramics. I especially love the Tomorrowland version of course.
TokyoMagic!, it’s hard to find those things without at least a few chips. The prices vary wildly, I’ve seen them go for a fairly low price, and then fetch crazy prices! $50 seems right in the middle to me.
Lou and Sue, ha ha, I hope Lou didn’t rubber cement ALL of the paper items!
DrGoat, I don’t have a lot of Disneyland souvenirs saved from childhood. A few brochures that I looked at until they were falling apart. A Donald Duck hat with a squeaky bill. And a fairly rare metal Nautilus toy, but again, we played with it until pieces fell off, so it’s pretty much worthless. And yes, a hike in the desert after a rain sounds like a beautiful way to spend the day!
Nanook, lighter fluid is good, and you can always buy a can of naptha at the hardware store, but rubber cement from that long ago is going to be pretty much impossible to remove, I fear.
stu29573, it was none other than Shakespeare himself who said, “Skulls make everything better!”. He probably added “anon” or “forsooth” you know how that crazy guy talked. Interesting idea about doing a series of Disney+ movies about attractions. Make them like Scooby Doo episodes, there will always be a cranky old man in a glow in the dark ghost mask.
JG, the man is upset that his wife never lets him ride Dumbo by himself. “I’m a big boy now!”. Seen it a thousand times, and it’s not pretty. Good eye, seeing those same people in the other picture! I would have never noticed. Air conditioning was probably pretty unusual at amusement parks, and imagine the appeal of sitting in a cool dark room for 20 minutes on a summer day! Maybe it would calm a cranky toddler, or even a cranky grownup. The rubber cement remover your referring to is probably “Bestine”, but I doubt it can really do much with old cement.
Matthew, I think you are right, the flags were a quick and inexpensive way to add dashes of bright color and movement so that the lands wouldn’t feel too sterile. And… it worked! They’re all over Tomorrowland too, which feels doubly nuts because there’s nothing very “tomorrow” about nautical flags.
Melissa, I love them!
TM!, thanks for the link! My grandmother would have liked that. I'm tempted, but I just spent my last $65 on toilet paper.
Major, oh, wow - that Tomorrowland plate is a beauty, although $199 seems a bit steep for a plate with most of the red Moonliner stripes flaked off.
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