It's time for another installment of photos, graciously contributed by the Mysterious Benefactor! Today we'll be loitering around the Pendleton store, circa 1978.
The Davy Crockett Arcade and Fun Time Pizza Parlor was a good place to play genuine frontier video games such as "Racoons" (like "Space Invaders", only with trash pandas), and "Mike Fink Kong", which was just like Donkey Kong only with more keelboats. The machines only operated if you fed them coins from the early 19th century. Say, what's that handsome green building next door? Why, it's the Pendelton store! Buy a nice, itchy wool blanket why don't you.
This family is looking pretty pooped; you'd think one of the grown men could let the little girl have a seat! She looks exhausted, but I'm sure there's a twinkle in her eye and a Disney song in her heart.
Was it something I said? Notice the sign for a "Pendleton Exhibit", I wonder what that was. I'll bet you 10 Canadian quarters that there was a photo of the Beach Boys wearing Pendleton plaids.
Maybe this nice lady will talk to me, I feel comforted by the mysterious light that surrounds her. Sometimes people feel awkward speaking to a person they've never met before, so I always break the ice by asking them for money.
The woman to our left (almost out of frame) is carrying a 3-ring binder, which seems odd. Maybe she was a CM?
For Zach, this might be the pinback button that is on the purse of twin #1.
Technically these kids are outside of Davy Crockett's Arcade, but Major Pepperidge apologizes to nobody! This is a sweet scene, big sister is taking good care of her baby sis, who has had about enough of Disneyland for one day. I once went to the park with a friend and her two young kids, and by the time it got dark, they were so tired that they spontaneously began crying. Time to go!
A big THANK YOU as always to the Mysterious Benefactor.
Major-
ReplyDeleteA few sentences, followed by a snappy remark, and then Voilà - an entire family vacates its home away from home-! You do get quick results, Major. (Is that a twins sighting in the 4th image-?)
Thanks to the M B, and you.
That window of the "Frontier Rock Shop" (first and last pics), was widened and opened up at some point, and a counter was added. Guests can no longer enter that little shop space, and the merchandise is just displayed on the counter and on racks out in front of the shop. The last time I was at the park, they were selling leather wrist bands. You can see the changes made to the window here on Google Maps:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/maps/@33.8120872,-117.9197683,3a,63.7y,229.99h,94.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s74iZ4860eOxtcqNGYf-lEw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Thank you, Major, and M.B.!
The twins in #4 are going through their experimenting-with-not-looking-like-twins phase. First you cut your hair an inch or two shorter than your sister’s. Pretty soon, you’re wearing different shoes and getting different sleeve options on your matching shirts. Before you know it you’ll be choosing different frames for your glasses and then all bets are off.
ReplyDeleteMr. Plaidshorts in #1 got this free trip to Disneyland as part of the prize package for winning Dad Fashionista of the year.
That last picture really is sweet. I always feel bad for the little ones in strollers who have just had enough.
I remember the Pendleton store, and thinking how boring it was. Shirts and blankets... big whoop. Now, of course, a different matter.
ReplyDeleteBut how could anyone be blue when sitting across from the Frontier Shooting Gallery. It's sad now that the Trading Post, which used to be full of interesting things, is now devoted solely to that pernicious anti-social activity of "pin trading".
One of my favorite Park memories is sitting for a long lunch at the Creole Cafe with my little boy asleep on my lap, half under the table. He just couldn't go anymore. But a half-hour snooze and he was ready to see the rest of the day.
These photos of family groups are special. Thanks to the MB and the Major as always.
JG
JG, I have a similar memory of carrying my youngest out of the MK during the evening parade. He had just turned four and was just barely conscious. I remember skirting the edge of Town Square and saying "Time to say 'goodbye' to the parade," and I heard this barely audible "Bye-bye, parade." He was fast asleep when I put him in the minivan 30 minutes later.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure there's a law against posting wool garment posts on over 100° days. Shaaaaaaaaame (Please imagine the wagging finger). This has been a public service announcement.
ReplyDeleteActually, they're pretty nice, lol!
Nanook, perhaps someone 'tooted' on that bench?
ReplyDeleteIf it's all clear I would love to be on that bench right now! Can anyone ID the buttons on the alleged twins in #4?
Speaking of binders at DL, we were waiting in line for Radiator Springs Racers (who doesn't) and at each switch-back I noticed a HS age girl with a bunch of friends paging through her school notes. I reminded her that there is an unwritten rule about cramming for finals at the resort. Her friends all said 'I know, right?' or some such youthful expression like that.
I've worn a Pendleton or two in my day and probably went into that shop.
Nice photos today. My thanks to you and MB,
zach
In the first photo, that’s Al Ramos sweeping the Frontierland entrance. (I’m sure solving that mystery makes everyone feel much better! Whew!)
ReplyDeleteThe Pendleton exhibit was a display inside the shop featuring photos and wool samples (including Jacquard blankets) detailing the history of Pendleton Woolen Mills with an emphasis on the contributions of the three Bishop brothers. Almost all of the clothing sold in the shop had specific Disneyland “castle” labeling.
As Pendleton was an (original) lessee, we didn’t sweep the shop (much like Coke Corner—for the same reason) and the employees used orange timecards (as did casuals, employees under 18, and RETLAW workers) and received non-Disneyland paychecks. As shop workers were employed by Pendleton, Disneyland Merchandise employees could not work in the store.
Pendleton ended their association with Disneyland in 1985 due to yet another genius idea of Jack Lindquist who tossed out the Pendleton employees and replaced them with Merchandise folk and moved Disney merchandise into the store. The store still sold some Pendleton clothing until Lindquist shut the whole thing down in April of 1990. It eventually reopened as Bonanza Outfitters selling the same crap as every other shop in Frontierland.
That’s all I know!
~Huck
Nanook, if you need a room cleared, I’m the guy to call!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, interesting that the window has changed. Weird that merch is displayed in front of the shop. Seems kind of tacky. You know what’s not tacky? Leather wrist bands!
Melissa, maybe those twins are SO identical that they wear things that are slightly different so that people can tell who is who. I have twin cousins, and I often had a hard time telling one from the other. Their sister said they looked “completely different!”. Um OK. Are those plaid shorts the legendary “madras” that I hear of on this blog?
JG, yes, clothing is not typically something I will get very excited about at Disneyland, even if it’s a character sweatshirt. Maybe the fact that they cost $60 dampens my enthusiasm. I occasionally see nice woolen shirts from the Pendleton shop on eBay, but they are never my size (I am over 6 feet tall). If you need a small or medium, you are probably good, though. I’d love to get one with that original Disneyland label inside. Funny how kids can sleep anywhere if they are tired enough, I used to marvel at the way my sister’s sleeping kids could be lifted and jostled and they continued to sleep.
Chuck, four years old is pretty young to endure a whole day at the park! The physical energy is one thing, but I think that kids get mentally overloaded too. It’s more than they can handle.
stu29573, it’s not 100 degrees where I am! Soon enough, though (eyes tearing up). I used to hear that wool was “cool in the summer, and warm in the winter”, and always thought, “What?? Wool is hot and itchy in the summer!”.
zach, don’t look at me! I can’t make out what that yellow button is - I know of a yellow Donald Duck pinback button, it might be one of those, it looks about right. Maybe I’ll add a photo of one of those buttons to the post. Her twin is carrying a gate handout (maps and info) in her back pocket. Wow, cramming for school while in line at a Disney park? How can that be productive? She sounds like Hermione Granger (wrong park, though).
Huck, NICE! I love it when you recognize a fellow sweep. I’m not familiar with the Bishop brothers, but that’s OK. Interesting, so Pendleton was sort of like the Bell employees getting a non-Disney paycheck. The Pendleton website has a page with their history at Disneyland - they even used some of my photos (without asking of course). SO weird that Jack Lindquist decided to boot out the Pendleton employees! The original arrangement seemed to work great for 30 years, what was his thinking? Didn’t Pendleton pay a fee to be in Disneyland? Maybe there was an edict from on high, “Disney must own or control EVERYTHING”. I don’t get it. I’ve never read Lindquist’s memoir (though I have it), but my friend Mr. X is not a fan. I’m sure he was a nice man, but he was a marketing guy. Thank you for your input, you know a lot!
Major-
ReplyDeleteThis quote from The 55ers: Pendleton's rent was never raised during Walt's lifetime. But after he passed, Disney began instituting modest increases with each five-year contract. In the late 1980's, new corporate management considered the contract extremely undervalued. "We had been paying $750,000 a year plus a percentage of the profits," [Harvey] Johnson said. When the contract came up for renewal in 1990, "the new deal they wanted was $1 million in front money, plus 20% of our sales of $2 million". Pendleton's had never made a real profit at the store - they chalked the expense up to advertising - but the price hike was too much. Pendleton's left, relocating its promotional retail efforts to the new Crystal Court wing of South Coast Plaza mall.
I always liked this section of shops in Frontierland. I think it was the old Pendelton shop where I bought a Mickey hoodie for a day that turned frigid.
ReplyDeleteI thought I had a Waldo sighting in the second pic but it's a girl in a striped tank top.
I think that family was probably allergic to flash photography. It's used in every photo.
That's a total burn getting upstaged by South Coast Plaza.
I should have said Pendleton ended their *exclusive* relationship with Disneyland in 1985 when they allowed Merchandise employees to replace their own (and Disneyland merchandise to be sold in the shop). The store remained (in name, mostly) the Pendleton shop until 1990 when they were priced out of renewing their lease.
ReplyDelete~Huck
Thanks Huck for the interesting back story, and for identifying your co-worker. It's so cool that you can do that, adds to the depth of the story of these photos.
ReplyDeleteWe see all these people and rarely ever know their names. But now we do.
Chuck and Major, my sleeping kid memory is one of my best Disney memories as an adult. He's 30 now, and could probably carry me sleeping.
Major, I had two Pendleton shirts years back, they were a heavy-weight itchy wool and cost over $40 in 1980, which was a lot. They lasted almost 20 years, worth the money.
I have two newer ones that were similarly priced but much lighter and softer fabric, more suitable for the coastal weather where I live now. We had a Pendleton store in town until about 5 years ago, when Lululemon took over the spot. There is a Pendleton store about 20 miles off in our equivalent of South Coast.
JG
Only on GDB can a boring subject, like a wool shop, turn into something fun (and funny) and interesting. The commentary today is great!
ReplyDeleteMajor, I never heard of "trash pandas," but I love it. Am going to start using that phrase. We have lots of them where I live.
If I was Mr. BlueSocks PlaidShorts, I'd also turn my face away from the photographer. Forever and ever, his picture is now plastered on this site.
JG and Chuck, I love your 'little boy' stories. Precious!
MB, do you know any of these folks that you photographed?? Either way, I'm glad you snapped these!
Thanks, MB, MP and all, for a FUN day!
Melissa, upon a closer examination of picture #1, I think it's safe to say that the guy, on the left, was also a winner - probably coming in 2nd place. He coordinated his green-and-white-stripes look - in his shirt and socks. And his golden/tan shoes pick up the similar color stripe, also in his shirt. Male Jr. Gorillas - I hope you're taking notes!
ReplyDeleteNanook, I wonder if a similar issue made Santa Fe bail on Disneyland? I understand that railroads were suffering already, but if Disney demanded much more money, then I’m sure that, like Pendleton, they would say, “It’s just not worth it”. A cool million to have your shop in Frontierland? Yikes. It feels like they wanted to push them out.
ReplyDeleteOmnispace, I went to the park on a day that turned very cold late in the afternoon, and wanted to buy a sweatshirt, until I saw that they wanted about three times what I expected. So I just walked around cold! It was OK, I still had a great time, so many people went home, the park was wonderful.
Huck, ah OK, thank you for the clarification!
JG, didn’t you have an SUV-sized stroller to put your sleeping kid in? Heck, you could have climbed in and taken a nap too. I have a few shirts that were expensive at the time, but they are still going strong, including a few bought by my grandmother, who has been gone for over 20 years. It pays to buy quality! I never thought about whether there were still Pendleton stores around… it looks like there is one in South Bay, which would be quite the drive.
Lou and Sue, “trash pandas” is apt, we have lots of raccoons around here, and they regularly get into trash cans. My mom has a little fountain near her front door, if you happen to go outside at night there is a good chance that raccoons will be there having a nice drink. They sometimes have babies with them, those are very cute, but the adults often puff themselves up and bare their big sharp teeth.
Lou and Sue, now that I’m looking, could it be that those shoes are actually gold? I mean shiny gold? All that guy is lacking is a cape.