Disneyland 30th Birthday Parade - Part 2
Hear ye, hear ye! It's time for more photos from the Disneyland 30th Birthday Parade in 1985, courtesy of Lou Perry and Sue B! We're continuing with floats and characters from Frontierland that we saw in the last installment.
This parade has a lovably low-tech feel about it, with simple floats that are evocative of a small town parade. There were hundreds of participants and performers, some in costumes, others in their cast member duds, and some wearing regular clothing and perhaps a themed hat.
Even the sweeps get in on the action!
Pluto and Donald wear beaded headbands (Donald has a buckskin shirt - but still no pants) as they are perched on a giant tom-tom.
Looks like Donald can dance around (don't fall off, Donald!) while Pluto can bang out a rhythm.
Lou must have been especially pleased to see these two! Now we can see that "Adventureland" will be represented next.
Why, it's an entire band made up of jungle cruise skippers! Or so it seems at least.
Gosh, was that one float the only thing for Adventureland? Seems kind of scanty. But Tomorrowland is coming up next, so I can't be too upset. If you look closely you can see TWO cast members wearing the old classic Tomorrowland Spaceman costumes!
Well, I guess we're not quite done with Adventureland. These ladies (maybe they worked in the various souvenir shops?) wear bright dresses and carry oversized tropical birds who may have escaped from the Enchanted Tiki Room.
That might be Colonel Hathi bringing up the rear. Is that a giant peanut hanging from that woman's pole?! Nah, it's probably just a plush bird that looks weird from this angle. To the right a cast member appears to be handing something to a happy little girl.
I only just noticed that the sashes on some participants say "30th Year". Colonel Hathi has put on a wreath of greenery and tropical flowers for the occasion.
That's it for part 2, but don't worry, there are LOTS more photos to come from the 30th Birthday Parade! Thanks to Lou and Sue, that is.
27 comments:
Major-
This definitely is a unique parade, no doubt about it. In the last image, I suspect it's a skin diver-? who is on all fours, right there in the street. It kinda looks as though someone commanded him to "Drop, and give me 20-!"
Thanks again to Lou & Sue.
In the first and third photos, we can see more of those white racks on wheels, which we saw in Part 1 of the parade. These appear to have three cornered "pirate" hats that are being passed out to guests.
In that last shot with the skin diver, who Nanook pointed out, there is a mermaid on a float, who would NOT be Aerial. That's refreshing. I wonder if they hired back one of the Sub lagoon mermaids with the dry itchy skin and straw like hair, to be in the 30th parade. I hope so!
In that last pic, on the far left, we can see two guests in the street, wearing the headbands with the feathers, which we saw being wheeled down the street in Part 1 of this series. (The headbands were being wheeled down the street, not the guests.)
Also in that last pic (and second to last pic), there is a cast member wearing a light blue sport coat and carrying a bunch of balloons. He is wearing a pair of those glittery ping pong ball "alien antennae." Remember those? They were kind of popular in the early eighties.
Random observations:
Photo 1: the guy at extreme right, next to the mermaid hair bales and wearing a coonskin cap, has a six-shooter casually poking out of his jacket pocket, just like I wear waterskiing.
Photos 7-10: Both of the Space Men appear to be wearing K7 helmets, which according to the Disneyland Encyclopedia, was actually Space Girl's number (Space Man was K8). Those looklike they might indeed be original costumes, although the helmets originally had more doodads on them. Here's Daveland's collection for comparison: https://www.davelandweb.com/tomorrowland/spaceman.html.
Photo 9: Behind the little girl on the right, camcorder alert!
Photo 10: It looks like Notariel the Mermaid is sitting on a float based on the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which I believe was about mermaid tee-ball.
TokyoMagic!, maybe you noticed it, but there's another cart in the third-to-last photo. It looks like this one may have been giving out the "antennae" headbands like the guy carrying the balloons is wearing. This parade definitely had lots of freebies! Lou should know that we enjoy this series, Sue.
Andrew, oh...I missed that cart! I see it now! It looks like there is a little girl in the street, helping the cast members push the cart? Or maybe she is running after them to ask for a set of antennae?
And I forgot to thank Lou and Sue for sharing!
Hey, there's Lincoln's face on a lamppost in front of the Opera House. And is that Herbert Hoover on a lamppost in front of the Mad Hatter shop? I know we saw some signage like that in a previous batch of photos taken by Lou. I seem to remember it was in the photos that showed his camera set-up, on the upper level of the train station? I forget what was said about the signs at that time in the comments. Was this a tribute to U.S. Presidents?
A couple of quick observations...
1. I like this parade because it seems to put people above props when it comes to the cekebration!
2. I'm pretty sure that IS a peanut. It's the ol' "lure the elephant down the road with a peanut" gag.
3. I also like the spontanious feel of the parade. It's almost like folks from each of the lands just decided to start walking and partying down the road!
Thanks, Lou and Sue!
Chuck, that guy with the coonskin cap and six-shooter also has a dress shirt and tie. Ready for anything, being a shoot out or a board meeting.
Lovin' those Aloha girls with the giant parrots. There is so much going on that I need to really ponder these for a while. Man I want to be there. And Major, there's those green balloons.
I was wondering why that guy was doing push-ups in the last pic. Then I saw the Mermaid. Must be Mike Nelson.
Big thanks Lou & Sue and Major.
I was thinking how much I would like to have one of those Spaceman suits in my collection. Not only would I display it, but I could wear it to special occasions. Church picnics, weddings and the like. Lou certainly has the eye for the for great shots, thanks Lou and Sue. I will be enjoying these for the rest of the day. Thanks Major.
That's 'be it a shoot-out or a board meeting". Sorry, can't help but correct myself. Does take the oomph out of the attempted quip.
“Sweeps,” ugh…
Why not just cut out my heart with a rusty spoon?
Randy Underwood continues to maintain his presence in front of the Mad Hatter (despite getting a little emotional in picture #1) while workmates Rick Arneal and Joe Gallo follow the horses a little more closely.
~Huck
Nanook, yes, I assumed that the diver was “swimming” on dry land, even though it’s kind of odd!
TokyoMagic!, now I wish I had photos of all the different hats given out (as Mike Cozart mentioned last time). The pirate hat is easily visible, however! I like Ariel just fine, but I like the salute to the Submarine Voyage mermaids too. Dry itchy skin, straw-like hair, and don’t forget red, burning eyes. Pretty hot.
TokyoMagic!, the headbands and feathers remind me of THESE GIVEAWAYS from the 1950s. I do remember those “antennae” novelty headgear things, for some reason I associate them with New Years Eve.
Chuck, notice that Chip (the chipmunk) has a gun too. I love the look on the tiny child’s face to the left of Chip. I have seen the K7 helmet on the Tomorrowland Spaceman many times, and have never even heard of K8 or seen a photo of the Space Girl with that alphanumeral on her helmet. I wonder where the Disneyland Encyclopedia dug up that info? Look at the size of that camcorder, it would have been no fun to lug that thing around all day. And yes, that is definitely a Nautilus - wrong park, parade designers!
Andrew, if somebody handed me one of the giveaway hats, I would have immediately hidden it so that I might be handed another hat as the parade went on. Collect ‘em all!
TokyoMagic!, The little girl chasing that cart is actually asking the man to light her cigarette. Some of the hats appear to have stars on the ends of the antennae instead of sparkly spheres.
TokyoMagic!, you will see better shots of some of those signs in a future post (one that I composed weeks ago!). There are Presidents, but there are also notable sports heroes such as Arnold Palmer and Magic Johnson, as well as non-Presidents such as Thomas Edison.
stu29573, are you seriously telling me that you prefer people to props?? ;-) Yeah, I guess that is a peanut, but it’s weird! This parade really does feel almost like a fancy neighborhood event, all the participants seem to be having a lot of fun. It’s very charming.
DrGoat, just because you shoot somebody doesn’t mean that you won’t go to their funeral to pay your respects moments later! The parrots appeared to be hand puppets, I wonder if they “sang” or interacted with children? Those army-green balloons are so strange, of all the greens they could have used, why that drab version? Mike Nelson… and mermaids? I don’t get it!
Jonathan, I have to wonder if they still have those spaceman suits in storage somewhere. I certainly never knew that they had more than one, though it makes sense - one could be laundered while another was in use. And we have seen color variations on those spacesuits too.
DrGoat, I knew what you meant, though now it has a more western flavor!
Huck, sorry! I guess I was thinking of the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins. You always did like to dance around on a rooftop, or so I hear! I was wondering if you would recognize any of those fellows in the parade.
I'm just checking in for a quick moment, and will stop back again later. I'm going to see my dad now (and I'll share all your fun comments with him).
I just had to quickly mention that drummer in the third-to-the-last picture. He looks like he's praying no one takes his picture and posts it for the world to see. As a young man, he started playing the drums because he knew drummers were considered manly, sexy and loved by all the chicks.
Sue
Back in the day, we called those antenna headbands “deelyboppers.” I remember seeing them on some Tomorrowland CMs and entertainers at WDW in ‘83.
I was thinking those Spaceperson suits looked like originals! But they look a bit baggy; I don’t think they went looking for Very Tall People to fill them out like the original Spacepeople.
Hey, it’s Legwarmers and Overalls again in #7!
Major, Mike Nelson was the star of a very popular series during the 60s called Sea Hunt. Lots of underwater mysteries and adventures. Starring Lloyd Bridges, Dad of Jeff and Beau.
Those banners with the presidents and others pictures are decorations for THE AMERICAN GAZETTE PARADE - salute to the American Hero. It would have been going on consecutively with the park’s 30th.
This is a follow up to yesterday’s post.
Disneyland modified many of their audio cart players so that a two channel tape (left and right “stereo”) was split into two complete tracks . Example a single cart tape would play MAIN STREET CINEMA MUSIC on A track and B track would play MARKET HOUSE PHONES. Disney did this into the use of CDs as well ....for example the PLAZA INN background music was on the same cd as the SPACE MOUNTAIN CONCOURSE ( and bathrooms) area music.
Disney also used a “double wide” audio also produced by Fidelopack that allowed music longer than 10 minutes - like the 1976 PeopleMover BGM .... while say PeopleMover narration ( jargon )could have 2 audio zones per each cart. And the short 3 tune GO GO GOODYEAR was on A track of a cart while B track could feature the “ welcome aboard” safety spiel.
Disney also used a very rare reel to reel system called TAPE-A -THON. This was used for hour long background music line Skyway Chalet and Village Haus area music and the Main Street USA am and pm background music. This system had audio recorded on BOTH tape sides .... so it would play 60 minutes in one direction AND play music while it was technically rewinding. Not really noticeable to guests , one side was always slightly less clear than the master side. These also wore out much faster.
The main Disneyland sound room was upstairs of Circle Vision and shared a space with the film repair and splicing room. Here master reels would be used to create carts , play back reels etc as needed. Jack wagoner also recorded some of his specialty entertainment announcements during the days he’s was at the park. When he first began recording from his home studio his early contracts required him to physically be at Disneyland 2 days a week. Entertainment would drop off a request with an announcement for a guest band etc and then in a few days a audio cart with the announcement would be appear in the pick up box in a ground level circle vision hallway.
Love to see the Spacemen in the parade.
Chuck, thanks for the details, it seems like there were a number of different versions of the spacesuits and helmets, some backpacks had little jets and others were just tanks, etc.
@JC Shannon, I wear my spacesuit every day to work.
Thanks Lou, Sue and Major!
JG
If you have a few minutes, I'd recommend reading this post on Daveland, as today is the 50th anniversary of "Yippie Day" (and more importantly, the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing).
One of the best things about Gorillas Don’t Blog, Andrew, is the purposeful avoidance of all things political.
I sure hope it always stays that way.
~Huck
Lou and Sue, I Lou is doing well! I’ve learned from Spinal Tap that dummers tend to explode.
Melissa, “deelyboppers” rings a bell; can that actually be the official name of those things? If so, it is inspired. And you are right, those Space People are well shy of 7 feet tall.
DrGoat, AH, I thought you meant the guy from Mystery Science Theater 3000!
Mike Cozart, “The American Gazette Parade”, that’s new to me! Interesting that the Market House phones were on a loop - I guess I assumed that they were activated when one picked up a receiver, but it sounds like they just played and played even if nobody was listening. Thanks for all the info about the recording/playback equipment, I wonder if any of it has been covered on the “Techmoan” YouTube channel? Like I said, he’s covered a lot of obscure audio systems, including some large format tapes that were used in department stores and such. I am pretty sure I’d heard about the sound room in the upstairs of the Circle Vision Theater. Wasn’t there some sort of room below the theater too? Thank you for another great bunch of information!
JG, yes, I think if we really looked, we’d find that there were many variations on those suits, including one that had some sort of control panel (or belt) that said “K-7” on it.
Andrew, I realize that the Yippie takeover of Tom Sawyer Island is notable, but it’s kind of surprising how large it looms in Disney history even 50 years later.
Huck, ha ha, I do my best, but have to bite my tongue sometimes…
Major, I understand the mix-up. As far as MST3K, I was always a Joel Hodgson fan. It's back on with new episodes on Netflix, but it's just not the same. Patton Oswald just doesn't do much for me. Can't hold a candle to Dr. Clayton Forrester and Frank.
Am finally sitting down to read everyone's comments, and am laughing!!! Great fun, as usual.
I shared all your comments with my dad, this afternoon, and he said he's soooo happy you're enjoying the pictures. He said it was a fun parade to shoot (lots to take pictures of). (He's doing very well, btw.)
I love that elephant and peanut! I also love those tiki bird puppets and want one!
That drummer still cracks me up. :)
Huck, are you still in contact with any of those guys - in these pictures? If yes, please tell them to join us and share some stories. You and all the others always have such fun stories and interesting facts to share.
Major, thank you so much for getting these pictures to look good and posting them. We appreciate all your hard work!
Sue (& Lou)
Yeah - The American Gazette Parade- that was a discussion several months ago when blog readers pointed other banners with sports celebrities and presidents on it. I mentioned the floats and the souvenir newspapers parade performers passed out to parade viewers. The newspaper was a summary of all the giant newspaper lead float headlines for each decade of the 20th Century the parade featured “Americans Flap over the Charleston” “ America Jazzersizes into the 80’” Disneyland’s ( NEW) parade celebrates the hero’s , music , fashions and fads as the 20th Century Passes before them!”
The girl using a peanut to lure the elephant down the parade route better be careful. That's how Chuckles the Clown bit the dust! (sort of because Chuckles was actually dressed like a peanut) LOL
DrGoat, I haven’t watched any of the Netflix version of MST3K; I think sometimes it’s just hard to recapture the magic of a show that was so good in the past. I like Patton Oswalt a lot, in fact I didn’t know he was involved in the new one.
Lou and Sue, thanks for the update on Lou, and I’m so glad that he is enjoying his new found fame! The peanut is so weird. “You gals, you carry these colorful tiki birds. And you can hand out paper hats to happy children. And you… well, you can carry this giant peanut”. I think I asked Huck about his current status with any of his former sweepers or other fellow employees, but as usual my brain is like a sieve. If I had to bet, my guess is that most of them have moved on in life down different roads.
Mike Cozart, these photos are from the same batch (and photographer) as those past photos. And we’ll see more of them coming up. Did the American Gazette Parade have live performers, or did it use the “giant puppet people” repurposed from “America On Parade”?
Irene, wow, talk about a blast from the past! I remember that episode even now.
Major, I do remember those giveaway headbands from the 1950s, now that you've jogged my memory.
The American Gazette Parade ran in 1983 and 1984 as a tribute to the U.S. Olympic teams. I guess once the 1984 Olympics were over, they just changed it to a tribute to "American Heroes." I'm kind of surprised that they didn't just get rid of the American Gazette Parade by 1985, since they now had the 30th B-day Parade. Some photos and video from the American Gazette Parade can be found here:
https://meettheworldinprogressland.blogspot.com/2018/02/olympic-spirit-at-disneyland-1980s-mega.html
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