Omnibus, 1950s
Here's a nice pair of photos featuring the wonderful Omnibus! These slides had faded somewhat (Photoshop took care of that), but the focus is nice and sharp, so the photographer had a camera with a good lens.
Here it comes! A bus with an upstairs? Maybe it has a basement too, who can tell in this crazy mixed-up world? This Omnibus sure looks authentic to my untrained eye, as if it was somehow transported directly from some 1928 city street. I love the clear blue sky, apparently this was a sunny Winter day (everybody is wearing a coat except for Officer O'Malley (standing by the lamp post to our right).
Next we're at the Plaza, where all vehicles can head around the circle to go back down Main Street.
I like the group of ladies, each in their own fashionable SoCal Winter styles.
30 comments:
Major-
Some uncommon signs today on Main Street: ""Town Square N."; "Book & Candle Shop"; and on the east side - "Butcher Shop".
Ladies - love the 'sensible' shoes.
THanks, Major.
In the first pic, it looks strange to not see anyone on the upper deck of the Omnibus. I count 6 trashcans, but we know there must be many others behind us and behind the Omnibus.
In #2, I think we can just barely see the dent through the upper deck of the Bus.
A couple of those fashionable ladies are gonna have sore feet, walking around on those heels.
Nice view of the hitching posts.
Thanks for the trip on the Omnibus, Major.
The first double deck omnibuses were horse drawn and debuted in Philadelphia ( USA) but the Disneyland Main Street Omnibus has its design inspiration from London. One day at Disneyland Bob Gurr was supposed to have a meeting with Walt - Walt came out of the emporium and called Bob’s attention and said “Bob : build me one of these!!” And Walt tossed him a small die-cast toy he purchased inside the Emporium - some retelling of this story incorrectly say it was a Corgie miniature bus , but it was infact a Matchbox Models of Yesteryear #Y-2 LONDON 1911 B TYPE BUS. Bob used this popular type bus style and made some modifications to “Americanize” the bus. Some U.S cities used some omnibuses that vaguely resemble Disneyland’s …. But the London General B Type is the inspiration for Main Street USA.
Nanook, if only the Book and Candle Shop also sold bells.....then they could've had an animatronic Pyewacket in there, greeting guests.
I love how empty the park is in these pics!
Who knew that in a few years this vehicle would be crawling with Osmonds and a Peaker? I loved my Corgi's and Matchboxes...I would still get them now if it wasn't for "more stuff? why do I need more stuff?". The detail was so awesome...I had some James Bond cars, and loved that doors opened and closed, and jump seats did the same...very impressive. To me they were miniatures and not so much "cars". I am not a car guy, but I do appreciate vintage vehicles. I had a fully restored 1966 Country Squire Wagon until a few years ago. What a great car, and so fun to drive. It made many people smile as I drove around, with people honking and waving. The park empty is such a different park. I recall a story about Mr. Disney not wanting the park photographed without people in it...those may be another one of those mythical stories. I see that in these photos those Japanese Elms DO have scale with large ones at the foot of the street, and smaller ones in the distance. Trees apparently have scale. It is interesting that from whenever these photos were taken in the 50's to when I was there in the 80's....not much really changed...just some sponsors. The street was a bit more "polished" (the actual asphalt) but overall...it's the same. I've never seen that "Town Sq. W" sign before, or perhaps I've never noticed it. Love the ladies. Disneyland: "the place to SEE and BE SEEN". Such a lovely Southern California day to stroll, experience a few attractions, and a lovely lunch, buy a tea cup at the China Closet, or a candle at the candle shop...and drive back down to Balboa Island, to make a lovely meal for hubby. I'm not sure these ladies took home rubber snakes, but they could have! I remember an employee and I were walking through Adventureland and she wildly picked up a rubber snake and exclaimed a bit too loudly "OK! ....WHO BUYS THIS STUFF?!" She went on to become a correctional officer (for real.) Talk about perfect casting. She went to work at the jail that Zsa Zsa spent her long weekend in. I don't remember the recap, but I should have wrote it down. It would be interesting to see a random slice of ex-Disneylanders and how they moved on past the Mouse. It is hard not to be affected by a critical life development time as a late teenager, or early 20 something. I think a butcher shop is a great addition to Main St. Stylistically it has a meat counter, and meats...but you make a choice and then it's cooked for you...completely plausible. I actually think a steak house would do well...but perhaps the longer experience would not be tenable to the average guest who wants to gobble their (whatever they are gobbling these days...something deep fried or covered in cheese...) meals so they can get into their line for Star Warsian Antics. From my viewpoint, it seems that the experience, that used to be charming story telling or a 3 act play....is now, how many rides can we get on in the time we have here because it's costing us a fortune. Apps, and reservations, and lighting things, and stand by lines and on and on and on....how do the foreigners even figure this crap out? I digress...Trees have scale and Fantasyland is closed.
Nice photos, just the right amount of people. The pirate ship masts and the dent are all there to make the photo even more pleasing, along with the highest tower of the castle just in the right place.
You're right. Those ladies are dressed to the nine's, or at least the eight's, and that gentleman off to the left on the bench agrees.
Nice stuff Major, a jump right in set of photos.
Who doesn’t love an omnibus, Major? If there’s no basement, there’s probably at least a wine cellar.
Photo 1 angle is prime for trash can counting. I agree with JB, at least 6 in view.
Dr. Goat is right, the view of the Castle and weenies beyond is the perfect draw. Doc, let’s race to the Matterhorn before the bobsled Line gets any longer.
JG
Nanook, if only there was a working butcher shop at Disneyland today. “I’d like two pounds of ground beef”, which you could then carry around in a warm paper bag for the rest of the day, just because you can.
JB, I agree, normally I think people want to head to the upper level because that’s where the novelty is. Otherwise you’re just on a bus (no offense, Chuck). 6 trash cans! Just knowing that they are there makes me want to produce much more garbage (more than the usual GDB offerings, nyuk nyuk).
Mike Cozart, we know that Walt had visited London, so he must have seen the real Omnibuses there. I love the idea of him purchasing a Matchbox toy to show to Bob Gurr; I used to have a number of vintage Matchbox cars, but now only have a few VW buses (in their original boxes). For some reason I’ve held on to those.
TokyoMagic!, if only you walked into the Book and Candle Shop and found Kim Novak working there!
Bu, “crawling with Osmonds and a Peaker”, it sounds like they need a can of RAID. I agree about Matchbox cars, there’s still such an appeal to those little, accurate cars that come in those little boxes. I never had the Aston Martin Corgi toy, but I had the Batmobile, the Yellow Submarine, and the Green Hornet’s “Black Beauty”. We played with those things until they were trashed, sadly. Yes, we had fun but isn’t “collector value” what’s really important? Are the trees on Main Street Japanese Elms? I thought I’d heard that they were “Chinese Elms”. Not sure if that’s right or what the difference is. These photos have an “around Christmas” vibe to them, though I don’t see any overt decorations to support that. Maybe it was more like late January. It’s amazing that anybody can look at a rubber snake and not understand that most young boys would need to have at least one or two of those in their life. I think there is a steak house over in DCA, not that I’ve ever been to it. I’m always in such a hurry that the idea of spending 90 minutes eating a real dinner is an anathema to me. Gotta get out there and do more attractions! You make a good point about the new ride apps and reservation system, definitely not designed to be helpful to those who don’t speak English fluently.
Looks like that group of ladies has caught more than just our eye. Plaid Man lounging on the bench is having a good long stare. Why don’t you take a picture, bub? It’ll last longer…and it might end up on GDB.
JB, with six trash cans up there, no wonder nobody’s riding on the upper deck.
Mike, cool story.
TM!, what - the place isn’t magical enough for you as it is?
Major, ha! None taken.
You can still get the Matchbox bus today:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/353569487086?hash=item52526238ee:g:JY8AAOSwqvpg6gV6
Might have to pick one up.
Speaking of Corgi, I love their aircraft models. I have a "Memphis Belle" B-17 in 1:72 scale.
Well gosh, I spend a few minutes responding to comments, and suddenly… more comments!!
DrGoat, I see the spire that has the dent, but I can’t see the actual dent. Because the park is so relatively uncrowded, and because people appear to be so nicely dressed, I assume that this was a Sunday… but it might have been just a regular slow day in 1957 (ish). The guy on the bench is not a church-goer!
JG, an Omnibus with a wine cellar just feels like trouble. Fun trouble! Do we know what the record is for “number of trash cans in a single photo”? Heh heh, you said “weenies” (getting ready for the new Beavis and Butthead movie).
Chuck, that man in the plaid sits there all day just to check out the babes. Who needs tickets? The best show is practically free! Regarding the Book and Candle shop, see my comment to TM! Kim Novak circa 1958, come on.
Chuck, :-)
Steve DeGaetano, I have gotten to the part of my life where I would need that Matchbox bus to be MINT IN BOX. It's very sad. I already collect 20 different categories (that's a conservative number), so all I need is to look for something else, but I really do find those vintage Matchbook cars to be so appealing.
Major, so far, since us Jr. Gorillas have been counting trashcans, I believe 10 is the winner, from 3/11/22. HERE'S THE IMAGE.
I remember an employee and I were walking through Adventureland and she wildly picked up a rubber snake and exclaimed a bit too loudly "OK! ....WHO BUYS THIS STUFF?!"
Hahaha, Bu! My husband picked up one and it now graces his 'work shop area' - now also know as my GDB scanning area.
Thanks, Major.
Sue, you bet we're the ones who buy that stuff. Shrunken heads, rubber snakes and whatever looks good. Wish I had bought of the durable stuff like mugs etc.
I had a few Matchbox cars growing up. We used them to adorn the train set that I got to set up every chance I got. Last one I remember buying was the one commemorating Halley's Comet. Still kicking around in the closet somewhere. The thing I've had the longest from my trips with my parents back then is an E ticket from around '66 or '67. I plan to hand it over when the time comes.
Sue, that is the photo I was thinking of, original Tomorrowland 55 and 10 trash cans, of varying styles and colors.
I think I have counted up to about 8 or 9 of the green/yellow Main Street/Hub variety in one shot, but the Tomorrowland shot has several in the Autopia ride queue as well as the food service ones.
I never had any Matchbox or Corgi toys as I recall, I don't think they were sold in our area. I remember seeing them on visits to other places, but not at home. I have and still have the original 12 Hot Wheels in the tire-shaped case, as well as 20 or 30 more of the later series. I loved those things and still do. I should make a display case so I can admire them. Stu mentioned some special ones on his blog some time back, and I had one of those, a Boss Mustang with chrome finish that I had to send away for specially, not sold in stores. Most of mine have bent axles (that thin fine wire) and paint chips because I played with them constantly for years.
I always wanted an Adventureland rubber snake, and my Mother would never let me buy one. When we took our kids in the 90's, I was going to buy one for my son, but there were none for sale. I don't know if they were discontinued, or just out of stock that day. I later got him a bamboo snake in San Francisco Chinatown, it has hinges between the bamboo segments so it's not as wiggly, but it would still have scared my Mom. He still has it almost 30 years later.
There were a lot of weird things like that snake that my parents would not let me get, no particular moral reasons that I recall, just "nope". I guess some were seen as frivolous spending, and yet I was gifted or bought 30-some Hot wheels? I have gone out of my way to indulge both my kids in silly things like rubber snakes and Barbie dolls, when the budget permitted, and explaining why, when there was something we couldn't get. I don't know if that was good parenting or not. At some point though, software took over and they stopped wanting toys, only games and more games. Now, they both still do some gaming, even as adults, but also "normal" hobbies like hiking and sewing costumes, so it didn't hurt them I guess.
Great memories, everyone thank you.
JG
Lou and Sue (I hope you enjoy reading these again), thank you for the link to that image! 10 trash cans in one photo is a lot. I like the lone “dome top” can too. Your husband is obviously a man of taste, no workshop is complete without a rubber snake.
DrGoat, we had a few shrunken heads, but I don’t think they were from Disneyland. Not sure, but we were “monster kids”, so we could have easily just gotten them at some local store. Cool that you still have that “Halley’s Comet” Matchbox car. Isn’t it amazing that people didn’t use up all their E tickets? My mom had a few in an envelope in her desk. Not sure what happened to them.
JG, chances are that any Corgi toys we had came from our grandparents, since the toys were probably not cheap, and my maternal grandparents were pretty well-off. They spoiled us rotten! My brother had one of those wheel-shaped Hot Wheels cases, but I don’t think we had the original 12 cars, just whatever random cars that we were given. I still remember my dad coming home from work and giving my brother and me each brand new Hot Wheels. Just out of the blue! It seemed so great. Mine was purple, I forget the model. I’m sure that your kids understood when you said “no”, I think I did when my folks said that we couldn’t have something. I still wanted it, but I understood!
That little Matchbox 1911 bus was produced until 1963 until it was replaced with a 1911 Renault 2-Seater. From the 1950’s to 1990’s Matchbox Models of Yesteryear were sold in the Emporium and Tinkerbell Toyshop…….. until 1992 when MATTEL - the producers of Hotwheels demanded the buyers NOT sell matchbox . Today Mattel owns Matchbox and Corgi lines. In 1985 and into the early 90’s Disneyland sold a 1919-1926 London Thornycroft Double Deck bus in 1/43 rd scale as part of their “history of transport series. The model was available in many liveries but the Disneyland buyers ordered only the “walters palm toffee” advertisement model because it was in the Disneyland omnibus color scheme - for you collectors : there’s 2 green Variations: one in the dark Disneyland green and another in a spring green. MY QUESTION: why didn’t the Disneyland merchandise buyers make a deal to have the models done up in Disneyland Main Street liveries??
Interesting that on Antiques Roadshow USA and GREAT BRITAIN the item at the top of their DO NOT BRING list is : matchbox or diecast toys after World War 2!!!
Stylish ladies today, indeed!
Whenever I see the word "Omnibus," it makes me remember a kids' show that was on the French-Canadian TV station when I was growing up. It was called Minibus (pronounced "MEE-nee-boos), and it had a very distinctive, repetitive theme song:
"Minibus, mi-ni-MINIBUS! (cha cha cha)
Minibus, mi-ni-MINIBUS! (cha cha cha), etc.
So now I'm going to spend the evening singing to myself, "Omnibus, om-ni-OMNIBUS! Cha cha cha."
(I looked for a video of the Minibus opening theme, but I couldn't find one. Maybe it's for the best.)
One year when I was little - 1975- my mom, grandma and I went to see my uncle in OC …. He had worked at Disneyland in college and now graduated was working for a company in LA. We stayed at my uncles house and on the last day my mom and grandma went shopping somewhere and my uncle to me to Disneyland . He had a wooden change box filled with pennies , nickels and dimes so we could use them in the Penny Arcade. When we were on Matterhorn my uncle introduced me to some friends he used to work with and at the end of our ride … two of his friends said “there was a bit of a problem and if it was ok we’d have to go again?” …. And asked jokingly if that would be ok with everyone on the bobsled …. Ofcouse everyone yelled YES! The girl CM pressed a button and the track section our bobsled was on slid over horizontally exposing another section off track …. Letting the bobsled behind us pass by us …. After several bobsleds passed we were added back onto the main line and rode again … by uncle’s friends let us do this several times… very exciting then.
ANYWAY…..in Adventureland my uncle let me get a giant green rubber lizard that had realistic plastic orange /amber eyes!! My parents NEVER would let me get anything like that at Disneyland!! When we ate lunch he let me take it out if the bag so I could let the waitress see it and be scared ! And we he helped me come up with a plan of how to scare my mom with it! When we drove home he had the giant lizard on the dashboard of his car . I think he wanted the lizard more than I did. One thing that REALLY stands out in my memory of that rubber lizard was the smell !! It smelled like a chemical plant explosion !!! I loved it! Plastic - rubber and paint !! I can’t still smell it in my memory!! My mom was mad at my uncle for buying me the giant lizard - my mom hated the smell and hated lizards real and fake. On the drive back to San Diego my mom didn’t let me keep the lizard on the dashboard like my uncle did - she made the Lizard ride home in the car trunk! NO FUN!!
Major, I remember my Dad doing that too, bringing me a hot wheels car out of the blue. I don't remember which one it was, but I'm sure I still have it.
JG
Mike, I just saw your comment about the lizard. Your uncle was the best, and your mom sounds just like mine. I can almost smell the rubber lizard from that description.
JG
Mike Cozart, I’m not surprised that Matchbox discontinues certain models and introduces new ones… interests wax and wane. Although the 1911 bus is pretty neat! Mattel flexed its muscles like Coke did, I guess that’s known as “just business”. Nothing personal. I didn’t know that Mattel now owned Matchbox and Corgi. And you are right, why didn’t they make Disneyland-specific versions of some vehicles? It seems so obvious! Funny about Antiques Roadshow not wanting Matchbox or Diecast toys (post WWII), that tells you how many are out there.
Melissa, I looked on YouTube, there is an episode of Minubus, I only made it a few minutes into it (not being fluent in French), but I didn’t get to hear that theme song. Sad tears. So… since you watched that as a kid, did you pick up the French language??
Mike Cozart, I love the story of your 1975 trip with your mom, grandma, and uncle! I’ll bet you loved visiting him, and not just because he could get your repeat rides on the Matterhorn. I wonder if the people waiting in line scratched their heads wondering why you got such special treatement? “Are they movie stars?”. I definitely remember the aroma of those rubber toys; we had a rubber gorilla (my brother’s really), and I had a rubber Stegosaurus. Remember those weird jiggly rubber toys that some people call “oilies”? They really were slippery and oily, and they left a stain on anything, which of course mom hated. So funny that your mom hated lizards so much. My brother literally feeds the backyard lizards (meal worms), and when he goes out onto the back porch, they literally come running. It’s bizarre, but cute!
JG, I know I still have a box with my old Hot Wheels toys, but at some point my little brother stood on many of them, making the axles of the wheels bend. I was really mad at him! He also lost BOTH of my copies of my Haunted Mansion albums, taking them to a friend’s house on two separate Halloweens and not bringing them back. Come to think of it, he is banished from my life!
JG, I wish I had a fun uncle! My mom was an only child, and my dad’s brother lived too far away. He was nice, just not fun like Mike’s uncle.
Major, my Dad's younger brother was my fun uncle. We went camping and fishing and hiking. Once, he went with us to Disneyland. I don't remember him giving me presents like toys, but he always brought a big box of fireworks for July 4.
You and Chuck know a little of his history, and I'm grateful for your help with that.
JG
We did pick up some French from TV, but then every subsequent French teacher had to make us unlearn the Quebecois accent. It’s probably the same for kids who grow up watching Telemundo and then have to learn to sound Castilian in Spanish class.
Dr. Goat, I had one of those Halley's comet matchbox cars. For some reason, I never took it off the card. I guess there was so much hype around the event, my kid mind assumed it would be very valuable. I sold it a year or 2 ago on ebay. Since I never played with it, it didn't hold much nostalgic value to me.
Mark me down as another one whose mother wouldn’t let him get shrunken heads or rubber snakes. Don’t feel too sorry for me - my dad used to bring me back Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars after his overseas trips (which were fairly frequent when I was young). I still have many of them, but none are in any condition to write home (or a collector) about.
Melissa, I was lucky that my high school Spanish teacher learned the language while serving with the Peace Corps in Panama. He told us within the first week or so of school to ignore the vosotros case in our textbooks altogether since it wasn’t used in our hemisphere. If we needed it, he said we’d pick it up in college Spanish.
Mike, I love your lizard story.
Remember those weird jiggly rubber toys that some people call “oilies”?
Major, I purchased three of those "oilies" from the Disneyland Hotel gift shops, around 1970. One was a deep yellow rabbit (that sat up on its back legs); one was a dark green sort-of-toucan (had a fat body); and the third one was a cute butterfly, with a silly face, that I hung on my bedroom doorknob. From what I recall, there were some other colors sort-of blended in (gave them a marbling effect). I loved the way they felt. Yes, the one ruined my bedroom dresser top. I don't recall seeing them in the Chicagoland area, just in California, back in the early 70s. About 10 years ago, at Rain Forest Cafe, they sold tiny little ones in plastic packages - lizards and butterflies. I no longer had my original ones and was thrilled to buy the tiny new ones - I boxed them away somewhere with my misc. collections.
Thanks, Major, and everyone, for another FUN day!
I almost forgot to mention....my husband's rubber gorilla hangs from the ceiling of his workshop (a/k/a my GDB scanning area).
FYI: I just tried Googling "oilies," but all you get are pictures of those liquid stickers that are now selling for a small fortune. Wrong "oilies." For anyone who doesn't know what the original ones were like - they were slimy, wiggly, rubbery, [approximately] 6" tall "figures." And they had a unique smell, too.
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