Even Yet More Randos
If you have had trouble concentrating, and life has seemed kind of "blah", maybe these randos will liven things up for you! This first one is date-stamped "September 1977", and is a nice view taken aboard the Peoplemover as our train returned to the ever-rotating station in front of us. To the left, "America the Beautiful", and one of the Mary Blair murals. The Rocket Jets are not in the air, but you can't have everything. I don't really remember noticing those three flagpoles in the distance, though they have probably been in many pictures.
Next is a not-very-exciting photo from the vast parking lot, from a slide dated "September 17, 1970". There are only two VW Beetles here (including the one in the lower left corner). In spite of this rather "blah" view, I still kind of like it!
19 comments:
Major-
"I don't really remember noticing those three flagpoles in the distance..."
Those three "flagpoles" were the former home for the 'GE' signs when the Carousel of Progress was occupying the show building.
Thanks, Major.
The AMERICA SINGS tri-flagpole featured a USA flag , a California State flag and Disneyland BLUE flag …. Theses were produced (and still are ) by Disneyland decorating . Variations of them can be found on the Frontierland riverboat landing , on the Mark Twain , on Main Street station , the firehouse . A few other locations over the years have been retired or demolished.
The Rocket Jets look like a sci-fi spaceport with the Jets parked around the base of the control tower. I guess the PeopleMover trains would be the trams loading and unloading travelers' luggage... but the scale is a little inconsistent.
I don't think I've noticed those three flagpoles either. Are they attached to the CoP (America Sings) building? Maybe that's where the GE sign was? [I see that Nanook and Mike have verified the former GE sign / flagpoles]
There are lots of power lines to liven things up in the 2nd shot; War of the Worlds tripods playing cat's cradle. We've got the Monorail beamway, minus the Monorail. And we've got a Disneyland pic without Disneyland. Everybody remember that we're parked in section 'B'. B as in Bambi, or Bongo, or Beauty, Or Beast, or Bashful.
Randos are like a box of chocolates, they taste good, they elevate your blood sugar, and they make your hands sticky. Thanks, Major.
#1: It’s a beauty!
#2: Pylons!
Thanks, Major.
JB, that was the "Bambi" section of the parking lot....they just weren't putting the characters on the signs yet. Melodyland is trying to hide from us in that same pic (on the far right). And in the distance, we can see the Best Western/Stovall's Cosmic Age Lodge sign and building:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywoodplace/6426570413
Thanks for the Randos, Major!
The characters were added to Disneyland parking lot in preparation of the park’s 25th Anniversary in 1980. It was part of the whole main entrance upgrade , the Disneyland parking lot , and the parking lots of the Disneyland Hotel. All new signs and graphics package was part of the upgrade. The main gate portion was greatly delayed because of severe rain storms and flooding in Southern California during the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Pic one is marvelous...with the "Chatterboxes" over there on the left...soooooo modern! We can all talk at once on SPEAKER! It was actually a really fun time to be in there and call someone to say "WE ARE AT DISNEYLAND"...giggle giggle...not everything has to blow your hair back. Not everything has to be bungee jumping. Give me "America the Beautiful" with a side of "Computer Tic tac toe" (what happened to those...), "call your Disney pals" and a Chatterbox...it's good for at least an hour. Everything is in exactly the place it needs to be in this shot. On to the Parking lot: which strangely...or not so strangely...there can never be a bad photo of. I like the giant B. Why does everything have to have some blob of character on it...can't we remember just "B"? There's that circular Hyatt sign on Harbor...I think...where is Chaos?! I can see a piece of Melodyland...and the criss cross candy canes of the Candy Cane Inn...which still survives...the motel, not the sign...Parking cars in that lot was an art: you could appreciate it more from the Monorail. Everything so very lined up and tidy. But looks like car in front of white car has left early....these are the spaces you trolled for when you came at the height of the day (as an employee)...as there was always one "up front" where someone had left. Photos are a bit randolina...but enjoyable all the same! Thanks Major!
New York license plates on that yellow VW Bug. A long way to drive in that little 10 year old car.
Dennis,Levittown,Long Island
Great view of the Tomorrowland central structure! Did this feature ever have a name of its own, or was it just the component parts?
I think this might have been the month of my parents last visit to the Park, I remember riding Space Mountain with my Dad, first and only time. We almost always visited in early September, a quiet time on the farm, irrigation season is past but no harvests till October, and usually a few days in the first week before school started.
What was the black tile material on the TL Entry building facades? Ceramic tile? I thought it was plaster, but I see a modular pattern here.
Yes! Melodyland concrete circus tent is in left background of photo 2, Chao’s would be further left out of frame, and I thought that was a Stovall Motel too, thanks TM! Pylons and power lines! Candy Cane!
Major, these are just what I needed. Thank you!
JG
I’m guessing the parking lot photo was taken so the photographer could remember where he parked.
Says so right there in photo 1…Beautiful
MS
Nanook, somehow I thought that the GE sign was right over the center of the building, but I am sure that you are right.
Mike Cozart, thank you for the info!
JB, the tri-level Peoplemover and Rocket Jets feature is so great, it was an impressive sight for anyone in Tomorrowland, especially with all of the constant movement. The distant power lines are far enough so that they don’t show up in the park, at least for those who are not on the Skyway or one of the treehouses. I’m not sure if they have all been relocated underground since then?
Lou and Sue, I wondered if anyone would mention pylons!
TokyoMagic! it’s almost weird to look at older photos of the parking lot without the character signs… even though I have fond memories of tram drivers telling us how to remember where we parked!
Mike Cozart, wow, I’m surprised, I thought that the character names (maybe not the signs?) were there long before 1980.
Bu, I’ve heard about the “Chatterboxes”, I’m sure it would have been fun to call somebody back in those days. Remember the phones on airplanes? “Guess where I’m calling from!”. Computer tic-tac-toe, I remember playing that at Shakey’s, maybe in the late 1960s? I think they had Pong too, which blew us away. One of the things I like about many early Disneyland brochures is that they don’t have Mickey or one of the usual characters on them. In fact, they often had typical mid-century families or a little man who looked like he was right out of a UPA cartoon. I love seen the Candy Canes, it makes me glad that the Candy Cane Inn is still there after all these years, incredibly. I never understand people who go to Disneyland and leave early, particularly back in those pre-AP days.
dennis, oh man, it makes my legs cramp just thinking about it!
JG, good question, maybe internally that structure had a name? I’d love to know, if so. Wow, my dad would have never gone on Space Mountain, so good for your dad. Mine was not crazy about roller coasters. Weirdly, his father (my grandpa) DID like them! My first ride on the Matterhorn was with my grandpa. I think the stuff on that building is tile, but it’s always been just an assumption. Glad you liked these!
Anonymous, that would work today with digital pix, but wouldn’t be so great back in the Fotomat days! Unless they had 1-hour processing in the park?
Major, re your comment about undergrounding the power lines.
The lines are still above ground but have been re-routed to skirt the perimeter of DCA park.
The poles are different, more compact with a smaller ground footprint.
They are readily seen along Katella Blvd. but are somewhat masked now by the double row of palm trees, see this googel view below.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ec4HTFBwWco3askd7?g_st=ic
I’m sure this relocation was A. Hugely Expensive and B. A Regulatory Nightmare, but the Mouse always wins when money decides the outcome.
Beyond the Disney resort area, in both directions, they follow the old right-of-way.
JG
Ultimately, we did get 1hr photo processing in the park...but if I recall...it was more like 3 hours or so...I think employees used it more than guests...not sure where or how it was done, as the memories are fuzzy...and I think I still have a processing envelope...somewhere...I don't think it lasted that long to tell you the truth...I bought my camera, film...and then processing...all at the park...when "self advancing" cameras became the rage...what was it called? Sure Shot? I think....Canon? Regarding the black tiles on the America the Beautiful facade: they were tiles...but they were not in great shape...or they tended to fade or something...I remember going past them all the time thinking: "well...those don't look good" "bad show"...as they would replace some, and not others....as the names of the building changed...another distant fuzzy memory...
MS, I agree, that first one is beautiful!
JG, thank you for the info about the power lines and the link to the Google image! They don’t look nearly as menacing and “industrial” as those old babies. Yes, I’m sure relocating them was expensive, but just think how much money the parks bring to Anaheim every year!
Bu, I figured that they must have had “1 hour” processing at some point, even if it wasn’t actually one hour. Man, I remember having to do assignments for school and needing photos RIGHT AWAY. It was such a pain! Digital photos have made life so much easier in many ways. You’d think that glazed tiles wouldn’t change that much, maybe they were just painted? That would explain the fading, at least.
The black Tomorrowland 1967 tiles are by Franciscan Pottery - from their commercial line. ( Espace) they also custom made the tiles for the two Mary Blair corridor murals and the Tomorrowland service window back- mural. : also designed by Mary Blair. They would have been available for bank buildings … offices… etc . They were in a Matte finish so they may have appeared to look faded when they were not. Some are still in place surrounding the “vacu-form” silver fin murals . The “confetti” tile
Murals at the entry to the circle vision building via PeopleMover and the entry into the circle vision theater lobby were an actually Masonite shaped painted and glued to the walls and were not ceramic. These murals represented bits of communication / information being broken down into small particles and then transmitted via satellites then reassemble.
TOMORROWLAND TERRACE service window tile mural
"was it called? Sure Shot? I think....Canon? Regarding the black tiles on the America the Beautiful facade: they were tiles...but they were not in great shape"
Thank you BU, I concur. They were not in great shape when I started noticing them from the Peoplemover in the late 70's.
Thank you MAJOR
I bought my camera, film...and then processing...all at the park...when "self advancing" cameras became the rage...what was it called? Sure Shot? I think....Canon?
Bu, I bought my "self-advancing" Cannon® Sure Shot camera in 1985. Coincidentally, a picture of the camera is included in my latest blog post!
I have several of those DL photo developing envelopes. There were 3 different ones with artwork of the park's costumed version of "Mickey." He was depicted in a biplane, riding a horse, and driving the DL train. I picked those up in the Main St. Camera Shop. There was another one from the DL Hotel's photo counter, with the White Rabbit on the envelope. I scanned those a while ago, but I still need to post them.
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