Fun at Disneyland, July 1969
I have two nice photos featuring a mother and her son at the Happiest Place On Urf, circa July 1969.
There they are, I'll call them Patty and Mitch (Jr.). They are not worried about Screechy The Way-Out Eagle because they know that he looks fierce, but mostly likes to eat pizza rolls and read Star Trek novels. Screechy is atop a pylon out in front of the Fantasyland Autopia; look at all those kooky international traffic signs! There's not a cloud in the sky, perfect for fireworks a bit later.
Not long after the first photo, Patty and Mitch (Jr.) pose again, this time with The Biggest Li'l Mountain ever, The Matterhorn. There's a respectable crowd, but it is Summer, after all. Two Skyway gondolas rev their engines overhead, and who can find the Bobsled (or at least the people in the Bobsled)? Good luck all day, man!
12 comments:
Major-
In spite of the "respectable crowd", I'd still like to 'step into' either one of these images and go nuts... okay, not quite as much as per usual-!
Thanks, Major.
The photographer obviously wanted to get both, Screechy, and the family in the frame. And he pretty much succeeded. I wonder if the kid in the blue striped shirt is the brother of Mitch (Jr.)? He seems to be looking at them. Oh wait... a lot of other people are also looking in that direction; wonder what's happening over there? Nice photo!
I see the Bobsled people! I also see a yeller Mouse-ear balloon! I think I also see a Boy Scout to the right of Patty's head. Looks like he's wearing a green neckerchief.
Two nice photos that scream (in a nice way) Disneyland. Thanks, Major.
If these photos were taken today, Patty’s hair comb would be sprouting Mickey ears and Mitch (Jr) would be carrying a bubble gun or light saber. It wouldn’t matter because we wouldn’t be able to see them behind all the strollers anyway.
I want that brown and yellow plaid shirt at the extreme left edge of the first picture. I have always loved ‘60s plaid. It reminds me of my dad’s wardrobe from the period and family photos. I was thrilled when similar styles came back in the latter half of the ‘80s, and I was even able to recycle a couple of his shirts without anyone noticing.
Note the unconventionally mounted kid in the stroller to the right of Patty in the second image. There’s an ice cream vendor and a rubbish receptacle beyond the stroller. There’s has been a dearth of garbage collection points on GDB the past two days. I’m starting to go into withdrawal.
JB, good catch on the Boy Scout - totally missed him. That khaki shirt and green neckerchief helps him blend into his surroundings. The shiny watch blows his camouflage, though.
I remember playing Capture the Flag at a troop meeting when I was in 7th grade. There was a wooded ravine next to the church where we met, so we were out there for an hour for the game that evening (only time we ever did that). I was sneaking along in the shadow of a felled tree, getting close to the enemy’s flag, when I was spotted, tagged, and sent to the “prison camp.” They said that I was really well camouflaged in my Scout uniform and brown Bowling Green State University jacket, but what gave me away was the international orange ribbing at the wrists. Ah, well - at least some hunter didn’t accidentally shoot me. I’d have made a terrible wall trophy.
Fun fact: Skyway Gondola racing was outlawed at Disneyland soon after these pictures were taken. They found out that the participants were always wired. (Rim shot)
I'll show mysrlf out...
Patty and Mitch seem to be having a wonderful time...but it doesn't seem like they've made it to a ride...maybe they prefer adventures and attractions...like posing for photos. It took me forever to figure out where exactly that Matterhorn photo was taken as the Monorail track looks high...and the crowds of people eating...well that means it's right off "Fan 2". A fan favorite, and I am sure that the grease from the smoke of the exhaust fans got allllll over the Matterhorn. Autopias are so popular that they made two. I have often wondered about this particular phenomena. Pirates is popular too...let's make another one...Wasn't the Motor Boat cruise enough for that area? Motor boats don't really scream FANTASYLAND...but I suppose neither does AUTOPIA. I suppose cars and boats are a fantasy for someone. To each his own. Another senior moment I had was trying to understand WHY I could see the PeopleMover track in pic #1. HOW COULD THAT BE IN 1969!! It wasn't built yet....these photos HAVE To be from another year! (I think the senility is becoming real....) I had a conversation with myself "Dude...'67...all good"....thanks Major!
The first photo seems like an odd place to take a portrait, there isn’t much scenic going on there? But our subjects look like they are having a good time. At some point, Richfield would disappear and take their eagles with them, anyone know when that was? Maybe it was for filming the Lord of the Rings.
Chuck, my Dad had a shirt with a similar plaid pattern, but the narrow stripe was that specific shade of 1960’s teal green.
There’s plenty of good stuff in photo 2, finally a trash can! And a bobsled! And a Boy Scout! And a long line of guests waiting for the bobsleds. Sigh.
Just a beautiful day in Disneyland, thanks Major!
JG
JG, that’s my favorite shade of teal. We had lawn chairs in that color.
Nanook, the park really looks so great in these photos! Who cares if it was busy?! I’ll meet you there.
JB, the best to do when in the presence of a celebrity is to take a selfie while the famous person (or eagle in this case) is in the frame in the background. That way they won’t be self-conscious! That kid with the blue stripes is a poser, he just wants to steal some of Mitch Jr.’s mojo. Well it isn’t going to work! Wow, good eye on the Boy Scout, I would have never noticed him. He’s wearing “go away green”!
Chuck, I don’t know what’s so wrong with wearing a hair comb with mouse ears, I do that every day. The ears light up, so everyone knows that I love Disneyland. I like old plaid too (and new plaid, to be honest), the color combos were different somehow. My mom gave me some of my dad’s shirts after he passed, but many of them were aloha shirts, and they just aren’t my thing. I’m not sure why we’ve seen so few trashcans lately, maybe all that steel was being used for the Apollo program. The Scout uses that shiny watch for heliography, so he’s smarter than you think! After reading your Capture the Flag story, I will never wear orange again (and it’s my favorite color), just in case of the zombie apocalypse (or an outbreak of Cordyceps fungus, same thing).
Stu29573, I used to enjoy watching the Gondolas cruising up and down the streets in LA!
Bu, I actually know a few people who go to Disneyland all the time, and they brag that “We don’t even go on any rides!”. Seems nuts to me. At least hop on the train, or the steamboat, or *something*. But there are those who just love the general atmosphere, love getting a churro and sitting by the Rivers of America, or walking around Galaxy’s Edge to people-watch. There’s nothing wrong with it, except that the park is so damn expensive these days. As a kid I always thought of the Motor Boats as being part of Tomorrowland, but they aren’t very “tomorrow” - and I was too dumb to realize that the load area was in Fantasyland. I think the Autopia was futuristic in the 1950s - smooth, convenient superhighways were amazing compared to the old turnpikes that went back to the 18th century. Ha ha, I mix up “when something happened” all the time. It’s all part of the fun.
JG, I have one or two additional photos with Patty, at least one has her posing with her pretty daughter. In every case, it looks like Mitch Sr. had a sudden urge to take a picture. “We’ll send a print to grandma!”. I kind of like the “you are there” scenes, instead of the typical “Here we are in front of the castle” things we usually see. I had a teal blue Hang Ten shirt with three vertical stripes to the right of center (two orange stripes, one yellow), that was a nice shirt! Both of today’s photos are more fun for the people than they are for the actual park.
Chuck, lawn chairs? I guess you live in Versailles??
I’m not 100% positive when RICHFIELD - ARCO ( Atlantic Richfield Company) ended its sponsorship. Richfield was the very first company to sign on as a sponsor for Disneyland. At the time 10 year sponsorships were the longest contracts . I think 1975 may have been their last year as 1975 all new signage and color schemes were designed for both FANTASYLAND and TOMORROWLAND Autopia’s …. But it appears the changes were done between 1975-1978. I think this took so long because Disneyland was concerned with shutting Autopia down right as construction on SPACE MOUNTAIN , Space Place complex , Mission To Mars …
It’s interesting that while we don’t call it “New Tomorrowland” , the 1977 Tomorrowland really was … but it was spread out between 1974-1977 ( AMERICA SINGS - 1976 AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL- PEOPLEMOVER SUPERSPEED TUNNEL - STARCADE- SPACE PLACE - SPACE MOUNTAIN)
Even the 1967 New Tomorrowland was spared from 1967-1969.
The 1984 NEW TOMORROWLAND was cut short and altered by Eisner’s arrival… this was nicknamed “Epcot Tomorrowland” by wed as many made for Epcot Center attractions and technology was being brought to Anaheim . Yes AMERICAN SPIRIT 360 arrived as American journeys and Wonders of China was also inserted … MAGIC JOURNEYS 3-D ran for a short time in a temporary theater , THE CENTURY OF PROGRESS ( a mega attraction half carousel of progress half Horizons ) never got off the ground … the Crystalline Tower original designed for THE LAND PAVILION was to enclose the ROCKET JETS … and the new restaurants ODESSY and THE OBSERVATORY never happed. And of course SIMULATOR JOURNEY was converted to STAR TOURS and the 1980’s NEW TOMORROWLAND budget was spent on expensive licensing rights and Hollywood names like Lucas , Coppola , Michael Jackson.
Sorry : I went off on a tangent for sure.
AUTOPIA … yeah. The 1959 AUTOPIAS - Technically called SUPER AUTOPIA - was to replace the “midget” and “junior” Autopias and concentrate them all into one area that could incrementally increase capacity as attendance warranted.
If Goodyear had not come on board as an opening WDW sponsor , Florida would have also opened with a Fsntasyland / Tomorrowland AUTOPIA.
Mike Cozart, there is a blog reader (and occasional commenter) who might know a specific date for the end of Richfield’s sponsorship. I’ll send him an email. Somehow 1975 sounds like a good estimate though, and that would work with the 10 year sponsorship concept (if they re-upped after the first 10 years). I’m fascinated by the changes to the Fantasyland color schemes, and only have a very few photos showing those “medieval faire” facades in their “new” colors. It’s like a “bizarro” Fantasyland! Almost familiar, but not quite. Some of those 1977 additions to Tomorrowland were not on the level of the 1967 additions. I know people loved the Starcade and some loved the Superspeed Tunnel (I know at least one person who hated that!), but maybe that’s why they didn’t think of it as a “New” Tomorrowland? Space Mountain on the other hand - “seismic”! I am actually glad that Eisner did not implement an Epcot Tomorrowland - of course it might have been great, but I worry that too much of the stuff that we love would have been removed. I remember seeing “Magic Journeys” once, and have to admit that the 3D effect was sometimes startling. Crystalline towers? Tony B’s thing! WHY?? I noticed that the concept artwork for the Abu Dhabi park has what look like crystalline towers, and thought that Tony must be smiling.
Mike Cozart, I like the current combined Fantasyland and Tomorrowland Autopias. A friend does not like it, but it feels so much bigger, and I like the brief “off road” bit where you splash through water. Very very shallow water! Do they have a hose to keep that puddle filled up? ;-) From what I understand, Florida’s Autopia (Grand Prix Raceway) is a shadow of its former self. I expect it to be removed one of these days.
I can see TWO bobsleds-of-people! (Am serious.)
Fun people-watching pictures, thanks, Major!
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