Two Beauties From April, 1981
Check out today's beauties, from ye olden days of April, 1981! We were dancing to "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, ugly-crying to "Hello Again" by Neil Diamond, and getting groovy to "Rapture" by Blondie. I have no idea what anybody was doing to "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton.
Check out this view of a Mark III Monorail at the Disneyland Hotel station! It would be hard to top this design for sheer coolness. Although... how about metal flake paint? My favorite! And a pair of fuzzy dice dangling inside the nosecone canopy.
Here's a nice shot of the Disneyland sign, which had clearly been altered from its original look. According to the always-excellent Yesterland website, the sign was changed around 1975, and at first there were red letters beneath the word "DISNEYLAND" with that said "America on Parade", which had just debuted. After that, it said "The Happiest Place on Earth" (what is that odd font?), "The Best Has Just Begun", and then back to "The Happiest Place on Earth" again.
20 comments:
Major-
Darn... I missed Patti Page-! (I wonder if she sang How Much is that Doggie in the Window-?) Arf, arf... LISTEN HERE.
Thanks, Major.
Sooo aerodynamic! Even the bubble, up on top, is aerodynamic. Everything about its design says "the future"; although monorails have been around for 200 years. Even the word, "monorail", evokes the future. Looking at it, it's hard to imagine that it's basically just a train, with wheels, on a track; like most trains. Sure doesn't look like it though!
I like that he photographer got those two tall palm trees in the shot; they add a lot to the photo.
A nice, clear picture of the Disneyland sign. I don't recognize that swoopy font. Maybe it was developed in-house? The Park closed early on this day; must've been something special going on. Those power towers are trying their best to blend in with the sign but... peek-a-boo, I see you!
I was playing Dolly's "9 to 5" on my organ and analog duophonic synth in 1981. Cool pics, Major. Thanks.
I have no idea what anybody was doing to "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton.
Major, maybe they were rubbing their acrylic nails together to create a typewriter sound, just like Dolly did when writing and recording the song.
I love both of these photos. I was visiting the park quite a bit around this time. I feel like I remember seeing Pattie Page listed in the entertainment schedule, but I never saw her perform. I hope she sang, "The Tennessee Waltz."
Both photos are A+....as an 80's "kid" I especially appreciate them, and remember these places very vividly. The airport bus was a "thing": we plugged it without compensation when guests called in: it was pretty much the only way to get to Disneyland from LAX via somewhat public transport: without renting a car, or taking a cab, etc. People often asked for information on PUBLIC transport as well: which was possible, but I wouldn't say "easy"...taking RTD from LAX to Anaheim with luggage sounds taxing just thinking about it. I like the old school telephone booths and the luggage lockers: with the Monorail is was truly a travel hub to get anywhere. Disneyland also had luggage size lockers at the Main Gate next to the elusive "picnic area" (with it's 12ft high hedges to block any visible sight of picnic people). The seating in the Monorail was so much more civilized than what you will see today, and now you have people jamming their clunky strollers and other transport devices et. al. into them. As a child I never was put into a stroller, and I turned out OK. I was in a pram as an infant: but then we got these things called legs and feet and could walk on our own. (slightly salty, yes.) Onto the Disneyland sign: a monument and indicator that you are going into somewhere very important and special. All part of the "pre-show" of Disneyland. I like the old openess of this space: I am a great lover of trees and vegetation, but today's Harbor Blvd reminds me of a low rent Beverly Hills....with high fencing and hedges, and no way to look at anything...no way to build the excitement of the approach, with a very small indicator that "this is Disneyland" with a small sign adjacent to a drop off area and the IHOP. I remember driving in and seeing this exact sign in the photo: with Patti Page...although I'm thinking I didn't work too many nights at this time, and did not experience the "doggie in the window." Patti Page played a few times at Disneyland if I remember correctly. These were the last days of Walt's Disneyland...and nice to see this morning! Thanks Major.
I see that the theme of "yellow" really ties both these pics together!
Fun Fact! The Mark III monorail was so sleek that they lost three of them under the couch before they could get them on the track! It's true because it's written in real words on the internet!
I think the font is called Walt-o-graph. For real. Although that font was probably based on the sign and not the other way around.
The original name was probably something like "Loopy Schmoopy" or something. Or Earl.
Note that it’s just the Disneyland Monorail System by this point with no mention of Alweg, which makes sense as that company went defunct in 1964.
I would like to have seen Patti Page at Disneyland. Or Patti Duke. Or Duke Ellington.
Bu, Mrs Chuck and I ate in that picnic area on our first visit to Disneyland together on Christmas Eve, 1993. You’re right about it being tucked into a corner surrounded by high hedges and feces. Didn’t feel very Disneyland other than the faint background loop. Never did it again.
Make that “surrounded by high hedges and fences.” Disney didn’t go out of their way to make it a magical experience, but it wasn’t that crappy.
Chuck, did the Disneyland picnic area leave you free to wallow in your own crapulence?
Still trying stifle laughter over Chuck’s typo.
Oh man, I missed Patti Page, well in 1981 I was too dumb to know who she was, so there’s that. Now I’m going to go play Tennessee Waltz. Her version is much superior to Van Morrison.
I see we still have the Erector Set beams, straight out of Mickey Spillane. Yellow is a good modern color, looks good on the monorail.
This sign is “not” an improvement over previous iterations. What is going on with that typeface? Looks homemade, or reassembled out of leftover Letraset rub-ons. If it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change. I have spoken.
But at least there are power lines, oleanders, and the giant convention center spaceship, and The Inn at the Park. Never stayed there, but heard it was nice.
Thanks for the 80’s Major.
JG
Chuck, your parapraxis will be celebrated by copraphagists for years to come.
Lots of nostalgia in the first photo. I grew up in Westchester, and even before my adolescence , the folks would drive me and friends to the airport, put us on that Airport Service bus to the the Magic Kingdom, and pick us up at LAX at 2am after we ran unsupervised all day; a winning situation for both generations.
Then there is the phone booth: call the folks if necessary , though it never is, and if they say they'll be at the airport at midnight stay at Disneyland til 1 am anyway and pretend you missed the earlier bus.
And in early 1980s adolescence, you could park in the Hotel parking lot and hop on the Monorail; there were no attendants to collect fees after a certain hour so you exited that lot for free after midnight (the Hotel lot cost more than the Park's did).
Finally, there were the attraction posters on the Monorail platform, out of view in this picture, which set the mood and could even be caressed up close if needed.
Thanks for the trip back Major!
Disney kept the name ALWEG on all four MARK 3 Monorails until about 1976-77. The ALWEG “swoop-check” logo remained on the pilot car side panels until about 1974/1975. The ALWEG swoop logo seems to be gone by March of 1975 ….. but ALWEG name remains on the pilot car panel and the side skirts - all in the matching monorail lettering ( font) . Disney continued to use the DISNEYLAND-ALWEG name in the attraction’s narration into the mid 70’s as well …and in preopening material for Walt Disney World they announced that a fleet of 6 DISNEY-ALWEG MONORAILS would be serving the “vacation Kingdom” …. The WDW monorails never did feature any markings or wording of ALWEG. My understanding is that while ALWEG was gone as its own company it was absorbed by MERCEDES as part of their fleet transport division Thru a licensing agreement - similar to how the WEDWAY PeopleMover became a product of BOMBARDIER in 1984 also under a licensing agreement. Anyway , I understand Disneyland hand been concerned of a possible lawsuit from ALWEG and it’s legal descendants so they continued to keep the ALWEG name on the Anaheim Monorails till sometime in the mid 70’s - just-in-case.
Nanook, I can’t say I’m too crazy about “How Much Is That Doggie…”, but my mom and dad loved “Old Cape Cod” when they were dating!
JB, Bob Gurr really hit it out of the park with that basic Monorail design. Yes, the Mark I, II, and III were different, but they all had that essential COOL appearance. I don’t really understand how they work, but my understanding is that Monorails (the Disneyland versions at least) sort of clamp on to the track, with wheels on top and on the sides. Is that the part they call the “bogie”? Not sure. I’ve definitely seen that weird font elsewhere, but I could not ID it for this blog post. I’m hoping somebody else can! An analog duophonic synth, cool!
TokyoMagic!, you mean they didn’t just use actual typewriter sounds for the song?? I tend to not collect Disneyland brochures from as late as the 1980s, and yet… I think I might have one with Patti Page listed too.
Bu, these slightly oversized slides really pack a lot of detail and clarity in them, which is what we want from slides (well, I do anyway). I was surprised to learn that in Florida, there is no major public transportation system to WDW from the airport; just think of the millions and millions of people who have needed to go from one to the other, and back again. I know there were mutterings of extending the Disneyland Monorail beyond the Disney property, possibly going places such as LAX and Angel Stadium. Unless one was taking a charter bus that went directly to and from the airport to Disneyland, it seems like it could potentially take hours. I wasn’t sure if they allowed strollers on the Monorail, but I suppose they pretty much have to. I don’t remember much stroller time as a kid, but of course that would go back quite a long time - I do think we walked a LOT though. It’s kind of a bummer that there is no longer a big, impressive Disneyland sign, but maybe people considered it to be an eyesore. Not me! Imagine Anaheim without the park. It would be developed by now, of course (like every square inch of Orange County), but it sure wouldn’t have the fame that it has. I hope Patti Page enjoyed performing at Disneyland, I have some photos of some big bands playing at the Plaza Gardens, and the dance floor is empty, and there aren’t many people.
Steve DeGaetano, you’re right, it IS a conspiracy! ;-)
Stu29573, you sure know a lot about fonts, I am impressed. Back in my art school days, I was pretty informed, but now I only remember Helvetica and Times New Roman. I agree with you about words on the internet, there is no more powerful source of truth and knowledge.
Chuck, I can imagine a world where monorails became a more standard mode of transportation; it almost feels as if cities had a negative reaction to them. Is it because they were elevated? We have plenty of elevated rail systems, so that can’t be it. Eating in a picnic area surrounded by high hedges and, er… HARD FACTS.
Chuck, Walt talked about wienies, why not feces?
TokyoMagic!, I enjoy the question, even though I don’t understand it.
JG, yes, I’d much rather listen to Tennessee Waltz than the Doggy song. How did that one become a hit? Did Van Morrison actually sing Tennessee Waltz? I’m imagining his nasal voice, and can’t quite get there. I’m sure the 50s gloriousness of the original Disneyland sign was seen as an anathema, though it would be beloved today. I do think it was generally considered to be an eyesore, since Anaheim wanted to do away with billboards and the like. I miss oleanders - you still seem them around, but many were decimated by a psyllid of some kind. Or was it the “glassy-winged sharpshooter”? I forget.
Stefano, well, Chuck has really started a conversation. Golly! Wow, getting to go to Disneyland as a kid, unencumbered by parents - sounds like a dream come true! Plus you learned how to use the bus system. For a brief while in LA, I had to use the city bus to get to school; it was fine, somehow it made me feel like a grownup. I wonder when the last phone booth was removed from the park? I’m sure somebody became aware of how much money they were leaving on the table with parking for the Hotel (and the park), which is why it now costs something like $40. Argh.
Mike Cozart, it’s interesting that Disney kept the Alweg name for so long; for instance, the TWA logo was removed quickly after they stopped sponsoring the Rocket to the Moon, and Santa Fe’s presence did not last after they were done paying their fee. I have no idea what sort of agreement Alweg had with Disney regarding having their names on the Monorails, you’d think that once the company went away (or was acquired by Mercedes) they wouldn’t care anymore. I’m sure no sponsorship fee was being paid. Did Disney consider the name to be a bonus somehow?
The relationship with Disney and ALWEG went very very sour from the start . Disney didn’t realize the ALWEG system want as refined as they had thought … And Bob Gurr says they had to practically re-design everything … to wear Disney felt there wasn’t much of the original ALWEG engineering. So beyond an early licensing fee to ALWEG … ALWEG got nothing else . So to fend off and further action from ALWEG in Cologne , Germany … Disney slapped “ALWEG” on the monorails , signs , posters , and for a time on print and film media. Even after MERCEDES bought out ALWEG …. Disney continued to keep the ALWEG name around to legally protect their CABOOSE. But from
2025 I understand historians say Disney kinda screwed ALWEG ( WEGAMATIC I believe was the company’s actual name)
By the way : it’s interesting to note that how very cool looking the bubble top pilot’s dome is … the DISNEY-AWEG monorails being proposed for the New York FAIR and for WDW would have looked just like the Disneyland versions .. only longer and WITHOUT a dome pilot
Major, I think monorails never caught on in cities because they're fairly inflexible and much more expensive versus buses. Rail, whether mono-, light-, or anything else costs a lot more per customer served.
WDW in Florida had a nice (free!) transit option to get to the park called Magical Express. It even included an option to put tags on your luggage so they were transferred directly to your hotel so you didn't have to pick them up from the carousel at the airport. It was eliminated a few years ago to cut costs and get people to pay for their Uber-like service called "Minnie-vans" There's a replacement service that's fairly cheap but doesn't have the luggage check-through option.
"...taking RTD from LAX to Anaheim with luggage sounds taxing just thinking about it. I like the old school telephone booths and the luggage lockers...."
Bu, remember how the luggage, back then, didn't have wheels? At least ours didn't. Carrying luggage all around was a real workout. A while back, I read something like this: "And to think, we landed men on the moon before we had the brains to put wheels on suitcases."
Major, I LOVE these images! And I still say that a Monorail plush ('stuffed animal'), about 4 feet long, in all different colors, would be a hot seller.
Mike Cozart, I’d love to see a comparison of the monorail system that Alweg designed versus what Bob Gurr came up with himself. Are they radically different, or is it mostly a matter of refinement? It’s strange that Alweg would want their names on vehicles that were not really their design, ultimately. Maybe they thought that the Walt Disney connection would be a home run, as far as getting investors on board. Or something. Wegamatic?? It slices, it dices, it juliennes!
Mike Cozart, I’m not sure I knew that Disney and Alweg planned to potentially build a monorail for the Fair. I like the AMF monorail because it is different, but it’s sure not as sexy as the Disneyland version.
Dean Finder, I believe I have read the same issues regarding cost, but as you said, there are light rail (and elevated) train lines in many big cities, so I’m not really sure why a Monorail would be considered a bad idea. I wonder if something that looked very cool would attract riders? Maybe not. And maybe in a weird way, the Disney connection was seen as a detriment, as if it couldn’t be taken seriously. “We don’t want an amusement ride in our city!”. I think I’ve heard of Magical Express, but I don’t follow the fine details of what goes on in Florida, having never been there. It’s a shame that it was discontinued.
Lou and Sue, it’s funny, I was up in my mom’s attic space above the garage, and I got rid of a bunch of old suitcases, starting with the examples that did not have wheels. My suitcase for my first trip to Europe (40 years ago, ye gods) had wheels, and it felt like science fiction come true. Interesting concept of plush versions of the Monorail, or even other ride vehicles! I think you are right, they could make a bundle.
I remember when I visited Seattle for the first time (in 1989), the monorail station at Seattle Center still had it's "ALWEG Monorail" sign on the roof. I made multiple return visits throughout the nineties, and at some point, the "ALWEG" name was removed. I just can't remember the year that I noticed the change. Still, it's pretty amazing that it remained in place from the opening of the monorail in 1962 up until at least 1989. (Okay, I just checked my photos, and "ALWEG" was still a part of the sign in 1992!)
TokyoMagic!, I enjoy the question, even though I don’t understand it.
Major, that quote was from "The Simpsons." Mr. Burns says it in the "Who Shot Mr. Burns" episode. "With Smithers out of the way, I was free to wallow in my own crapulence."
TokyoMagic!, you mean they didn’t just use actual typewriter sounds for the song?
Major, I think they actually did. In interviews, Dolly explains how she used her own acrylic nails to make the sound of a typewriter, while she was writing the song...and she often demonstrates it while explaining. But today, an AI internet response tells us that she also used her nails when recording the song. And you know very well that just like Wikipedia, AI responses are NEVER wrong! ;-)
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