Views From June, 1962
I'm using up a few of the remaining scans from a batch from June, 1962. We'll start with this photo looking east down what I believe was called Plaza Street (though I could be mistaken). There's the INA Carefree Corner to the right, and the Red Wagon Inn (by this point called "The Red Wagon Restaurant" for some reason) is to the left. I don't ever recall seeing all of that outdoor seating placed there, but there's the picture to prove it existed. In the background, we can just see part of the striped tent that held the Art Festival.
Well, we're tired, and ready to go home. Sure, it's only 4:00, but we also don't want to miss the big wrestling match on TV. Folks sit on benches, probably waiting for Dad to pull the station wagon up (what, don't they like riding parking lot trams??). I noticed that the very hop-able chain link fence (remember, bring a carpet remnant to protect yourself from the barbed wire) goes from about 5 feet high (to the right) to a less hop-able 8 or 9 feet high.
Each kid has a souvenir; we can see a pair of Cavalry hats, a hat with a golden ostrich plume, and two balloons (I guess the boy to the right got two souvenirs, because his parents loved him more).
14 comments:
Major-
Make that East Plaza Street.
Thanks, Major.
That outdoor seating seems to be taking up the entire street. Maybe it's temporary, and some sort of special event is going to take place?
That yellow-plumed hat is almost as tall as the kid wearing it! And I wonder what sort of goodies Mom has in her shopping bag? (Besides fried chicken.)
Thanks for the double post, Major. ;-)
Photos of the old Main Gate area are always a winner: this one as well. Imagine the view out of the 2nd floor of City Hall to the parking lot....but maybe in the 80's you could see it too? The windows on that side of the building held some very unglamorous offices, and the Xerox room: which was also the "coffee room": where the Bunn coffee maker was- and of course the newfangled and modern fax machine. I wonder what's up there now? Probably the same coffee machine.... Trees of course have no scale, but I enjoy seeing little "peaks" into the Park...which of course, built up some excitement on this side of the berm. All intentionally. I am mystified by the chairs and tables outside Carefree Corner....with a gas lamp in the middle of the street....This street was a major artery going backstage, and possibly the most active in the park. In addition, you have baby land back there and first aid. This leads me to believe this was some kind of special set up, and was worthy of a negative in someones camera. In all my shenanigans, I've never attempted to go over a barbed wire fence. Now if there is a hole in the fence already, I'll definitely partake in a little 'nannigans....of course if I was about 50 years or so younger. The scene on the bench is pretty awesome. Even the guy at the back staring into the camera. There's a lot going on here. Gotta love those ostrich plumes! Thanks Major!
The guy in the back is the dad wondering if he should have sold the car to buy all that stuff, now that they have to walk home...
Nanook, well I knew that it was east!
JB, having never seen that outdoor seating before, it’s hard to know why it was there. Was it because they were expecting large summer crowds? I always wonder what could be in a big shopping bag from Disneyland! And (obviously) the double post was a mistake (argh), so only the early birds saw it. I moved it to next year (!), so it will look familiar to some of you!
Bu, I would love a tour of Main Street that included the upper story offices, no matter how boring they are! As you said, a 2nd floor view would be something to behold. I did see something like it when I was lucky enough to tour Walt’s Apartment! I also saw his grilled cheese sandwich press, which I admit brought a tear to my eye. A fax machine in the offices? What is this, the year 3000? I didn’t even really notice the gas lamp in the middle of that street (the one with the tables). Kind of odd. Babyland! I saw an industrial band called Babyland many years ago. They were good, if you like angle grinders on oil drums. We never know if the date stamp is remotely accurate, but if this was June, they could have done special events for Summer, or Father’s Day, or… who knows. I used to dream of hopping the fence at Disneyland, maybe I’d do it so often that I’d get good at it! Never did it, of course.
Stu29573, that guy shouldn’t be dressed for the office! How can you have fun in a suit and tie??
Not to be “that guy”, but the photo links may not be right for me? I click on the first photo and see the second, click on the second and nothing happens, but third time is the charm.
Interesting to hear that the tables and seating might be temporary there, what might be happening elsewhere to cause this?
Bu, fun to hear the City Hall details, all the mundane stuff behind the scenes of every business enterprise.
I have never climbed over a barbed wire enclosure, but I have dodged around the bent chain link construction fence a time or two, but as is often said on GDB, that story is “for another time”.
I like seeing the tuckered-out kids with their funny hats and guidebooks. I’m sure I looked much like that in this era, more than once.
Thank you Major, very nice pics today.
JG
I just noticed that the thumbnail for the second photo doesn't work, but I can't fix it until I get home... in three days!
JG, ha ha, I left my comment (after yours) before I saw your comment. Yes, Blogger has struck again, but I am away from home, and won’t be back until Wednesday night. I truly don’t understand how those scrambled thumbnails and images happen, since you have to drop in the specific image, there’s no HTML linking or anything like that. I have climbed over barbed wire, but it wasn’t for anything as fun as getting into Disneyland serreptitiously. That’s where I got the idea to get a carpet remnant from a carpet store and drape it over the barbs! Works like a charm.
I think I have shared this story before, but I had a dream nearly 30 years ago where they had added an Omnimover ride that ran though the upper levels of the east side of Main Street. The spaces were completely undecorated, with the walls painted a shade somewhere between beige and pale yellow and the only light was coming in through the windows along the street. The intent appeared to be to give you an opportunity to look out the windows and enjoy a view of Main Street from a different angle and nothing else. I remember it was really stuffy - no air movement at all - and there were dead horseflies lying on the carpet in front of the windows. The things you dream in the middle of a deployment...
I have crawled over, under, and one time run smack into barbed wire. I can tell you it's a lot more exciting when people are screaming and chasing you and small arms fire is going off all around. This is why I no longer try to sneak into Disneyland.
Which shop sold the rabbit ears that the Dad is wearing?
I've climbed over barbed wire but darned if I can remember why.
Thanks, Major
zach
Chuck, I feel like perhaps you did mention the dream about the Omnimover going through Main Street. The details and interesting, you’d think a dream (where anything is possible) would be wild, but it sounds like the tour was pretty mundane. Except for the horseflies!! Ouch, running into barbed wire; my aunt’s farm had some barbed wire, and her dumb sheep would sometimes bump us against the wire when we were trying to give them their Fruit Loops. It was fun!
zach, Dad had just been to the Playboy Club in LA!
That barbed wire hits that spot at Disney where having fun is serious business.
The chairs offer a rare look towards space that shoulda woulda coulda hosted the entrance to Liberty Square and become a far more famous view.
MS
In the ‘70s (and perhaps earlier as well), rather than closing the Plaza Inn when it was time to reseal the outdoor seating area concrete, occasionally dining was moved south near First Aid/Lost Parents for the day or two it took things to cure. The work was usually performed on Mondays and Tuesdays when the park was closed but not always. Apparently, the Pavilion/Terrace kitchen didn’t have the facilities to handle everything the Inn served so the foods people didn’t simply route everyone to the Pavilion as there was still indoor seating at the Inn.
I’m pretty sure that is what is happening in the first photo.
ne; Edison Square or Liberty Street, opposite end from International Street.
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