Main Street Views, July 17, 1980
It's time for more photos from Lou Perry - Sue B's father (she scanned these). Lou apparently took a ton of photos during Disneyland's 25th anniversary, and these pix were taken on July 17th, 1980 - the actual anniversary day.
If you happened to visit the park and didn't already know that it was the park's 25th "birthday" (having somehow avoided the avalanche of publicity), there were banners along Main Street to inform you. I was also there, yelling the big news to people passing by. Don't worry, it was friendly yelling (i.e. less spit flying).
There's some low-key bunting on City Hall, and Old Glory was flying as usual. Some say guests might see a pale, haunted face in one of those round windows, but it's too scary so I'll never look.
Looking at the shadows, this is well into the afternoon, but the crowds don't seem as crazy and I would expect on such a significant day. You'd think that many locals would stop by to take part in the celebration. Looking through the trees in the Plaza, it appears that there is some sort of giant "cake" on display. Chonklit, I hope.
We're outside the Coca Cola Refreshment Corner. Why yes, I'd love a refreshment. Not too much ice, I ain't paying for frozen water! That vertical sign always makes me think of a thermometer.
And finally, here's a nice view as seen from Main Street Station. The giant cake is gone, guests ate it like piranhas eating a water buffalo. They all had chocolate on their faces for the rest of the day. Pooh is in the lower left corner, greeting some fans. It looks like it was a fun day!
MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue!
15 comments:
Major-
Why yes, I was there on 'that' July 17th. I don't know why Lou didn't capture my picture. It's interesting to note the lack of crowds for such a big 'encomium' for The Happiest Place on Earth. Oh, for the days of moderation.
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
1) OK, what is that thing the guy on the right is holding? I thought maybe it's a churro. But 'A', I'm not sure the Park had churros in 1980. And 'B', it looks too weird to be a churro. Is that a tassel on top? And those are some mighty short shorts Miss Pink is wearing. Her legs go on forever!
2) An interesting close-up shot of City Hall. Another example of Mr. Perry documenting pretty much everything at Disneyland.
3 Major, before I brought up the full-size image I thought that you were 'making a funny' by suggesting that the Castle was the giant cake. But I see it now. [JB's face turns red.] Maybe Jessica Rabbit jumped out of that cake! (I know, 1980 was several years before the Roger Rabbit movie came out. But they're Toons; they existed in the 'tooniverse' before they became famous in the movie!)
4) It's appropriate that the "Refreshments" sign looks like a thermometer because, as I'm sure you know, there were many Coca Cola branded thermometers that looked very similar to that.
5) I think the cake was honey-flavored, and Pooh ate it all. And your piranha analogy is fitting because Pooh can get very dangerous when someone comes between him and anything 'hunny'! Even the Killer Swans take cover! Through the magic of Lou Perry's photography, the gal on the right, in blue and white, is holding up a giant white beach ball.
Many thanks to Lou, Sue, and Major.
Wow, in that first pic, Kristy McNichols' illegitimate half-sister just happened to walk into the frame as Lou was taking the picture.
That close-up shot is of the Emporium, rather than City Hall.
That disappearing cake is a mystery. I know they had a real cake in front of the Castle for Mickey's 50th birthday. I don't think this cake for the 25th was a real cake. But if it wasn't real and they weren't serving it to guests (like they did with the cake for Mickey's 50th), then why did it disappear later in the day? JB, maybe it was a scantily clad Minnie that jumped out of the cake? Or maybe Lillian Disney?
Thanks for sharing the great pics, Lou, Sue, and Major!
Oh, and the park was open for 25 hours that day. Sue, do you have Lou's 25th birthday button and party hat? And did he see Syreeta perform that day? I hope so!
Disneyland's 25th Birthday - 25 Hour Party Stuff
.....what is that thing the guy on the right is holding? I thought maybe it's a churro. But 'A', I'm not sure the Park had churros in 1980.
JB, you are right, the park didn't sell churros back in 1980. Or light sabers. Or bubble wands. That item is one of the Disneyland merchandise bags that was used from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. It looks like the top is folded over. I bet that guy bought one of those giant candy sticks at the Candy Palace or the Castle Candy Shoppe, or maybe one of those long skinny pencils with a rubber character head on the end, which were available at multiple locations throughout the park.
So much fundrerful color in the crowds these last couple days! The park herself seeming a bit subdued compared to 2025.
I was there, the whole 25 hours! Pro-tip, the best place to nap in on the riser in the Main Street Cinema. Of course I still have the yellow party hat and 'I was there' button, and the key to my room at the Disneyland hotel, and maybe an ash tray from there; some shopping bags, drink twizlers, custom napkins, newspapers, the new book, etc. who could resist?
MS
Seconding TM on the tower being the Emporium, rather than City Hall (whose tower mansard roof is curved rather than straight). Interesting that someone thought to focus in on this piece of architecture).
The young lady in photo 1 seems to sum up the era. Is she wearing a soccer uniform?
I never tire of Lou’s photos of Disney Details, he saw everything, it seems. Signs like that one are called flag signs, for some reason.
I think I can count nine trash cans in the last photo, Main Street and the Plaza are simply rife with them.
Thank you Lou, Sue and Major!
JG
Major, nice photos and details today, alway nice to see photos from the Lou collection.
Nice prop(?) cake for the party! I wonder if it only came out, briefly, for this exact special day.
Re: Coke sign thermometer... wow, yes, so natural to see. "Happy to report our fundraising has finally reached 'SCMENTS" today!
And many thanks to Lou and Sue
In the last shot, I like the parade employee (wearing a Main Street costume) removing the flangeway fillers after the parade had passed.
Nanook, I choose to believe that you are in at least one of the wider “crowd shots”, such as that view up Main Street!
JB, I truly can’t tell what that thing is that the guy is holding. It does look a bit churro-ish, but then again, it has those green and red dots. Short gym shorts were a thing in 1980, sadly. Reading ahead (now that I know how to read), I see that it is the Emporium and not City Hall. HUMILIATING. I think they should definitely have Jessica Rabbit jumping out of a cake for all occasions. Attendance would skyrocket (as if they needed it to)! Coca-Cola brand thermometers? What about a Coca-Cola branded random orbital sander? Pooh looks cuddly, but he is a bear after all, and sometimes his wild nature comes out - with a vengeance. Everybody’s looking for Piglet, but are afraid to ask Pooh what happened.
TokyoMagic!, that girl really DOES look like Kristy McNichol! Or her half-sister, I guess. I am so ashamed about my City Hall mistake that I will be turning in my “BLOGGER” sash, and will eating only bread crusts and water. I was joking about people eating that cake, it doesn’t look like a real dessert! Ha ha, popping out of the cake was Lillian’s idea, and she couldn’t be talked out of it. “But ma’am…”. “No, I insist!”. I wonder if the park will ever do those “more than a day” events again? Didn’t they do one that was even longer than 25 hours once? I read about guests falling asleep in the flowerbeds.
TokyoMagic!, it is surprising that churros became such a signature treat at Disneyland. That being said, I do like them, maybe that is shameful to admit. But I also like a big soft pretzel! And OH MAN, good call on the shopping bag! Now I see it. I even have a few, including one with a light blue background and one with a white background. But yellow seems to have been the most common.. I had some of those pencils with the rubber heads, but sold them a few years back.
MS, I definitely remember that the Main Street Cinema was another popular place to nap! Did employees just let people lie down wherever they wanted, or would they “shoo” them away occasionally? I wouldn’t sleep in a flowerbed, there would be bugs. I’ll bet you smile every time you put your cigarette out in that ashtray! ;-)
Steve DeGaetano, yeah, yeah, rub it in. Did you know that mansard roofs were named after Sir Albert Mansard?
JG, it seems to me that a lot of people looked like they were about to play tennis with Jimmy Connors back then. Soccer wasn’t much of a deal in the US, and boy do “they” want us to embrace it. No thanks. I think those “flag signs” were often actual red, white, and blue bunting for patriotic displays, so the name makes sense.
LTL, good question about the cake. I would think that maybe it came apart in pieces and could be reused for future birthday events? Just a theory. Maybe the Coke sign should act like a thermometer, perhaps indicating how full the park is. When the light reaches the top, the whole thing will explode. That’s my idea, and I’ve patented it!
Anonymous, I wasn’t sure what “flangeway fillers” were, but now I get it!
Correction : I have some photos of Frontierland wooden “Mexican” food carts … taken in 1979 selling … bean burritos , Apple Emplenadas (apple burritos) and …. CHURROS. The signage explains the emplenadas are ( fried apple burrito) but no description is given for the churro - I’m assuming Disney guests were slightly aware of them in 1979.
Growing up in San Diego , churros were common throughout the 70’s and 80’s and could be purchased in Mexican bakeries, OLD TOWN STATE PARK, the Del Mar Fair and many other locations . I remember my coach of my little league team buying all of us churros at a San Diego Padres baseball game around 1978-79. OH!! I almost forgot: remember my mom and sister sharing a churro at Disneyland while my friend Eric and I looked at the Big Thunder Construction wall display …
The churro , burrito and apple burrito carts are made to look like Mexican Carreta‘s and have a fake large center wooden wheel … the carts are brightly painted in oranges , lime greens , yellow and pinks with flower details . The vending girls are wearing the same Mexican style dress - costume as Casa Fritos / MEXICANA .. I’ll try and get major sone images but will be going out of town.
VIVA PECOS BILL!!!
Tokyo!, "That close-up shot is of the Emporium, rather than City Hall". [JB's face turns red again.) (Thanks a lot, Major!) ;-p
And thanks Tokyo!, for identifying that cylinder thingy.
Major, "Everybody’s looking for Piglet, but are afraid to ask Pooh what happened." I actually chuckled out loud over that!
Mike C., So I was right! It IS a churro!!! (Sarcasm)
Mike Cozart, I think 1979 was a weird period where I didn’t go to the park very often - school and other stuff. But I can’t be too surprised that churros were already there - and that it would take a few years for them to become an early version of a meme. Kind of like the turkey legs, do they still sell those? They looked unappetizing to me, but I guess folks enjoyed them. I do not need a big oily piece of meat while at Disneyland. I know I’ve gotten churros at Magic Mountain, and I think at Universal Studios too, so they have become a theme park staple.
Mike Cozart, I like that brightly-colored, Mexican look, it’s so cheerful and welcoming. If you can share images, that would be great. Have fun on your trip!
JB, since I never make a mistake (as you know), I prefer to think of my City Hall ID as being in an alternate universe. My good friend Stephen Hawking agrees (yes, he speaks to me from beyond). Poor Piglet, he was so tiny, so meek, so crispy.
Nanook and MS, I sure hope we find both of you in one of my dad's pictures from this trip. Please keep watching!! TM!--were you there on this date, too?
TM! Offhand, I don't know if my dad kept his pin and hat....they're probably somewhere in a box. I hope we have 'em!
Wow, JG! I think you're right about seeing 9 trashcans.
My dad will be happy to hear you enjoyed these pictures. Thanks, Major and everyone.
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