tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post7574280639229969384..comments2024-03-29T02:30:53.003-07:00Comments on GORILLAS DON'T BLOG: Balloon Vendor, September 1971Major Pepperidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843598326995116014noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-71576679649124975262015-03-25T17:26:56.635-07:002015-03-25T17:26:56.635-07:00Slap a logo on those balloons and they're iden...Slap a logo on those balloons and they're identical to the one I got at WDW in 1982. I saved it for several years.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06169920944565828337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-18917078496396356512015-03-24T15:11:34.449-07:002015-03-24T15:11:34.449-07:00Wow, sounds like a lot of you had some good qualit...Wow, sounds like a lot of you had some good quality balloons if they lasted more than a day. I'm guessing that they changed the quality over the years, because the balloons that I got from Disneyland were always either on the ground, or hovering just above the ground when I woke up the next morning.<br /><br />An interesting fact.....okay, maybe not THAT interesting, but still a fact. The balloon vendors used to have to account for every balloon. If one shrunk or popped on them, they had to keep the "stem" and count it as "waste" on their inventory sheet. When I was a teenager and hanging out with friends in the park, we got to know quite a few cast members. One of the balloon vendors told us that if a guest's balloon popped or "shriveled up", they could turn it in at any time for a new one. We used to pick up the stems of popped balloons that were laying on the ground (seems like there were more of them laying around back then) and trade them in for fresh balloons on our way out of the park. Of course, we didn't tell them that we had picked them up off the ground.TokyoMagic!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16340756514811789233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-78660398037919876492015-03-24T12:50:09.037-07:002015-03-24T12:50:09.037-07:00At least you guys got balloons. I only got one, o...At least you guys got balloons. I only got one, on my first visit when I was two. It survived several days, too, before shriveling up and becoming a rubber raisin.<br /><br />After that trip, balloons were always "a waste of money." Of course, I'm sure the fact that my parents had no idea where to put the balloons in the travel trailer may have had something to do with it, too.Chucknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-7877579231281220562015-03-24T10:46:21.185-07:002015-03-24T10:46:21.185-07:00"I didn't lose my balloon until I stepped..."I didn't lose my balloon until I stepped out of the car in my parent's driveway."<br /><br />That's exactly what happened to me.Steve DeGaetanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04947550539650692495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-40871405381451449172015-03-24T09:29:34.645-07:002015-03-24T09:29:34.645-07:00Nanook, these days I feel like I need to do that; ...Nanook, these days I feel like I need to do that; there are too many cars that look like mine!<br /><br />TokyoMagic!, now that you mention it, several of the balloons in his "bouquet" have deformed ears, so your theory might be right. That's interesting about the cast member tying the balloons to a railing… if they sell the darn things all day, they have to have a way to let guests ride the rides!<br /><br />Chuck, do those "Astro Blasters" use lasers? I thought it might be infra-red or something. I have no idea though. You have brought up an interesting point that not many people know about… balloons were used as deodorant for centuries.<br /><br />Alonzo, look at that green balloon, it is next in line for culling! Hmmm, armrest, that's not a bad idea.<br /><br />K. Martinez, yes I do remember that scene. I wish Disney had done more playful, surreal things like that in their old specials. On one level I love to watch the episodes in which Disneyland is featured, but there is a lot of repetition (they must have used footage of a trip down the Matterhorn in at least three different shows), and then there are the big dance numbers (a dancing birthday cake!) that are pretty snooze-worthy today.<br /><br />Monkey Cage Kurt, I always assume that weird gags like that are from Wally Boag.<br /><br />Anonymous, those were my favorite balloons! The weird thing is, I have a slide from 1960 showing the Rose Parade in Pasadena and kids are holding balloons like that. Whaaaaat?<br /><br />TokyoMagic!, I'm glad to hear that those balloons are back!<br /><br />Patrick Devlin, yes, and I always imagine there must be a crying child somewhere in the park, though it could just be a balloon that got away from the vendor.<br /><br />Alonzo, wow, are they really $7? For a bit of plastic (or rubber), string, and helium? Yeesh.<br /><br />K. Martinez, I didn't lose my balloon until I stepped out of the car in my parent's driveway. <br /><br />JG, we had those popcorn ceilings, but somehow our balloons never got popped by them. We would just see the balloons hovering lower and lower (after a day or so) until they no longer floated. We should have just inhaled the helium, at least we would have had a few laughs!Major Pepperidgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09843598326995116014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-22988039999426071692015-03-24T09:16:28.357-07:002015-03-24T09:16:28.357-07:00Mom and Dad used to buy me a balloon on the way ou...Mom and Dad used to buy me a balloon on the way out of the Park, usually the last vendor by the West tunnel.<br /><br />That way, we didn't worry about all day, and I could enjoy it in the car on the way home all day the next day.<br /><br />Once, though, the balloon made it back to the room at the Magic Lamp motel, tied to my wrist, and I untied it to go to bed. It jumped up to the ceiling and bumped against the "popcorn" texture and burst. At that point, I fell out of love with balloons, and never wanted another one.<br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />Thanks for these remarkable pictures, Major. Very excellent.<br /><br />JGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-48088461374216421782015-03-24T08:50:45.036-07:002015-03-24T08:50:45.036-07:00Monkey Cage Kurt - I agree. First time I saw the ...Monkey Cage Kurt - I agree. First time I saw the gag it was startling.<br /><br />Patrick Devlin - I definitely remember seeing many a renegade balloon at Disneyland drifting away to high altitude.K. Martinezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03960970051790617367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-80937406848744452302015-03-24T08:48:10.543-07:002015-03-24T08:48:10.543-07:00@Patrick Devlin.
The difference is back in the da...@Patrick Devlin.<br /><br />The difference is back in the day a 50 cent balloon went AWOL and the kid was crying. Nowadays the $7.00 balloon gets away and the parent starts crying before the kid.Alonzo P Hawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529651580262634489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-405193430976715552015-03-24T08:00:59.099-07:002015-03-24T08:00:59.099-07:00I suppose it still happens these days but I can re...I suppose it still happens these days but I can remember seeing a renegade balloon or two drifting away in the sky on its way to do high altitude research over the park. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13819318798840978404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-84064716784687601862015-03-24T08:00:53.256-07:002015-03-24T08:00:53.256-07:00Anonymous, they've actually started selling th...Anonymous, they've actually started selling those again, but the clear outer balloon is made of a tougher material now.TokyoMagic!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16340756514811789233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-48703434423235222752015-03-24T07:17:45.619-07:002015-03-24T07:17:45.619-07:00I recall a time when the Mickey balloons were insi...I recall a time when the Mickey balloons were inside a larger, clear balloon. Anyone else remember that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-52606791288825980362015-03-24T06:38:35.938-07:002015-03-24T06:38:35.938-07:00K. Martinez: I remember that boy with the balloons...K. Martinez: I remember that boy with the balloons gag. It was SO freaky, and such a nonlinearity. It SO takes you off guard, and just sticks in your head.<br />Monkey Cage Kurthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14416939013314956531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-55062900406334376052015-03-24T06:03:46.694-07:002015-03-24T06:03:46.694-07:00The images of balloons today reminds me of that si...The images of balloons today reminds me of that sight gag from "Holiday Time at Disneyland" where a parade character gives a little boy on a mother's lap a bunch of tied balloons together and it carries the kid (fake) off up into the atmosphere. Anyone remember that one?<br /><br />That second image is cool. I love the dimensional layering (multiplane?) of foliage with the walkway tucked in between and the castle in the back. Nice set today. Thanks, Major.K. Martinezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03960970051790617367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-37856532385424464542015-03-24T05:56:14.684-07:002015-03-24T05:56:14.684-07:00I vote with @TokyoMagic and say that pinky is a gr...I vote with @TokyoMagic and say that pinky is a gross mutation (like the baby in Eraserhead) and had to be cut out of the herd. <br /><br />On the other hand BO remover and armrest are both plausible options that would not shock me in the least if proven true. Alonzo P Hawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529651580262634489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-79435744327835526522015-03-24T04:40:28.473-07:002015-03-24T04:40:28.473-07:00If they were reflective Mylar balloons, I can see ...If they were reflective Mylar balloons, I can see that not only being nice to the guests, but possibly a safety precaution to prevent laser beams from the guns accidentally being reflected into another guest's eyes.<br /><br />My research indicates that the dye used in DL's pink balloons from 1962 until 1976 was also effective as an underarm deodorant, although that use was officially discouraged amongst CMs on duty. Another possibility is that the balloon vendor was getting tired of holding up the balloons and placed one under his arm for support.Chucknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-42533663054153870162015-03-24T00:29:02.775-07:002015-03-24T00:29:02.775-07:00I wonder if the balloon vendor could've been l...I wonder if the balloon vendor could've been letting the helium out of that balloon because the ears had shrunk (as they tend to do), and he wanted to remove it from the bunch. Just a theory.<br /><br />I was at the park last week and I saw a cast member take two balloons from some guests that were getting in line to ride Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, and tie them to the railing next to the entrance (the balloons, not the guests). That is the first time I've ever seen that done. I wonder if this is a new policy.TokyoMagic!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16340756514811789233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-85976088209653759762015-03-24T00:05:37.773-07:002015-03-24T00:05:37.773-07:00Major-
Whenever I park my car in a large parking ...Major-<br /><br />Whenever I park my car in a large parking lot, I always tie at lest 50 balloons to its antenna. There's no missing that baby-!<br /><br />Thanks, Major.Nanookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07255357829181568172noreply@blogger.com