Monorail, 1960 & '63

Here are two similar photos, both taken from the Skyway as it passed over the Monorail loading platform in Tomorrowland. I wish that they had managed to get the whole train in both photos, but then again, I wish I had ten million dollars.

As you can see in this first picture, we are looking at the blue 3-Car "Mark I", introduced in July 1959 (about a year before the photo was taken). You can see that this version had a mini bubble dome, which I guess was basically a li'l sunroof. The windows have no glass, and it's nice to be able to see inside the train and get a feel for the way the seats were arranged.


By 1963 the "Mark II" trains were in use (now lengthened to 4 cars), and there's the big bubble dome. That's where the pilot got to sit...those guys got all the babes I'll bet. The windows now have glass (or plexi) in them now, so...no more throwing stuff at the suckers down below.

Disneyland Mix

Thank goodness I can count up to three, because that's how many pictures we'll be reviewing today.

This first photo is from September 1959, and even though it's kind of blurry, it shows the seldom-seen trading post, and the stoic wooden indian (as opposed to an excitable one, I guess). Most of the photos from this lot (you'll see more in the future) share an odd trait...at least two-thirds of each picture is empty ground. Photo after photo. It would be funny if it wasn't so frustrating! I'll have to put up several examples together, you'll see what I mean. The photographer also had a penchant for taking photos in which I have no idea what he/she was aiming at, because there isn't much of anything to look at. Nutty.


Now we move on to December 1960...the sun has set, and the lights have been turned on, making everything that much more beautiful. A father and son seem to be considering what to do next, maybe a ride on the Carousel, and then some of the dark rides? Sounds good to me. I can almost hear that distinctive carousel music.


This photo looks like it was taken with one of those cheap "Holga" cameras from China...it has a strange soft quality (but not unpleasing), not to mention the slightly "off" colors. Perhaps it's approriate that these odd attributes accompany a photo of the psychedelic Alice in Wonderland attraction, as seen in 1970

Saturday Jumble

We have four photos for you today, can you handle it?!! Sure you can, because you're awesome. And I'm not just saying that so that you'll loan me money.

The first offering is a bit of a mystery to me. It was in a lot that was mostly Disneyland images, but there were a few Walt Disney World pictures too. I could easily tell which was which, except for this photo. I have my doubts about it being Disneyland, it just feels wrong. Let's hear it, experts!


I assume that this was taken from the Monorail, circa 1961. There's the Fantasyland Autopia load area, remember when there were two separate Autopias? (Don't even get me started on the Midget Autopia or the Junior Autopia!). O'Malley the cop is sneaking up on those two ladies...go get 'em, they look suspicious to me too.


Even grandma enjoys a cheeseburger once in a while. Cheeseburgers are nature's candy. More questions from me: what eatery is this? I'm not sure if it is in Frontierland (since we can see the stockade in the distance) or if it is in Adventureland (since....well, I don't really have a good reason). This slide is from the 1950's, if that helps.


Now it's 1965, and the early New Orleans Square has appeared on the Rivers of America. You can see the building that would eventually hold Pirates of the Caribbean, with its distinctive cupola...it must be brand new, since pictures from 1964 usually show green construction walls and not much else. I assume that you could wander the streets and explore the shops at this point.

That Fabulous Monorail! July 1961

We've seen a lot of Monorail photos of the last few years, but this one is exceptionally nice in my opinion. There's something about the combination of elements that all come together to make this a thing of joy! The colorful flags, the Skyway buckets overhead, the Yacht Bar, and bits of the Castle, Matterhorn, and Sub Lagoon...what could be better?

Knott's 1969 part two

Here's a few more Knott's shots for you! Months ago I posted this photo of the small stationary autos that kids could ride for a bit of low-key fun. Here is another later view...by now a small town has been built to add some themeing to the area. There's "Red" again, looking like she's 10 feet tall next to the Apollo theater. She's holding something that could be a rolled up map (?).


A slightly different angle...


And now for an unrelated picture that I threw in for the heck of it. At first I thought that a guest decided to climb up and have a photo taken while "playing" the calliope, but I have since found another Knott's slide from a different lot, and you can see the same lady in that picture too. I'll scan it and post it when I have a bit of time. The frontier-style dress, kerchief, shades, and mink stole add up to a unique ensemble that makes me assume that this lady was a bit of a character!

Knott's 1969

I loved Knott's berry farm back in the day, but I haven't been in ages. Plus my knowledge of that park has never been much to brag about. So I'm not going to be able to add much commentary to these photos!

Say hello to "Red", we've seen her before in some pictures taken at Disneyland. She and her husband visited both parks, but I suspect that they did not do them both in one day, the way some crazy people used to. She's walking through the brand new Fiesta Village (it opened in 1969) which was constructed (according to one website) "under the supervision of daughter Marion Knott as a tribute to California's early Spanish heritage".


From these photos is appears that Fiesta Village was (is?) primarily made up of shops and dining areas, and shady plazas where you could sit and rest your weary feet.


This pond has the look of a rustic swimming pool...and those little immobile "houseboats" look like a nice place to relax. I'm assuming that you could buy crafty items of the sort you might purchase in Mexico....pottery, sombreros, textiles, postcards, baskets, maracas, and generic Viagra.


You could have Valerie make a silhouette portrait of you or your loved ones...it's a lost artform because it's weird.


If anybody out there has any interesting tidbits about Fiesta Village, I'd love to hear them!

Two More from 1957

Hey ho, it's back to 1957 we go! Arg, I'm running short on time, so this is going to be a rush job.

From the same lot of slides as yesterday, here's a nice view of Harper's Mill. As a kid I could just watch that water wheel go 'round and 'round....until I was HIP-MO-TIZED! There's somebody skulking around Fowler's Harbor, which makes me wonder - - could you go inside any of those picturesque, rickety buildings? Or were they strictly for maintenance crews and leprechauns? In the distance, a group of folks are walking on the trail from the Indian Village, and beyond them (barely visible) is a train tunnel.


We're looking down upon a Storybook Land boat and good old Casey Junior. I am sort of fascinated by what appears to be lots of earth-moving going on over that wall. What was going on out there?


I added this detail because I remember reading about how somebody had the bright idea of sticking a walnut tree upside-down in the ground outside of Toad Hall (above Moley's house), supposedly the bare roots made such a nice looking "scraggly tree". It's pretty clear that the story is true, because that sure looks like roots to me!

1957 Skyway and Stuff

Here's a nice way to start your week...take a gander at this great photo, circa 1957! In addition to giving us a nice view of the early Skyway and the busy Autopia queue area, we can see the "salmon" (i.e. red) Viewliner at the Tomorrowland station. It's the train of the future - - today! Beyond that, there is a pile of dirt with the elegant name of Snow Mountain (or at least, that was one of its names). I've seen some photos where you can see trails criss-crossing the peak, for those guests who didn't mind a bit of an uphill hike. The view was probably worth it!


Want a closer look?

Two Views from 1958

There are lots of Main Street photos in my boxes of slides, but this one is at least a little bit different...sort of an odd angle taken from the edge of the hub. Behind us and to our left would be the Red Wagon Inn, and beyond that, the entrance to Tomorrowland. Not many people are at the park on this cold March day, and there's not a child in sight.


Two months later, things have certainly warmed up, and the crowds look more like what I'm used to. The picture is a bit blurry, but there are a few details that I enjoy, like the balloons visible through the castle's arch, and the beautiful "antique" clock to the right, reminiscent of a clock you might find in some little Austrian town.

Publicity Photo

Fashion-conscious women around the world used to wonder, "What are they wearing at Disneyland this year?". Especially if they planned on standing on the deck of a nuclear submarine. Thanks to this publicity photo, we know that they should wear a bathing suit designed by Patty Woodard, with spaceage fabrics courtesy of Monsanto. I wonder if "Joan" was one of the mermaids that used to grace the lagoon? The photo is undated, but I would guess that it is from the late 60's.