A Pair From August 1958

Today's first photo is a neat one, taken from the 2nd story veranda of the old Plantation House, overlooking the Rivers of America. I'm not sure I have any other pictures in my collection shot from up there! The elevated vantage point affords us a great view of the Columbia in the distance and the trout-fishing dock to the left, as well as Rainbow Ridge and the small riverside bandstand to the right.

Next is a pretty nice picture of Main Street Station, complete with the Kalamazoo hand car, and a kid excitedly pointing at the poster for the Autopia!

Leftuggies

It's time for some leftuggies™! 

This first photo is a cute one, with a dad and two of his kids walking in Town Square. There's the Mad Hatter to the right, and the Hills Bros. Coffee Garden ahead. Some of you might remember the girl from this Knott's Berry Farm picture!

From September 1962 we have this photo of Storybook Land, including a canal boat ("Katrina") and the Casey Jr. Circus Train.

Tom Sawyer had a treehouse over on his eponymous island, and it is pretty sweet. Any treehouse that has stairs leading up to it already gets two additional gold stars from "Treehouse Monthly" magazine. Also, Tom's environmentally-conscious reuse of wooden crates ("Davis Worm Powder"??) for the exterior shows that he cares. I'm sure that Tom, Huck Finn, and Joe Harper required the use of secret passwords to gain access to the treehouse.

Here endeth another serving of leftuggies™.

Haunted Mansion, March 1981

I don't have a lot of Haunted Mansion-related photos, so I am sharing today's examples even though they rank low on the "so-so" scale.

Mysterious spirits clearly fiddled with the photographer's camera, resulting in this odd double-exposure.  Spooooooooky!

One of my favorite features in the Mansion is the part at the end in which a hitchhiking ghost hops into your doombuggy. This was an extremely dark slide, but you can still make out the buggy's mortal passengers (two adults and one kid) as well as the grinning skeleton ghost that has acquired the name "Ezra". I always hoped to get Ezra!

"Little Leota" is another one of my favorite parts of the Mansion; you see her after you've disembarked from your doombuggy and travel up the ramp toward the exit. A breeze gently moves her clothing as she mournfully encourages everyone to "Hurry back....". I've always wondered, is she supposed to be a tiny ghost, or is she supposed to appear as if she is far away?

I almost didn't include this last photo, but then figured "Why the heck not?". It's a blurry picture of what I assume is a "pop-up ghost", although the red light puzzles me. 

Flag at half staff

46 years ago today, Walt Disney passed away at the age of 65. As a big admirer of Walt (surprise!), I can't help wondering what amazing things he might have accomplished had he lived another 5 or 10 years. But, rather than focusing on the negative, I'd rather be grateful for the many things that he created that still bring me happiness today.

My friend "Mr. X" visited Disneyland just two days after Walt's death (Walt passed on Thursday the 15th, Mr. X went to the park on Saturday, December 17th). Among the pictures that he snapped with his Kodak Instamatic are today's examples, clearly showing flags at half-staff in memoriam.

A Keystone Cop chats with a tour guide as the park prepares for a holiday parade. Did they really set up (and then remove) scores of folding chairs back then? Giant gift-wrapped packages sit nearby - I suspect that some of them are audio speakers in disguise.

Construction for the "New Tomorrowland" was in full swing, and the land was surrounded by colorful walls... just a bit of some wood framing is visible here. The Matterhorn is wearing its Christmas star, and the House of the Future still sits nearby.

Instamatic Alice!

It's time for more Instamatic pix! You know 'em, you love 'em. Today we're going to focus on Alice and the White Rabbit. 

Everyone's hangin' out in front of the castle (or behind the castle, really), ready to greet their rabid fans. They remind me of R-Patz and K-Stew. The Mad Hatter is nearby, as is the balloon vendor, who has to wear the most humiliating costume in the history of Disney theme parks. 

I suspect that this next photo was taken a year or so later. Alice's costume has gotten more frilly, and the White Rabbit got contact lenses and false eyelashes. Celebrities! They all want to look youthful. He also pioneered the hop-hop fashion trend of wearing a large watch on a chain around the neck. I like the kid in the cavalry hat to the right.

And finally, another Alice (with another costume variation) marches down Main Street during a parade.  If you happened to be a young lady with long blond hair, there was a job waiting for you at Disneyland! 

New York World's Fair, July 1964

It's been over a month since I have posted anything from the '64 World's Fair. So here we go!

Over at Sinclair's "Dinoland", a full-sized Brontosaurus (did you know that he moved?) attracted Fair guests by the kajillions. By 1964, the name "Brontosaurus" had fallen out of favor with scientists who used the more accurate "Apatosaurus"; but it was too late, the public knew and loved Brontos (and had a hunger for Brontosaurus burgers, which contributed to their extinction).

Out in front of the Maryland pavilion, you could find this nice model of the U.S. Frigate Constellation, which the sign tells us was the "...First ship of the U.S. Navy, launched in Baltimore in 1797. Oldest ship afloat in the world, now being restored in Baltimore. Replica built to 1/15th scale - contribution will be welcome." It appears that the pool of water is lined with thousands of clam or mussel shells. And maybe a few pennies.

Looking across the Grand Central Parkway, we can see just how massively huge the building that housed General Motor's "Futurama" was. Notice how the people in line look and smell like ants.

This unusual view was taken in the shadow of the Eastman Kodak pavilion, looking toward the Unisphere. There were some exterior exhibits, including the display visible to our right that has the heading "Great Movie Stars On Film". On the other side is a display, "Great Movie Stars Not On Film".

Three From August 20, 1995

Here are three more pictures from those crazy 1990's. Everyone drove a Model T, FDR told us that the only thing we needed to fear was zombies, and a TV show called "Welcome Back Kotter" taught us all to laugh again.

If it wasn't for that lady wearing jeans shorts, I might be able to pass this first picture off as one taken in the 1950's. Those blinders make the horse look badass; the only thing that would make him look cooler is if he was smoking a cigarette. And so, I will be starting a Kickstarter fundraiser to provide smokes to the Disneyland horses. Please give!

Here's something bittersweet (mostly bitter).... these photos are from a lot that is dated "8-20-95" - a Sunday. Which I mention because on "8-21-95" - the very next day - the Peoplemover closed forever. Strange that it closed in the Summer. I will pause for a moment so that we can all weep in private.

Meanwhile, it may have been crowded over in Tomorrowland, but there is plenty of seating over at the River Belle Terrace. Let's eat now, and then go ride "Pirates"!

Knott's Mine Train, August 1965

Here are two images of folks aboard the Calico Mine Train at Knott's Berry Farm. No interiors of the ride, unfortunately.

This towheaded little girl clutches her train ticket while waiting for the train to get under way. I love the simple, wooden mine cars that guests sit in.

Here's big sis with dad. He's armed with a movie camera, and she has her own camera. She's not afraid to use it either! I like the hair bow. Notice that both girls are wearing unusual, half-yellow, half-white dresses (each with a red-orange flower) that look very "mod"! I suspect that mom made them on her Singer sewing machine at home, which is pretty cool.

Disneyland Hotel, 1966

Here's a wonderful photo taken over at the Disneyland Hotel; you can see the tail-end of the blue Monorail parked at the hotel station, which also happened to be the location of a bunch of conveniently-located travel agencies - all of the major airlines wanted to be involved with Disneyland. Meanwhile, some people need a grown-up break from the park during their multi-day visits, and the Monorail Room is a nice place to relax with a martini or three.

The color is a little funky on this one, but otherwise it is a great look at the spacious pool area circa 1966. Lifeguard on duty! Imagine getting to stay at the hotel for three days or so, giving you the option to leave the park at its hottest or most crowded for a dip in the pool or maybe a nap; then you can hop on the Monorial to enjoy the rest of your evening, refreshed and ready for fun!

Views From The Mark Twain, March 1959

The Mark Twain's elevated vantage point (assuming you head to the top level, as so many people do) and slow, smooth ride made picture-taking practically mandatory for those armed with a camera. 

A peaceful Indian Village sits beside the river, and the inhabitants are busy doing the daily chores that simply must be done. 

In a not-so-hidden cove, two meese ("meese" is the plural of "moose", as you know) talk about new TV shows for '59. Boy moose prefers the "Bonanza", "The Untouchables", and "Hawaiian Eye", while girl moose likes "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" "The Swamp Fox", and "The Twilight Zone". 

A bloodthirsty deer lurks in the shadows below while an unsuspecting mountain lion enjoys his last moments on the sunny warm rock above.