Mom and hubby came for their annual visit, and since it had been 4 years since their last trip to Disneyland, I decided it was time to rectify that situation. For whatever reason, most of the hotels in the area either seemed booked or charging sky-high prices (ah, the joys of sticking it to the tourists during the summer). The Anabella Hotel on Katella is a property I had always wanted to try, and since their rates were in the reasonable range, I decided to give them a try.

I am so glad that I did. Hands down, they are the best location/value/designed property I have stayed at in Anaheim excluding the Disney hotels. With its Mission-style theme and splashes of color from the bougainvillea, the look of the hotel was right up my alley. Front check-in was a breeze and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful.



Sometimes, the exterior of the hotel and lobby can be misleading. It can be a little scary putting the key into the door, not knowing what mysteries might lurk in the rooms themselves. The Anabella had no surprises, as the rooms themselves were spacious, clean, and very well appointed.



Best of all, the Anabella was a very short walk down Disneyland Drive to the Grand Californian & the rest of the Disney property, which was very handy considering I was with my mom and her hubby.

The first thing I noticed as I approached the park was the great progress on the new entrance area for Disney California Adventure:



Had I been thinking, I would have asked mom to bring out her sweater from this November 1965 (yes, she still has it!):



Instead, I settled for a photograph in the same location with what she was wearing (too bad my brothers couldn't have come at the same time to duplicate the shot!).



First up in the day's lineup was Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln:



The patriotism and showmanship of this attraction did not disappoint.



In fact, mom commented that she was impressed how the "actor" was able to lip sync to the prerecorded lines so well! Her hubby & I got a good chuckle out of that one.



With Anaheim heat bordering on the uncomfortable level, we craved more air-conditioned attractions! The Tiki Room fit "the bill" (pardon the bad pun) perfectly.



Mom's hubby and I tried to convince her that the birds were real, but she wasn't falling for it this time. Mom's a pretty smart cookie.











By the time we left the show, we were all humming the theme song, "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing," composed by Robert Hargreaves, Stanley J. Damerell, and Tolchard Evans in 1932. It still holds up today as a very catchy tune!

As lunchtime quickly approached, we headed over to The Blue Bayou, which was a first time for both of them. The Tinkerbell drink sure lit up my stepfather's face!



As you can see by the happy look on their faces, lunch was a success! How could you not love a Monte Cristo sandwich from the Bayou?!?



Always looking for something special, I decided the next attraction would be the Mark Twain from the top—nothing but the best for mom!





The views (and thankfully the breeze!) were spectacular.











I made sure she signed the guestbook:





I know that they will both cherish their Pilot Certificates:



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Continuing up Main Street on our December 1969 journey we'll make a pit stop on West Center Street to check out the plastic flora at the Flower Market. A little further up at the end of Main Street we encounter the Plaza Pavillion.



Zooming in, it's still hard to read the sign, but it would appear that The Pavillion is closed and guests are advised to check out The Blue Bayou Restaurant, The Creole Cafe, and The Tomorrowland Terrace.



A lone White Wing makes his way towards the Castle, doing the essential duty of keeping the park immaculate.



The Sleeping Beauty Castle: this photo really needs no description.



On the other side of the castle at the farthest reaches of Fantasyland is it's a small world. When this photo was taken, it still was sponsored by the Bank of America.



Over in Frontierland we see The Columbia Sailing Ship.



Zooming in, we see The Haunted Mansion, which was only a few months old when this photo was shot. Sure, it had been built long beforehand, but the attraction opened August 9, 1969. An operating Keelboat can be seen in the foreground.



Last one for today is the Indian Burial ground that guests used to see towards the end of their Rivers of America journey.



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Racing towards a rollicking good finish, I present to you a batch of miscellaneous shots from my October 1960 grouping. Anybody need a lamp? I shudder to think of one of these ending up in my home. I believe the front alcove is where the current Silhouette Shop is located. Experts feel free to correct if necessary.

Here's one of the Castle. Is any further explanation necessary?



Well, sure there is. If you zoom in, it would appear that the Ticket Booth visible JUUUUUST on the other side is the one that currently sits over by small world now.



See...it was a good thing I played the Memory Game when I was a little kid. It's paying off in spades now.



A Burning Cabin shot...yup...deader than a doornail.



For these two photos, if you look back and forth real quick, it's almost like the Mark Twain is actually moving! Go ahead...try it! I'll wait.





Other than wishing that Grandma here had crossed her legs (wasn't she taught how to sit like a lady?), there's nothing remarkable that I can see to comment on.



The last photo shows a pre-New Orleans Square Rivers of America. The Frontierland Depot was closer to the water at that time and is just visible beyond the trees. Whatever you do, don't take directions from ladies wearing purple hats!



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Image quality on these early shots is not always so hot, but what the heck...they're historical, so that pardons all blurriness, scratching, and fading spots, right? Here’s the way the entrance to Frontierland looked when these shots were taken.

Up next are a few shots of the various forms of transportation that guests could enjoy in Frontierland, starting off with the Mark Twain:



Our photographer got a steady hand for this shot of the Bertha Mae Keelboat:



Last one from Frontierland shows the short-lived Conestoga Wagon with its Westward Ho slogan printed on the side. I can't imagine driving across town in one of these, let alone cross-country!



See more vintage & current Frontierland photos at my regular website.

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Last Saturday, I gave you a plethora of Twain shots; today, we begin with a few that show what Bobby & Susie saw on their trip around the Rivers of America. First image is the original Fort Wilderness, before it became re-fangled as a Home Depot "special."

There seem to be fewer Indian figures at the Indian Settlement during these early years at the park:



Rare shots of the short-lived Stagecoach & Conestoga Wagons in action. It’s probably hard for the youth of today to imagine, but back in the 1950’s, thoughts of exploring "the old West" were a dream come true...sort of the equivalent of the excitement kids today have about sitting on their asses and playing video games.





Now we’ll add a little speed to the mix by boarding the Mine Train—what a journey this will be!



I hope Susie is hiding her little red purse while they journey through "the badlands"!









And we’ll end today with another shot of the Coach & Wagon. Wow! I’m exhausted!



See more Frontierland photos at my website.

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