It's just a quickie for today, as it is definitely a TGIF day for me. This little boy is obviously a Civil War buff (and a northerner at that, judging by his hat!). This photo is undated, but must be somewhere between 1963-1964, as The Mickey Mouse Club is still headquartered in the Opera House.

Here's the same little boy again, anxiously awaiting a visit inside to the Art Corner & The Dutch Boy Paint Gallery in Tomorrowland:



Just to pad out the day, here's an interior shot of the Paint Gallery:



I wonder if he picked up one of these while he was in the park?



Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter. See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street U.S.A. photos at my regular website.

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How about a little Christmas in July? Looks like the Disneyland Christmas tree is being readied 'back stage,' before it gets moved to Town Square.

Town Square is rarely this peaceful these days, and seeing this shot makes me long for a time when it would be possible to just sit and relax here without the craziness of thousands of guests passing through. I keep telling myself that without those guests, there'd be no Disneyland!



The cannon is still in Town Square, albeit on a raised platform:



Here's the maker's mark on it:



This one shot is going to provide a lot of details for us to examine!



If you want to take a tour by these lovely young lasses, you'll need to wait by this sign (Signage Geek alert!). The font used on the sign looks more 70's than vintage Main Street.



I can't decide which is cooler; that boy's hat or the rack of mint postcards on display!



Last of the zooms features the three lovely lasses themselves; I believe the blonde is being excluded by the two brunettes. Poor blondie!



Carole Lombard is playing at the Main Street Cinema. She is best known for her 1930's/1940's comedies (and being the wife of Clark Gable), but yes, she did start off in silent films.



Here's a gorgeous shot of Carole:



This little detail seems somewhat odd; these guys don't look like repairmen, so why would they be trying to break-in through the window?



I'll leave you hanging with that one!

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter. See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street U.S.A. photos at my regular website.

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Today begins a series of images taken only a few months after Disneyland opened. Focusing (oh, the puns) on Main Street, U.S.A. and Town Square, these photos show a section of the park whose architecture has changed little over the years (other than paint and landscaping). The first one for today is a shot that is difficult to duplicate today (taken from the train station), thanks to the mature trees that block an unobstructed view of City Hall. So instead, here's one taken from ground level:



I love that the vehicles are almost all still in operation, especially this park fave, the Horse-Drawn Streetcar. Guests still saunter unaware in front of it, soaking up all of the sights, oblivious to the poor horse attempting to plod ahead.



I also dig the fire department; even today, kids explore the living museum with wonder, checking out the stalls and crawling all over the chemical wagon parked inside.



It sure looks purty at night!



Last one for today takes us up Main Street where we see the Wonderland Music shop. Oh for the days when there were a variety of unique vendors on Main Street!



This shop is now home to the Magic Shop:



Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter. See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos at my regular website.

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I've got to say I was extremely overwhelmed by the response to my 5 year anniversary post; the comments continue to come in; some motivated by the giveaways, some by Steve Martin's tweet, and some just because. I am going to share some of the more memorable ones here before I dive into today's first part of a March 1957 series.

From Amy C. Spaulding:

Congratulations on your 5-year anniversary in the blogosphere! I just wanted to comment. (No need to enter me into the drawing -- I am trying to downsize!)

What strikes me about your blog post is that it supports what I am coming to suspect: That everything we do in life eventually helps us get to where we are going; we just may not know it then.

I understand Steve Martin's comedy a lot better now knowing that he started as a barker at an amusement park as a kid. Is there any better training for being a comedian? My folks had the good fortune of seeing Steve Martin perform at the Westchester Theatre when Steve was first starting out. They came home late that night and told us that some young guy with white hair was wearing an arrow through his head and was getting booed on the stage. My dad said he was funny; my mom said she felt sorry for the guy. I love remembering this story because it shows me that genius is often ahead of its time -- that courage and persistence are an equal part of a person's success.

You just never know, do you? Everyone has a little bit of the Magic and we are all part of the Mystery! And if this comment seems a little preachy, "Well, Excuse Meeeee!" Happy 5th Anniversary!

Amy - so true. One never knows the path life has planned for us. Heck, I never figured I'd be doing this for 5 years!

From Christopher:

I read Born Standing Up a year ago and your post has inspired me reread it. The stories about Steve's early years at Disney Land and Knott's Berry Farm were meaningful to me because it all took place while my parents, newlyweds at the time and soon to be expecting the birth of my older brother, were regulars at Knott's during the time Steve worked at the Birdcage theater there. Your post is especially timely given the passing of Wally Boag and to you, good sir, I tip my hat. Nice job!


These are the stories I love; memories from readers that are inspired by the photos posted...memories that when told sound as fresh now as when they happened. Here's to more of those! And if you haven't read Steve Martin's book "Born Standing Up," do so! It is well worth it to hear not only about Disneyland and Knott's in the early years, but to learn of his journey of how he became the talented comedian that he is today.

Another great personal memory from Thom:

Thank you to Steve Martin for directing me to this great site. My dad loved anything Disney. He visited Disneyland the first and second year it was open and was among his favorite memories. When he passed away I found a box of his souvenirs from those trips. My favorite things was a novelty paper and two guidebook. It gave me a feel for what its was like compared to when I visited it several times in the 90's when I lived in Long Beach. I wonder if Steve Martin sold them to my dad?

From Matterhorn1959, the creator of Stuff From The Park:

Dave- congratulations on 5 Years and a fantastic story on the anniversary!! You know I appreciate your blog and the images you present, including the fantastic shots from you personally. I wish I had your photographic skills!! I hope you can keep it up another 5 years or more!!! Thanks again for sharing your finds, your pictures and your adventures.

That one was especially meaningful to me, as it was Patrick's blog that I first found when I was searching for vintage images of Disneyland on the web. I remember spending hours going through each post and being amazed by his collection of photos. In addition, he is one of the most knowledgeable people on Disneyland history. AND a nice guy to boot, too!

The contest ends today at noon (PST). I will be gathering all of the commenters who were interest in entering and picking a winner. Again...thanks to ALL for making my 5 Year Anniversary such a great day!

Back to regular bizness! Ellen’s Gift Shop is probably unfamiliar to most as it had a fairly short run on Main Street (1955-1957). Let's zoom in to see what's in the window.



This was the closest I could find in my collection (mental note for next visit!) of the same area of shops on Main Street. Ellen's Gift Shop is now part of Disney Clothiers.



Your basic March 1957 castle shot...



which reveals a bit of repair or construction going on:



This 2009 shot shows the castle still looking pretty majestic some 50+ years later. I know I'm being redundant, but here's another request to restore the color back to its original pale pink color from its current pepto-bismol garish shade.



Moving around to the side of the castle, our 1957 photographer captured the Skyway buckets in the background.



There appears to be some construction going on here behind the castle. I am guessing that it might have to do with the imminent opening of the Sleeping Beauty dioramas that were set to open approximately one month from when this photo was shot. You can also see Merlin's Magic Shop in the left.



Interestingly enough, the closest present day shot I could find from my personal collection shows the construction of the restoration of the SB Diorama.



The Rumor Mill: Apparently, the Mission Tortilla Factory at DCA has closed.



Rumor has it that it will be replaced by this:



That's a change I definitely could live with! More March 1957 goodness to come! Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter. See more vintage & current Golden Horseshoe photos at my regular website.

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The July 17, 1955 Grand Opening Day of Disneyland was a huge event with live coast-to-coast coverage by ABC-TV. To make sure that all went smoothly, rehearsals were held for both the technical and performance personnel...even as the painters and construction workers were putting the finishing touches on the park itself.

This photo, as can be told by the sparse amount of people on the sidewalk (primarily family and friends of Disney staffers working on the opening event), is from the dress rehearsal of the big opening day parade, held several hours before the live telecast.

Pictured is a float from the Fantasyland section of the parade, featuring Snow White. The "Fairest One Of All" holds court atop a tiered float, and in attendance, naturally, are the Seven Dwarfs (though only Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Dopey and Doc are visible from this angle). The slatted steps of the float allowed both ventilation and vision for the float's driver, and atop the floral canopy can be seen a miniature of Disneyland's signature structure, Sleeping Beauty Castle.

The costumes for Snow White and the dwarfs, like many of those seen throughout the opening day festivities, had been borrowed by Walt from the Ice Capades, a touring ice skating entertainment who had featured Disney themed production numbers in their shows (with Disney's participation). Here’s a previously published photos of the Disney Ice Capades stars in their semi-primitive looking costumes:



Following Snow White in the parade is a Conestoga wagon and riders representing Frontierland.

Eventually, Snow White evolved back into the form that we all know and love from the original 1937 animated feature. Here's an assorted collection of shots of her in the park.

From July 1968:



June 1970:



November 1970:



July 1972:



August 1972:



This June 1979 shot shows her wearing her wedding day finery:



1979:



A treasured photo from my 40th birthday:



Here’s what our beloved heroine looks like if you catch her in the park today:



And the real gal herself:



Which one do you prefer? Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter. See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my regular website.

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Before I get to the new and very much improved Star Tours, thought I'd post what I believe to be a comparison shot of the same area from 1960 to today (or thereabouts!). With the windows blocked, I couldn't tell if the view was the same.



As for Star Tours, I was VERY impressed. The new version blows away the old one as far as the realism of the ride simulation. I have only been able to ride it once, but can't wait to experience all 54 different trips—ha! Truth be told, with summer crowds around the corner, it will probably be quite awhile before I attempt to ride Star Tours again.



I love the look of the exterior; cool blue works well for a futuristic theme.







Once inside, you'll see some familiar (albeit cleaned up) machines and robots.









Who needs Orbitz?



The video screens giving you information about your flight are obviously high-def, and of a much higher quality than what was there previously:



Everyone was anxious to see what lay beyond this door:



C3PO is in the flesh, and R2D2 is copiloting via the video screen:





Because it's in 3D, traditional photos taken of the actual flight will be ghosted, but you can still get the idea of what you will be experiencing after June 3:



Ghosted or not, everyone recognizes Yoda:



f course, there are plenty of shopping opportunities at the revamped Star Traders:





Grand opening for Star Tours is June 3. Be sure to try it!

Follow my Daveland updates on Twitter. See more vintage & current Star Tours photos at my regular website.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]

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