From Tuesday's “Goin’ Quackers! This Summer at Disneyland” post, here is the complete mint Disneyland Guide for 1984.
Disneyland Guidebook 1984 (version 2) - 14mb
From 1984, this is a great soft cover book called "The Spirit of Disneyland". I think this was produced for cast member's, I haven't seen too many of these. Some of it is repeat stuff, there is a great Walt Disney quotes section at the end and lots more.
Today's post is a reprint from within this book of the original concept text that was used to sell Disneyland along with Herb Ryman's great concept art. It's fun to read this and realize some of the concepts were off base, but most of them were right on, and still work today. Enjoy...
The book is filled with lots of photos, none are in color, but some fun ones, here's a few.
Tomorrow; Its back to Knott's Mondays for part one of a two part comparison series.
6 comments:
As an Outdoor Vending cast member in 1985, I attended one of "The Spirit of Disneyland" presentations at which these books were distributed.
These followed a period of low morale that went along with a labor dispute and low attendance after the 1984 LA Olympics, if I remember correctly. The presentations were supposed to reinvigorate the cast, intended as kind of a healing process. Here's the program:
Welcome reception
The "Voice of Disneyland," Jack Wagner
"Here you Leave Today"
A Disneyland Reminiscence
"Our Corporate Future"
Dick Nunis, President, Disneyland and Walt Disney World
"Disneyland: Looking Ahead"
Ron Dominguez, Vice President, Disneyland Operations
I remember thinking at the time that the whole thing was much too little and much too late. Seeing what has happened over the last twenty years, however, I can't tell you how much I miss those days!
Thanks for the post and your site.
I was just thinking I should scan my The Spirit of Disneyland book! It's one of the better things I've seen in how it describes the "show business" aspect of Disneyland and especially at integrating Walt with the various areas of the Park. Great, great item.
Yellows- the book and presentation was also done as a response to the strike by Disneyland employees. The book is usually found in a fancy thick envelope.
I didn't get the fancy thick envelope. In '85, the books were simply passed out. There was also a small folding card with "The Spirit of Disneyland" on the cover and the program inside. The presentations were held in the Opera House on Main St. I've got a "Disney Team '85 - continuing the tradition" button that also came out around that time. I think it was produced by cast members as a sign of unity, but the strike had such a negative effect that I've probably blocked it out.
The labor trouble in that era seems to me to mark the beginning of a downward turn. Prices were hiked, portions shrank. Popcorn, for example, was .65 in 1983. By '85, it was $1.25, I think, for a container only about half as tall. The unit cost of a churro is about 1/2 cent, sold for $1.00. Don't even get me started on the glowing necklaces.
BTW, matterhorn1959, I enjoy visiting your site very much. Incredible to see those Knott's shots! I had forgotten all about riding that, but it came right back.
such a wonderful discover - cannot delay to view that which you two come up with! D3 Items
RS Gold
The book is usually found in a fancy thick envelope. This is a great post, i like it very much. thanks a lot for sharing. i was looking for something like that.
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