Summer Scene 1971 & 2008

Happy Independence Day to everyone! I browsed thru my Disneyland collection for some 4th of July stuff, but I can up kind of short. Ok, I didn’t look thru everything, but it’s a holiday so I didn’t want to work too hard!

I did find this fun gate flyer celebrating Disneyland’s Summer Scene, July 4th thru the 10th, 1971.

Fun entertainment, plus of course, Fantasy in the Sky fireworks!







Today’s post is two posts in one, and will have to suffice until the blog returns on Bonus Sunday. I’m taking a day off.

Trip report from July 3, 2008:

Do you want to visit Disneyland in the summer and have no crowds? Do what I did; get to the park at 7:15am. It opens at 8:00am, I left at 10:00am. I got more done in two hours than the people who arrived at 10:00 will do all day! Big Thunder twice, Matterhorn 3 times, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Casey Jr., breakfast at the River Belle, horseless carriage and I took a ton of photos!

Here is the newest “Your Guide to Disneyland.”

I have not looked closely at the maps recently, they seemed to be getting very cartoonish. Well, it’s still a cartoon, but it is kind of fun. I like the tea cups and story book area.






New stripes have been painted in the parking lot tram loading area. Hey, they are Red, White and Blue, maybe this was for the 4th of July!! Oh, maybe it’s because of the accident they had back in May.






The Yellow Horseless Carriage. Ken was a great driver, text book “perfect” cast member, Walt would be proud.






I got to sit up front and get a good look at the instrumentation. How fun, check out the speedometer, 120mph might be dangers without seat belts. It has 9,849.1 miles on it. Check out the Disneyland-Tigger key ring! And the little “counter” above it is at Zero because we were the first trip of the day. As soon as we took off, Ken clicked it 7 times, I was ½ expecting him to ask me for an “A” ticket. I was ready if he did, I had one! (Yes I always carry an old ticket book to the park with me, it’s like my ID and/or security blanket).





WOW, look how clean that glass is!






The red Horseless Carriage was in use also. Are these the originals?







These pictures were taken at about 8:45 am, the place is vacant for at least the 1st hour.






The Haunted Mansion was a complete walk on at 9:15am.






Big Thunder was a Zero line at 9:30-ish. I have determined this is my current favorite attraction at Disneyland. I see more things every time I ride it, isn’t that the way Walt wanted his attractions to be.






I recall reading comments on one of the blogs a while back about pealing off the sticker from the front of the Matterhorn Bobsled, looks like some has tried again. I hear next year we’ll see complete replacements of the Bobsleds. I’ve seen a photo of one, they look pretty neat






The New Red Monorail was humming around the rail, in fact, “It glides as softly as a cloud” and the old purple one is getting loud!






No guests on board of course, unless you want to be slow cooked! I hear there is no A/C in the middle sections and as you can see, the windows don’t open much!






It’s sure pretty, I hope they figure out a way to run it when its over 78 degrees outside! I asked the cast member who was guarding the entrance if “Red” was ready for guests. He said “very soon, we are just testing the communications computer”. No mention of the heat problem.

UPDATE: According to the LA Times, Monorail Red had its soft opening last night, I missed it by that much! (link).






“Three Fences” is doing well, in full bloom too I see.






Best 25¢ I spent all year. “I got no strings to hold me down”






Since I left at 10:00am, I got an entire tram to myself, ah the good life. I did see three FULL trams pass me going to the park. I am guessing it wasn’t going to be a light crowd for long.






This is my personal parking space at Disneyland. Well, not really, but I have parked here three times this year. If you get there early on certain days (busy ones?) they park the first group in the outside lot by the tram area. I think they recognize me now because last year they tried to put me on the end of a row and I asked for a better spot (my Mustang was brand new at the time). Now if I get lucky (like today) they wave me over and tell me I can park up front, SWEET!





Have a safe Independence Day everyone, Happy Birthday and god bless America.