Helicopter to Disneyland Ticket

Today's little post is a Helicopter to Disneyland Ticket. Many of you know the history of this service, if you don't, well, I like to stay in the "Happy" side of blogging so we'll stick to the ticket itself today.

This just sold on EBay for $78, way over my head for one ticket! It is rare for sure, dated August 30, 1960. I have seen other tickets from later years that look more like conventional airline tickets. These were on Globe Paper (sweet!)






Here's a pic of the copter landing behind Tomorrowland in 1956. I bet you can hear THAT inside the berm!

Tomorrow come back and join us for the Grand Opening of Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin!

Mickey's ToonTown - 15th Anniversary

It was 15 years ago today that our beloved Mickey's Toontown opened it's technicolor gates. According to Wikipedia, Mickey's Toontown was actually two previous projects merged together; Hollywoodland (to be located behind Main Street) and Mickey's Birthdayland (to be located at present day Toontown).

Interestingly, this Special Edition Commemoritve Passport was not valid until two days after Toontoon opened on January 24th, 1993. Did Toontown open two days early or did they just make people wait two days to used these special tickets? As you will see on my post in 2 days, January 26th 1994 was chosen as the day to open Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin.

This ticket is so huge, dare I say it's "cartoonish"! Measuring a ludicrous 14 inches by 4 inches, there is no way to scan the whole thing. Here is the main part, this is the part you get to keep after you use it.


Here is the admission stub section. Yes, this ticket was never used and it's still valid today. I like that even numbered serial number, I have no idea why.

The back is pretty simple, but I think the front makes up for it!

These tickets came in this HUGE envelope, again it won't fit in my scanner, but you get the idea.

Here is the Souvenir Guidebook Cover from January 1993.

The inside of the front Cover.

Nice Trifold map showing the latest "Land".

Mickey's Toontown gets it own section, just like a real "Realm".

To help celebrate Toontown's Anniversary I'm going to post the rest of the Guide Book. I'll use just about any excuse to post these guide books, I love them!

















If you read thru these pages (like I did) you will notice the park changed a lot in the last 15 years. For the better or for the worse? I'm thinking Toontown was the begining of some "dark clouds" that were starting to form over Anaheim in the early to mid 1990's... That's probably why it's my least favorite Land.

However, after this post I feel guilty for only have been to Toontown twice. I will stop in next time to ride my favorite attraction there, the wacky Jolly Trolley, what, it's closed, that figures!

Lion Country Safari

Today lets take a look at a few Tickets from "Lion Country Safari" Irvine, California. I only went there once and that was in 1972! As a kid I remember the car drive thru part was scary and the "theme" park seemed the same as Busch Gardens in Van Nuys. I was 7 so what the heck did I know!

There are some great construction photos here: theimaginaryworld.com, also be sure to scroll all the way down to the link for the "now" photo's, sad.

This first ticket would be the oldest of the three we will look at today. It's on thick globe paper, more like card stock. I am guessing they would punch out each of the four "attractions" once you rode them. Minimum retail Value $7.25, What was the maximum Value? Check out the rules on the back!




Here's a neat little membership card. "Not available to the general public" so who was it available to, the non-general public?

I'm guessing this to be towards then end of the run for the Safari. While these are still on globe paper, they are not nearly as nice, the print is pretty cheap and the back is blank. I have a big stack of these in a tablet format, I suppose lots of people never got (or wanted) their Complimentary Tickets!

What I remember most about Lion Country Safari the 1981 addition of the "Irvine Meadows Amphitheater". I have been there many times. To name a few; Jefferson Starship (when animals could still be seen behind the stage area!), The Eagles and my favorite band RUSH!

Yesterland.com has a nice write-up on Lion Country Safari, did you know the Original Lion Country Safari in Florida is still open? I didn't.

Tomorrow; come join the Grand Celebration for ToonTown's 15 Anniversary Special Post!

Summer Night Passport - 1981

Back in 2000 I was collecting Disneyland Guide books at a steady pace and I guess I never looked inside some of them. As I have been making a list of my Guide Books recently (I'm almost there Jason!) I have found several that have tickets in them!!! And most of the 1980's books also have the dated gate handout inside, oh boy, lots to post!!!!

I found this little mint gem last night in a 1981 Guide Book. "Summer Night Passport" this was getting near the time when the A thru E ticket books were going to be phased out. (MUCH more on that in a near future post as I have found more on when and how in 1982 the transition occurred.) $8.00 for 7 P.M. to closing, August 29th, 1981 was a Saturday, I would guess they were open till 1 A.m. of maybe even 2.am. Not a bad deal for eight bucks!

Hey the photo on the front of this 1981 Guide book looks a lot like the post card set I have been adding to the end of some of my posts (link). I guess they are from 1981!

Wow, Disneyland of my teenage years! I swear it actually felt like the colors in this map!

Back of the book has a neat promo for "Fox and the Hound" and "Condorman" I must have missed both of those. "Borrow a Polaroid for free"! Just buy the film, $15 for 8 so-so prints that probably wont last a lifetime! How about an 8 x 10 Polaroid taken on the back of the Lilly Belle (well, it looks like the Lilly Bell). I have never seen one of those, I wonder how well the 8 x 10 Polaroid format looked and has held up?

Tomorrow, well, tomorrow is up in the air, tune in and see.

Thursday, we have a Special post to celebrate ToonTowns 15th Birthday. Yes it's my favorite realm too (add sarcasm here), I love it so much I've been there twice! Shame on those of you that did not know this importand date was coming up! (I only know because I have the opening day tickets!!)

Questions and More Questions...

Today's post is not ticket related so I wont even try to connect it. I have a couple of things in my collection that have been nagging at me to get some answers. So hopefully someone knows something about my two questions today.

First, following up with my Hall of Chemistry post of the other day, here is a Hall of Chemistry souvenir photo mailer thingy. I have seen these before, but I think you the "visitor" is supposed to be in the picture. Any Idea why Luna-Lana is standing pretty all by herself? Could you just buy the photo souvenir without "you" in it? Seems kind of odd to me...

You can't see the whole picture when it's in the mailer, so I took it out and scanned it. Neat stuff on the walls! The back of the photograph only reveals that it is a "Polaroid", it has held up well over the years, anyone want to guess what year this might be from?

My second question is really a set of questions. I've been making a complete list of my Disneyland Guide Books for a friend (Jason, I'll have it done soon I promise). I came across a book that I can't get the exact date, but the stranger part is some of the attraction names are wrong or just weird.

Let's start with what we know. This is a late 1966 or early 1967 guide book. I can date this book as it has the Pirates of the Caribbean coming soon and as you can see, half of Tomorrowland is under construction. All seems well, right means right, left means left.

Here is where it gets weird and my questions begin. #15 lists "Monsanto's Magic Microscope"? I knew that was a preliminary name but wasn't the real name decided by the time the New Tomorrowland opened? Location #10 and #18 list these areas as "Coca-Cola Refreshment Gardens", when was it ever called that? And look at #14 The House of the Future, I have heard it co-existed with the new Tomorrowland for a few months, but it just make this little slice of history even more odd to me.

So we can have order back in the universe, from the 1970 Guide Book. We have Adventure Thru Inner Space and the Coca-Cola Tomorrowland Terrace. The House of the future has turned into a Souvenir stand! Now the guide book shows a real photo of the new Tomorrowland. Notice the 66/67 one above has the wild artist rendering, then the next one has a more tame rendering.

And since this post lacks color, and you know how I am about Color. "The world is a carrousel of Color" Here is a late 70's early 80's post card of Alice and her pals. Hey, Alice has that whole Marsha Brady thing going one, she's cute! Was there a Walrus in Alice in Wonderland?

Tomorrow - we'll get back to some tickets.

Rides Aplenty over at Knott's

It's a warm sunny Sunday in the late 1970's so lets go to Knott's and ride all the attractions as many times as we want. We wont be needing those pesky ticket books, we've got "Rides Aplenty" passes. I'm not sure if just anyone could buy these or if you had to be in a "club" like Disneyland's Magic Kingdom Club?

These are not dated, but I would place them as mid to late 1970's by the fonts and feel, but I have no evidence of an actual date. "SS" and "PP" what do you suppose that means? Notice the little string is missing from the white one. What a bummer if you lost one of these because the string broke!

But wait, fill out the back and I am sure someone will return it if you lose it.

Since it's clear these "Rides Aplenty" tickets did not get you thru the Main Gate, you will be needing this Complimentary Gate Admission. I wonder if this ticket is still valid? There is no expiration date. Ah, "Globe Safety" paper.

The back implies this ticket is still good anytime the park is open for normal business.

Tomorrow it's back to Disneyland!

The "A" Ticket - Part 1 the 1950's - UPDATE # 2

Those faithful readers of my blog may recall when I started back in November I was just getting going on the "A" series when I discovered that the first ticket books at Disneyland actually were not lettered. Please see my prior post so that this post make some sense (link) .

Well, the person who bought the entire set I refer to in my November post is selling some of them on EBay right now! These are truly an original piece of Disneyland History. Once again, I am guessing this will price out way over my head, but I thought I would give my readers a chance to pick up a REALLY Vintage Disneyland Ticket or at least watch and see how much they sell for!

I don't have any idea what the reserve is or what they will actually end up selling for, if it's south of $250 I would be surprised. See EBay Auction number 220193312876



This listing is for all three type of books!!!!! Check out those LOW serial numbers. The seller and I did some math and we figure these are from the first two weeks ticket books were sold at the park, possibly Mid October 1955.

Notice they are NOT on Globe paper, maybe Walt had not decide to give them the contact yet! As clean, nice and RARE as this are, it would be incredible if they had the other tickets (what would become the "B" and "C" tickets), Or better yet, the admission ticket still attached on the front, if that was the case, these would be priceless.

I don't know the Seller other than corresponding thru EBay. I of course may try and bid on these (I am "Rushrules999" on EBay, so watch out, just kidding, I am not one of those big $$$ bidders!).

Disneyland's Super Summer 1970

I know, its the middle of winter, but today it's "Disneyland's Super Summer"! The picture on the front of this July 27 - August 2, 1970 gate handout is supposed to be blurry, it's not my new scanner (btw, how's are the scans looking?). "Show me America" was part of the parks 15th Anniversary celebration according to the Disneyland Collector Series Cards (link). I find it odd there is NO mention of the 15th Anniversary anywhere in this gate handout. Ten days after the Anniversary and it was done. The 50th, well, is it still going on?

Man oh man Disneyland used to ROCK OUT! Check out all the entertainment. Conway Twitty! My Grandma used to have his 8 track in her car! The Fantasy Ballroom with the Harry James and His Orchestra sounds dreamy. And I'd love to dance with those hip girls at the Tomorrowland Terrace while listening to pleasuring sounds of Sound Castle, Ltd!

Check out the back, there is even MORE to see - Parkwide Entertainment and Nighttime Magic.

And here is a May 1970 Junior Ticket book. It's full except for the admission on the front. I bet this teenager had so much fun with all that dancing and entertainment shown above, they didn't have time for the ticketed attractions.... Nah.....

It really is amazing to me how much entertainment Disneyland used to have. And this is when you could buy a general admission ticket for a couple bucks! That was a true value. That was Walt.