Taking another look inside the Magic Kingdom Club shoe-box we find this neato 1966 Magic Kingdom Club Membership card for an employee of the Anaheim Post Office, that's keeping it local!
See my previous 1966 Magic Kingdom Club membership card post here (link).
(This magazine was posted before back in May 2008) Here's a super Disney News from the Summer of 1966, lots of new things coming to Disneyland. A few great pics of Walt and lots of fun stuff.
Magic Mountain was just one year old in this press photo from August 1972. Up front is the wonderful "El Bumbo" gas-burning self propelled bumper-boats, it seems like it would be a lot more fun that it was. Have I mentioned the smell?
Up on the monorail beam would be the Metro Monorail. Faithful blog readers know this is where I would normally shout "Save the Monorail" but I'm saddened to report that the Metro Monorails have left the mountain... According to "Sir Clinksalot" over at Miceage "Last week, the Metro trains were finally removed from the park. There is no evident work going on near the old station (which was close to the park entrance). Don't expect the Metro to come back. (Link - scroll way down that link for the Magic Mountain update).
I'm due for my annual "May" visit to the Mountain, I need to see for myself if the Metro is indeed gone OR maybe they just sent the Monorails out to get refurbished? Yeah I don't think so either but this is one balloon I really wanted to keep.
Welcome to Magazine Monday. Today’s we’ve got yet another article that’s lost the rest of its magazine. From Sunset Magazine August 1957, this two page article is full of great information and some nice photos too.
“Disneyland is two years old and continues to delight… What’s more, it doesn’t lose its luster in a day’s visit, nor in two or three. Possibly it never will for a good many visitors”. Even back in 1957 it must been clear that Disneyland was something unique. A “Concord Coach”?
Interesting note about how Disneyland “may resume 6 day week after September 14”. New Attractions, that rare “Santa Fe & Disneyland Streamliner, which goes from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland”. And of course the article ends with a push for Ticket Books, boasting a “26 to 42 per cent” savings!
We only get two vintage advertisements (from the back of the two pages above) and there both from oil companies. Multi Viscosity oil must have been a new thing in 1957, did you know its “The oil that thinks for itself”. See your Texaco Dealer in all 48 states.
Forget Texaco, obviously the New Royal 76 fuel over at Union 76 is better since they even have a pump at the ocean and that pretty lady too!
Welcome to Bonus Sunday. From Tuesday's Vintage Knott's post (link) here is the entire Knott's Berry Farm Ghost Town Coloring Book from 1955. I hope you've got a new box of crayons, there's 48 pages to color! Actually, three pages have already been colored, so you only get 45 pages to color for yourself.
It’s so nice to finally get an answer to a burning question I’ve had for years. According to Disneyland fan folklore (and the blogs/Internet) you could still use the old Disneyland tickets, as long as there was no expiration date. I’ve also heard you must have a complete “book” of tickets, not just the front cover.
Well the opportunity finally arose when a friend and I had a last minute chance to go to the park, only one problem – my friend was broke and does not have an Annual Pass. Well, I always keep a few vintage Disneyland ticket books in my glove compartment (doesn’t everyone?) and I told my friend, if you’re willing to try it you can have this September 1981 Complimentary Main Gate Admission to Disneyland.
1981:
2011:
My friend was up for it so we headed to guest services. After a few minutes of puzzled looks and the calling over of a supervisor we were told “you know this is rare and probably worth some money?”, my friend had the classic response “So can I exchange it for a general admission ticket?”. They replied “Sure, just take it over to the Main Gate”.
Over at the Main Gate the cast member asked us to step aside while she called the “lead” over to help us. Now I’m getting a little nervous, my friend however is cool as a cucumber. When the lead arrived she examined the ticket for quite a while, at least a minute, counting and checking to be sure each ticket was still there and attached.
Then she spoke “We have to tear off the front ticket” well duh! “Or, if you let us keep the whole book intact, we’ll give you a park hopper ticket”. She explained that normally they tear the front ticket off and give the rest of the back stamped “void” and give you a "Disneyland only" ticket in exchange. But in this case she said the “Main Office” would want to keep this one in the archives! How cool is that!
That was too easy! Just for the record, that ticket book (which was featured in my very first post – link) cost me $40 in 2005 – for TWO Books, I still have the other one!!
While the fronts of the 1981 and 2011 tickets are eerily similar, the backs are very different.
I’m guessing my friend was the only guest at the park on Wednesday with a “Replacement Ticket” that was noted “Original Ticket: Non Barcoded”.
There’s only a mini trip report today since I was with a friend and actually rode some attractions, ate some sit down meals and basically lazily hung around. I wanted to check out the updated effects in Snow White and the line was small. While in line the ride operator got on the phone a couple times and ran a few carts thru with no one on them, this small line was suddenly moving very slow. Once on board we got about half way thru and bam, it just stopped dead, lights on, voice overhead “Snow White has temporarily been shut down, please remain seated until a cast member escorts you from the attraction”!
The first picture I took of course had the flash on!
A quick switch to movie mode reveals it’s still pretty dark even with the lights on.
This is the only one of my non-flash pictures that came out!
Too bad we didn’t break down in a better spot.
The walk-out was great since we were only half way through; you really get a sense of how small the attraction is. The cast member was pretty good and noticed right away when we started to linger behind the group, darn! As we headed to the exit the cast member lead us out thru this tiny door just like in Willy Wonka (kidding) we were just lead out thru the exit, we didn't even get a "readmission ticket"!
Over in Adventureland I actually went into the Bazaar and checkout out the goods. Look who I found, its Shrunken Ned.
Nice touch on the backside of the card.
Without fail this gentleman always takes the time to smile and wave, I hope he never retires.
The DapperDans on Main Street usually have hidden microphones and are amplified from hidden speakers – which sounds great but is a little weird hearing their voices from “above” . Today they were “without mics” and although not as loud and clear, they seemed more authentic.
If you turn this…
Does it turn this?
Three Fences is doing well.
Low crowds and perfect weather.
The backside of Thunder Mountain looks just as good as the front.
The waterfalls on the back side of Thunder Mountain are getting a little green…
Lastly, let’s take a look at some spring colors.
This tree in the middle of the Big Thunder queue area has the most vivid green.
Continuing with yesterday’s vintage Knott’s post today we’ve got a great Knott’s Berry Farm Motel Flyer. Undated of course, but I’d guess it to be somewhere around 1955. This flyer is courtesy of the Golden West Motel which has apparently moved to the Twilight Zone since there is no longer a “Los Angeles Street” in Anaheim, California.
Writing this post before dinner is a serious mistake, some of Mrs. Knott’s Southern Fried Chicken sounds so delicious it’s tempting to drive on down there and get some! I’ll take a few scoops of Boysenberry Sherbet too!
Even though this map is almost unrecognizable when compared to the today’s twisted mass of concrete (link) I could actually use it to get to the farm, from the upper left: Ventura Blvd. east to the Hollywood Freeway (101) to the Santa Ana Freeway (101, now the "5"), exit Highway 39, turn right, two miles and your there, I can smell the Eucalyptus trees now...
Here's a nice slide of Knott's Berry Farms Pan for Gold attraction, June 27, 1963. Those are some pretty authentic "cast members".
Got your box of crayons ready? Here's a great Knott's Berry Farm coloring book from 1955. The cover and illustrations are very similar to the children's book "The Knott's Berry Farm Burro in Ghost Town" (link).
Only a couple of the pages were colored in, nice job staying in the lines!
Where's Disneyland???
Come back on Bonus Sunday for the entire coloring book, you better bring a new box of crayons!
