Disneyland: 1956

[Isaac]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9202254889005784027

[innerSpaceman]

That was beauteriffic.

I found it charming that 99% of the stuff they showed still exists in Disneyland today much as it did in 1956. They pretty much stayed on Main Street the whole time. But they had one shot of the Mark Twain at night, a few shots of the Castle, and the only thing that really gave the time period away were a handful of shots toward Tomorrowland from the Hub.

The other thing that pegged the time period pretty well were all the horses on Main Street. In addition to the horse-drawn Streetcars still running in 2006, there were horse-drawn carriages and a horse-drawn firewagon.

Oh, the poop!!



(Heheh, though not shown, there were plenty of horses and mules in Frontierland, too. Clean-up was not a fun job to have at the Park in those days.)

* * * * *


That motorcade day on Main Street, with everyone in period costumes and scores of turn-o-the-century vehicles was da bomb! They should do that again today!

[Ghoulish Delight]

What a great find!

A couple other things the pegged the time period were the tram (with a single axel per section, weird), the attraction posters across the railing in front of the Mickey flower bed, and the complete lack of trees in Town Square.

[Gemini Cricket]

Must. See. Video. Can't view it at work. Stupid computer not set up to do anything...
:D

[innerSpaceman]

A couple other things the pegged the time period were the tram (with a single axel per section, weird), the attraction posters across the railing in front of the Mickey flower bed, and the complete lack of trees in Town Square.
Yeah, I loved how things were different before you got inside the Park (wow, the Disneyland Hotel swimming pool!), but - once thru the entry tunnels - it was like a magical world where time stands still.

[Not Afraid]

"Of course in Disneyland it's the gaudy, gilded circus of the good ole days." :) I love Walt leading the parade! Can you imagine something like that today?


Six Swans! Four of them black! I miss the black swans. I remember there being just one in the park when I was a kid.

And the beautiful horses - the matched white pair pulling the fire engine and the matched black pair, and the Clydesdale wearing a bonnet!

I wonder of the classic car club meet was sort of like Bats Day or Gay Day?

The "authentic" feel of Main Street was so much more prevalent then. They really put a lot more effort into it then than they do now.

[innerSpaceman]

Maybe cause they had folks around who actually remembered how it really was.


Of course, you can't count Classic Cars Day. I'm sure the Haunted Mansion seems more authentic on Goth Day, too.

[Disneyphile]

D'oh!!! I knew I forgot to cross-post this. :(

It's an awesome video! :D

[Gemini Cricket]

Everybody wants to lead a band.
:D


I saw something. I think one of the circus parade vehicles is now part of Casey Jr. One of the floats has a dragon on it. Is it the same one from Casey?

I love this video. Very cool. Loved the half night/half day shots at the end. (Or are they matte paintings for the top half?)

Coolness. Thanks, zappp.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

If you look carefully, about 3:26 into the video, is that the blue wagon/surrey that is mentioned in this weeks MousePlanet update, in action? I wish they still had the steam calliope for parades, that's a neat piece of machinery.

[€uroMeinke]

I wonder of the classic car club meet was sort of like Bats Day or Gay Day?



I wonder if it's still going on - I recall one afternoon when we accidentally ran into a similar parade with vehicles like this:

http://photos.xenarchy.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_Car.jpg

[Snowflake]

THAT was fabulous! I'm assuming the source for this was a 16mm school print? Looks like one of the many Disney produced films I saw in school in the 1960s. These would be something fun for Disney to release on DVD, especially if they travel to the other lands.

I loved the calliope and the vintage autos. Do they still open DL to car clubs like that?