Today we dash to the 1982-ish era and look at some photographs from my 1983 Disneyland calendar, which I thankfully hung onto for, lo, these 28 years. We'll also take up some bandwith, as these are large photographs. Beneath each, I provide a random fact. No reason, its just "Jungle is 101," and that's how we cruise around here...Exhibit A: Disneyland Cast Members - looks like this was taken between 1977 and 1982 (note the cast of The Rescuers have joined Mickey and the gang---and The Rescuers debuted in 1977). My money is that this is from around 1978, since I have seen other photographs from that time period and Disneyland's "Population" listed on the rail platform sign was 157,000,000. Fact: Today it shows 500,000,000. Of course, the elevation has always been listed at 138 feet, to my knowledge.
I love this photograph because it shows how color-driven the Park was---while providing examples of practically every attraction, vending, foods or merchandising costume. The only person I recognize from my time at the Park is the nurse from Central First Aid, standing to the right of the Mickey flower scuplture's mouth. The Jungle Cruise cast member representative stands near his Mike Fink's Keel Boat counterpart to the far right of the photograph.I don't see anyone from Big Thunder (which debuted in 1979), nor from the Mine Train to Nature's Wonderland (which shut down during construction for Big Thunder). Further, the Tiki costume shirt is red in this photograph (not orange, as it was in the 1980s---see the Tiki host at the far left, front row). America Sings (presented by Del Monte) is represented by the young lady to the left of the Disneyland Railroad cast member in the center of the photograph. The Country Bear Jamboree (presented by Wonder Bread) has its spokeswoman standing above Winnie the Pooh (and next to someone who could be Betty White's sister!). It is also good to see that a couple of the Royal Street Bachelors stopped by for the photograph. Even the Motor Boat Cruise (can you guess which one? It took a B Coupon to ride!), the Columbia (upper left, next to the Frontierland chap in the ten gallon hat) , the Mark Twain (one person to the left of the Jungle skipper), the Haunted Mansion (front row, right side of photo, next to the lady in pink---anyone have a clue where she worked??) managed to send representatives. Unless my eyes deceive me---it appears that the Pirates of the Caribbean cast member slept in and failed to make the photo shoot that morning!
Above we have the proud Mark Twain sailing toward Bear Country. This photograph was taken from atop the tree house on Tom Sawyer's Island---the leaves in the foreground are a dead giveaway.Fact: the maintenance guy at the back of the boat made us stop or go. We would signal him with whistle and bells as we approached the Frontier landing. I never had a trip where the guy forgot to stop at the landing. Random Fact: the Casey Jr. Circus Train queue used to form on the other side of the little depot building before the New Fantasyland was put in place (it was finished in 1983). In other words, you used to wait in line on what is now the Dumbo side of the depot building. Today, the line forms on what used to be the Skyway side of the building. Now you know.
Ah, Space Mountain and the famous Space Stage. Before the Magic Eye Theater was installed here, there was a good-sized stage and many different groups performed at this location. As I recall from Grad Nite, Rupert Holmes performed there singing Escape (the Pina Colada song), which seemed an odd choice for the Disneyland crowd, since the nearest Pina Colada was a Monorail ride away over at the Disneyland Hotel! Still, it was a big hit in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Fact: the Peoplemover through the Superspeed Tunnel was presented by Goodyear. Random Fact: the Big 11 ticket book for sale in 1978-79 was priced at $7.00 for adults and contained 4 E-tickets, 3 D-tickets, 2 C-tickets, 1 B and 1 A ticket. An A-ticket would get you a ride on the Horse Drawn Street Cars, the Horseless Carriage, the Omnibus, the Fire Engine, the King Arthur Carousel, the Main Street Cinema or a tour through the diorama scenes inside Sleeping Beauty Castle. Now you know.
Finally, the photograph above shows why the "old" Tomorrowland lacked color and vitality. Glad they changed it.Fact: Several of my Disneyland buddies actually were "East Siders" and worked Peoplemover and the Rocket Jets in the 1980s. We made fun of their polyester disaster costumes (until we had to work Tiki---that pretty much evened the score). Random fact: the polyester pants prevalent in the Park back then would pull the hair on the legs of male (and some hirsute female) cast members. Ouch.
Guess who sponsored "It's A Small World" back in 1978-79?
Bank of America.
I would've guessed International House of Pancakes. Oh well.
As you exit the boat today, please check around and make sure you have with you all your personal belongings: hats, bags, small children, cameras.
Anything left behind will be thrown, screaming, overboard to the crocodiles at the end of the evening.
I don't know if you've ever heard a camera scream.
It's a downright negative experience.
Especially for a guy with a photographic memory like me.
I shutter to think about it.
I mean, I can picture it, but thankfully, it's over in a flash.
Anyways, don't lose your focus,
You best zoom off my boat before anything serious develops.
Trust me, you don't want that kind of exposure.
Wait! Don't leave! Our relationship hasn't fully developed!!!
Man...do I feel...
...taken.
---Mike
