Disneyland's Hidden Attraction Posters

There's a whole slew of Disneyland attraction posters that might be unnoticeable until you see them and then you can't unsee them. No, not the ones under the railroad tunnels leading past the Mickey Mouse floral garden. The other ones. The Imagineers did something pretty sweet- and it only happens at the original park. Have you figured it out yet? (And did you know Disneyland was originally going to have ONE tunnel? The concept art is here.) Keep thinking where you'd find these before reading more. 

Those Main Street Omnibus advertisement / attraction posters are just terrific, aren't they? The Imagineers took segments of the full sized attraction posters and created a brand new advertisement that fits the busses. They feel purposely designed for it- they're that good. When you're walking down Main Street U.S.A. toward the castle and you see the Omnibus go by, there's a bit of excitement that hits: "I'm really at Disneyland!" It's a special world with its own rhythm, design, and feel. There's no place in the world like Walt's Magic Kingdom! Not in Florida, not in Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong or Shanghai. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Honors America's Bicentennial

In honor of America today, here is the 1976 Bicentennial Railroad poster for Disneyland's beloved trains. This attraction poster has all the charm of the earlier ones in a brilliant red, white, and blue color scheme. 

Just like Walt Disney, our is a Land of Liberty that I love! Yes, I'm a citizen of the United States of America, and although I am not always happy with the decisions of our governing body, I still maintain that we are the most free country on earth. We can worship freely, speak freely, and lives our lives according to our own values. You can't do this everywhere. Travel the world and you'll see this to be a fact.

This blog has one of the largest collections of attraction posters on the net. Why? I love the attraction posters, especially the original Disneyland ones, so I started collecting them years ago. You'll find them here for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland and more. Enjoy the search!

(Image copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Humble Origins of Disneyland

Imagineer Herb Ryman created some incredible pieces of concept art over his Disney career. Certainly, the original Disneyland sketch is his most famous, but I find this rendering of the Disneyland entrance at Main Street's railroad station especially sweet. It's simple, charming, and reveals the very humble origins of "Walt's park" in Anaheim. All Walt wanted to do was create a place for families to enjoy each other, one where he could spoil its guests by giving them the best experience possible- year, after year, after year. It's why I was fascinated with Disneyland. What about you?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

3,000th Post: Disneyland's One Tunnel Main Street Train Station

Today marks 3,000 posts on the Insights blog! My, how time gets by us! So, here's a piece of concept art- one of my favorite things to share with the readers of this blog.

Ah, that beloved entrance under the tunnels of the Main Street U.S.A. station of the railroad! There's nothing like passing under those portals into the fantasy worlds that Walt Disney and his team created. So begins a magical day for every guest who comes to that happy place.

Did you know that it was once considered to be a single tunnel entrance? Yes, Imagineer Marvin Davis envisioned it like that. Here's the concept art. (He also envisioned a different concept for the Haunted Mansion's exterior.) Had his plan been chosen, the iconic Mickey Mouse flower display would not have been in place where it is.  

Thanks to the magic of a little photoshop, you can better see some of the details, especially if you click on it to a larger version:

Honestly, had they chosen this design, it still would have been charming! Perhaps not as intimate as the dual tunnel version which allows fewer people through them at once, but still a nice way to leave our world behind.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rare Disneyland Railroad Poster

Isn't she a beauty! I just love Disney attraction posters- and so do you. They are one of the most searched items on the Insights blog. This one's a pretty rare one. The silhouette of the Disneyland castle in the background sky is a very nice touch, too.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Dinosaurs Inspire Politicians

Why does this great photo of the dinosaur final of the grand circle tour on the Disneyland railroad make me think of Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump? 

A Slice of Disneyland

Bit of a Sunday Special- a nice piece of rarely seen concept art for Walt's original magic kingdom, Disneyland. With the Disneyland railroad and the Mark Twain back in operation, it just seemed like a good time to look back at this vintage / retro rendering of the park  from Imagineering. It's larger than it looks, so make sure you click on it to see it in the biggest size possible.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Friday Special Not To Be Missed: Vintage Disneyland Art

Is there anything better than some great Imagineering concept art? Only when it comes from master artist Herb Ryman, probably my favorite of all the folks Walt Disney employed to create renderings for his parks. (His work for EPCOT Center is my favorite.)

Here's a very cool, vintage slice of the entrance to Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. in super large resolution (just click). Discerning eyes will catch a few interesting details. The Opera House appears on the opposite side of where it was eventually built. Mickey Mouse doesn't quite appear yet in flower form at the front of the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad station. Lastly, the ticket booths look to be a bit away from the paths that go under those train tracks, creating a bit of a garden between the real world and Walt's. I love that idea!

Due to the fact that I get to Disneyland rarely these days, I mind myself zooming past Main Street to get to whatever is new or has been changed since last visit. When we lived in California and visits were more common, I loved to roam the street, walking in the shops, and just take in the atmosphere. Be it the Fire Station or the Market House and the party-line telephone, the first land guests see may actually be filled with the most amount of detail and even the most charm. 

There were a few advantages with the old "A" through "E" Ticket system. When you ran out of coupons (as they were called on the ticket themselves), you either purchased more tickets or your spent your time exploring. I'd go back to that in a heartbeat- and lose Fast Pass as well. Doing so would certainly redistribute the crowds and make for a better day in the long run!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)