Those Rocking 1960's!

Take a look at this vintage / retro photograph from the 1960s! Those chicks rocking the hair piled higher than what seems possible, the skinny ties, and the trendy cocktails on the table. This is actually of photo of my folks and two of my aunts and their husbands. I post this in honor of my Dad's birthday...

Vintage Disneyland Tahitian Terrace

I cannot resist the lure of the islands! It seems I am not alone in this either. From tiki bars across the States to the authentic thing in Hawaii, people just love the chance to escape even if for a few hours. 

Walt Disney was one smart man- and he was quick to realize the allure. At Disneyland, the incredible Tahitian Terrace was my very first experience. Tucked back in the corner between the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room was a very special restaurant. Cuisine was highlighted by teriyaki everything and pineapple- lots of it. Yum! The food was great, but the performances were just plain mesmerizing and fun. Even this black and white photo cannot kill its charm.

When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the lovely Luau Cove and its all star revue at the Disney's Polynesian Village was a must-do experience. We were fortunate to go to the show one last time before the Cove disappeared forever to make room for the Disney Vacation Club Expansion. Ah, those innocent days of Disney when to stay at the island themed resort was actually affordable! Now, a brief break at Trader Sam's Grog Grotto will have to scratch the itch.

(Photographer unknown.)

The Very First Walt Disney World Resort Map

Ever heard of Blackbeard's Island? Yes sir, it is there to be found on the very first report map of Walt Disney World back in 1971. There's a few other unique features as well depicted by the artwork: the original and great 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage attraction in Fantasyland and the Gulf Car Care Center. You could even surf on the Seven Seas Lagoon back in the day. The whole thing just fills the senses with its retro / vintage goodness!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
 

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign

When it comes to art, design detail matters. Finally in the last decade, it has seemed like Imagineering has a real firm handle on what the Disneyland Resort is. A design masterpiece and a piece of history. Walt Disney was forward thinking! Now generations later, even home town fans of Walt Disney World are recognizing the impact of Walt's castle park and what grew around it. The Disneyland Hotel has embraced its vintage / retro feel to great success. Downtown Disney is leaning into this too. The result fits perfectly. This sign is an instant classic!

Piston Peak's Older, More Rustic Cousin: Disneyland's Rainbow Ridge

Piston Peak is sure to remain the Magic Kingdom's most hotly debated addition. Replacing Rivers of America- an opening day feature of the original castle park and one that held Walt Disney's beloved riverboat-  was an announcement that brought a hush and even some boos to D23. Deservedly so. 

Bringing the modern day Cars franchise into Frontierland. It wasn't blasphemy, but it was close. This was far worse than replacing Splash Mountain with Tiana's Bayou Adventure. 

Above is a vintage Rainbow Ridge Postcard from Disneyland's golden days when the man himself was still around to provide real vision for the park he loved. As the gateway to something fantastic, this area not only contained the Mine Train Thru Natures Wonderland, it also held the Conestoga Wagons and the Pack Mule train. 

It was truly a land of discovery filled with rustic scenes, animals native to the American West, and the show stopping Rainbow Caverns as grand finale to the mine train ride. This was the Americana version of the Jungle Cruise as designed by Imagineer Marc Davis. The whole thing was even more special as right across the river was Tom Sawyer Island, a special placed designed for open exploration and a chance to use the imagination God gave us.

Proving great ideas never go to waste, modern Imagineering borrowed from the Mine Train finale to add a taste of vintage Disneyland to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I'm grateful for that, and I look forward to the change. But it does makes me long for a simpler day when Disney suits realized the parks were about much more than promotion for the company's Intellectual Property.

Announcing Walt Disney World: Three Retro/VintageTravel Posters

Ah, the earliest beginnings of Walt Disney World! The thrill of anticipation! That first visit. Going from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom! Should we take the monorail or the ferry boat? Watching the horizon along the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon and daydreaming of staying at the Polynesian Village Resort. 

It was just as enchanting entering the Magic Kingdom, wasn't it? Seeing Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street U.S.A. for the first time. Exploring a whole new world with Florida exclusives like the playful Country Bear Jamboree, the nostalgic and sentimental Mickey Mouse Revue, and the inspiring Hall of Presidents- in its brand new land, Liberty Square. 

It was a BIG deal for Disney to come to Florida! We forget sometimes, just how big this was. Imagine a whole new world built from scratch in the swamplands where there was once nothing at all. Real magic was created through hard work, dedication, and ultimately, imagination.

Let's take a look at these retro / vintage Disney World and Florida travel posters used to promote this new place of wonder and fun!  

The Delta Airlines poster at top is one that has found its place in my office. It's just iconic, isn't it? Love the original colors of the castle, and I'm thrilled they are returning. 

 

The generic "Orlando" poster from National Airlines (may it rest in peace) gets their castle from Disneyland, not the Florida one. Perhaps it is unofficial and therefore, they had to do it this way. While this one is nice as well, it's definitely third place among this trio.

The winner is clearly this one! Eastern Air Lines, being the official airline of the resort focused on the entire Vacation Kingdom. The sunset red poster did not feature its sponsored attraction, If You Had Wings, because it wouldn't open until a couple of years later. Mickey gets trips billing but so do some birds from the Tropical Serenade (aka Enchanted Tiki Room), the Haunted Mansion, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Contemporary Resort. 

October 1971 brought a whole new world into existence. The future plans of the suits and Imagineers made sure the future looked bright. And it was, wasn't it? 

(Art copyright the Walt Disney Company and National,Delta, and Eastern airlines.)

Walt Disney - A Magical Life: The Real Story and Some Rare Photos from the New York Public Library

With the opening day of Disneyland's "Walt Disney - A Magical Life" behind us, I thought this piece would add a fun bit of research opportunities for those of you that enjoy such a thing. The new show may play in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the Main Street Opera House but the stories the Imagineers could tell can't be contained to short a short time frame.  Let me share with you a unique and rare series of photos. 

A few years ago, a very large number of photographs have been made public domain from the New York Public Library, including these related to Walt Disney. Some are great, others not so much, but they all focus on an aspect of the man, his work, and the company he left behind.

At the top of this article, there's a cigarette ad for Mitchell's Cigarettes. Walt Disney advertising cigarettes. How ironic to uncover this more than 50 years after his passing. It is certainly of historic value. But you can bet the suits at the company are making sure this is one photograph you don't get to see very easily.

Disneyland's iconic Golden Horseshoe. A most appropriate image to have on file if any of Walt'd beloved park and an opening day fan favorite attraction.

Walt Disney World has not been left behind either. Here's the Hall of Presidents, an opening day attraction in Walt Disney World. It was one of the must-see presentations in the park when attractions such as the Mickey Mouse (Musical) Revue were also still around.

EPCOT Center's Spaceship Earth. Futuristic elegance defined.

Two great vintage postcards from guests. The second one is worth reading. Click on all these for the largest size, by the way.

The man as I prefer to remember him. Thank you, Walt, and thank you New York Public Library for sharing these!

Here's Audio-Animatronic Walt, above, and an unskinned AA figure below. 

Now for the real story behind that Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic...

Disneyland fans had long heard about a rumored Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic that would be placed into the Main Street Opera House by the Imagineers. This would be for the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios aka Disney100. Was there any truth to this? I can tell you first hand, the answer is "Yes!"

The story definitely carried weight, and Jack Kendall from DSNY Newscast referenced my story in a May 2024 YouTube video.  

Even back then there was talk about a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic show! Imagineer Eddie Sotto shared the details of it in an interview with Didier Ghez way back on January 20, 2009. I was sent a series of audio discs by Didier detailing this extensive interview. Eddie discusses a variety of topics including unrealized plans for Disneyland Paris and Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure, and yes, the idea for a robotic version of Walt that he personally worked on. 

I tried to upload an edited MP3 of that portion of the interview, but I had no luck. Instead, here is the transcription:

"As embarrassing and weird as it may seem, I worked on a show that had an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney in it. And it was in the Opera House, and the way we were going to do it, I think, would have been respectful and done in a real tear-jerker, you know, made for the Disney fan kind of way, and it was the Walt Disney story. But the idea of the Walt Disney story, the way we would do this, we would have a scrim or a translucent background we could project on. We'd have several of these, so when we projected on them the guests could almost get the impression of seeing in 3-D. 

And to tell you about it, you'd see a short brief film of Disney's history and then coming up to what's going to come to Disney's future. And in all this stuff I remember somehow - you know I worked on this for Tokyo Disneyland too - it'd say "And your host, like in the television show, Walt Disney" and up would come the desk from his office and he'd be sitting on the corner of his desk kind of in silhouette, and you would see Walt Disney kind of in silhouette, and just softly lit, and he would talk about and gesture and we'd project Tinker Bell flying around him and all these amazing things going on. 

It wouldn't be like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, where he's being sole focus of the show, he's kind of hosting you a little bit, throughout the history of Disney and America and all the things that we were doing. So I remember working on that. Never happened. But you know, the idea was that you wouldn't lean on it as the sole element of the show. It was like American Adventure at Epcot you see these characters that come and go and they're part of a bigger picture."

The Wings of Man

Who doesn't love a little retro coolness, a little vintage airline goodie? If you need an airline ticket, this would be the place I'd go to get one! This sign is found at Reagan Washington National Airport. It's a look at the past brought to us from Airline Hardcopy. In the not so distant times, you could fly on National, Braniff, TransWorld Airlines (TWA), Piedmont, and my sentimental favorite, Eastern Air Lines ("The Wings of Man"- sponsor of the classic Walt Disney World attraction, If You Had Wings.) It's the airline we flew for our honeymoon, so it will always have a soft spot in my heart- as will the days gone by when flying was easy and an adventure.

Retro Music Day

Time to start a new month. Given this time holds the U.S. Presidential election and Thanksgiving- both serious in nature to say the least- I thought it might be fun to begin with a little retro inspired late 1970s / early 1980s music.

Michael Jackson may have ruled the airwaves with Thriller and Off The Wall, but he and his brothers could also bring the beat. Destiny includes the toe tapping smash Shake Your Body Down to the Ground. It's a catchy tune that is now once again stuck in my mind.

The Bee Gee's baby brother Andy Gibb rocked with my favorite tune of the year: I Just Want to Be Your Everything. Upon first listen, I was hooked. His duet years later with the beautiful Olivia Newton-John on I Can't Help It remains a favorite, perfect for late night listening.

Who doesn't love September by Earth, Wind & Fire? Its lasting power is evident by the inclusion of the song on Walt Disney World's epic coaster Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Epcot never sounded so cool!

So, here's just a start to a rocking November!

Monday Morning at Disneyland, 1959.

 

Walt Disney's newest experiment, Disneyland, was a beloved success! Since its opening in 1955 millions of guests entered the gates, drawn in by television and the honest to goodness fact that Walt Disney's company produced high quality work regardless of the media they used. (Note to Robert Iger and company: Quality work results in long term profits.)

The land of tomorrow might have been shortchanged at opening with attractions that were mostly corporate exhibits, but by 1959, that was changed for good. The impact of adding the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Submarine Voyage, and the Monorail cannot be understated. Guest numbers were at one million for 1955, but by this expansion, the park was now running at 5 million. Not too shabby for something critics thought would fail.

Tomorrowland was now a destination unto itself- and a much more beautiful one with a shimmering lagoon and a snow covered mountain.

Beginning a day at Disneyland with a leisurely stroll down Main Street U.S.A., guests now had to decide whether to head straight to the beloved Jungle Cruise on one side of the park or head to the other and experience the newest and most compelling to date attractions. 

Perhaps the best plan was to go to Frontierland and explore the Old West before the crowds hit. The East vs. West debate continues to this day.  Maybe the best plan is straight through the castle to ride Peter Pan's Flight or the equally beloved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. 

From Daveland.

As you can see in the rendering above, Tomorrowland now had a wide variety of choices with attractions to suit just about anyone. Thrill ride? Check. Outer space adventure? Yes. Liquid space journey? A long time favorite. You could drive a car even if you were underage. Visit the House of the Future. Ride in a Rocket Jet. And hop aboard the transportation of the future. 

What a beautiful world Tomorrowland was! At least for another 15 or so years. Until it wasn't. But for now, just imagine a glorious day in the Land of the Future in 1959. It's all there waiting for you!

Vintage Central Florida Poster

An old time poster from Delta Air Lines advertising the attractions of Central Florida. Of course as expected, Cinderella Castle sits in the prime position! Walt Disney World's first park, the Magic Kingdom, had just made its debut in 1971. But don't overlook Cypress Gardens represented by their water ski show, a tour of the swamp land, or downtown Orlando and its stunning lake. All in all a very nice piece of retro / vintage art.

1967 Disneyland Map

Want to see a Disneyland map with the Peoplemover, the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland, the Skyway, and the Mike Fink Keelboats? Well, here it is! These long gone gems of Disneyland are right here on this 1967 map. Or is it "Fun map"? I never can remember. Regardless, the vintage, retro, very cool image is just the very bright and charming piece I wanted to show this Monday morning. With all the doom and gloom in the world, a little fun never hurt anyone. 

(Image copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

World Class Look at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Ah, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, the original hotel that Walt Disney World dreams are made of! You're looking at what it looks like now as of mid-March 2023 in a great photo by Bioreconstruct. The new Honolulu high rise tower is being built in the upper right hand corner. It will not only change the sight line, but it will remove the sense of separation from Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Photo from My Favorite Disney Postcards

Back in the opening year, the Polynesian was much smaller, giving it a remote, exotic feel. The slightly color corrected version of this vintage postcard is seen below.

As any die hard Poly fan will tell you, the lobby waterfalls were much better looking and more inviting than the glass floats hanging from its ceiling guests see today. The hard to get into Trader Sam's Grog Grotto may be loads of fun, but the new vibe at the Poly is less relaxing than ever before. Still, it's a good place to hang out on a non-park day. But let's not talk about those outrageous room rates! 

(Images copyright The Walt Disney Company and Bioreconstruct.)

Three From Tomorrowlounge 67 Plus A Bonus

 Disneyland fan Mike Cozart's and his now (very sadly) defunct  Tomorrowlounge 67 site hosts some of the most incredible information and images you will find on Anaheim's Land of the Future. Here's three pieces of Imagineering concept art- plus a bonus one- to prove my point.

 

Yes, this once was Disneyland's Land of the Future.

The top image is in vibrant 60's era colors, so Tomorrowland sparkles with an energy it is certainly missing today.  The Peoplemover, the Rocket Jets overhead, and the elevated ramps brought vibrancy and movement. Toss in the Skyway and the Monorail, well, you didn't need to see the blue waters of the Submarine Lagoon to realize the future was definitely one on the move, one that looked very inviting.

 

 

 

So good were the Imagineers at their craft that even in these muted brown tones or in charcoal, a clear sense of excitement there, easily communicated in these renderings. 

 

Although long gone from Disneyland where the Peoplemover tracks rot, the great bones for stunning Tomorrowland now reside only in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. 

TRON will certainly add to the excitement, and now that those long lines will appear all over the land for two attractions with a height limit, I'd say it is high time to give some love and care at a deep level to classics like the Carousel of Progress. Folks who don't ride the land's thrill attractions need something to enjoy. So why not give them a taste of the excellently designed gifts of the first and greatest generation of Imagineers?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland is Better Than Disneyland's Version of the Future

Among Disneyland purists, it's an unpopular opinion, but I've long maintained that Walt Disney World's Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom is far superior to its older California sibling. My last visit to Anaheim, we did not ride a single attraction in the Land of the Future. In contrast, during our last trip to Florida, I did as many as possible.

You've got the Peoplemover, the Astro Orbiter (way up high where it belongs), the Carousel of Progress, and of course, the wide open views of Space Mountain, the Contemporary Resort, and the upcoming TRON Lightcycle Run. Regardless of its charms- and the Submarine Lagoon itself is beautiful- Disneyland just can't compete in this arena.

In Florida, there are a good amount of classic vintage, retro focused attractions. Finally, the suits and Disney Imagineering are embracing this! The Tomorrowland Speedway gets a Christmas layover with a vibe straight from the 1960s and 70s. This piece of promo material / concept art makes me wish West Coast Disney fans had a chance for something similar. 

The food in either land is still bad, and the shopping is a joke as well. Yet, the vibe in Florida feels fresh not tired. TRON will only make it better. 

Now, about that space used up by Stitch's Great Escape...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Dashboard Confessional

Browsing the car lot, I stumbled upon this classic Oldsmobile. The outside needed a good amount of help, but the inside was in much better shape. The retro cool dashboard and wooden steering wheel meant a photo definitely had to be taken. So, here it is! Nothing fancy, but a look from days gone by.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Take A Ride Around Tomorrowland at Disneyland Circa 1967

Retro Disneyland is pretty cool! You certinaly won't get this exact view, but I like the photo so much that I wanted to include it just for fun. 

Take a look at this vintage video below. It's from 1971- a great year in the park. Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion are relatively new, and the brand New Tomorrowland premiered just about the same time.

You'll take a ride on the Monorail over the Submarine Voyage Lagoon, cruise to the Disneyland Hotel and more. It's a pristine new, optimistic look at the future. And it's a world where the Imagineers were led by the greatest Imagineer, the man who started it all- Walt Disney.

Art Deco Life Guard Stations of Miami Beach

Talk about great composition! These life guard stations on Miami Beach, particularly those by South Beach, shine with a variety of cool art deco designs. Apparently the city commissioned a contest, and the line up of the top winners is pretty impressive. This photo from my one of my oldest friends shows them in all their glory. Quite the sight!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Friday Morning at Disney-MGM Studios

 

Today's vintage photograph is from 1989 and right from Hollywood: the Disney-MGM Studios to be exact. Does this building look familiar to you? It should! It's now the home to Vacation Fun - An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie. But back in the day, it was the location of the The Monster Sound Show, a great and original interactive show where guest got to be "Foley artists" and match pieces of film with the corresponding sounds they'd create. It was much more difficult than it looked- and a whole lot of fun.

Times change, and the dropped its look behind the movie magic to follow Universal Studios "ride the movies" mantra. Not a bad move. Disney's Hollywood Studios does have some blockbuster hits like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, but there were pieces of the original park I wish were still around. 

Anyone else here a fan of the Great Movie Ride? I'd love be able to have seen all these co-exist as they should have. Removing one for the other is shortsighted in a park so needing new and more attractions. Ah, the blessing of space...

 Check out more retro photos and a look at the park's history here.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Mike Fink Keelboats Journey from California to Florida to France

Leave it to Walt Disney to create an attraction for his beloved California kingdom that was based on a hard living, hard drinking, man who plied the Mississippi River back in the days when America was moving west.

Yes sir, the Mike Fink Keelboats came to Disneyland on Christmas Day opening year. These were an instant hit because a park staple for over 40 years. The boats were free floating and provided a scenic view of a changing Frontierland close to the water without having to paddle a canoe. With Tom Sawyer Island on one side and the riverbank on the other, there's was always plenty to keep an eye out for. Over the years, New Orleans Square and the Haunted Mansion were added and then the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland gave way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I bet there's some great construction photos out there!

Over in Florida's Magic Kingdom, the keelboats were an opening day attraction but survived a decade less. At EuroDisney aka Disneyland Paris, they were known as River Rogue Keelboats but only lasted a mere eight years. In all cases, but seems rowdy guests couldn't control themselves, and this led to the removal of the attraction. Regardless, they were fun while they lasted and brought a bit of real life history to the parks.

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)