Sunday, May 31, 2015

Disneyland- 60 Days to 60 Years: 1968

I'm thrilled to be participating in 60 Days to 60 Years- a blog series highlighting each year as we count down to Disneyland's 60th anniversary.

1968 was an important year for me- it was the year I was born. I did not visit Disneyland in 1968, but I've long been interested in what special places were like during that year.

A while back, I learned about the pictorial souvenir and guide books that used to be issued each year. Found in gift shops on property, they were a great keepsake to commemorate a visit to the park. It's hard for us today to imagine a time when not everyone had unlimited photographic powers at their fingertips- but back when cameras and photos were not as prevalent as they are now, these souvenirs offered many families a great option for capturing the sites and experiences of their visits.

One of the things I find interesting about these pictorials is the candidness of many of the photos. Today, promotional material put out by the company is meticulously crafted- photos are staged, the people are models with a careful balance of demographics, and everything is just so. Outfits are coordinated, and everyone is smiling. When I look through photos in the old guidebooks, I get a much "realer" sense of that slice of life. Few photos seem staged, candid shots abound, and we get a more honest feel for the environment.

With that, I share some photos and highlights from the 1968 version of the Disneyland Pictorial Souvenir and Guide:

The cover! While this book was published for 1968, this famous photo 
on the cover was taken a few years earlier. 



Ahhh, maps! I have a thing for maps. I'm drawn to them. I especially love the retro look of some of the maps in the souvenir books- and this one is no exception. Simple, stylized, and meant to give a broad picture rather than a detailed road map. I could look at a map like this endlessly.

Following the map, the pictorial goes on to highlight each land, with photos, and descriptions of the highlights in each area.









The page above features what just may be the greatest photo ever- two nuns about to embark on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (a journey made more ironic when you know where the attraction brings them in the end)!







With limited space in the pictorial, the photo in the lower right (enlarged below) is an interesting choice for inclusion. I guess they were really pushing the cleanliness idea...




Walt's quote about Disneyland After Dark:
"It's difficult for me to choose my favorite time of day to be at Disneyland... naturally, I enjoy them all. But one which has a special attraction for me is Disneyland After Dark. As night falls, a new kind of magic and excitement takes over in Disneyland. Aboard the Mark Twain there's a real Dixieland Band. The Tahitians in Adventureland really dance up a storm. While you're in Tomorrowland, I suggest you take in our band over there. And I never miss dropping in at the Plaza Gardens. Like most people, I have fun just watching others have fun."



Towards the end of the guidebook, the pages on Disneyland Hotel and "Service a la Disneyland" advertise the then-state-of-the-art onsite hotel, as well as many of the sponsors found throughout the attractions, shops, and dining locations.



 
back cover

Are you interested in seeing a Souvenir Pictorial and Guidebook from a special year? They are widely available through online resellers, and they're usually fairly affordable. These special books give us a fantastic glimpse of what the park was like at various points through its history.


Thanks to DidiMarie (@Distherapy) and Gayle T (@Disneygals)  for hosting 60 Days to 60 Years! make sure to visit all the other stops on this sixty year journey...







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Monday, May 25, 2015

Giveaway! A Snow White gift set....

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened a year ago this month, and it quickly became one of my favorites. I love a smooth family coaster, especially one with rich storytelling elements.

In celebration of its one year anniversary, I'm giving away a Snow White gift pack!

Included in the prize:

  • A Disney Parks Snow White clutch wallet/purse
  • A Snow White PokitPal Trinket Box- (the Art of Disney Theme Park Collection by Olszewski) 
  • A Snow White pin


This giveaway is open through June 1. Enter through the Rafflecopter below, and please spread the word! All items are new with tags. U.S. entries only, due to shipping.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thursday, May 21, 2015

The Final runDisney Expedition Everest Challenge



I wrote about my experience with the final runDisney Expedition Everest Challenge, and it was featured on Theme Park Insider! You can read the intro below, then click over to the site for the full article.


The first weekend in May marked the final running of runDisney's Expedition Everest Challenge. What makes this race different from all other runDisney events? It's a unique combination of running race, obstacle course, and scavenger hunt - all happening in the after-hours dark of Disney's Animal Kingdom park, followed by an in-park after party until the wee hours of the morning. More than 5,000 runners - both individually and in teams - took to the park for this year's challenge.... (Click the link below to read the full article...)




I will miss this race. Thank you for clicking through to read the full article!


Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The Inside Out Emotion Garden


One of my favorite parts of  Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival is discovering the small specialty gardens scattered throughout the park, often tucked in out-of-the-way spots.

In the shadow of the monorail, near the Imagination Pavilion, I came upon the the Inside Out Emotion Garden.


Each of the 5 Inside Out emotions had its own color-coordinated section of the garden. The plants were selected not only for color, but many also had names that tied in with their theme. For example, the Disgusting Plants section included green onions and the carnivorous Pitcher Plant, while the Sad Plants section displayed Weeping Rosemary, Blue Hydrangea, and Baby Tears. 




























I really love this spot. The look of the color-blocked layout is really appealing, and the choice of plants and pots used in the garden was spot-on. Shortly after my visit, I heard some chatter about Inside Out being the next movie to get the trailer treatment in the Imagination Pavilion theater, once Tomorrowland's release date passes. Maybe the placement of this garden is a part of that plan...