Saturday, May 28, 2016

Postcards

Frontierland Folio

Folio (folder) postcard sets featuring multiple scenes were available for each of Disneyland's major themed areas. When opened a selection of scenes would drop down.

This is an mint copy.

13 Colorful Scenes from FRONTIERLAND! - Circa 1976

 See also:
www.flickr.com/photos/39527581@N07/sets/72157629962168350/

Rainbow Ridge & the Pack Mules

An Overview

















This photo shows Rainbow Ridge with the Mine Train ride (upper right) and the boarding area for the Pack Mules Through Nature’s Wonderland. In the middle of the photo is a smaller sign in the waiting queue: Mule Pack Limit 195 lb. (That would eliminate a lot of guests these days).
 

The building to the right is apparently the entrance to the mule attraction.
 

There is a sign for Nature’s Wonderland on one of the store fronts to the left of the boarding line of mules.
 

To the far right you can see the rather drab surface of the material that used to pave a lot of the parks. 


Nature’s Wonderland was replaced by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (1979) and Big Thunder Ranch (1986). Some of the buildings (or similar reproductions) can still be seen while in the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
 

The Big Thunder Ranch is now being demolished for the new Star Wars Land area.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Live in Disneyland: Pack Mules

Yes, mules.......


The Pack Mules ride was one of the original Disneyland attractions in 1955.

With an expensive expansion in 1956 the mule ride became the Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules.

When Disneyland introduced the famous "E" ticket in 1959 that's what a mule ride required.

Yet another expansion in 1960 was inspired by Disney's short documentary nature films, the True Life Adventures.  The ride became Pack Mules Through Nature's Wonderland. 

The Pack Mule Trail is in the lower center of this preview map.


The Pack Mules were disbanded in 1973. I was able to take the less than wild but sometimes unpredictable ride in 1971. 


Looking at the following original photograph taken then it's something of a wonder it lasted that long.


A recalcitrant mule with a somewhat confused rider is seen blocking the progress of the mule train before it even gets to Nature's Wonderland.

Photo: copyright Ross Care

See also:https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6232225096885858713#editor/target=post;postID=2046579350886039685;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=6;src=postname 




Monday, May 23, 2016

McCall's in Disneyland

February 1956

A little less than a year after Disneyland opened. It was getting attention everywhere in the media.  

McCall's was a popular large-format woman's magazine in the 1950s. Price: 25-cents.

This issue features a fashion spread photographed at various spots in Disneyland.