Comments While I'm Gone

In case any of you want to say/ask anything while I'm on hiatus, here's an entry where you can do just that...

1958 Disneyland Catalog

This piece is just the coolest, and there are lots of photos to look through. It features some of the most desirable Disneyland collectibles of all time at downright unbelievable prices. And, yes, that's the 1958 Viewliner map for $1. In mint condition, these sell for $2000+ these days...quite the return on investment.

Over the next 3-4 weeks, this blog will be even more sporadic than usual. Hence, today's butt-kicking entry. It's just a crazy time. I hope to post at least once a week with something, but no promises. Hope you understand and continue to visit. I'll return regularly after April 18.

How Do I Get Out of Here?????

Too exhausted and dizzy with excitement to find your way home in the dark? First time in sunny Anaheim? Then please use and enjoy this handy map back to your house/hotel/put-upon relative who's hosting you from out-of-town.

Printed in 1958, this map was, I suppose, handed out to confused motorists as they exited the parking lot (ahhh....the parking lot) on their way back to wherever. I wonder how long it took to get from LA to Disneyland back in those days?

And, no...it's not ripped in half, silly. My scanner is just too darn small.

Walt Disney Invites You to the Opening of Disneyland

This letter is a part of my 7/17/55 mini-collection and is the letter that was sent to VIPs to invite them to the opening ceremonies of Disneyland. Although the signature is clearly a printed facsimile (the Hank Porter version?), it's still a cool letter on original Disneyland letterhead. I do not, unfortunately, have the "further information" that is referenced in the letter, but I believe these are the letters that were sent to the VIPs who received gold tickets, since those are printed with a space to write the number of family members who were allowed to accompany the ticket holder to the event.

I have a different version of this letter sent from the Disneyland PR department, which I will post at some point. That one does come with some additional information, but I don't know if it's the same info that went out with this letter.

Lawry's Prime Rib in 1956

No Disneyland this time, but indulge me...

When my dad came to Los Angeles on vacation in 1956, he went to Farmer's Market, the Hollywood Bowl, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and he ate at Lawry's on La Cienega.

Here are a couple of postcards collected during this visit, a mini souvenir menu and a FANTASTIC little sign that the kitchen stabbed into their famous baked potatoes with a toothpick. I love that little potato character and the poem, although the rhyme and meter are way off.

Lawry's is still serving up Prime Rib, that spinning salad bowl, Yorkshire pudding, and their tear-inducing horseradish sauce on La Cienega, although across the street from the location mentioned here (that location is now The Stinking Rose, but the architecture is the same). It's a decidedly retro evening...I recommend it.

Guest Editor Riley Returns!

My 5-year old daughter returns with this charming (if not very rare) menu for her second blog entry...

"I like Disneyland, and I like eating ice cream at Disneyland. I like eating ice cream and watching the parade with Aurora near Small World. I like Disneyland."

And who can argue with that?

Aunt Jemima Table Tent

Since Matterhorn mentioned it in the comments, I thought I'd post this table tent from the long-gone Aunt Jemima restaurant in Frontierland.

These table tents are super-cool to me because it's amazing that they even survived long enough to be saved. Unlike menus that were collected by the servers for reuse, these table tents risked damage and ruin with every cup of coffee served.

Aunt Jemima Menu

A really nice and colorful menu that used to be super-rare and is now only pretty rare. And, it's signed by Auntie J. herself on the back.

Disneyland Souvenir Catalog - 1960

At least I think it's from 1960...

Lots of cool souvenirs in here. Does anyone out there have the Swiss Chalet?

Two (2) Disneyland Catalogs and a Diatribe

In a belated celebration of Matterhorn's tremendous recent postings of Main Street photos, here is a one-page catalog of the Pen Shop. Check out the corny jokes....the Jungle Cruise must not have been hiring that day.

Here's another catalog postmarked 1957, but I think it may be from 1956. Lots of GREAT souvenirs at very competitive prices!

More catalogs to come. I have a bunch from the Main Street stores.




And now...a diatribe. I took the family to Disneyland on Sunday, and I have to say: Toon Town is a dump. The restrooms are beyond disgusting, the "attractions" are not attractive, and the whole thing needs to be shut down for six months so they can repaint. And who the hell is "Gadget"? Isn't he a character from a TV cartoon that was cancelled 6 years ago? Even the Roger Rabbit ride manages a deadly equation: blah ride + endless line = no thank you. The only redeeming factor is that my kids like it, but man, it depresses and frustrates me.

End of diatribe.