Disneyland Sign (late 70s &) 1980s

Third in a Series of Five

Sometime after the 1976 "America on Parade" celebration, the Marquee flags disappeared forever.

Disneyland Sign, late 70s

 The familiar subtitle was finally a regular part of the sign...The Happiest Place on Earth.  (But less happy, with no flags...)

Disneyland Sign, circa 1985

The 30th Birthday Celebrations brought a new slogan...  The Best Has Just Begun.

Disneyland Sign, circa 1989

Before it was finally removed forever, the last version of the Sign that Walt built returned to The Happiest Place On Earth... but still no flags!

HAVE I MISSED ANY YOU ARE AWARE OF??  

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(Images are for historic illustration purposes only) 

View the entire Disneyland Sign Series

by clicking the "Marquee" link on the right,

or by following the link [here]

it's a small world (3 & 4) SUN-day

Last week, I introduced the "it's a small world" Sun concept with the iconic clock face and the first attraction region Sun, from the Arctic/North Pole.  In the original 1964-65 World's Fair, the Arctic/North Pole Sun had a slightly different look. (I don't think this style currently exists anywhere any longer).  Also this week is the Sun found in the European section of the attraction.

[Top] World's Fair [Bottom] Europe

Disneyland Sign 1960s (& early 70s)

Second in a Series of Five

In 1958, Disneyland got its Famous Sign.  Near the Harbor Blvd. entrance to the parking lot, the new Disneyland Sign (and marquee) greeted everyone on their way in to the park.  Even Disneyland Hotel guest were directed through the lot (I suppose it was the easiest and most direct route from the Freeway to the Hotel...)  Black letters on a white marquee informed passers-by on the current Park operating hours and special entertainment offerings.  This sign, with a yellow "D" lasted without change for over a decade.

Disneyland Sign (1958-1971ish)

Sometime in the early 70's (btwn 71 & 74), the white marquee with black letters got an upgrade.  A new larger black sign with letters matching the existing yellow accents of the larger sign was installed.

This full Black & Yellow version of the sign, from the early 70s is my favorite version of the sign.   

Disneyland Sign (1972-1974)

Around 1975, the yellow letter "D" (and I assume, all the letters,) got replaced with a new white version of its former self.  The matching tag line portion, formerly reading "Park & Hotel - Entrance", was also replaced for the first time.  Since the Park was heavily celebrating the Bicentennial, with a new parade and patriotic attractions, for two full years, the tag portion of the sign read "America On Parade".

Disneyland Sign, circa 1975-76

(Images are for historic illustration purposes only) 

View the entire Disneyland Sign Series

by clicking the "Marquee" link on the right,

or by following the link [here]

Big News

I got some good news today, so I just felt like a small celebration was needed. Pluto bursting out of a cake seems appropriate.

it's a small world (1 & 2) SUN-day

The first thing one sees when they walk toward the "it's a small world" attraction at Disneyland is the iconic clock face, ticking and tocking back and forth until each quarter hour when a parade of children pass to reveal the current time in giant numbers.

I know that anyone who rides this attraction notices children in unity singing the same song room after room (or is it continent after continent?) throughout the voyage. Recently guests have begun to notice the newly added classic characters (which I am not a big fan of, but can at least respect the artistic decision to make all the "real child" characters match the aesthetic of the original Small World children, while keeping "non-real child" characters, Woody, Dory, etc, looking more like play toys).  What else do you notice while sailing the "seven seas"?

Now let me tie these two paragraphs together.

Since the very beginning of time, time itself was measured (or identified) the exact same way no matter where (or when) in this small world a child lived.  It seems that "the Sun" is one of the more identifiable things that "we all share".  And that element was not lost on this attraction design when it was first introduced in 1964 at the New York World's Fair.  Today, the oldest existing "it's a small world" attraction, Disneyland's 1966 version, although somewhat altered from its original state, has the regionally appropriate versions of THE SUN in each and every show room of this beloved attraction.

Don't believe me?  For the next several Sundays, I'll post duo images of the differing Suns found throughout the attraction.  When all is posted and complete, take the time to see if you can spot all the different solar icons on the ride itself.  (And lemme know if other versions around the planet are similar or different... I'd be love to add those variations)

For this week, however, I begin with the clock face itself and the first sun seen in the Disneyland classic!  Sit back, keep you arms and legs inside the boat at all times, and enjoy the ride...

[Top] Clock [Bottom] Arctic/North Pole

ADDITIONAL posts about 

SMALL WORLD Sun Icons

will continue every Sunday

until August 21st!

Disneyland Sign 1950s

 First in a series of Five

The first Disneyland Sign wasn't as iconic as it has become today.  In fact, the first Disneyland Sign was nothing more than a roadside Billboard.  I find it interesting that during the early years, official access to the Hotel was through the Park's parking lot, as noted by the small add-on sign located below the billboard.

Disneyland Sign circa 1955

Future posts will include different versions of the iconic sign, helping to document noticeable changes, big and small, including alterations and updates in the tag line.  My reference has been taken from my own photos and from photos viewed on the web.  I frequently used the schedule information posted on the marquee portion of the sign to identify dates wherever possible, but welcome any additional info to fill in gaps or to correct details.

(Images are for historic illustration purposes only) 

View the entire Disneyland Sign Series

by clicking the "Marquee" link on the right,

or by following the link [here]

Disneyland Poster, July 17 1955

I have been saving my Disneyland ephemera since 1977.  A ticket or guide book from each of my annual visits somehow avoided the trash after the day ended, and once I realized I had begun a small collection, I began to keep all of these free souvenirs to this day.

Had I had the insight, I would have collected a lot more than what I did.  I would have even purchased some of the more cool items.  But alas, I was poor and didn't foresee how fascinated I would be decades later with the historic significance of many of these items.

Thankfully, blogs and photo galleries on the web have created a venue in which to revisit the tickets, posters, maps, promotions, and photos of Disneyland through the decades.

I am still poor, so in lieu of actually purchasing these items, I have turned my interest into trying to create images that help to give historical significance... hence the different series of graphic images I am creating for this blog.  With that in mind, I thought I'd share one of the first projects I did years ago, as a graphic design student.

I have always loved the Disneyland Attraction Posters; even long before they were reproduced and made available to guests, and even then, I couldn't afford them myself.  So when my instructor announced a new assignment, to create a "period-appropriate" poster for an activity or event, it took two seconds for me to figure out what I'd be doing.

Below is my "early attempt" at a Disneyland silk screen style poster for the dedication event on July 17, 1955.  My re-creation of the early castle logo had been completed long before this assignment, and truth be told it was a bit weak, with rough edges and crooked lines... perfect to represent screen printing!

This is simplistic, which is my style... and I can see many ways to improve upon this image, but I loved this poster when I made it, and still love it today.  That is why I am rounding out this Disneyland Birthday week by including it here and sharing it with you.

Chronologically, this poster could never have been real.  Walt's quote didn't happen until after the time stamped on the poster, the iconic Disneyland Sign did not exist for another three years, and the Park wasn't promoted as The Happiest Place on Earth at the very beginning.  This is my romanticized interpretation, fifty years after the actual event.