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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2006 |
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At Paradise Pier’s row of Midway Shops, one store stands out—Man Hat n’ Beach. On its exterior, an oversized clown has popped out of a proportionately undersized box. It’s a cartoony take on the classic jack-in-the-box toy. |
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The name “Man Hat n’ Beach” is a play on Manhattan Beach, a Los Angeles suburb several miles south of the city’s big airport. Manhattan Beach is known for its classic ocean pier, trendy restaurants, and affluent residents. |
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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2001 Man Hat n’ Beach |
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Man Hat n’ Beach is known for selling hats and beach items. The connection between a jack-in-the-box and a hat and beach shop is a bit puzzling. Perhaps it’s because this jack-in-the-box clown is wearing a small cap. Most other jack-in-the-box clowns also wear some sort of clown hat or jester cap. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Shiny face |
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The smooth, shiny jack-in-the-box looks as if the whole thing might be made of opaque plexiglass illuminated from behind. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2002 After dark |
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But at night, only the letters and the neon tubes light up. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003 Near Games of The Boardwalk |
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Compared to the other facades of the Midway Shops and Games of the Boardwalk—with their signs above striped awnings—the big jack-in-the-box front of Man Hat n’ Beach stands out as the odd man out. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2006 With its next-door neighbors |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Warning |
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Let’s wander around inside the store… |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Jumbo hat decor |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Colorful fixtures |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010 Mouse ears are hats too |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010 Gotta have plush |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010 Pink octopus “mirror holder” |
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Maybe you now associate a jack-in-the-box with hats. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1974 Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim, 1974 |
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Or maybe you still just associate a jack-in-the-box with hamburgers. |
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Man Hat n’ Beach was part of Disney’s California Adventure when the park opened in February 2001. The official Disneyland Resort website described the store this way in 2001: Man, Hat n’ Beach Inside this giant, oversized jack-in-the-box you’ll find a huge selection of hats, from the absolutely nutty to the positively chic. And for fun, be sure to model your chapeaux in front of one of the shop’s wacky, warped mirrors. In 2006, the official Disneyland Resort website had this: Man Hat ’n’ Beach Reflect on a carnival sideshow’s hypnotic hall of mirrors in this hip and cool headgear and surfwear shop.
The jumbo jack-in-the-box remained in front of the shop for almost 11 years—until early 2012—when a placemaking project gave the shop a new facade and new name. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 Boardwalk Bazaar at the Midway Shops of Paradise Pier |
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Its neighbors kept their old signs and names, but also benefitted from siding and other period details. Apparently, the signs for Point Magu Tattoo and Sideshow Shirts were good enough for DCA 2.0, but the Man Hat n’ Beach jack-in-the-box violated the theme of an early 20th-century amusement pier too egregiously. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 The newer look |
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The architectural details of Boardwalk Bazaar echoed the style of Toy Story Midway Mania and the updated Games of the Boardwalk. But sitting between its immediate neighbors, the shop was again the odd man out. You might have expected a new interior to match the new exterior. But you would have been wrong. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 Inside Boardwalk Bazaar |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 2001 or 2014? |
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Point Magu Tattoo, Sideshow Shirts, and Man Hat n’ Beach are all connected inside. The merchandise was updated over the years, but the décor and fixtures were a blast from the past—Disney’s California Adventure, as it was in 2001. Placemaking didn’t reach the inside of the retail space. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 Neon in the back Boardwalk Bazaar |
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Although Man Hat n’ Beach became Boardwalk Bazaar, the interior continued to be Man Hat n’ Beach—a neon sign in the back of the store left no doubt. Boardwalk Bazaar and its neighbors closed January 8, 2018, when Paradise Pier began its transformation into Pixar Pier. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2022 Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff on Pixar Pier |
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The corner where Man Hat n’ Beach and its successor Boardwalk Bazaar used to be is now dominated by Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff. It’s not just a candy store, but also a place to shop for Disney- and Pixar-themed apparel, décor, toys, and souvenirs. |
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© 2024 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated January 5, 2024 |
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