Yesterland

Reminders of Disneyland’s Past, Part 1

from
The Disneyland Book of Lists
by Chris Strodder

One of the 247 lists in Chris Strodder’s wonderful new book, The Disneyland Book of Lists, is “33 Remaining Signs and Structures from Disneyland’s Past.”

The list includes actual remnants of the past, tributes by Disney’s Imagineers, and examples of creative recycling.

The research and text in this article are from Chris Strodder. I broke the list into two parts and added a photo in front of each list item. When you get to the end, continue with [Part 2.

Werner Weiss, Curator of Yesterland, May 8, 2015


 

In recent years, these locations have reminded guests of things that used to be in Disneyland.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

1.

Adventureland Bazaar: As noted in Jeff Kurtti’s Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park, “Victorian posts from the long-demolished Swift Chicken Plantation restaurant” (1955–1962) still stand in the Bazaar’s back corner closest to the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

2.

Alice in Wonderland: Fantasyland still has several structures that used to be ticket booths. One of these is the giant mushroom underneath the big book at the Alice in Wonderland attraction (the lighthouse at the nearby Storybook Land Canal Boats is also a former ticket booth).

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

3.

Along the Autopia road, drivers will see a small bronze-colored car on their right-hand side that once belonged to the Midget Autopia (1957–1966).

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

4.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique: The wood carvings in front of the boutique depict characters from Peter Pan, a reminder of the Tinker Bell Toy Shoppe formerly at this location.

Disneyland

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2002

5.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Up until 2010, a derelict engine and some cars from the old Mine Train (1956–1977) were crashed near the Rivers of America.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

6.

Casey Jr. Circus Train: Two decades after it closed, the Fantasyland terminal of the old Skyway (1956–1994) still stood, unused and hidden by trees, near the Casey Jr. Circus Train.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

7.

Emporium: Formerly located in the northern corner of the Emporium behind the old Upjohn Pharmacy, the Story Book Shop sold comics, picture books, and Disneyland’s pictorial souvenir books; today, a conspicuous sign on the shelf still shows the Story Book name (though the area is now for toys).

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

8.

Fairytale Arts: Next to this spot by Matterhorn Mountain is a quiet dock that was once the loading area for the gentle Motor Boat Cruise (1957–1993).

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

9.

Fantasy Faire: The Plaza Gardens/Carnation Plaza Gardens, which was here from 1955 to 2012, is represented with a CPG symbol on a rooftop spire.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

10.

Fire Department: The beautifully appointed horse-drawn Fire Engine was one of the original Main Street Vehicles, but it was withdrawn from service in mid-1960 and permanently parked inside the Fire Department, where it’s still on view.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

11.

Fortuosity Shop: Main Street Tribute Windows identify important people from Disneyland’s history, but two of the Fortuosity Shop’s windows also identify an extinct location. W. F. Allen, D. S. Gilmore, C. V. Patterson, and E. G. Upjohn, all former Upjohn executives, are identified on windows of this corner building that used to be the Upjohn Pharmacy.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015

12.

The Haunted Mansion: In the ballroom, a ghost plays the pipe organ that formerly sat inside Tomorrowland’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Exhibit (1955–1966).

Disneyland

Capture from videotape by Allen Huffman, 2003

13.

Indiana Jones Adventure: Up by the projector in Indy’s queue area is a hard-to-detect sign that shows Eeyore—a leftover marker from the massive parking lot that spread in front of Disneyland until 1998.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010

14.

Innoventions: Occasionally the banners hanging outside the building spotlight extinct Tomorrowland attractions.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010

15.

Innoventions: Images painted outside and inside the building have sometimes shown the Clock of the World (1955–1966), the bandstand from America Sings (1974–1988), and the House of the Future (1957–1967). Inside, a model of the House of the Future has been used as a table.

Disneyland

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010

16.

Jolly Trolley: No longer running, the bouncy Jolly Trolley now sits quietly in the heart of Mickey’s Toontown.


About the Author

 

Chris Strodder is the author of The Disneyland Encyclopedia, which was named a “Best Reference Book” by Library Journal. His other works include the pop culture compendiums The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool and Swingin’ Chicks of the ’60s. Strodder has also written the children’s book A Sky for Henry, the adventure story for young adults Lockerboy, the comic novel The Wish Book, the Stories Light and Dark collection of short fiction, and articles for various periodicals, including Los Angeles and California magazines. Strodder first visited Disneyland in 1966 and has been collecting Disneyland souvenirs and ephemera ever since. He lives in the green hills of Mill Valley, California.


Where to Buy the Book

Disneyland Book of Lists by Chris Stodder

The Disneyland Book of Lists is available from Amazon (paperback and Kindle), Barnes & Noble (paperback and Nook), and other major outlets. To order from Amazon, please use the links below.

Also consider the updated third edition of The Disneyland Encyclopedia by Chris Strodder—“The Unofficial, Unauthorized, and Unprecedented History of Every Land, Attraction, Restaurant, Shop, and Major Event in the Original Magic Kingdom.”

The Disneyland
Book of Lists

Paperback
book

The Disneyland
Book of Lists

Kindle
eBook

The Disneyland
Encyclopedia

Paperback
book

The Disneyland Encyclopedia
Kindle
eBook


 

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Reminders of the Past, Part 2
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Updated April 23, 2017.