#DIsneyland60.....Today in Disneyland History...........August 29, 1955

Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship & Restaurant Opens

August 29, 1955

On August 29, 1955, the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant made its debut in Fantasyland in Disneyland.  Sponsored by Van Camp Seafood Company’s Chicken of the Sea tuna, this iconic restaurant was the home of the only takeout tuna sandwiches at Disneyland Park.  Built of wood in the middle of concrete with a small amount of water surrounding it. Tuna sandwiches, tuna salad (served in mini boats), tuna burgers, and hot tuna pies were all served at the Pirate Ship Restaurant at the counter below the deck. The ship featured a blonde mermaid figure-the mermaid was the sponsor’s trademark.

In 1961, The Skull Rock Lagoon was added and served as a scenic backdrop and seating area for patrons of the restaurant. Based on Skull Rock from “Peter Pan,” you could enjoy your food while listening to music & the cascading waterfall. Kids were often chased by Captain Hook behind the waterfalls and through the small caves. At night, the eyes of the Skull glowed green. Skull Rock & the Pirate Ship were both demolished in 1982 to make way for the “new” Fantasyland. The original intent was to move the Pirate Ship near the Storybook Land entrance and recreate Skull Cove, however, the ship (which had either been replaced by a concrete version which was more stable or reinforced with concrete) could not be moved in one piece without damaging it. There was no money in the budget to rebuild her, so she was taken apart instead. The mermaid figurehead was to be removed and saved, but fell out of the sling and broke into many pieces from an Imagineer’s truck when it went over a speed bump. In 1969, the restaurant’s name was changed to Captain Hook’s Galley, when Disneyland Park took over its operation. The ship remained until 1982, when it was demolished for the remodeling of the Fantasyland Area.  When the “new” Fantasyland reopened in 1983, the classic pirate ship was replaced by the new, updated version of Dumbo.  

Luckily, the Pirate ship and Skull Rock are more than just a memory as Imagineers created an incredible new version in Disneyland Paris.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history.  

#Disneyland60 ..... Today in Disneyland History................August 28, 2003

Lucky the Dinosaur Roams the Park

August 28, 2003

On August 28, 2003, Lucky the Dinosaur, the first Audio-Animatronic figure to walk freely and interact with park guests, debuted as a test in Disney's California Adventure Park after first premiering at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.  Approximately 8 feet tall, Lucky was a green biped dinosaur who pulled a flower-covered cart and was led by Chandler the Dinosaur Handler.  Lucky was the first free-roving creation dreamed up by Disney Imagineering team.  The flower cart Lucky pulled actually concealed Lucky’s computer and power source. Lucky was capable of moving, “talking” in dinosaur language, and responding to guests! Imagineers even went as far as to add thumping sounds that were in sync with Lucky's feet to simulate what a heavy dinosaur might have sounded like when moving.  

In the summer of 2005 Lucky back his cart and traveled to the east coast where he made appearances at Disney's Animal Kingdom in DinoLand USA.  After interacting for a time with guests there, it was time to back his bags once again when he traveled to the other side of the world to Hong Kong Disneyland for the park's grand opening.
Lucky wouldn't be spotted again until the D23 Expo in 2009 - but his technology enabled another free-roving attraction - Muppet Mobile Lab to wow park guests at various Disney theme parks around the world.
With more and more advances in computers, software, miniaturization, and electronics, there’s no telling what the future holds for the Disney Imagineers where the only limits are imagination. Time will tell what new friends we will meet roaming the Parks, but on August 28, it was all about a dinosaur named Lucky.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history. 

#Disneyland60.......Today In Disneyland History.......August 27, 1955

Mickey Mouse Club Theater Opens

August 27, 1955

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me?

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there! You're as welcome as can be!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Mickey Mouse! (Donald Duck!)

Mickey Mouse! (Donald Duck!)

Forever let us hold our banners high,

High, high, high!

Come along and sing a song and join the jamboree!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Mickey Mouse Club!

Mickey Mouse Club!

                                           

On August 27, 1955 The Mickey Mouse Club Theatre opened in Disneyland's Fantasyland. The air-conditioned theatre presented various Disney cartoons, and at one point it was the home to the 3D Jamboree featuring the multi-dimensional Mouseketeers in color as well as introducing the short films Melody and Working for Peanuts — all in 3D. In 1964, the theater was renamed the Fantasyland 

Theater.

Bruce Healey, senior music director/producer for Disneyland Entertainment Productions, remembered working in the theater. “In the days of the Fantasyland Theater of old, which was a little movie theatre in Fantasyland, we converted that to a live performance venue for this music education show that ran for about six months called “Fun With Music” which was an educational program that the company put together. This was about 1976 or ’77. It was a live stage show with film and live performers and a six-piece band that I was the leader of and I played the piano. There were these little opera boxes on either side of the theater that we made into an orchestra pit. Three of us were on one side of the theater and three of us were on the other side, which was a very challenging thing to deal with in terms of staying together.” The Fantasyland Theater took a final bow in 1981 and “Hey there, hi there, ho there” made way for “Hi diddle dee dee” when Pinocchio’s Daring Journey attraction debuted in its place in 1983. And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history.

Trivia Time!  Can you name all of the original Mouseketeers?  Who was your favorite?  Bonus points if you can name what each day of the week was on "The Mickey Mouse Club".

#Disneyland60..........Today In Disneyland History...............August 26, 2005

Disney Legend Fred Joerger Passes Away

August 26, 2005

On August 26, 2005, Disney Legend Fred Joerger, a master model maker who helped create Disneyland's look by molding three-dimensional models of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Haunted Mansion and other attractions, passed away at age 91. Born in Pekin, Illinois, on December 21, 1913, Fred graduated from the University of Illinois with a fine arts degree in 1937. He then moved to Los Angeles and joined the art department at Warner Brother’s building models of movie sets.  Walt Disney handpicked Joerger back in 1953 to become one of the first three members of WED Enterprises (today known as Walt Disney Imagineering) along with Harriett Burns and Wathel Rogers. Joerger's unusual knack for creating gorgeous rockwork out of plaster led to his reputation as Imagineering's "resident rock expert." Imagineer Fred Joerger helped realize Walt Disney’s visions by crafting three-dimensional miniature models of Disney theme park attractions, as well as motion picture sets and props, before they were brought to full-scale life.

As Fred recalled, “I was given artists’ drawings of an interior set or a building and interpreted them into models. It’s very easy to make something like the Haunted Mansion look good on paper, but if you don’t get it into three-dimensions first, you may have a disaster. Well, my job was to create the model to avert disaster, which was fun, but a challenge.”

Among his rocky mountain highlights; the huge stones featured on the Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Joerger also built miniature sets and props for Disney motion pictures, including Mary Poppins, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. It was Joerger who designed and constructed most all rockwork at Walt Disney World for its 1971 opening, including the breathtaking atrium waterfall featured in the Polynesian Village Resort.

In 1979, after 25 years with the Company, Fred retired. He soon returned, however, to serve as field art director for EPCOT Center prior to its 1982 opening.  His legacy lives on not just in his creations but in the Haunted Mansion as well where guests can still see the Haunted Mansion tombstone is a tribute to Joerger. The "Here Lies Good Old Fred - A Great Big Rock Fell On His Head". And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history. 

#Disneyland60.....Today In Disneyland History.......August 25, 1956

Official Grand Opening Disneyland Hotel

August 25, 1956

On August 25, 1956 The Disneyland Hotel celebrated its "official" grand opening with many Hollywood stars and celebrities attending the festivities (although it has been opened since October 5, 1955). Celebrity guests include Art Linkletter, William Bendix, Alan Ladd, Yvonne DeCarlo, Jeanne Crain, Anaheim Mayor Charles Pearson and of course Walt Disney.  When it originally opened, on October 5, 1955 it was not the deluxe resort we think of today but rather a motor inn owned and operated by Jack Wrather under an agreement with Walt Disney. The hotel was the first to officially bear the Disney name. Under Wrather's ownership, the hotel underwent several expansions and renovations over the years before being acquired by Disney in 1988.

The original Disneyland Hotel was designed by the firm of Pereira & Luckman and finally opened nearly 3 months after Disneyland. Various strikes caused the opening to be postponed from the August date advertised in pre-opening promotional materials, and the hotel only had limited capacity when it initially opened. The hotel originally consisted of just over 100 rooms in 5 two-story guest room complexes (later known as the South Garden Rooms and even later as the Oriental Gardens) that rented for $15 a night with shopping, dining and recreational facilities added in early 1956. Additionally, it had a doctor and dentist on site as well as a barber and beauty shop. The Disneyland Hotel quickly expanded over the years to include three North Garden guest room structures in 1956, one more North Garden structure in 1958 and lastly, two more North garden structures in 1960 when at that time the hotel boasted over 300 guest rooms and suites. It was one of the first hotels in the region to offer accommodations for four persons per room.

When the Wrather-Alvarez partnership ended acrimoniously in 1958, Wrather bought Alvarez' share of Wrather-Alvarez Hotels, making him sole owner of the Disneyland Hotel. Over the years, the hotel was expanded to include three guest room towers: Sierra (1962; expanded 1966), Marina (1970), and Bonita (1978).  

Guests traveled between the hotel and the Disneyland Park main entrance via a tram. The Disneyland Monorail was extended from its original 1959 configuration and a station opened at the hotel in 1961. Recreational areas, attractions, and a convention center (1972) were also added over the years. June 15, 1970 an adjacent recreation vehicle park called Vacationland opened and included its own pool and clubhouse which can be seen as a precursor to Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground which opened at Walt Disney World in 1971. The hotel also featured a Richfield service station for several years as part of Richfield's sponsorship of several Disneyland attractions, including the Autopia.

When Michael Eisner became chairman and CEO of Walt Disney Productions in 1984, he wanted to get out of Disney's agreement with the Wrather Corporation and bring the Disneyland Hotel under the Walt Disney Company's umbrella. Wrather refused to sell, just as he had refused Walt Disney many years before. Wrather died two months after Eisner took over at Disney, and four years later, in 1988, Disney bought the entire Wrather Company. Though Disney kept the hotel, it has since sold the other assets that came with the purchase.

In early 1997 Vacationland was closed and demolished. In 1999 a significant portion of the hotel was also demolished, all to make way for Downtown Disney and parking areas for the newly expanding Disneyland Resort. Most buildings east of the Sierra Tower and north of the Marina Tower were demolished, including the original hotel buildings from 1955. The only buildings remaining in these areas are the convention center and parking garage. Recreational facilities were built in the quad between the three towers, previously site of the Water Wonderland, to replace those that were previously located east of the Sierra Tower.

Streets previously used to access the hotel by car were regraded and/or outright eliminated, and a new street was built to access the hotel. Tram service from the hotel was also discontinued, leaving the Monorail as the only vehicular mode of transportation from park to hotel. The loss of hotel rooms was offset with the opening of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel in 2001, but many of the restaurants and amenities that existed prior to 1999 were never replaced.

Today none of the original hotel buildings from 1955 remain standing. Very little of the hotel other than parking areas and service facilities sit outside of the perimeter created by the three remaining guest room towers. Original signs and other artifacts from several of the stores and restaurants demolished with the Plaza are on display in the hotel's employee cafeteria.  The Disneyland Hotel started a major renovation in 2009, beginning with the Dreams tower. Renovation of the hotel included new windows, wallpaper, carpeting, and decor. The Dreams Tower, completed in 2010, became the Adventure Tower. The Wonder Tower became the Frontier Tower after its completion in 2011, and the Magic Tower became the Fantasy Tower in 2012.  

The Never Land Pool area also received a redesign which was completed in 2012. This transformation includes six new cabanas and two new water slides featuring the iconic original park signage at the top along with replicas of Mark I Monorails encasing both slides. A new four foot pool was built between the former Never Land Pool and water play area.  Today staying at the Disneyland Hotel allows you to be a part of the past and the present.  Steeped in history and tradition, and just steps away from the Happiest Place on Earth, it’s the perfect way to extend the magic when visiting the Disneyland Resort.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history. 

#Disneyland60.....Today In Disneyland History.......August 24, 2002

First Ever ABC Primetime Preview Weekend

August 24, 2002

On August 24, 2002 Disney's California Adventure played host to the first ever "ABC Primetime Preview Weekend." The 2-day event inaugurated the new ABC-TV fall line-up.  This brand new event featured the shows and stars of ABC. Lucky Disney California Adventure guests were invited to screen episodes of then upcoming ABC Primetime series including “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter”, “Less Than Perfect” among others. One of the many highlights for guests was "announced" as part of a mock red carpet arrival complete with camera flash bulbs as they entered the Golden Dreams Theater, which now houses The Little Mermaid- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.

In the Pacific Wharf guests were invited to watch a brief promotional video about ABC and answers some questions. Following the survey's completion, they were given a special entrance pass into selected attractions. Also located at this station were postcards featuring the various ABC shows which could be sent to family and friends for no additional cost .The Pacific Wharf Stage was host to the "Happy Hour" Trivia Challenge where participants competed for a prize given out by surprise celebrity visitors.

Actors from each of the ABC-TV Fall shows were available to the media for a very brief question and answer session by the Golden Vine Winery. They also participated in a question and answer session for the public in the Golden State Amphitheater which lasted about 30 minutes. The Parade of Stars motorcade gave excited fans a chance to see their favorites as it journeyed from the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, now Hollywood Land, and traveled along the Disney California Adventure Park Performance Corridor. Each segment of the route had a separate ABC affiliate hosting. Celebrities were equipped with a microphone and were able to speak briefly as they passed each area.

The most popular element of the first ABC Primetime Preview Weekend was the then popular show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” held in the Hyperion Theater, home of the Aladdin – a musical spectacular.  Many guests waited from park open or even earlier to secure seats for this event which performed once each day of the weekend to a packed theater.

The weekend events were concluded each night with a performance by stand-up comedian George Lopez and a Blues concert by Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts.  Be sure to check out this year’s ABC Fall TV lineup which broadcasts into homes beginning September 21. And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history. 

#Disneyland60.....Today In Disneyland History......August 22, 1956

Carefree Corner Opens

August 22, 1956

On August 22, 1956 The Carefree Corner guest registration area opened at Disneyland. This little shop which was located at the Hub end of Main Street housed registry books from each state in which guests could sign their names. In addition to hosting the guest sign-in books, The Carefree Corner was the official information center on Main Street, U.S. A.

Guests could sign their names in books from their home state, Canada or other countries, as well as get travel and reservation assistance and directions to park attractions. And when the first free guides to the park were available in 1965, guests picked them up at Carefree Corner.

 The Carefree Corner operated until 1985, it closed and reopened as Card Corner. This card shop was sponsored by the Gibson Card Co.  and actually was located on a different part of Main Street until it moved into the Carefree Corner location. When Carefree Corner was open, it also served as the official Information Center maintained by INA--Insurance Company of North America and their 20,000 local agents. Among the friendly services found here included a souvenir gift, directions to Disneyland attractions, travel and reservation assistance.

The Carefree Corner is now the home to the Main Street Photo Supply.  Over the years, in addition the Carefree Corner, it has been the home to:

        1955-             The Plaza Hotel

        1955-1956-     The Plaza Apartments- a guest registry

        1956- 1985 –   The Carefree Corner

        1985 – 1988 –  The Card Corner, Gibson Greetings

        1989 – 1994 –   Carefree Corner Merchandise Location & Official

                                Disneyland Registration & Information Center

        1994 – Present – Main Street Photo Supply Company 

The address remains the same – 222 Main Street- but throughout the years, needs of the Disneyland guests, although always changing, were always met with the Disney attention to detail and treating each guest as if they were family.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland’s history. 

Trivia

·        The gold lettering on the wall behind the original desk read:
INSURANCE COMPANY OF NORTH AMERICA COMPANIES

• INA was the company that produced the Disneyland guide books for many years.
• A guest register used to lie open on the front desk of this service center for anyone to sign. By 1973 it was put under the counter and guests had to ask to be able to sign it.

#Disneyland60.....Today In Disneyland History.........August 21,

People Mover Closes

August 21, 1995

On August 21, 1995 The PeopleMover, sometimes referred to as the Goodyear PeopleMover or the WEDWay PeopleMover in Tomorrowland at Disneyland made it's last trip.   Guests of the PeopleMover boarded small trains that ran on elevated tracks for a "grand circle tour" above Tomorrowland by entering the attraction's vehicles that were always in constant motion, and were accessible by a large turntable inside the station. The trains were not powered by motors within themselves, but rather by being pushed by rotating tires each with its own electric motor, embedded in the track once every nine feet.

Each car included its own sound system that broadcast a continuous audio commentary and soundtrack, relative to the train's location. The commentary pointed out Disneyland's attractions along the way as well as announcing promotional items.

The tour continued from the center of Tomorrowland through many of Tomorrowland's buildings, for a look inside, and then over Disneyland's Submarine Lagoon and Autopia areas, before returning to Tomorrowland.

In 1977, the SuperSpeed Tunnel, located in the Carousel Building, then housing America Sings was added to the ride. Here race cars were projected on the walls all around the trains. In 1982, the scenes were changed to clips from Tron's light cycle race scene, and the tunnel was renamed Tron SuperSpeed Tunnel. These were edited clips of World of Motion's SuperSpeed Tunnel movies designed to look like computer generations.

Sadly, the PeopleMover closed on August 21, 1995 and was replaced by the short-lived Rocket Rods in 1998. The ride track infrastructure, which served both the PeopleMover and Rocket Rods, still stands unused in Tomorrowland. And that’s what happened today in Disneyland’s history.

#Disneyland60.....Today In Disneyland History......August 20, 1928

First Female Disney Imagineer Harriet Tapp Is Born

                                       August 20, 1928

August 20, 1928, Harriet Burns, then Harriet Tapp, who later married and became Harriet Burns, was born in San Antonio, Texas.  The name may not sound familiar immediately but I guarantee that you know her work for this Disney Imagineer Burns was the first woman ever hired by Walt Disney Imagineering in a creative rather than an office capacity. She began working at Disney Studios in 1955 as a prop and set painter for the Mickey Mouse Club. Later on it was Harriet Burns that helped to create Sleeping Beauty Castle, New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean, and many other theme park and along with many of the 1964-1965

 World's Fair attractions.   Burns may have worked shoulder to shoulder with men in the model shop, wielding saws, lathes, and sanders, she was still the best-dressed employee in the department.

Photo Credit Disney Enterprises Inc. 

“It was the 1950s,” she later explained. “I wore color-coordinated dresses, high heels, and gloves to work. Girls didn’t wear slacks back then, although I carried a pair in a little sack, just in case I had to climb into high places.”  Harriet’s career started after she received her bachelor’s degree in art from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She went on to study advanced design for another year at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

In 1953, she moved to Los Angeles with her husband and small daughter. There, she accepted a part-time position at Dice Display Industries Cooperative Exchange, where she helped design and produce props for television’s Colgate Comedy Hour along with interiors and sets for Las Vegas hotels, including the Dunes. Adept at her work, she was asked to spearhead the creation of the fanciful Southern California tourist destination Santa’s Village, located near Lake Arrowhead.

When Dice went out of business in 1955, a co-employee who had once worked at Disney beat tracks back to the Studio and invited Harriet to come along. She was subsequently hired to paint sets and props for the new Mickey Mouse Club television show. Harriet soon began coordinating the show’s color styling and even designed and built the famous “Mouse Clubhouse.”

She later joined Walt Disney Imagineering, formerly called WED Enterprises, where she helped create Sleeping Beauty Castle, New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion, and more. She also helped construct Storybook Land, which features miniature villages inspired by Disney animated movies such as Pinocchio, and designed all of the “singing birds” in the Enchanted Tiki Room, the first Audi- Animatronics^® attraction at Disneyland.

Harriet worked on everything from figure finishing to stage design for attractions featured at the New York World’s Fair in 1964, including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Carousel of Progress. On occasion, when Walt would introduce new theme park attractions to television audiences, she would appear on segments of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

After retirement, Harriet remained an active member of the arts and music community in Santa Barbara, California.

 Sadly Harriet Burns passed away on July 25, 2008, in Los Angeles, California but her legacy will live on in the Happiest Place on Earth throughout the generations to come.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland’s history.  

#Disneyland60.....Today In Disneyland History........August 19, 1955

Case de Fritos Opens

August 19, 1955

On August 19, 1955 Casa de Fritos, located next door to Aunt Jemima's Pancake Restaurant invited its first hungry guest in month   after Disneyland’s opening. In addition to great food, the Mexican eatery featured a unique Frito Kid chip-dispensing machine that gave you a bag of Fritos Corn Chips for only a nickel. The Frito Kid stood just inside the door as you walked to the counter. Guests would put a nickel in the cash box on the fence and the Frito Kid came to life. While rolling his eyes, licking his lips, and turning his head, his recorded voice would holler back to his unseen partner Klondike inside the mountain to send down some more of those “golden chips of corn,” and then a wax-paper bag of Fritos Corn Chips would slide down the chute.  Park visitors loved this Mexican restaurant that served favorites such as the Frito Chile Pie - a bag of corn chips sliced open and topped with chile and melted cheese as well as the popular“Ta-cup” which was made up of ground beef, cheese, lettuce, and sauce in a fried corn dough cup.

Originally located in the corridor known as “New Orleans Street” this restaurant favorite soon outgrew its space, and was replaced by Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo BBQ. When the Casa de Fritos moved next to the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland attraction on July 1, 1957 the Frito Kid also went to the new location, but was moved from the right to the left of the chute, minus the booth with the racks of potato chips, etc. The mountain mine set was also redesigned to accommodate the different angle of the chute.

Photo Credit Imagineering Disney

Today in the original location of the Casa de Fritos is the ever-popular Rancho del Zocalo Mexican Restaurant. A few architectural remnants still remain and the archway with broken adobe and exposed brick that was once the main Casa de Fritos entrance, now serves as an entrance to a dining area of Rancho del Zocalo.  In addition, the adobe/brick oven is still there today but with tables and chairs in front.  The days of the Casa de Fritos and the Frito Kid may be a distant memory, put the tradition of top notch Mexican food for reasonable prices still lives on today at the Rancho del Zocalo.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history.