Bind Your Own Book!
Got digital photos of your layout? How about old prints or slides? Have a way of scanning or otherwise converting them to a digital format? Then let me show you the future of scrapbooking.
There's no need anymore to print individual photos and spend hours pasting them into a scrapbook or photo album. Today's photo sharing sites can print them into a book for you!
A couple of days work was all it took to organize, write and order my very own layout scrapbook.
A 30 page 8" by 11" hardbound book with dust cover cost me $49.15 delivered. It would have been about $72, but I had a 40% off coupon for creating a new Shutterfly account. There were a lot of options for page layouts, including having the Shutterfly people do it for me. I chose to do it myself and have plain white pages, but there were many options for backgrounds I could have used. There were also options for glossy paper, matte covers, etc. but the only extra I added was $5 for the dust jacket (gives it more class ).
This was a fun project!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Wow. That's probably better than any souvenir book you could get at Disneyland.
I have to confess I was a little disappointed at what the BYOB really meant in this thread's heading, but only for about five seconds!
HaHa!! Becky hooked me in on that one too! Great idea, though. I know there's at least 6 full scrapbooking totes taking up valuable train storage space in my basement.......
Great info share, thanks Beck!
Firelock76 what the BYOB really meant
I believe the first thread I started over here was titled "date me", so yes, I do have a history.
Becky, we had some chocolate covered dates a few Christmases back, they were especially tasty. Prunes, dried figs, raisins, all good.
All kidding aside,
Great info on scrap booking. I've got 10 bazillion slides from railfan days I need to scan. Someday... Most of the steamers I chased aren't running anymore. I managed to somehow miss 611 every single time.
Lucky to have seen 1361, she hasn't turned a wheel since.
Paul
FYI, I've made books like this for all sorts of reasons, but wanted to add a tip. Before checking out, go to retailmenot.com and look for a coupon code. Places like Shutterfly and Snapfish almost always have coupon deals!
Rene Schweitzer
Classic Toy Trains/Garden Railways/Model Railroader
Rene, since you've looked in on this, how about Kalmbach publishing Becky's book? Certainly it can't be called "Disneyland," copyrights and all, but how about "A Penny Trains Christmas?"
Keep the price reasonable and I'll betcha it'll sell!
Really, from what I can see from the photos in the post it's stunning!
I'm out of the loop on what our Books department may be interested in, but if Penny is interested, message me and I'll give you the contact person/info.
Shutterfly is great, I use them every year to make my own wall calendar. They always make a quality product – as Penny's book illustrates!
Bob Keller
Rene Schweitzer I'm out of the loop on what our Books department may be interested in, but if Penny is interested, message me and I'll give you the contact person/info.
Got the message m'Lady. and thanks!
I grew up here in So Cal. My family took us to Disneyland every summer. I have some stories about the early days of Disneyland, if you"re interested...
It was just a bit different, wasn't it?
Yes, it was.
Very Different from what you might find today.
I was born in '56, one year after Disneyland opened. Our first trip to Disney was about '59 or '60. I have this fuzzy memory that has stayed with me all my life: Driving the Mark Twain riverboat! For years I have tried to figure out if this really happened, or was it just a dream. I have sat down with my mom, and in this course of reminiscing, I asked her. Yes,this really happened! Disneyland was a much more low key place back then, so there my brother and I were with our matching shirts, and crew cuts, in the pilot house of the Mark Twain. Turning the wheel, and piloting the mighty riverboat. What a great experience for a kid ! Of course, we know now the Mark Twain and Columbia are on a track, but that was a really cool experience for a 4 year old ! Don't know if they would take the time for this today...
Another memory from the early days;
Frontierland: very well thought out, and conceived. The Jungle boat ride, Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, Tom Sawyer's Island.
Fantasyland: basically a ride based on each of Walt's movies. You had Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beaty's castle, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
And then there was Tomorrowland. For the first 10 years, Tomorrowland was like that area on the back of everyone's layout that is a " work in progress" . I am not knocking it, it just lacked the polish of the rest of Disneyland. I can remember one attraction from the early days: kids were flying model airplanes in a circle. That was it ! They also had these bumper cars that were round like a flying saucer,and floated on a cushion of air. That was actually pretty cool. And, they had the " House of Tomorrow". That's a great concept, but probably lost on most young minds.
Then came the big makeover. About '66 or '67, Disney advertised big. New attractions. Things got real exciting! In came " the Pirates of the Caribbean " , the " Haunted Mansion", "It's a Small World", and the "Primeval World". The "People Mover" came in around that time also, and Tomorrowland starting getting a lot more interesting.
A couple more thoughts : the early train ride had wooden clerestory coaches. I can remember my dad warning me not to go out on the platforms while the train was running. Those coaches left when the "Primeval World" came in. The new cars have "theater style " seating, with long benches running the length of the car. Everybody faces inward, because that's where the dinosaurs are.
One last thought:
I actually remember the "Haunted Mansion" being scary when it first opened. I believe they have " toned it down " somewhat, probably as not to scare kids. I remember the opening corridor with the portraits, and the lightning was crisp, and very startling. Of course, the pictures change in a frightening way with each lightening strike. The last time I was there, the lightening was very slow, and somewhat subdued.
Yes, there's more, but these are the things that stand out most.
I went to Disneyland back in 1971, just before taking a plane ride to my ship's homeport in Pearl Harbor. What impressed me most was the submarine ride - probably too tame for today's kids. When Disney World opened not long after, I remember reading in Time magazine that Disney had the world's 7th largest sub fleet. My family went to Disney World 2 yrs. ago, and I was disapointed that the subs were no more and hadn't been for years. It's a shame: "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is still one of my all-time favorite movies. To keep this train related, under a bridge on my layout you can find 2 Hallmark ornaments of the Yellow Submarine and the Nautilus at the starting line for submarine races at midnight on the 3rd Tuesday of every month (says so right on a sign). I'm hoping for a "Seaview" one day too.
This website: http://davelandweb.com/disneyland/ is indespensible to me! Take a look, you'll really start tripping down memory lane!
Here's a pic from the 2010 refurbishment of the ships that clearly shows the track on the concrete bottom:
The original Fort Wilderness was a real work of love, hand hewn out of real logs:
It closed in 2003 and was torn down in 2007. Only to be replaced by this "thing":
Which isn't open to the public and is used as a staging area for Fantasmic".
The original treehouse in the original "Disneyodendronsemperflorensextremis":
Tarzan has lived there since 1999:
Tomorrowland was (and still is) the hardest part of the parks to get right. In this aerial view you can see the Richfield Autopia at the top and the Rocket to the Moon on the right. At the center is the original Astro Jets and just below that is the Tomorrowland Flight Circle for control line model planes!
The Flying Saucers!
They floated on a cushion of air which blasted through holes in the ground. This, as you might imagine, was a bit problematic. They resided in Tomorrowland from August 6, 1961–August 5, 1966 if that helps you date your visit.
Monsanto's nearly all plastic House of the Future:
New Tomorrowland opened in 1967:
Compare the Walt approved version of the 60's with the 90's "retro futurism" of today's Tomorrowland:
Early observation car on the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad:
Boy they packed 'em in like cattle!
Modern coaches:
But the original observation still rides!
The Viewliner: Disneyland's "other" train:
The Haunted Mansion was built in 1963 but sat empty till 1969:
One of my favorites:
Captain Nemo's pipe organ:
Movie props are expensive! They had to get more life out of them!
Here's one of those things that didn't work:
20k is my favorite movie and it was one of the coolest rides. Those subs circling the lagoon were an awesome sight!
Here's a great site about the ride: http://www.20kride.com/home.html
Including what happened after 1994:
Operators view (after shutdown):
Graveyard of the Nautilii:
Disneyland opened with this exhibit in 1955:
The concrete Nautilus at Euro Disneyland:
It's a walk through attraction very similar to the 1955 version:
Of course, the big difference is the 1955 exhibit used the actual movie sets and props where the modern version uses reproductions:
Including a copy of James Mason!
At Tokyo Disneyland in the Disney Sea park you can tour Vulcania!
There's a buffet:
I doubt "sautee of unborn octopus" is on the menu though!
But they do have ice cream:
Mount Prometheus erupts!
There is a ride! simulator...
In California the subs got a second chance:
Thanks to digital imagery:
Yes, there's a NEW Nemo in town!
Really fantastic pictures, and info. My recollection of exact dates is only a rough "guesstimate ". I remember many of these exhibits, and the many changes. The " Haunted Mansion" contained a lot of cutting edge technology by 1960's standards.
Here's another humorous story you may enjoy:
On Main Street, they had an "audio animatronic" Abe Lincoln. This was also cutting edge at the time. As you may know, his motion came from pneumatics. He would stand at the end of his speech, and look quite lifelike. It was a very cool illusion.
I had a cousin who worked there for a time, and he said that over time Ol Abe developed some air leaks, and they referred to him as " Mr. Leakin'" .
Sorry to share that, but it is funny...
Yeah, I've heard about the "hissing Lincoln"!
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, The Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World and the Primeval World were all constructed for the 1964 New York World's Fair:
Honest Abe moved into the Main Street Opera House in 1965:
Freaky realistic, isn't it? Walt claimed that they even copied Lincoln's voice characteristics for the original version. How, 100 years after his death, they managed to pull that off I can't say.
Even though he's quita a bit more articulate (and less hissy) the modern incarnation isn't quite as good as the original in my opinion:
But even that looks better than the WDW Hall of Presidents version in my book:
Here's a funny bit of Disneyland lore you may have never heard.
One day Walt discovered to his horror that there was unused space inside Sleeping Beauty Castle. Gathering up some of his imagineers he journeyed into the park to have a look at the offending attic. To Walt, underutilization was anathema, and he just couldn't let this continue.
So here's Walt and several of his best and brightest ascending a ladder into a recess of the castle that was never intended to be used for anything except keeping the roof up and maybe a bit of storage. In their everyday business attire by the way, they had to do this while the park was open after all. Upon entering the loft, they quickly decided that some sort of small attraction could indeed be constructed to fit inside the space. It would probably have to be small, and since Walt was an avid fan of miniatures he may well have been the first to suggest a series of dioramas. (Which is what they did indeed install and Shirley Temple Black opened the Sleeping Beauty Diorama to the public in April of 1957.)
But back in the loft a bit earlier on in this tale, the team from WED began noticing two very strange things. Number one, the whole room was completely lousy with cats of all sizes and descriptions. They most likely sought refuge in there while the castle was being built and nobody ever noticed they were there. (Maybe they should have thanked them for keeping the rats away from the mice? )
The other curious thing is that the floors, walls and ceilings were coated in some kind of curious black substance. As they ventured deeper into the small space, the reason why became all too obvious as the billions upon billions of fleas leapt off the walls and onto the fresh meat that had walked so willingly into their midst!
So, imagine if you will, Walt Disney and a group of Disneylands architects vaulting down that ladder and out into Fantasyland all the while stripping off jackets and swatting at the swarm of ravenous blood suckers who now turned their attention to every nearby guest or park employee!
This IS a true story. Too bad they didn't make a T-shirt. "I went to Disneyland and all I got was fleas!"
That sounds like my first apartment. Never heard that one before.
Do you remember the train ride through "Nature's Wonderland " ?
At least, I think that was what it was called. It was a saddle tank Porter, sort of a mine train. It went through a desert landscape with bright bubbling mud. Geothermal activity, but the mud was bright blue, red and such. It's a great example of early Disneyland. The rides were somewhat quaint, but lots of fun. I loved that train, when I was a kid. The fastest ride they had then was the Matterhorn bobsleds. How tame that seems now !
You know, the rides that have come and gone would be an interesting sub topic, all in itself.
From Daveland: "The Rainbow Caverns Mine Train (1956) was renamed “The Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland” when it was upgraded with new scenery and debuted on May 28, 1960."
Old Unfaithful Geiser
The location of the ride was originally a trail for stagecoaches, conestoga wagons and mule trains:
The landscape has changed a bit:
But reminders of the past can be found:
The best sites for photos and info on past Disney attractions are http://davelandweb.com/disneyland/ and http://yesterland.com/.
How to build an alp:
Ever see Hans and Otto?
above 1959, below 2002
Old Yeti:
New Yeti:
It's not ALL thrill ride ya know...
Thank you so much ! Such great memories of that ride. I had actually forgotten about the indoor caverns section until I saw your pictures. I was sad to see that train go ! My brother and I rowed the canoe. In that area, they also had a burning cabin, with arrows embedded in the sides. No trace of that now.
My brother and I had a lot of fun on Tom Sawyers Island. I remember the caverns, and the raft ride to get out there. There was also a "Keelboat " option for river travel.
I think Mr. Disney was a genius, and he payed attention to the little details that make it special. Mickey Mouse pancakes at Aunt Jemimas pancake house, Mickey Mouse hats with your name custom embroidered, the Horse cars, and omnibuses of Main Street, and, oh yes,
the trains. Watching the men run the locomotive from the first seat in the first car. They seemed to have mastered it, with very little manipulation of the controls. That comes with experience.
Oh the cabin is still there!
It's just not on fire anymore. The sign nearby leads you to believe it's the residence of Mike Fink:
His keel boat is parked nearby:
But yeah, it's not quite the same:
It wasn't just the cabin that had arrows in it by the way:
Believe it or not, Disneyland's keelboats were actual movie props:
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race, 1955, starring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen:
They got windows and seats for park use though:
I'd love to add boats to my Rivers of America but the space is very tight:
The Gullywhumper in near sinking condition, note the dirtiness of the water at that time too:
It was more fun when they played chicken with the big boys!
The rafts are now the only way onto the island:
The island isn't what it used to be, especially with the closure of Fort Wilderness. This thing just doesn't cut it:
Now they have Pirate's Lair:
Gee. It's so nostalgic looking:
Oh....that's why:
Yes sports fans Aunt Jemima really did have a pancake house at Disneyland!
This was the original New Orleans Street section of Frontierland.
Today's River Belle Terrace still makes those pancakes!
From 1957 to 1961 part of Auntie J's was The Silver Banjo BBQ:
Owned by Don and Verne DeFore:
If Mr. DeFore looks familiar, he was Thorny Thornton, Ozzie and Harriett's neigbor and also Mr. Baxter (Mister B) on Hazel.
If you're very very lucky...
Don't look at me! I've never been so lucky!
But there is a seat on the tender...
Otherwise looking over the tender is the best seat:
The C.K. Holliday was built at Disneyland:
The E.P. Ripley just prior to opening day:
The Ward Kimball:
The Ernest F. Marsh:
The Fred Gurley:
And the Lilly Belle:
All those Disneyland shots are just wonderful!
A few notes...
Sad to see all those "Nautilii" on the hard and unused. I'd love to have one, just the thing for cruising the James River here in Virginia, or one of the bigger lakes. Disney's "Nautilus" has got to be the coolest movie sub ever, and I'm sure Jules Verne would have given it his heartiest approval.
"20,000 Leagues..." is still a superb piece of work even 60 years after it was filmed. Sure, it has some comedy to keep the kids interested, but the part that really impresses me is James Mason's superb acting as Captain Nemo, especially the part where he's playing the organ and "psyching" himself up for the attack on the munition ship. Nemo's a fundamentally decent man, but you can see that decent man turning himself into a killer and hating every second of it. Deep stuff.
Oh boy, Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen! Great shot of those men. Did you know that John Wayne wanted Fess to play Davy Crockett in his 1960 film "The Alamo?" It's true. Ol' John believed he'd have his hands full producing and directing and wasn't interested in acting in the film and thought casting Fess Parker would be a no-brainer. However, he couldn't get the financial backing unless he played a role in the film, so that was that. Interesting to speculate how the film would have been with Fess doing Davy again.
Disneyland live steam, Walt insisted on it. There's been rumblings on and off about Disneyland and Disney World dropping live steam but I wouldn't if I were them. Walt would come back from the dead to raise hell with them! Once a railfan and steam freak, always a railfan and steam freak!
On Lincoln's voice, certainly there was no recorded sound back in Lincoln's time, but from what I've read the Disney team did some very exhaustive research and found that Lincoln's voice (as remembered by those at the time) was somewhat high-pitched. Well, they couldn't go too high pitched or audiences wouldn't accept it, so they hired character actor Royal Dano to do the voice of Lincoln. Dano's voice was slightly high-pitched, and crackling and "country" enough to be plausible. I remember "Lincoln" from the "Hall of Presidents" in 1975, and Dano's voice certainly worked.
And I'll never forget a line from "Mr. Lincoln's" speech...
"As a nation of free men, we shall live forever, or die by suicide!"
A few thoughts, and some odds and ends...
First off, thank you so much for posting these great pictures !
It's funny, but I only remember the grey "Navy" style subs at Disneyland. Perhaps my young mind did not process when the Nautilus subs were running. This is probably just my memory, or lack there of. I do remember riding the subs. First, stepping onto a black rubber non slip mat, then into the open hatch on the sub's top. Down the steps, and taking a seat in the sub. There were rows of windows down the sides. Then, we were underway. They would blow out some bubbles to simulate the sub diving.You could look out the windows, and see fish. Then, a mermaid ! A credible simulation of a sub voyage.
About live steam: with the limited knowledge I have of live steam operation, I was surprised at the way he operated this engine. He did not " hook up" the engine ! He kept the Johnson bar in a preset notch, and just cracked the throttle a little to leave "Main Street Station" . This was sufficient to start the train, and bring it to a nice chuffing progress. Perhaps this section of the line is nearly level. In the photo section of a "Trains" magazine many years back, it showed the engine crew hand sanding the track prior to departing "Tomorrowland" station. There may be a gentle gradient departing that station. Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad is also signaled.
Shops, and strategies :
The shops at Disneyland had some unique stuff, you couldn't seem to find anywhere else. Main Street was the place! Our day would normally end with two tired and happy young boys, and their father being asked by my mom to "wait just a minute while I go in and look" . My mom is a purveyor of knic knacks of all sorts, and that minute would stretch almost beyond the tolerance of the men in the family. She either came out with something, or we would hear that we needed to go back to Disneyland to go back to that store . In all fairness, I am not without guilt. There was a great magic shop that I always loved. I purchased a wooden chest with many secret compartments.It had a picture of the " Haunted Mansion" on it. Where else do you find stuff like that ?
When we were young, we enjoyed Disneyland with our parents. As we got into pre teen, and teenage years, it became " meet back here at lunchtime " ,or " meet back at dinner time" . My brother and I developed some strategies to cram in as many rides as time would allow. Back then, it was the ticket books, with tickets A through E. They only gave you 5 " E" tickets, which were the best rides. You always ended up with no " E" tickets left, and a boat load of unwanted "A" tickets. That's just how it was.
So, anyway, our strategy was to get to Disneyland when it first opened, agree on our meeting place and time. Then my brother and I would bolt to all the "E" ticket rides and try to squeeze them all in early, before the mid afternoon crowds. We were very productive that way. A good day was one we hit almost everything.
The Tiki Room.
The Enchanted Tiki Room, as it was called.This place was my mom's favorite. I can remember as a small child, and the last time I was at Disneyland, it was still there. Although, the last time I went in there, as an adult, I found the need to fight off the compelling urge to bust out laughing, like a raving lunatic. Somehow, that song tickled my funny bone ! Sorry, mom.
" The birds all sing, and the flowers bloom, in the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki room." ( imagine birds singing this song, a few hundred times, over, and over again) .
One of the Nautili wound up at Castaway Cay (Disney Cruise line's private island )
You could dive on it:
Rumor has it the sub was either removed or it washed out to sea when a hurricane passed close. Whatever the truth is, it's fun to think that there may be a Nautilus on the bottom of the sea waiting to be found.
This one wound up at Disney MGM Studios as part of the special effects atraction:
It now goes on tour for Disneyana conventions:
Most of them ended right here in this field.
After scrap dealers were allowed to strip off anything they could sell on Ebay, the subs were buried in a very large landfill. If you manage to get a piece of a Disney sub, be aware that they're lousy with lead paint.
Check these out:
As the opening day TV special began on ABC, with Walt driving, the E.P. Ripley pulled into Main Street Station with the governor of California and the president of the Santa Fe on board.
That's host Art Linkletter in the striped shirt a few steps above Walt.
Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher:
Where's Bonzo?
Fess, Buddy and Art:
Disneyland guests #1 and 2:
Jerry Colonna with Bob Hope's kids:
Aren't those original character costumes scary?
Firelock76And I'll never forget a line from "Mr. Lincoln's" speech... "As a nation of free men, we shall live forever, or die by suicide!"
I have it on record, tape and CD.
Buried in a landfill?
Aw foo, now I'll never get a "Nautilus" to cruise around in!
The lead paint wouldn't bother me, I'd want to sail it, not eat it!
You know, my friend Shotgun Charlie and I went to Disney World in Florida in 1975 and the "20,000 Leagues" ride was one we should have gone on but didn't, the line was absolutely horrendous, the worst in the place. So we passed on it and did "Space Mountain" and were sorry we did. How'd we know "S-M" was a roller coaster in the dark? I HATE roller coasters! It took a half-hour and five cigarettes for me to stop shaking! Thank God there were no "Smoke-Free" zones back then!
But you better believe we rode the trains and steam-boats! All live-steam, how could we pass those up?
Postwar PaulIt's funny, but I only remember the grey "Navy" style subs at Disneyland. Perhaps my young mind did not process when the Nautilus subs were running.
Sorry, you're right of course! The Nautilli were of the 20K version at WDW.
The subs were the Seawolf, Skate, Ethan Allen, Patrick Henry, Nautilus, Triton, Skipjack, and the George Washington.
There were live mermaids too!
Ever wonder what was really going on under there?
Because the lagoon was integral to the Tomorrowland landscape, they couldn't fence it off easily. So refurbishments took place right out in the open:
Just plain old T-rail:
I always liked the clams:
The subs went yellow in the late 80's and stayed that way till the ride closed in 1998:
Best pic I could find of the passenger hatch:
Notice the Monorail train painted to match the new subs:
This WDW pic shows how the subs were outfitted. I assume they didn't reinvent the wheel:
Inside the caverns at WDW:
It all just sat for 10 years before they finally tore it down.
Regarding the Disney railroads, there's a great forum devoted entirely to the subject. The Disney Railroads Discussion Board: http://www.burnsland.com/disneyrailroads/index.php?sid=2f60ec1cf71bd47b6b248153ddb72e09
2009 photo of the Main Street Magic Shop:
Excuuuuuuseeee meeee! But guess who worked there!
Yes, that's a teenage Steve Martin working hard as a typesetter putting guests names on wanted posters! Later on he worked at the news stand at the main entrance:
"There are many ways to see Disneyland. If you're a first time visitor, you may enjoy the guided tour. Returning guest will remember the value of ticket books. The Big 10 and Jumbo 15." I have the spiel on CD!
This is a 1959 photo (above) note that general admission was only a buck and a quarter!
I copied this from Yesterland:
From the Disneyland Guide, Summer 1972:
coupon or 10¢
coupon or 25¢
coupon or 40¢
coupon or 70¢
coupon or 85¢ (adults), 75¢ (children)
Free Shows and Exhibits
After the Tiki room, you could go next door for dinner at the Tahitian Terrace:
One of our favorite things to do was to ride the Jungle Cruise at dusk. Somehow it was more mysterious and the jungle was deeper and darker.
I also loved riding the skyway and seeing the subs cruising the lagoon:
By the way, I should mention that I've never been to Disneyland! I visited WDW 5 times between 1979 and 1991, so all of my memories are from there:
Once again, most appreciative of your work, and research. I am the other way : been to WDW only once, Disneyland probably around20 times, give or take.
Thanks for the pictures of the Magic Shop. And the Tiki Room.
I thought I might add this little nugget :
while foraging through my magazine collection, I found an article in the LGB Telegram from 1995 on the WDW rr. Some interesting points:
1. The railroad is signaled, and will automatically stop a train that runs a red signal
2. There is an electronic overspeed
detector, that will beep and record if a train exceeds 12 miles per hour
3. There is a low boiler water sensor that will beep, and shut off fuel flow to the fire in 90 seconds,if the low water condition is not corrected
4. The locomotive roster( in 1995, if it hasn't changed) is four Baldwin exports, repatriated from the United Railways of Yucatán, and heavily rebuilt, with new boilers, cabs, and tenders
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