Today in Disneyland history: March 4, 1980 – Fotomat rents the very first official Disney VHS and Beta cassettes via the ubiquitous drive-thru kiosks in Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco / Bay area. By 1981 Disney Home Video expanded their rental program to other authorized rental outlets and Fotomat’s rental business began it’s…
Author: Dave Tavres
Walt Disney Birthplace Preservation Project
Many of the places that helped make Walt Disney who he was and what we loved are gone but not forgotten. One such place is the home he, and Roy, was born in – 2156 Tripp Ave., Chicago, IL. Want to be a tiny (or big) part of Walt Disney history? Contribute a few dollars…
1961 Disneyland recreated…
Disneyland from way up, Then & Now
Things have changed a little at Disneyland since the park opened. Here are two aerial photos from 1955 and 2015. Drag the slider back and forth to see the differences. [twentytwenty] [/twentytwenty]
Plants of Disneyland
It’s not a real plant, but the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse is pretty close to real. The Cooperative Welding and Mfg. Co. (Cowelco) built the super structure for the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse for Disneyland in 1962. According to PlantsOfDisneyland.com, the Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Anaheim was a model for the Disney Imagineers while…
An Emperor at Disneyland
Emperor of Japan Michinomiya Hirohito (1926-1989) is primarily known to America for surrendering to allied forces during World War II in August 1945. 30 years later on October 8, 1975 he and his wife, Japanese Empress Dowager Nagako, visited Disneyland during a trip to the United States. The couple were the first high-profile guests to…
Girl, 4, Disneyland’s 5 Millionth Visitor
By Bob Beckman Four-year-old Debra Rutherford knew Disneyland was going to be wonderful. When she arrived Wednesday it exceeded her wildest dreams. It was her insistence – and that of her 3-year-old sister Patricia – that convinced their parents Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Rutherford, to travel hear from their home in Quincy, Wash. They…
Disneyland’s No-Fly Zone
Did you know that there’s a sort of ‘no-fly zone’ over Disneyland? Here’s the official text (as of July 17, 2013): ZLA 9/5145 TFR (2009-5145-1) !FDC 9/5145 ZLA CA.. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS. DISNEYLAND THEME PARK ANAHEIM, CA, FEBRUARY 17, 2009 LOCAL. EFFECTIVE 0902170801 UTC (0001 LOCAL 02/17/09) UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO 49 USC 40103(B), THE…
Walt and Lillian are married, July 13, 1925
On July 13, 1925, Walter Elias Disney and Lillian Marie Bounds were married in Lewiston, ID by Reverend D.J.W. Somerville with Lillian’s family, Hazel and Sydney in attendance. Lillian was born in Spalding, Idaho on February 15, 1899 and grew up Lapwai, Idaho. Walt was born on December 5, 1901 in Hermosa, Illinois, moved to…
"It’s Been My Pleasure" – Training a Tour Guide
When Disneyland first opened in 1955, Walt Disney gave most of the tours. Visiting dignitaries, celebrities, titans of business and sometimes the media were often guided around the park by Walt – the FIRST Tour Guide. By the end of the decade it was clear that the public wanted guided tours as well. Plus, there’s…