Memories of DisneyLAND

[Oldcarfan27]

While browsing the 'net, I came across sites that reminisced about what is gone from the "Happiest Place on Earth".

Share your memories, anecdotes and regrets for what you wish was still there.

Here's what I miss:

10. Mission to Mars.

Hokey and hopelessly, out-of-date animatronics, but it was a throw back to where Disneyland began.

9. Fort Wilderness. 

Tom Sawyer Island just isn't the same without this treasure!

8. Sky Buckets.

The view of the park was spectacular from here. Too bad they had nothing to replace it.

7. Country Bear Jamboree. 

This place was just a cool, air conditioned place to relax and take in an amusing little show.

6. Adventure thru Inner Space.

By the time I was old enough to remember it without being scared of it - it was gone.

5. People Mover/Rocket ships.

A piece of old Disneyland just looming overhead in Tomorrowland, but nothing going on up there. I wish they'd bring them back!

4. Swiss Family Treehouse.

Another adventure from my childhood that's not the same anymore. There was always so much for kids to play on and have fun with.

3. Big Thunder BarBQ.

Probably one of the best places to eat when it was there.

2. Capt Hook's ship

Before my time. But how cool would it have been to have a meal on the ship from Peter Pan!

1. Flying Saucers. 

This was another attraction from before I was born. But I always wished, that with today's technology, this ride could be rebuilt and be more reliable and as fun as it ever was.

What do you remember?

[SSNJim]

I was going to mention Submarine Voyage, but apparently it came back as Nemo's Submarine Voyage so I guess it is possible the Flying Saucers could come back. I was in submarine training at the time, so it was a pretty cool ride. I could have ridden it all day. It turns out that the Disneyland ride wasn't anything like the Navy ride.

Were the Flying Saucers like an air hockey table?

[MrMiles]

my wife and i went to disney on our honeymoon. we went on some space rocket ride that was supposed to replicate what a real rocket launching into space was supposed to feel like. they had 2 versions, one with lower G feelings and less stomach dropping stuff.

the line for the lower G was much longer, so we went to the full version. they had a button that you could press if it got to be too much. we were able to make it through to the end without hitting the button, but i was really close to hitting the button. the feeling was so odd, once you hit the line into "space" the pressure you feel drops and your stomach drops and it is an instant relief.

my wife and i felt very sick after the ride for about 45 minutes or so and soda settled our stomachs. 

i was the most interesting ride i ever went on and definitely was worth the sick feeling we had. 

[Dave Van]

I have been going to Disneyland since around 1960. I can remember Dad dropping me and my brother off at the front gate and with pockets filled with tickets and $10 we could stay until 10 PM. It ain't what it was.....and Walt would not like the direction. But they still sell out almost daily so I must be the rummy. 

Dad and I in 1961

 

[Oldcarfan27]

3 hours ago, SSNJim said:

Were the Flying Saucers like an air hockey table?

According to reports, essentially it was.

Problem was, the technology wasn't great, so it kept breaking down. That was the reason it closed after only 5 years in operation.

Apparently, it was a very popular ride and is one that is most missed - even today!

[cobraman]

Years ago my wife and I took our daughter there a couple of times. We lived in Orange County at the time. I am one of those who do not like crowds. Wife and daughter had a good time I was pretty uncomfortable the whole time. I liked Knotts Berry Farm better. Less crowded and at one time we lived less than 3 blocks away.

[Oldcarfan27]

2 hours ago, MrMiles said:

my wife and i went to disney on our honeymoon. we went on some space rocket ride that was supposed to replicate what a real rocket launching into space was supposed to feel like. they had 2 versions, one with lower G feelings and less stomach dropping stuff.

the line for the lower G was much longer, so we went to the full version. they had a button that you could press if it got to be too much. we were able to make it through to the end without hitting the button, but i was really close to hitting the button. the feeling was so odd, once you hit the line into "space" the pressure you feel drops and your stomach drops and it is an instant relief.

my wife and i felt very sick after the ride for about 45 minutes or so and soda settled our stomachs. 

i was the most interesting ride i ever went on and definitely was worth the sick feeling we had. 

I'm not familiar with this ride. Sounds like it would've been a fun one.

Do you remember the name of it or what year you went on it?

[Pete J.]

New Years 1966.  My first trip to Disneyland.  Our high school marching band marched in the Rose parade in Pasadena, and as part of the trip, we marched down Mainstreet Disneyland.  They gave us entry and a book of tickets(back when each ride required a ticket) for entertaining the crowd.  The Haunted Mansion was all most complete but not open.  All the other rides mentioned before were going strong and I remember them.  I bought a souvenir I really, really wish I still had.  Sword in the Stone had just been released and back then Disney threw the production cells for the movie on the table and charged $5 a piece for them.  I could have retired on $100 bucks worth. 

Fast forward 1988, I move to SoCal with the family.  We bought annual passports and would go 5 or 6 times a year with the kids.  Great times!  Sorry to see the annual passport go away last year.  It was an economical way to take a family for a day or two of fun.  We use to be able to go and spend a night in the Disney hotel for a couple of hundred dollars all in(food, souvenirs lodging and parking).

  My son had his annual passport until he graduated from college.  He went to UC Irvine and would go when he was feeling stressed.  He could do it for less than $10.  He would go to the Mission Tortilla display(California adventure) and get a free bag of tortillas, spend $10 on a smoked turkey leg and a drink and he was good for the evening.    

[Matt Bacon]

If you're REALLY interested, this is an excellent large format, highly illustrated book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/3836563487/

best,

M.

 

[Dave Van]

Growing up in So Cal 1960 to DEC 31 1969 was a great era. Living between Disney and Knott's was a kid's dream. 

My So Cal buddy who I visit as often as I can (not 2020!!) talk about how lucky we were to live in So Cal, have parents that were not wealthy by any means, but able to takes us to so many of the good things So Cal had. It's sad things have changed so much......but change is the only constant. 

Driveway racing about 1965. NOTE my shirt!

Edited July 28, 2021 by Dave Van

[Oldcarfan27]

Back in the 90s, my friend had some employee friends who could sign us into the park, so we used to go regularly.

I've seen so much of the main park that there's no surprises for me anymore. I do have many happy memories of spending time there, so seeing so much has changed leaves me longing for the old days. 

I miss all the stuff they used to have on Tom Sawyer Island. The fort, the rifle towers, the hidden tunnels, the spinning rock and lots of other things that were removed due to safety and lawsuits. That island was a park in itself!

[MrMiles]

3 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

I'm not familiar with this ride. Sounds like it would've been a fun one.

Do you remember the name of it or what year you went on it?

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/mission-space/

also, we did this in florida disneyland. im not sure if there is the same in the california disneyland.

i am pretty sure its this ride. it also mentions the two versions. it got us both really sickly, but neither of us actually got sick. 

 

this is the youtube of the ride. i clipped it from the spot of the actual ride. i think it is a bit different now vs when we went. going off of memory the ride to space was much longer. it felt like probably 4 or 5 minutes. also i dont remember the moon or space station thing or mars. they probably changed the video portion of it over the years. the video below reminds me more of the star wars ride. i am pretty sure this is the one, because it has the 2 versions, but again, this is very different from what we did as far as the video (going from memory). 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by MrMiles

[Oldcarfan27]

[ChrisBcritter]

Some vintage images from the estate of Otto Sauseng, a German emigre who came to the USA postwar and became an engineer for Hughes Aircraft. These were dated July and November 1965:

I didn't go there until '89 or '90 when my younger brother came out to play in the college student Dixieland band; he got some tickets for me and since my late BFF Eddie was a huge Disneyland fan, we went there and had a great time - Small World and all. I never was a huge fan of the place, to be honest, but I did go once more several years later when another friend whose partner worked in payroll for Disney got us in.

 

[Oldcarfan27]

22 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

Some vintage images from the estate of Otto Sauseng, a German emigre who came to the USA postwar and became an engineer for Hughes Aircraft. These were dated July and November 1965:

I didn't go there until '89 or '90 when my younger brother came out to play in the college student Dixieland band; he got some tickets for me and since my late BFF Eddie was a huge Disneyland fan, we went there and had a great time - Small World and all. I never was a huge fan of the place, to be honest, but I did go once more several years later when another friend whose partner worked in payroll for Disney got us in.

 

Great pics, thanks for sharing! I enjoy seeing old candid shots of the park. Gives such an insight to what was as the guests saw it.

[NYLIBUD]

I always rememberer growing up going to Disney World all the time.We packed the 72 AMC Ambassador wagon,facing the wrong way in the back as we cruised down 95….Orlando is a cool town. I loved River Country water park.A huge mad made lake,and tons of slides.I grew up swimming around that place,it was great.I think it closed and was basically abandoned.Not sure what its like now.So much friggin fun.They also had Wet &Wild in down town Orlando And of course u got to ride on  It’s a Small World..And the Pirates in the Caribbean.Great memories.Oh hell yea.The last time I  was there was back in 2006.With my ex gf.Still felt like a kid.  

Edited August 9, 2021 by NYLIBUD

[Tom Geiger]

Once my father retired from the army in 1974 they didn't go on vacation for like ten years!  So I never got to Disneyworld as a kid.  Can't complain since we had been to nearly everywhere in Europe!

Once I had kids we waited until the little one was old enough to appreciate it.  We spent a week there, and two years later went on the maiden voyage of the Disney Cruise Line.  Great memories for my kids.

Once my daughters were 18 and 22, my wife and I went to St Thomas on our own. They were upset we didn't include them and planned "their own vacation".  They went to California and one of the adventures was Disneyland.  My wife and I were a bit apprehensive about two young girls going across the country on their own.   In fact one of the debacles was filling the rental car.. being NJ girls neither of them had ever pumped gas before, and when they asked for help, no one in California believed they didn't know how!

Anyway, worrying about them, I enlisted the help of a few model guys I knew out that way.  They had my daughter's info and my daughters knew if they got into a jam to call one of them.  So one day I'm at work standing on the lunch line in the cafeteria and my cell phone rang showing my daughter's name.  I panicked!   I answered rather apprehensive... my daughter said,  "Daddy listen!" and then I heard   music  "It's a small world after all!"