Reflections and thoughts on Disneyland’s newest milestone birthday
I’m not sure if this means it’s now a senior citizen, but this summer the Disneyland Resort–or at least Disneyland proper–turns 60 years old, and over the past few weeks the world’s most famous theme park has been touting its Diamond Celebration for all it’s worth, which by any standard is clearly quite a lot.
Having lived most of my life in Southern California, and having experienced Disneyland on various occasions from its earliest days, I feel it’s a good time to reminisce. Better yet, I contacted my friend Geri Mars, who has been a long-time South Bay resident. Geri is an annual pass holder and visits the park two or three times a month, and even more during the Christmas holidays. I don’t have those kinds of credentials, but our thoughts about and memories of Disneyland perhaps complement one another. We’ll see if together Geri and I can’t turn this reading experience of yours into an “E” ticket attraction.
Pirates and runaway trains
“I started going to the park in the early 1960s,” Geri says. “Like so many Southern California kids, Disneyland was my dream playground–and I could never get there often enough. That’s probably why I’m a pass holder now. I’m making up for lost time.
“Also, Disneyland is one of the few places actually remaining from my childhood. Marineland is gone. Busch Gardens is gone. The Pike is gone. Knott’s Berry Farm is a shadow of its former self. Santa’s Village is gone. Movieland is gone, too. But Uncle Walt’s original Magic Kingdom is the one place I can return to, to revisit my youth and be young at heart. Although the park has changed a lot, it’s never lost its spirit, nor its magic.”
Her favorite attraction, then and now?
“As a kid, probably Pirates of the Caribbean,” Geri replies. “And, to this day, probably Pirates of the Caribbean, too. It’s just such a feast for the senses in there.”
So true, and for me beginning with that initial glide through the bayou, with its ambient sounds, which probably doesn’t last for more than 15 seconds, but how soothing… right before we plunge into the heart of the adventure. It’s a perfect start. However, as Geri points out, the ride has been altered a little over the years. One can hardly expect buccaneers to behave themselves, especially when pillaging a coastal settlement. Nevertheless, cited for not being politically correct, “The pirates had to stop chasing the women,” Geri says. “They put food in the women’s hands so that they’re chasing the food.” By way of comparison…
One Easter morning, many full moons ago and counting, my then-girlfriend Suzanne phoned with exciting news: an unsolicited piece I’d sent to the L.A. Times comparing squeaky-clean and sanitized theme parks, such as Disneyland, to gritty and seedy and potentially life-threatening amusement parks, like The Pike, had been given a full page in the Sunday Calendar section. I’d gone to The Pike in Long Beach as a child with my parents and I never felt safe. At the same time, that aura of dilapidation, and of course the shady clientele and questionable employees, were alluring in part because everything had character, perhaps a sense of desperation, but overall felt vital with a sort of history. Before The Pike was torn down (during the late ‘70s) it was discovered that one of the dummies in the funhouse was actually the mummified corpse of a minor outlaw. You couldn’t ask for a better finale, now could you?
I wrote a couple of other pieces for the Times that focused on amusement parks, and this included an appraisal of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Members of the media were given breakfast in The Golden Horseshoe before being invited to test out the new ride. I sat at a circular table with other journalists and tried keeping to myself. I was a shy young reporter in those days and now I’m a shy older reporter; apart from that, what’s changed? Nothing. Anyway, someone from the chatty group leaned over and posed the question: Who are you writing for? I kept drinking my orange juice, eyes downcast. But the aforementioned Suzanne replied in an offhand manner, Oh, we’re here for the Times. I don’t see Suzanne very often these days, but we still remember the astonishment on their faces. That’s my story of briefly being the big fish in a big pond. Then we got on board and rode the train. Whoosh! When the ride was over they said, If anyone wants to go around again, just stay seated. And so I proceeded to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad six times in a row without having to get out and wait in line. Now, there’s a memory for you!
Has tomorrow gotten away?
“I think one of my first memories was the excitement of knowing when I was almost there,” Geri says. “You could see the Matterhorn on the approach; it towered over everything else. And there were live mountain climbers on it.”
If you don’t see them now, it’s because the Yeti ate them! New and improved Yeti, by the way.
She then recalls the tram that ferried Disneyland visitors to the main entrance.
I actually remember when one could drive up and park fairly close to the front gate, especially when arriving early, which seemed to be the case when my parents brought me. Not like now, no way. Many years later, after California Adventure swallowed the original parking lot, I had a dream in which I went back in time and tried to explain to my folks that, “You won’t believe this, mom and dad, but one day Disneyland is going to add another amusement park.” And, of course, even more changes and additions have kept on coming.
For the Diamond Celebration, Disneyland has a new electrical parade called “Paint the Night,” which glides down Main Street, glittering and glowing with over 1.5 million individually controlled lights. And then there’s the new fireworks show, “Disneyland Forever.” These are first-rate productions, and nothing I could write here would capture the splendor of experiencing them in person. Despite the capacity to dream big, I doubt if even Walt himself could have envisioned what technology has made possible since his theme park opened in 1955.
Geri Mars raves about Car Land, over in California Adventure, but not all changes have been for the better and Geri is rather disappointed in the direction Tomorrowland has taken in recent years.
She calls it “Disneyland’s new forgotten land. It seems to be their catch-all; when they don’t know what to do with something now they put it in Tomorrowland.”
For instance, Geri says, “What’s Nemo (Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage) got to do with tomorrow? It’s just promoting the film. Nemo, to me, is better suited for Toontown or Paradise Pier.”
I have to agree with Geri. Nemo the clownfish seems out of place. The original Submarine Voyage has merely been dumbed down. And she’s not so keen on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters either:
“Again, the whole aim of that ride is just to sell toys.” (Well, what do so many of the rides empty into? Souvenir shops!)
She finds Star Tours problematic as well.
“I really like the Star Tours attraction, but ‘Star Wars’ is from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Where’s the element of storytelling? Number one, it’s not Disney, and number two it’s past. And ‘Star Wars’–the whole thing is this war-torn… It’s almost like Nazi Germany. You’ve got Darth Vader, this horrible character, who has all his minions, the stormtroopers, who are going out and destroying planets. It’s like racial cleansing.” Despite the great technology, which she applauds, Geri adds, “What does it have to do with the future?”
Old clunkers with spark
Like many Disneyland purists and/or old timers, Geri defends what she sees as Walt Disney’s original vision, and now that the park under Bob Iger has acquired the rights to the “Star Wars” franchise and to Marvel Entertainment there are likely to be more changes, for better or worse.
“I loved how Tomorrowland was educational,” Geri says. “It gave you a glimpse of what was coming.”
But if Knott’s Berry Farm is any indication, the trend these days is towards thrill rides and interactive, video game-like attractions.
By that account, a few of the Fantasyland dark rides–specifically Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White, and Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure–are over the hill. Technological dinosaurs. Faring much better: Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan’s Flight (with the latter reopening July 1 with some nifty new effects).
When I ask Geri what’s her favorite Fantasyland dark ride she’s quick to reply: “I like Mr. Toad goes to hell,” and then she laughs. However, that’s indeed what happens to J. Thaddeus Toad, who drives crazily through London in his new motorcar with damning consequences.
In some ways it’s a dorky ride, but it’s also been one of my favorites, too, largely because of what it suggests to the imagination. I believe it even fueled some of my notions about how to write fiction, a topic, perhaps, for another day.
To complement this, another antiquated attraction, the Storybook Land Canal Boats, takes passengers through a land of miniatures. We’re a long way from Splash Mountain on this one, but as a child I was intrigued by Toad Hall and, squirreled away into the base of a tree trunk at the water’s edge, Moley’s burrow, with his little boat tethered just outside the front door. This isn’t its original site, nor is it quite as evocative as before, but here again we have one of those little peculiarities that captured my attention and spurred my imagination during my so-called formative years (which are still in progress, I might add). I’m hardly unique in this regard; presumably everyone who has visited Disneyland over the years is repeatedly drawn towards one or more attractions or landmarks that have special meaning, for whatever reason.
I see little girls of five or six or seven, mesmerized by Ariel’s Undersea Adventure based on “The Little Mermaid,” or captivated by the Anna and Elsa merchandise spawned by the phenomenal success of “Frozen,” and I wonder if they’ll be back at the park for Disney’s 100th anniversary and waxing nostalgic about their first trip to the Magic Kingdom.
How will their experiences be remembered compared to how Geri and I remember ours?
“Truth be told,” Geri says, “there isn’t anywhere that I can turn inside Disneyland and not have a fond memory. Every time I go I see something new. It never gets old for me.”
She’s certainly not the only one with these sentiments.
This isn’t to deny that admission fees are unduly steep, and that overcrowding can reach nightmarish proportions. It’s easy to become cynical. I’ve recently been sifting through two very helpful books, “The Disneyland Story,” by Sam Gennawey, and “Disneyland 2015,” by Bob Sehlinger and Seth Kubersky, with Len Testa, both of them part of the Unofficial Guide series published by Keen Communications. The former title lays out the park’s history, while the latter is ideal for those who want to maximize their experience at the two theme parks. These days, one really does need a strategy.
That way, you can better enjoy the magic and make your own lasting memories.
