Disneyland and the Weather

Yeah, yeah, everybody always talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it. I'm here to change that: I'm putting it in the thesaurus. For some time I had contemplated enhancing my day-by-day history of the Resort with daily weather data, but it seemed a daunting task. Since I just had an eleven-day, weather-induced weekend, I looked into it further and came up with a plan.

In a perfect world, the data I draw on would be an unbroken climate record from 1955 to the present at a station in Disneyland (perhaps in the Central Plaza). The only thermometer I can think of at the Park is at the entrance to Coke Corner, but its unrecorded temperatures mean it's pretty much worthless for my purposes. It would be interesting to know if Disneyland did record climate information; I haven't found anything to suggest that they share it, if they do.

So, the next best solution is to find a nearby climate station whose weather is similar to Disneyland. Luckily, there is indeed such a reporting station: the Santa Ana Fire Station, part of the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program. The Fire Station at 120 West Walnut St., Santa Ana (NWS ID: STAC1) is close to Disneyland (5.5 miles away), about thirty feet lower in elevation (not much), is only about a mile closer to the ocean, and has records dating to the early 20th century.

However, no climate station of any reporting length has perfect records, so I had to search for backup stations for when the Fire Station didn't report data (about 500 days over the course of nearly 55 years). In ranked order in terms of similarity to Disneyland's weather, I chose:

• Tustin Irvine Ranch: records until 7/31/2003, when it was replaced by the station named Irvine Ranch. It tended to run a few degrees warmer than the Santa Ana Fire Station during the day and usually more than a few degrees cooler at night. Casual analysis showed it may have received more precipitation, as well. At 235 feet in elevation, it's not too much higher than Disneyland.
• Anaheim: This might seem like a more natural choice for Disneyland, but it only began operation on August 1, 1989. While the station name is Anaheim, it is actually in Atwood, north of CA-91 and east of CA-57; its further inland location means it will generally run warmer than the Santa Ana Fire Station (and Disneyland).
• Irvine Ranch: This station succeeded the Tustin Irvine Ranch station as of 8/1/2003, but is much higher in elevation (540 feet). My assumption is that the old Irvine Ranch station was done in by suburbanization.

So, within the thesaurus will be daily data (when available) for each of the above stations from July 1, 1955 to the present. Even with all that data, there were still 29 dates for which I had no data. I used Long Beach Daugherty Field (LGB) as my last resort. It's quite a bit closer to the ocean and not as close to Disneyland as I would like, but it has a lengthy reporting record that filled in when necessary. Unlike the other stations above, I only included LGB information for those days with otherwise missing data.

I make no representation that this pastiche is a true climate record for Disneyland, but it's close enough for my purposes. I think the weather information together with Park hours gives color to the daily history. Torrential rains and mid 50s is a lot different than high 70s and no precipitation, right? To show what I've done, let's take a look at a few dates in the summer of 1955. In The "E" Ticket #43 (Fall 2005), Ron Dominguez said, "In August of 1955 we had a terrible heat spell and attendance took a nose-dive. That kind of worried a lot of people." (I think this is also in Randy Bright's Disneyland: Inside Story, among other places.) For eight days, from August 31 to September 7, the high temperature was 97 degrees or higher, with a peak of 108 degrees on September 1. (The reading is among the highest in my Disneyland climate record.) This is what the record looks like for September 1, 1955:

1955-09-01

• DATE: 0901d September 1
• DAY: THU Thursday
• DLHR: 1022 10 AM - 10 PM
• DLHRNOTE: 10 AM - 10 PM
• ETY: DATE Date
• PRECIP: PRECIP-NO Day without Precipitation
• TEMPMAX: 108°F(h) 108°F
• TEMPMEAN: 89.5°F(m) 89.5°F
• TEMPMIN: 71°F(l) 71°F
• WX: Santa Ana Fire Station (STAC1): Obs Hour Temp: 6PM / High Temp: 108°F / Low Temp: 71°F / Mean Temp: 89.5°F
  Obs Hour Precip: 6PM / Precip: 0 in.
  CDD: 24.5 / HDD: 0 / GDD: 39.5
  
  Tustin Irvine Ranch (TVEC1): Obs Hour Temp: 6PM / High Temp: 110°F / Low Temp: 66°F / Mean Temp: 88°F
  Obs Hour Precip: 6PM / Precip: 0 in.
  CDD: 23 / HDD: 0 / GDD: 38
• BT: 1955-09

As I mentioned earlier and you can see here, the Tustin Irvine Ranch station is a touch warmer during the day and several degrees cooler at night than the Santa Ana Fire Station. And yes, I am tracking which days had precipitation, but it's not exactly perfect. The late afternoon reporting time means that that's precipitation from the 24-hour period 6 PM-6 PM--not the 24 hours of September 1. If it rained after 6 PM on September 1, it would be reported with the September 2 numbers. So, it's not an exact indication of all rainy days, but it can reveal wetter patterns (such as this one from 1978) and at least get one in the ballpark of rainy days. For the record, from July 1, 1955 to November 30, 2009 (the latest date for which quality controlled climate data is available), my climate record reveals 2,120 days with precipitation.

President Nixon's 1971 Gold Pass

I've blogged about the Richard Nixon-Disneyland connections before. Today, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum (a part of the National Archives and Records Administration) is releasing additional Presidential materials (read a description). While the Library is releasing many documents of tremendous historical importance, I was also given permission to process the Disney Alphabetical Name File. The Alphabetical Name Files was a group of materials maintained by the White House Central Files, which was mainly a cross-filing of materials by the names of people and organizations. The Name Files do have some original materials as well. Walt had, of course, passed away before Nixon became President, but the Disney file contains correspondence from other Americans named Disney, as well as correspondence with members of Walt Disney Productions, such as Roy Disney and Bob Jani.

Also in the file is the President's 1971 Disneyland Gold Pass, as seen below. It was sent to the White House attached to cardstock...

...and came with brief instructions on the benefits it conferred:

For Vintage Disneyland Tickets, a close-up of the front of the pass:

Without a pressing preservation or exhibition concern, I wasn't going to remove the tape which secured the pass in place, so I do not have a scan of the back.

Elsewhere in the files I have seen evidence of the Nixon having received a 1969 pass, and in another as yet unprocessed file we have his 1970 pass. I have not found any later passes, which leads me to wonder if Nixon received these more because of his relationship with Walt and Roy than because of his position as President. (After all, the President would undoubtedly be able to visit Disneyland for free!)

A Discovery Bay Teaser

For obvious reasons, Disneyland likes to promote its new and coming attractions. (When you have ideas like Walt's, wouldn't you want to proclaim them widely?) This tradition dates to the Park's origins, with the weekly ABC television show introducing viewers to the idea of Disneyland, and then to its additions over the years. But the Resort has had a number of on-site preview centers over the years, too, including at The Disney Gallery and the more recent Blue Sky Cellar for the Disney's California Adventure remodel. From 1973 to 1989, Disneyland Presents a Preview of Coming Attractions stood at the corner of the 600 block of Main Street, U.S.A., facing Town Square and seen here as it appeared in 1982:


This preview center's interior featured a mix of historic Park photographs...


Conceptual artwork...


And models...


On display above in the preview center are two new lands considered for Disneyland expansion in the 1970s and 1980s: Discovery Bay and Dumbo's Circus. Discovery Bay may be the most well-known and beloved unbuilt land, the brainchild of Tony Baxter and Tom Scherman. Dumbo's Circus would have been built up in the area now occupied by the Fantasyland Theatre (as indicated by the yellow map marker in the above photo).

On August 13 and 14, 1976, Tony, Tom, and fellow Imagineer Rolly Crump, presented ideas for these two new lands to Disneyland Cast Members. As described in the August 26 Disneyland Line:

An exciting proposal for the future of Disneyland was presented in the Center on August 13 and 14. Tentative plans were highlighted for a Park expansion program that could possibly take place over the next six years.

WED Designers Tony Baxter, Tom Scherman, and Roland Crump gave Disneyland employees a preview of the proposed design of two major theme areas now identified under the working titles "Discovery Bay," and "Dumbo's Circus."

Situated in the northern portion of Frontierland, "Discovery Bay" is designed to reflect the cultural and eccentric era of San Francisco in the mid-1800's. Featuring Captain Nemo's Salon and an "Island at the Top of the World" attraction, the area would symbolize the opening of mans' knowledge to the Industrial Age.

Moving from "Discovery Bay" to "Dumbo's Circus" would be accomplished by a sky-balloon attraction that would serve as an appropriate transition between the two areas. Among the proposed attractions in "Dumbo's Circus" are "Mickey's Mad House," a ride-through using vintage Studio cartoon footage from the 1930's and 40's; an Audio-Animatronic circus show with Disney Characters taking over traditional "Big Top" roles; and a Pinocchio-themed attraction.

Thankfully, the Line also included a couple of photographs from the Cast previews:

Tony Baxter describing the projects

Tom Scherman is at the far end of the model

Which leads me to the point of this post: Following one of Tony's presentations to Cast Members about this possible expansion, a novel preview came to the Fan I Food Stand, seen below in a June 1960 photo courtesy of Daveland.


This food facility was razed for Big Thunder Trail in 1979. But before this, for only a few months, lingering Guests could hear an eighteen-minute-long teaser medley of music from Maurice Jarre's score to the 1974 film "Island at the Top of the World" (with which Discovery Bay had strong ties and which premiered 35 years ago this month). The film's score has never been released commercially; a record album features Thurl Ravenscroft narration and audio from the film. The "Island at the Top of the World" Laserdisc has an isolated score on a secondary audio track (but only in mono). Maybe the association with Discovery Bay and the imagery of the Hyperion airship, but I quite enjoy the film's music and it's a treat to hear this short-lived promotional piece.

Thanks to my friend Huck Caton, I'm pleased to present this audio for download (for a limited time):

Fan I Food Stand, Island at the Top of the World Medley.mp3 (approximately 25MB)

Area music at Disneyland used to originate from endless loop cartridge tapes, which degraded over time from physical wear. When carts were replaced, they were discarded--or, apparently, if you were interested and asked for them, you could easily acquire the worn carts from the Sound Department. The above audio is sourced from such a used cart and is a definite rarity.

The only analog from Disneyland's history that I know about is the infamous Tomorrowland 2055 "Bathroom Loop," produced by Bruce Gordon as a new recording of themes from Tomorrowland's "greatest hits." The land never came to fruition, but the loop plays (played?) on the Space Mountain Concourse and in the bathrooms down below.

I know it's a longshot, but does anybody remember this music playing in Fantasyland long ago? Or perhaps attended one of these Cast previews in the 1970s?

1966 Summertime Entertainment

Just like the summer of 1965 at Disneyland, that of 1966 also featured abundant live musical entertainment throughout the night. The summer season of 1966 was notable in other ways: the dedication of "It's a Small World" (the nomenclature then in use) on May 30 set off the summer season. The first new "land" since Disneyland's opening debuted with the dedication of New Orleans Square on July 24, 1966. The Primeval World Diorama also debuted in the summer. Following Labor Day weekend, most of the original Tomorrowland, including the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Exhibit, Rocket to the Moon, The Art Corner, and the Flying Saucers, closed down to make way for a bigger and better future the next summer.

There were changes behind the scenes, too. Disneyland pioneers Tommy Walker and Ed Ettinger left the Park's employ during the summer to seek employment elsewhere. Tommy spearheaded Disneyland's entertainment events and Ed had been director of Marketing. Donald Novis, an original star of the Golden Horseshoe Revue, and Johnny St. Cyr, a legendary Dixieland player who performed with Disneyland's Young Men from New Orleans, both passed away during the summer. The summer of 1966 was also the final summer of Walt Disney's lifetime.

The summer's musical entertainment was previewed by the Big Band Holiday of the Memorial Day weekend, May 28 and 29. Unlike the 1965, the summer of 1966 featured few big bands, concentrating more on folk, country, and rock bands. This was the only big band event of the summer. The promotion featured Xavier Cugat making his first appearance at Disneyland (together with Charo); the fifth appearance of Harry James, featuring drummer Louie Bellson and vocalist Ernie Andrews; Anita O'Day; and the first Disneyland appearance of Nelson Riddle. Some of Disneyland's own talent also performed at the event: The Elliott Brothers Orchestra, Tina and the Mustangs, the Young Men from New Orleans, and the Royal Tahitian Dancers.

Just like in 1965, each Monday Disneyland featured a folk Hootenanny, and each Tuesday a Humdinger geared toward the youth audience. Country Music Jubilee was held each Wednesday, and Thursday was reserved for Guest Band Nite, which spotlighted the band that generally performed Tuesday through Saturday of that week. In addition to the guest talent, Disneyland had its regular talent scattered throughout the Park each day. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Firehouse Five + 2 joined the roster (performing at the French Market when New Orleans Square opened), with the Glenn Kennedy Orchestra appearing on Sunday nights. New Orleans Square brought new entertainment to Disneyland, including the Royal Street Bachelors and tap dancers Gene and Eddie leading the Delta Ramblers Dixieland Band.

June 18, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM

June 19, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

June 20, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The Womenfolk; David Troy; Dapper Dans; Bud and Len; Clara Ward Singers

June 21, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Vic Dana, The Blossoms, H. B. Barnum; Tina Mason; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers
The Association

June 22, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Roy Acuff; The Dillards; Kathy Taylor; Dorsey Burnett Band
The Association

June 23, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Association

June 24, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Association

June 25, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Association

June 26, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

June 27, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: Greenwood County Singers; Kathy Taylor; Tim Morgan; Ward Singers

June 28, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Jackie DeShannon; Olympics; Bantams; Humdinger Dancers
Jim Doval and the Gauchos

June 29, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
County Music Jubilee: Roy Clark; Ramblers; Billy Armstrong
Jim Doval and the Gauchos

June 30, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: Jim Doval and the Gauchos

July 1, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
Jim Doval and the Gauchos

July 2, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
Jim Doval and the Gauchos

July 3, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 1 AM
Jim Doval and the Gauchos

July 4, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The Dillards; Steve Gillette; Darleen Carr; Candy Company; Dapper Dans; Bud and Len; Clara Ward Singers

July 5, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Joey Paige; Ketty Lester; New Classic Singers; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers
The Spats

July 6, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: George Hamilton IV; Sue Thompson
The Spats

July 7, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Spats

July 8, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Spats

July 9, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Spats

July 10, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

July 11, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The Pair Extraordinaire; The Aquamen; David Troy; Jim and Jean; Dapper Dans; Bud and Len; Clara Ward Singers

July 12, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Leslie Gore; The Rivingtons; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers; Dobie Gray
The Sunrays

July 13, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Minnie Pearl
The Sunrays

July 14, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Sunrays

July 15, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Sunrays

July 16, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Sunrays

July 17, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

July 18, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: Joe and Eddie; Irish Rovers; Mickey Elley; The Regulars; Clara Ward Singers

July 19, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: April and Nino; Jackie Lee; Gloria Jones; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers
The Regents

July 20, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Hank Thompson; Wanda Jackson
The Regents

July 21, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Regents

July 22, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Regents

July 23, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Regents

July 24, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

July 25, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: Hoyt Axton; Goose Creek Symphonic Band & Stage Door Company; The Regulars

July 26, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Brenda Holloway; Ray Peterson; The Steiner Bros.; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers; Dobie Gray
The Sounds of Soul

July 27, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Canadian Sweethearts; Glen Campbell
The Sounds of Soul

July 28, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Sounds of Soul

July 29, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Sounds of Soul

July 30, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Sounds of Soul

July 31, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

August 1, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The New Society; Walt Conley; The Uncalled Four

August 2, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Mel Carter; The Standells; Carolyn Daye

August 3, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Freddie Hart and His Band; Mary Taylor; Jerry Naylor

August 4, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Magnificent VII

August 5, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Magnificent VII

August 6, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Magnificent VII

August 7, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

August 8, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: Irish Rovers; David Troy; Darleen Carr; Dixson Bowles and the Dan Blocker Singers

August 9, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: The Hondells; Tina Mason

August 10, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Tex Williams; Le Garde Twins; Cathie Taylor

August 11, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: Knickerbockers

August 12, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
Knickerbockers

August 13, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
Knickerbockers

August 14, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

August 15, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The Dillards; The New Folk Trio; Tim Morgon; Steve Gillette; Disneyland Regulars

August 16, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Joey Paige; Gloria Jones; The Rivingtons
The Regents

August 17, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Jimmy Wakely; Joe & Rose Lee Maphis
The Regents

August 18, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Regents

August 19, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Regents

August 20, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Regents

August 21, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

August 22, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The Back Porch Majority; Aquamen; Fred Thompson; Disneyland Regulars

August 23, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Bobby Sherman; The Two People; The Bantams
The Premiers

August 24, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: The Geezinslaw Brothers; Bob Morris; Faye Hardin
The Premiers

August 25, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Premiers

August 26, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Premiers

August 27, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Premiers

August 28, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 12 AM

August 29, 1966 (Monday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: The Greenwood Singers; Casey Anderson; Goose Creek Symphonic Band and Storm Door Company; Disneyland Regulars

August 30, 1966 (Tuesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Martha and the Vandellas; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers
The Spats

August 31, 1966 (Wednesday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Rex Allen Show; Jimmy Wallis
The Spats

September 1, 1966 (Thursday)
9 AM - 12 AM
Guest Band Nite: The Spats

September 2, 1966 (Friday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Spats

September 3, 1966 (Saturday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Spats

September 4, 1966 (Sunday)
9 AM - 1 AM
The Spats; Nellie Lutcher

September 5, 1966 (Monday)
10 AM - 12 AM
Hootenanny: Disneyland Regulars

September 6, 1966 (Tuesday)
10 AM - 12 AM
Humdinger: Jackie & Gayle; Curtis Brothers; The Mustangs; Humdinger Dancers

September 7, 1966 (Wednesday)
10 AM - 12 AM
Country Music Jubilee: Merle Haggard; The Dillards; Bonnie Owens; Jimmy Wallis

Disneyland's nighttime entertainment continued daily through the weekend. The last Date Nite of the season on Saturday, September 17 featured what must have been a truly odd event at Disneyland: the headlining of Mrs. Miller. The popular 58-year-old performer was noted for her inability to carry a tune. (One newspaper report indicated she would be performing "in the Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea exhibit," which had already permanently closed. It's far more likely she performed on the stage out front, but the suggestion of an out-of-tune concert in the closed exhibit provokes a rather odd mental picture.) Also performing on "Mrs. Miller Night" were The Youngfolk; H. B. Barnum; 6-year-old Gary Ferguson (they were, apparently, running on novelty); The Regents; Firehouse Five + 2; Nellie Lutcher; and Tina Mason and the Mustangs.

Just as in 1965, the annual Dixieland at Disneyland event capped the summer's musical program. The October 1, 1966 special ticket event featured Louis Armstrong (as usual), Bob Crosby and the Bobcats, Turk Murphy's San Francisco Band, Firehouse Five + 2, Young Men from New Orleans, Southern California Hot Jazz Society Marching Band, Nellie Lutcher Trio, and the Royal Street Bachelors. Walt flew in Doc Souchon's Milneburg's All Stars direct from New Orleans on his private plane for the event. Doc Souchon was well-regarded for both his musical ability and his work on preserving jazz traditions in mid-twentieth century New Orleans. After a brief group torchlight ramble down Main Street, the groups split up to perform in locations throughout the Park. Reviews lamented that guests could see all the talent in previous years, as they would each perform short sets on rafts in the Rivers of America, before a rousing finale on the Mark Twain. There was too much to see and overcrowding to see some artists (such as Louis Armstrong and Firehouse Five + 2).

Of course, this wasn't the last year Disneyland featured such an extensive musical line-up. After all, you can't attract people to Disneyland just with the debut of Carousel of Progress, Adventure Thru Inner Space, a new Circle-Vision, the PeopleMover, the Rocket Jets, and Flight to the Moon, right? Surely none of my blog readers would be content to just experience those attractions for the first time...

On Disneyland Employees

Today, I have a reading comprehension exercise for you. The above excerpt is from the January 15, 1976 Disneyland Line. The text is rendered below:

Disneyland is one show that Ride Operator TOM PLETTS has been a Permanent Part-time cast member of for over 15 years. Currently in Fantasyland, Tom has been performing on stage since his preschool years and has continued his semi-professional career here in the Park with our Drama Workshop.

"Chicken Ranching for Fun and Profit," was a comic melodrama that Tom performed in one summer for our guests through the Entertainment Division. He has been an active member of our Drama Workshop since its inception in 1970.

Attending the Film Industry Workshop in Studio City takes up most of Tom's spare time. His main interests are in the motion picture business, however, he does enjoy photography, art and jazz.

"Walt Disney made the most lasting impression on me since I've been working in the Park," said Tom. "He was a childhood idol anyway and seeing him and talking with him were great experiences."

I'm sure it jumped out for you as it did for me. No, not the somewhat awkward grammatical construction ("of for"). No, not even that, according to this, "Chicken Ranching for Fun and Profit" was performed for Guests. No, what jumped out at me was there in the first line, where the Line refers to Tom Pletts as a cast member. This is the earliest such reference I have found.

Any regular reader of this blog is well aware that those employed by the Disneyland Resort are Cast Members. For all you can read about Cast Members, you might expect that this is how it has always been. Disneyland has always been a Show and therefore its employees have always been called Cast Members. (Even Van France's book Window on Main Street doesn't mention this 1970s shift. As Disneyland's founding trainer and a man intimately involved with the Disney University for many years, Van would have come up with this language.) But it took twenty-one years for the term to enter the Disney lexicon and several more years, at least, for it to displace the existing "Disneylander" and "Disneyland employees" references. This conscious shift to a show language occurred in the mid-1970s, as the Disney University professionalized its offerings and communication style, including improving the Disneyland Line.

Disneylander is the original term referring to 'those who work at Disneyland' (and the title of the monthly publication for such workers in the 1950s). It was used not just for internal communications, but also in the pre-opening newspaper insert, Vacationland, and the guidebooks handed out to Park Guests. Its vagueness meant it could and did apply to those employed by Disneyland, by WED (working on the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad or the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System before Retlaw), or by the lessees. Today, when the number of lessee personnel is so small, this may seem like an unimportant matter, but in the 1950s the number of lessee personnel may have outnumbered the Disneyland, Inc. employees. Most of the shops, many restaurants, and some of the exhibits (i.e., most of Tomorrowland) had such outside personnel. The divide between those employed by Disneyland and those employed by others just wasn't there, and needed unity was doubtless aided by calling everybody Disneylanders.

The term Disneyland employee also has a long history. It wasn't as preferred as Disneylander early on, but Disneylander publications in the 1950s did use it, and it appears in the 1965 Park guidebook. When the Disneyland Line began publication in 1969, the term appeared in practically every issue. By the time of the Line, a much greater proportion of those working at Disneyland were directly employed by Disney, and thus the distinction between such individuals, Retlaw, and lessee personnel became a little more important. Disneyland had long ago assumed control of most food and merchandise operations, and there were far fewer exhibits in the Park employing outside personnel. Aside from the weekly references to Disneyland employees in the Line, The D.E.C. (Disneyland Employee Cafeteria) Backstage under New Orleans Square and the Disneyland Employees Federal Credit Union (today's Partners Federal Credit Union) incorporated this nomenclature.

The term Cast Member took several years to establish itself and resulted from the Disney University's communications professionalization. Under the editorship of former Attractions Hosts Joel Halberstadt and Ron Kollen, the Line itself became more standardized in appearance and more formulaic in approach. (The use of formulaic isn't meant to denigate the Line's content, as there were some great articles in the 1970s. It is merely to represent that previously the Line's content from week to week was unpredictable.) It makes sense that the text would also reflect greater Disney sophistication. The word Show itself in the Disneyland Line dates back to at least November 27, 1974, when the publication began an introduction to a Cycling Shop article thusly:

One of the qualities of the Park that consistently impresses our guests is the fresh, new look about most everything. Although every craft in the Maintenance Dept. is concerned with the "Show" aspect of Disneyland, this week we'd like to take a good look at the area that might be more intimately involved than most...

Backstage had been in the Disney lexicon at least as early as 1962, when the employee publication of the same name began publication. But, as I mentioned above, Cast Member (or, more accurately, cast member) didn't appear until January 1976. It's debatable whether the author intended that use of cast member in the sense that we now know (since Tom Pletts also performed in "regular" shows). The term did not appear again (this time familiarly capitalized) in the Line until April 22, 1976, in an article about the Inn Between. The first hint is on the front page:

the Inn Between serves the year-round needs of the Disneyland Cast with the major emphasis on appetites. This Backstage Buffeteria serves a complete assortment of meals prepared by an expert staff.

The first familiar, capitalized reference is on the second page. Fittingly enough, the paragraph uses both Disneyland employees and Cast Members, seemingly interchangeably:

One of the unique aspects of the Inn Between is serving Disneyland employees, many of whom spend their day serving guests. Lead Karen Johnson commented that because Cast Members who use the Inn Between are there for such a limited time, "there is extra pressure to move them through quickly and still treat them with the kindness that they extend to guests."

There you have it. What appears to be the first official use of Cast Member comes not in a stirring tribute to the men and women of the Park, but in a buried comment about how it's important for the Cast to be served quickly at its cafeteria. It did, however, take several years before Disneyland employees became taboo. It still showed up in Disneyland Lines of 1977 and is in the Fall/Winter 1978-1979 guidebook. As I continue to closely examine each and every Line, I expect I'll be able to document this transition more fully--one of the most important language transitions in Disneyland's history. (Other important linguistic curiosities in Disneyland's history include the shift to Disneyland Park, the replacement of attractions for rides, and the origin of the theme park appellation.)

I'll leave you with this essay from the May 1957 Disneylander (periodical), entitled, "What is a Disneylander?":

A Disneylander is both male & female, comes in assorted sizes, shapes and colors. Never seems to have a last name, answers to Jo, Louie, Hutch, Chuck, Judy, Joan, Alice, Mary, Walt and Hey you!

He's a river boat captain; top-hatted gambler of the lawless West; rocket pilot with plexiglass helmet; angel of mercy in white; or an indian on the war path. He's an executive in an old Buick or a teen-age ice cream vendor with a 1957 Chevy; likes his steaks rare and Pepsi-Cola strong. His diet is unique and consists of large quantities of malts, coffee, hot dogs, banana splits, coffee, tuna sandwiches, coffee, Yankee bean soup, hamburgers, more coffee, french fries and fritos.

Now, it's a scientific fact that mice cannot live on this diet which seems to provide a real snappy comeback to the old "are you a man or a mouse" question.

He's a walking source of information; knows where to eat; most direct route to the comfort stations; drinking fountains and lost parent department, but never knows the best road to Knott's Berry Farm.

Disneylanders represent every profession; teacher, mother, artist, cowboy, Indian, carpenter, secretary, clerk, cook, painter, mechanic and photographer.

With a sticker on the windshield, I.D. card in hand, he's top-drawer with the local small fry who regard him with that special "gee, he works at Disneyland every day" look.

Naturally every red-blooded Disneylander is loaded with ride passes and is considered by the in-laws as a very soft touch. (We know this is just an ugly rumor)

By golly, this Disneyland character is pretty great, in fact, the most!

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom.

What a swell job!

Halloween: The Holiday That Brought Disneyland to Anaheim

Halloween at Disneyland? That’s only really been celebrated since 2006, right? Sure, Mickey’s Halloween Treat debuted in 1995, and Haunted Mansion Holiday emerged as a combined Halloween/Christmas themed attraction in 2001, but Disney's HalloweenTime celebration begun in 2006 sets the Disney standard for Halloween. Disneyland, however, has a much longer record of celebrating Halloween that extends beyond the gates. (It would almost have to be outside the gates, as Disneyland has been closed on October 31 nine times in its history—including 1955.) In Disneyland’s early years, Anaheim hosted a Halloween extravaganza with a pedigree dating back to 1924, with Disney often lending its support. There is even evidence that Disney’s involvement in the 1953 celebration helped Walt Disney choose Anaheim as the site of Disneyland!

My introduction to the annual Anaheim Halloween Festival came from the October 1957 Disneylander (the monthly publication for Disneylanders published by the Disneyland Recreation Club). The issue described in detail the contributions of Disneyland employees to the 34th Annual Anaheim Halloween Festival (more on that below). Through another Disneylander and a surfeit of archival newspaper articles, I’ve pieced together Disney’s involvement in and support through the years of what is now known as the Anaheim Fall Festival. Below I point out Disneyland’s Halloween activities from 1953 to the present, through when Disneyland first (tentatively) got into the Halloween spirit to the present all-consuming celebration.

Disney first became involved in the Anaheim Halloween Festival in 1953. The tradition extended back to 1924, when a crowd estimated at 20,000 watched grand marshals Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth in the parade (perhaps the most exciting baseball parade in Anaheim until 2002). The tradition included a breakfast in the park, a children’s parade, and a nighttime parade, with tens, then hundreds, of thousands of people coming to Anaheim to witness the largest Halloween celebration around.

A 1953 Los Angeles Times article could not boast with more superlatives: “biggest Halloween party in the nation” … “first in the country to stage a community-wide Halloween celebration to keep youngsters out of mischief” … “biggest night procession in the country.” And yet the most significant part of the 30th annual festival could hardly have been recognized at the time, for how many knew that Disney was shopping around for locations for its Park?

Disney participated by designing floats for the Fairyland division and providing such characters as Snow White, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio. They also provided one of the float judges, but sources conflict over whether this was Joe Reddy (publicity director at the Studios) or Nat Winecoff (on Walt’s personal payroll). The bigger story, however, is what went on behind the scenes. Earne Moeller of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce was angling to increase the prestige of the festival beyond its already lofty reputation. Also recognizing that Anaheim’s future did not lay in agriculture, Moeller also hoped to attract the attention of Los Angeles industry.

At the time Disney received Moeller’s invitation to participate in the 1953 festival, Walt’s men already had Anaheim on their radar as a potential site for the Park. They used the invitation to (they thought) stealthily gain the confidence of Anaheim officials and learn the finer details of city ordinances and building requirements. It is altogether possible, however, that Moeller had advance knowledge of Disney’s search, and extended the Halloween Festival invitation in an effort to bring the planned park to Anaheim. Todd James Pierce will have more details on these wheelings and dealings in his forthcoming book on 1950s Disneyland and its non-Disney offspring. The book’s working title is The Artificial Matterhorn and is one I very much look forward to.

Again in 1954, as construction on The Site continued apace, Disneyland had a strong presence at the annual Anaheim Halloween Festival (theme: “Legends and Fantasies”). One of the five divisions was a “Disneyland” one, and Donald Duck served as the grand marshal for the parade (the first of several times that a Disney character would perform in that capacity).

October 31, 1955. Monday. What are the odds that Disneyland would be closed that first Halloween? Well, one-in-seven. Beginning Monday, September 12, 1955, Disneyland was closed on Mondays in the off-season. (The next year, this was expanded to Mondays and Tuesdays, in an operating schedule that lasted with few variations until February 6, 1985.) Halloween 1955 fell on the eighth day Disneyland was ever closed. Disney’s participation in this year’s Halloween festival was more subdued than in the two previous years (there was no Disneyland division this time), but the Disneyland Circus Wagon did bring home honors as the best Horse Drawn Float (conveniently around for the Park’s forthcoming Mickey Mouse Club Circus). This year Knott’s Berry Farm “Birdcage Theatre” float won the Grand Prize.

I haven’t found too much on the 1956 festival, but Wally Boag did serve as master of ceremonies for the traditional festival breakfast. Wally also served as master of ceremonies for entertainment in the 1961 celebration.

The 34th Annual Anaheim Halloween Festival in 1957 was run by Disneylanders. Myrt Westering (in charge of Swift’s Red Wagon Company at Disneyland, which operated the Market House and Red Wagon Inn) served as festival chairman and was assisted by Tommy Walker (Disneyland’s entertainment impresario). (Walker’s participation leads me to believe this festival would have been the one to see!) Preceding the parade, the Mouseketeers performed at La Palma Stadium—said to be the first time they had performed outside of Disneyland. One of the parade’s five divisions was a Disneyland affair: the “Fairy Tales” division, captained by Bud Coulson (the Park’s lessee liaison in its early years) with assistance from Ron Dominguez (the Disneyland Site native and later Park VP who has a well-deserved reputation for community involvement). The Disneyland Merchants Association (sort of a Chamber of Commerce for Disneyland lessees) entered its own float in Bud’s division, and naturally a Disneylander served as the parade’s queen: Judy Underwood of the Frontier Trading Post. But in a twist rich with irony for the future Halloween drama between the two theme parks, Walter Knott served as grand marshal for this year’s parade.

1958’s festival wasn’t quite the Disneyland show as the previous year’s, but it still featured participation of Disneylanders. Again, the parade featured a division with a theme keyed to Disneyland. This year it was the “Fantasy” division, captained by Rose Wilson from Main Files, with assistance from Larry “Hutch” Hutcheson of Guest Relations. Dee Fisher, Wurlitzer organist, coordinated the Disneyland Halloween costume contest a week before the parade to determine who would ride on the Merchants Association’s float; he also performed in the parade itself. Also participating in the parade were Disneyland icons the Disneyland Band and the Omnibus. Red Wagon folks Tommy Scheid and Charlie Fowler helped with the festival’s annual breakfast.

The 41st Annual Anaheim Halloween Festival in 1964 was again centered on Disneyland, with a “Festival of Fantasy” theme. The parade had divisions one would expect for such a parade—Tomorrow Land, Adventure Land, Frontier Land, Fantasy Land, and the El Bekal Shriners. (Like “Main Street, U.S.A.” “El Bekal Shriners” doesn’t have land in its name, either.) This parade was noteworthy in having the participation of the six finalists for the first Disneyland Ambassador tradition: Venita Wold; Glenellen Cooper; Marcia Miner (who served as the 1967 Ambassador); Ethel Walker; Julie Reihm (who was selected for the position); and Kathy Albright.

Disneyland continued to participate in the parade through the years. In 1965, the Park donated costumes for the Kiddie Parade; that year, the Dapper Dans participated in the parade. In 1970 Disney used the parade to advertise “The Aristocats.” Disney characters continued to serve as grand marshal: Goofy in 1973, Cinderella in 1987, and Mickey in 1978, the same year that Disneyland, Carl Karcher, Herb Leo and others helped to save the parade after the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce had pulled its support.

From time to time, in light of the tremendous success Knott’s Berry Farm had with its Halloween Haunt (begun in 1973), Disney would be asked if Disneyland would ever itself celebrate Halloween in the Park. In 1983, Park spokesman Bob Roth indicated that Disneyland had effectively conceded Halloween for the time being. The time was used as a lead-in for “Mickey’s Month,” an on-and-off celebration begun to celebrate the Mouse after his 50th birthday in 1978. In early 1988, Jack Lindquist (then in Marketing, Disneyland President as of 1990) suggested Disneyland was contemplating some sort of family Halloween event, but come October, Roth was again saying Disneyland didn’t need Halloween: “It’s one of those things we keep putting off till next year (or) we get comfortable with the format.”

With the number of times a Disneyland Halloween celebration was put off, then, it’s curious that the first Halloween event held for Guests was such a debacle. In concert with KIIS-FM and Rick Dees (who was broadcasting live from the Haunted Mansion on Halloween morning), Disneyland in 1994 offered free admission to anybody who showed up at its gates before 8:30 a.m. Free admission? And all you have to do is show up in costume? And the popularity of this event caught anybody by surprise? Gridlock, of course, developed around the Park and backed up the Santa Ana Freeway, keeping many from gaining the free admittance they sought. Community schools weren’t too thrilled with this promotion, either, and the stunt wasn’t repeated. 1994 also marked the first year of the continuing Cast Member exclusive event Little Monsters on Main Street.

The next year Disneyland threw its first themed event for Halloween: Mickey’s Halloween Treat!, held the evenings of October 26, 27, 30 and 31. Envisioned as an event complementary to Knott’s events (rather than in competition), it featured trick-or-treating at fifty locations around the Park, a Kids Costume Cavalcade, and seasonal food items. Starting in 2001, Disney’s ambitions toward owning Halloween accelerated. The Haunted Mansion Holiday premiered that fall, mixing the Park’s only year-round Halloween-like attraction with the very popular world of Tim Burton’s "The Nightmare Before Christmas." The overlay was an immediate smash, repeated every year thereafter. Disney’s HalloweenTime debuted on September 29, 2006 as a promotion that transformed both theme parks with special shows and lavish decorations.

The Anaheim Halloween Festival has fallen on hard times more than once. I already mentioned Disney’s role in saving it in 1978. After declining in popularity, the Festival went on hiatus from 1992 through 1994, returning in 1995 as the Anaheim Fall Festival (the name under which it is still held today). And despite the success of the Disneyland Resort’s HalloweenTime promotion, Disneyland still actively supports this community celebration—even if few now remember, they go way back.

I'm Waiting for This in Google's LIFE Photo Archive

From the July 1957 Disneylander:

Opening Day memory: BUD COULSON...will never forget the wonderful experience he had on opening day as he guided Life magazine photographers, Allen Grant and Loomis Dean to vantage points. They took over 1,000 pictures that day, including many rolls from the top of the TV camera tower in the Plaza. It's still a mystery as to how Allen and Loomis negotiated that tower with cameras in both hands as well as around their necks.

I have yet to see these appear in the LIFE photo archive hosted by Google.