Disleelandia

‘Welcome to The WDW Vacation Kingdom’ Pamphlet

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Dis-LEE

Time is advancing and prices are going up, but we are continuing on our journey through my ephemera collection. We are now in 1983 and this particular pamphlet is Welcom(ing us) To The Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom.

Is this auspicious year, there are only The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center for you to choose from. Unless you count the Walt Disney World Village, Discovery Island, and the Kennels. Which you can thanks to the helpful information contained within…

I love the artwork on the cover of this pamphlet! Although I have to say that the artist used some pretty liberal artistic license in his or her depiction of Cinderella Castle and Spaceship Earth. To wit, the golf ball is only 180 feet high with the castle topping out at 189 feet, making it the taller of the two. But with the perspective of the two icons in the image above, Spaceship Earth towers over the castle! And they’re not even in the same Park! And since when did the monorail cut across the castle entrance?

Okay, I’m just having a little fun here! Artists regularly play with the placement and sizing of icons and attractions in marketing materials such as this one. But you can imagine the confusion of a first-time visitor who didn’t do their research before arriving!

This pamphlet is designed to sell guests on World Passports and multiple-day passes. These are a good deal when you compare them to single-day tickets. To illustrate, note that a 3-Day World Passport good for both Parks is only $35.00 US for an adult whereas a 1-Day Ticket to just one of the Parks is $15.00 US. You don’t have to be a math Professor to calculate the better deal! Go for the 4-Day World Passport at just $45.00 US for an adult and you’re almost printing those Disney Dollars!

6-Day World Passports and Annual World Passports were also available.

Special Events included The Mickey Mouse Character Parade running down Main Street U.S.A. and International Entertainment over at EPCOT Center. Kennel service is now a ‘nominal fee’.

On the back of the pamphlet we are reminded that there is ‘another magic corner of the World’ – Walt Disney World Village. Reserve early for your seat at Breakfast a la Disney, complete with character interaction. Only $5.50 US per adult and just $4.50 US for children!

Next, hop on a boat and head on over to Discovery Island where ‘paradise awaits’! Of course, this will cost you an extra $3.00 US for adults and $1.50 US for children. Once again we can see that Mr. Joe Average could certainly afford to treat his family to days of fun and frolic in The Vacation Kingdom.

Thanks for visiting our fun place today! And if you want to reenter the blog today, don’t forget to get your hand stamped at the exit point before leaving.

Posted in Advertising, Attractions, Ephemera, Promotions, Theme Parks, Travel, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World | Tagged Advertising, Attractions, Breakfast a la Disney, Discovery Island, Epcot, Epcot Center, Ephemera, Promotions, The Vacation Kingdom, Theme Parks, Travel, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Village, World Passports | Leave a comment

Zink Dumbo the Flying Elephant ‘Piggy’ Bank

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Dis-LEE

I’ve always found it hard to determine the exact metals that some collectables are made out of. Without a stamp of some kind, it’s so hard to tell. We’ll have a look at some letters found on this figure later and see what we can determine. But what we do know for a certainty at this point is that this little guy is cute!

At just a little over 4″ tall, Dumbo the Flying Elephant is all smiles and ears:

The little red scarf is a nice touch, although I don’t remember him having anything like it in the actual movie. However, with the pompom fringe, it is circus correct.

With his trunk raised he is ready to let out a mighty ‘Snork!’ ‘Snork’, you ask? I recommend that you google ‘Tim Conway Elephant Story’ and treat yourself to one of the funniest takes on pachyderm anatomy of all time!

Here is a shot for posterior. I heard that poor Dumbo was the butt of many a joke. Butt don’t quote me on that as I’ve never met his family, not even his mighty father: Gluteus Maximus. But I’m positively mooning over Dumbo and should probably stop and get on with the post…

This is quite a heavy piece and so has a felt pad glued to the bottom to prevent scratching of delicate surfaces.

Many times the plugs for Piggy Banks are missing. Usually they are rubber discs with a ridge that simply presses into the opening. That’s why they are so easy to lose. But this one is made of the same metal as the main body of the bank and turns out with a quarter twist.

You can see that the plug has the letters F.B.R. and EP Zink Japan engraved on it. I can’t find any information as to what these letters stand for. But ep zinc (with a ‘c’) seems to relate to a zinc alloy silver plating process. So this bank is likely cast out of some lesser metal and then plated with a low grade silver. Obviously it was made in Japan, and although setting an exact date for manufacture is difficult, we know that most Disney-related merchandise made in Japan tends to be fairly early (like, pre-80’s).

For another piece from my collection that is made out of the same material, check out my previous post: Pewter Winnie the Pooh Bank. I should probably update that post, or at the very least, rename it!

Posted in Characters, Collectibles | Tagged Banks, Characters, Collectibles, Dumbo, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, ep zinc, F.B.R., Japan, Pewter, Piggy Banks, Silver Plated, Zinc Plated | Leave a comment

Vintage Walt Disney World Parking Ticket Stubs

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Dis-LEE

This is not to imply that you would get a parking ticket while visiting the Vacation Kingdom. But only that if you wanted to park at one of the Theme Parks, you would have to purchase a ticket. This ticket would then be left on the dashboard of your car, and you’d be ready to enjoy the magic! Until the day was over and you forgot where you parked.

I picked up this collection of stubs from a fellow Disney collector.

Today, it costs over $20 US to leave your car at any of the Disney Parks. But back in the early days, it was a lot cheaper:

So in 1977 you paid only 48 cents (plus 2 cents tax) to park but in 1982 it went up to a whopping 96 cents (plus 4 cents tax). I can’t make out the exact date for the blue ticket except that the day was the 4th, but the orange ticket was issued for February 8th (a Monday, if you’re curious). Note that the ticket has a nice collage of Walt Disney World icons at the bottom. This would change in later years.

But time and prices march on and by 1984, we saw another increase:

Now you had to pay $1.90 (plus 10 cents tax). The blue ticket was for January 27th (a Friday) and the green ticket was for February 2nd (a Thursday). Now we see a more stylized version of the Castle and a nice little car motif added along the top.

In order not to forget where we park in this modern age, we simply use our Smart Phones and take a picture of the signage next to our vehicle. But back in the dark ages, people may not have had a camera, and if they did, it contained film that would need to be developed. That would take days! Google that, it’s quite interesting! But impractical if you’re lost in a car parking lot.

So these tickets had a nice diagram of the parking lot which you could use to mark your spot. Then, you’d carry the ticket with you for later reference. It would also help you to orientate yourself in relation to the Theme Park. Follow that arrow!

Doc (of the Seven Dwarfs family) got no love in the Magic Kingdom parking lot. And surprisingly, neither did Mickey!

Now we go back in time just two years, again to 1982, but jump over to a different Park:

Remember the Magic Kingdom 1982 price, in February, was a total of $1.00 US. But now at EPCOT Center in the same year, in both January and February, it is now $1.90 (plus 10 cents tax) for a total of $2.00 US. So for a time it was more expensive to park at the one Park over the other. The yellow EPCOT ticket was issued on January 29th (a Friday) and the white ticket was issued on February 2nd (a Tuesday). And as you can see from the image above, the white ticket was ‘complimentary’, for whatever reason.

The EPCOT Center tickets use the same stylized icon idea for the Park logo with the same car motif as the Magic Kingdom tickets.

Now let’s have a look at the back of these tickets:

The white ticket, pictured above, doesn’t have any markings to show where the guest parked, but the yellow one did show that they parked in Communications, spot 45.

This parking lot had six themed areas: Energy, Communications, Mobility (?), Space, Harvest (likely indicating the Land), and Imagination. Apparently you could also get medical attention before entering the Park or just after getting off the bus. Was riding the bus a wilder experience back in 1982?

If you wanted to get into the Park itself, the arrow tells you to head North. But to see more ticket-type ephemera, check out my personal collection of FastPass stubs. Remember those?

Posted in Ephemera, Theme Parks, Transportation, Travel, Walt Disney World | Tagged Complimentary, Epcot, Epcot Center, Ephemera, Magic Kingdom, Parking, Theme Parks, Ticket Stubs, Tickets, Transportation, Travel, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Mickey Mouse Rotary Telephone by Western Electric

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Dis-LEE

This rather rare Mickey Mouse Telephone was made by the American Telecommunications Corporation for Western Electric in 1976. This particular model was sold, by someone, on January 15th of 1985. I ended up adding it to my personal collection some years later.

There are versions where the rotary dial has been updated to a push-button pad. Such models are more common.

I love that the cord has Hidden Mickeys on it and the name ‘Mickey Mouse’. Most later models and styles of Mickey Mouse telephones had plain, solid coloured cords.

This is not a talking phone. It has more than one volume control. One would be for the ringtone and the other for the receiver volume. There are no battery compartments or speaker holes anywhere on the unit.

Animation and voice chips would not have been common technologies for such merchandise back in the 1970’s.

My wife and I stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort back in 2007 and enjoyed seeing all of the larger-than-life icons throughout the property. Pictured above is the interpretation of the classic Mickey telephone, from behind, and three stories in the air!

With most of the Mickey phones that I have the receivers are either black or red. I do have one with a blue receiver. So it’s special to have a model with such a bright variation!

Who remembers using a rotary dial to make a phone call? Remember doing the second-last number and getting it wrong, and having to go back and start all over again? Cellphone users will never understand the pain!

HISTORY LESSON: On the rotary phone dial, the digits are arranged in a circular layout so that a finger wheel may be rotated against spring tension with one finger. A caller would start from the position of each digit and rotate to the fixed finger stop position, pictured next to the ‘zero’ in the picture above. When released at the finger stop, the wheel returns to its home position driven by the spring at a regulated speed. During this return rotation, the dial interrupts the direct electrical current of the telephone line the specific number of times associated with each digit and thereby generates electrical pulses which the telephone exchange decodes into each dialed digit. Each of the ten digits is encoded in sequences to correspond to the number of pulses, so the method is sometimes called decadic dialing.

Or you could just buy a push-button phone and be lazy.

I’ve never seen such a ‘busy’ bottom to a phone, especially for a phone that does so little.

**Even Mickey’s ‘Mini Me’ has a ‘Mini Me’**

This is perhaps my favorite Disney-themed phone that I have in my collection. I think it’s because there is a huge version at Pop Century, and that I have a miniature version in the form of a Hallmark Ornament, and an even more miniature version of Mickey using the phone itself.

More detailed looks at individual phones can be had here, here, and here. Don’t worry, I’m sure the line won’t be busy. And Gertrude won’t be snooping in on the old party line. Enjoy!

Posted in Characters, Collectibles, Phones | Tagged American Telecommunications Corp, Characters, Collectibles, Decadic Dialing, Mickey Mouse Phone, Phones, Rotary, Western Electric | Leave a comment

Walt Disney World Attraction Promotion Cards

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Dis-LEE

This post features a couple of pieces of paper. Now doesn’t that sound exciting? But it’s what’s on these pieces of paper that should excite any Disney fan!

IllumiNations was a series of nightly fireworks shows at Epcot that incorporated lighting effects projected onto the various show buildings around the World Showcase. It shouldn’t be confused with the very popular nighttime spectacular IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, which was created in 1999 for the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration. There appears to have been at least two other fireworks shows between the two IllumiNations presentations.

So we go back in time to when Epcot was called EPCOT Center and IllumiNations was only reflections on buildings. And some fireworks:

Size: 3 3/4″ x 6 1/4″ – Paper Stock

So some of the effects included turning Germany into a gingerbread house, Canada into a forest, and France into a cabaret. Ooh la la! The beautiful lighting effects would stay on after Park closing to be enjoyed as guests walked out. Have a look for yourself:

And then there was the Florida Fantasy Giveaway! This promotion gave a 2-night stay at a luxurious Disney resort… and that was it. Not bad if you lived in Florida or a neighboring State, but if you had to purchase airfare and ground travel from abroad, it may not have been a worthwhile deal for you. This promotion was for 1988.

And now on to one of my all-time favorite attractions – The Main Street Electrical Parade:

Size: 4′ x 6 1/4″ – Card Stock

We go back another two years in time to 1986 for this wonderful promotion card. There are a half-million twinkling reasons to love this Parade! This was back when Disney dared to turn off all of the lights along Main Street to give guests the best viewing experience. Today, the lawyers would never allow such a level of darkness. Sigh. Although Energizer Batteries presented the Parade, the Energizer Bunny was not given a cameo.

On the back of this promotion card is a nice advertisement for The Disney Sunday Movie. Who didn’t grow up watching those?!? We all tuned in to the ABC network, many years before Disney bought them out in 1996.

Promotional Cards can take on many different forms. To see a nice set of postcard-like examples, given out by the Disney Vacation Club, check out ‘A Fairy Tale Vacation’ by clicking the link.

Posted in Advertising, Attractions, Ephemera, Parades, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged ABC Network, Advertising, Attractions, Energizer Batteries, Epcot, Epcot Center, Ephemera, Fireworks, Florida Fantasy Giveaway, IllumiNations, Magic Kingdom, Main Street Electrical Parade, Parades, The Disney Sunday Movie, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Sunflight Airlines Disney Vacation Ticket Folder

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Dis-LEE

It’s hard to place just which airline would have used this particular ticket folder. Currently, there is a SUNFLIGHT WORLD TRAVEL INC. registered with Corporations Canada. The incorporation date for that company is January 1, 1970, which would be period correct for the image on the cover. However, there was also a Sun Airlines that operated out of Florida from 1969 to 1978. So that company could have had a promotional program called ‘Sunflight’ as well.

So just as the tickets are missing from this folder, so too is the history of the airline that presented it. I can find no actual airline with the name ‘Sunflight’.

I’m placing the vintage of this folder to some time in the 1970’s because of the image of the Castle and because of the clothing worn by the people in front of it.

I have to admit, although I picked this piece of ephemera up from another Disney collector, I have kept all of the paraphernalia from my flights to Walt Disney World and Disneyland. If it has a Disney image on it, I collect it!

Sunflight. SUNFLIGHT. I guess we could surmise that this was an airline that mainly serviced Florida because of the reference to the sun.

For another Disney-themed folder, check out our earlier post entitled Our Disneyland Guide Books and Ephemera. That folder has an awesome stylistic rendering of the Parks iconic Castle!

Posted in Ephemera, Theme Parks, Travel, Walt Disney World | Tagged Airlines, Ephemera, Sun Airlines, Sunflight, Theme Parks, Tickets, Travel, Walt Disney World | 2 Comments

“Welcome to a World of Vacation Adventures” Pamphlet – 1981

Posted on May 15, 2021 by Dis-LEE

This promotional or sales pamphlet is the same size as a standard Park Guide Map. But instead of giving you information about a Park you have already purchased admission to, this piece of ephemera is designed to help you decide where you will go, what you will do when you get there, and how much money you will spend doing it.

Featuring attractions and pricing for the 1981 season, we get a look back at what a buck could buy Mr. Joe Average:

Instead of just buying a one or two day ticket to an individual Park, this pamphlet was designed to sell potential Walt Disney World guests a complete vacation package, or ‘adventure’.

We have a variation on the z-fold flyer as we open things up to see what we are offered:

If may be hard to see in the images, but the paper is blue in colour.

Now let’s have a look at the first two adventures:

World Adventure: This represents an amazing deal, especially when matched against 2021 pricing! You get 5 nights in a Deluxe Resort, 6 days at the Magic Kingdom with unlimited access to all rides and attractions, and coupons for food and additional fun. The price? Only $520.00 US for one adult! I think it would cost you that for a 1-night stay in the Contemporary Resort today. Sign me up!

Villa Adventure: Again you get 5 nights, but this time in a Villa, 6 days at the Magic Kingdom, food coupons, and some fun activity coupons as well. This will cost you only $681.00 US for one adult!

I think I’m going to start a Go Fund Me account to build a time machine.

Camping Adventure: You get 5 nights on a camp site or in a fully-equipped Fleetwood Travel Trailer, 6 days in the Magic Kingdom, those tasty food coupons, and the fun coupons as well. This will only set you back $195.00 US for one adult on a campsite or $444.00 US for the trailer. Either way, it’s a deal. And Fort Wilderness had its own Steam Train back then!

General Booking Information: Here we see the usual payment details and legal information. Don’t forget that your pet is not welcome, even on the Fort Wilderness sites! So Fido will have to stay at the Fort Wilderness Kennel or the Walt Disney World Kennel Club for just $3.00 US a day.

So we’ve briefly mentioned that each booking comes with fun coupons. But what do you do with those? You can enlarge the image above for a detailed accounting of the offerings available back then. From dinner shows to shopping, from golf and tennis to a water park or animal reserve, you had no shortage of places to redeem those little coupons of fun!

Yes, Mr. Joe Average could afford to take his entire family on a fun-filled week of adventure, at least back in 1981.

But seriously. Go Fund Me. All of us. A time machine. Who’s in?

Posted in Advertising, Attractions, Ephemera, Events, Excursions, Resorts, Restaurants, Theme Parks, Tips, Travel, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World | Tagged Advertising, Attractions, Camping Adventure, Ephemera, Events, Excursions, Resorts, Restaurants, Theme Parks, Tips, Travel, Vacation Adventures, Vacation Planning, Villa Adventure, Walt Disney World, World Adventure | Leave a comment

“Welcome to a World of Vacation Adventures” Pamphlet

Posted on May 15, 2021 by Dis-LEE

Featuring attractions and pricing for the 1981 season, we get a look back at what a buck could buy Mr. Joe Average:

Instead of just buying a one or two day ticket to an individual Park, this pamphlet was designed to sell potential Walt Disney World guests a complete vacation package, or ‘adventure’.

We have a variation on the z-fold flyer as we open things up to see what we are offered:

If may be hard to see in the images, but the paper is blue in colour.

Now let’s have a look at the first two adventures:

I think I’m going to start a Go Fund Me account to build a time machine.

Yes, Mr. Joe Average could afford to take his entire family on a fun-filled week of adventure, at least back in 1981.

But seriously. Go Fund Me. All of us. A time machine. Who’s in?

Vintage 1970’s Walt Disney World Oversize Postcards

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Dis-LEE

I’m sure there were more postcards in this ‘series’ but I only have three of them. But what a trio of nostalgic Theme Park fun they are! We get to visit both Fantasyland and Tom Sawyer Island (twice) in just one viewing.

First, let’s visit Injun Joe’s Cave on Tom Sawyer Island. As you’ll see, Mickey and his nephews (Morty and Ferdie) aren’t too sure if they should come along:

These postcards are 5″ x 6 3/4″ in size, which makes them oversized and likely subject to extra postage. But you get more room to write your message to all of the unfortunate people at home who couldn’t join you on your Walt Disney World vacation. So be sure to rub it in nice and good!

The back of each card is identical save for the message found in the bottom left corner. This message is themed to the image on the front of the card. You can read the blurb about Mickey and his nephews in the image above. You’ll also notice that these postcards have rounded corners.

Now it’s time to visit a new Land, namely, Fantasyland:

I won’t show the back of these last two cards, for as mentioned, they are the same as the first, except for the message. But here is the message, so you don’t miss it: “Christopher Robin brings a smile to all his friends with his brightly colored balloons – even gloomy old Eeyore is sure to cheer up when the gang visits Fantasyland, the happiest kingdom of them all.”

Now it’s back to Tom Sawyer Island for some hijinks in the water. In the water?

Yes, it looks like this scene shouldn’t involve so much water, if any at all. But if we read the message from the back of the postcard, we see the problem: “Huey, Dewey and Louie love crossing the floating barrel bridge on Tom Sawyer Island – except when Br’er Bear steps into the act!” Poor Br’er Bear. He’s just trying to join in on the fun!

These were printed in 1979 and were likely available in the Parks well into the early 1980’s. None of the ones I have presented here were sent back home to family or friends but each one has some scribbling on the backs. I think the ‘artist’ was under 5 years of age.

I prefer the postcards I collect to be blank, but I have a friend who prefers to see the messages, thus getting a better glimpse of the times and places depicted thereon. What’s your preference?

FUN FACTS: Postcards became more common and began to be sent internationally after the first Congress of the General Postal Union, which met in Bern, Switzerland in October 1874. The earliest known picture postcard was a hand-painted design on card created by the writer Theodore Hook. Hook posted the card to himself in 1840 from Fulham, London, England.

Posted in Artwork, Attractions, Characters, Ephemera, Postcards, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged Artwork, Attractions, Br'er Bear, Characters, Christopher Robin, Dewey, Eeyore, Ephemera, Fantasyland, Huey, Louie, Mickey Mouse, Postcards, Theme Parks, Tigger, Tom Sawyer Island, Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney World, Winnie the Pooh | Leave a comment

Walt Disney World Pricing Pamphlet – 1980

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Dis-LEE

Today we take a trip back into history to a time when the average Joe could easily afford a ticket to The Vacation Kingdom. Yes folks, it’s 1980. So dig out your designer denim and pull on those jumpsuits… we’re going retro:

A quick visit to City Hall and you could pick up one of these handy pamphlets. It gave you everything you needed to know to buy your way into The Magic Kingdom. We are told that most people need at least two days to fully enjoy the Park. What packages are available? I’m glad you asked!

You can see the prices for juniors and children by enlarging the picture above, but for an adult Unlimited 2-day Passport it was only $19.00 US. Being as these never expired back then, I wish I had bought a truckload and stashed them away for future use!

Can’t handle that much fun? No problem! Choose access to only eight, twelve, or sixteen attractions, and the price drops. Can’t decide? Take the Guided Tour and they’ll help you make up your mind.

Helpful Facts: Wear a shirt. No bare-chested people allowed! No sneaking in outside food or drink. And Fido will have to stay at the Fort Wilderness Kennel and Livery for just $2.00 a day.

And now we’re ready to flip the pamphlet and visit the Walt Disney World Village:

Many of the ticket packages included a complimentary ride over to the Village. And according to this pamphlet, ‘you simply must experience’ it! From Old World craftsmen, dozens of shops, and dining on a Mississippi riverboat (The Empress Lilly), ‘you haven’t seen the whole World till you’ve seen the Village’. Well, those 1980 people ain’t seen nuthin’ till they’ve seen today’s Disney Springs!

Finally, let’s compare past to present pricing for a 2-day ticket to The Magic Kingdom:

1980 – $19.00

2021 – $124.00

Now where’s my time machine?

Posted in Advertising, Attractions, Ephemera, Theme Parks, Travel, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World | Tagged Advertising, Attractions, City Hall, Ephemera, The Vacation Kingdom, Theme Parks, Ticket Prices, Tinker Bell, Travel, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Village | Leave a comment