“These cake decorations will be fun for everyone” boasts the cover copy on this unique cooking accessory from the Allstar company of West Germany. 6 different patterns are available to make your ho-hum cake really pop! And these stencils can be used with coloured frosting.
According to Allstar these lovely party cakes are easy to do. But being as I can’t find any record of this company on the Net anymore, maybe it was harder than they thought?
Each stencil has a Disney character with a signature shape. For Mickey, the ‘star’ attraction, he gets stars.
I understand the kisses for Minnie but don’t quite get what lightning has to do with one of the dimmest Disney characters (I mean that in a good way with all due love and respect).
Each stencil is 8.5″ in diameter.
So six of Disney’s biggest characters made the cut of the cake. What characters would you like to see immortalized in powdered sugar, chocolate powder, or coloured frosting?
Remember: There is ‘no limit to your imagination!’ if you believe the back cover.
So this is from West Germany. I wonder if that is a Black Forest Cake pictured there?
The Disneyland News was sold as ‘Disneyland’s Hometown Newspaper’ and was available as a promotional souvenir during the Park’s early years. You could buy it off the rack or from newsboys all along Main Street U.S.A. for just 10 cents, or $1.20 for a one-year mail subscription.
This commemorative Special Edition was a reproduction of the original copy of The Disneyland News with some updated ‘reporting’ of course! It was put together as a part of the larger promotion called “Designing the Dream” – A Disney Retrospective. “Disneyland’s 30th Anniversary Celebration” was a companion television special that aired on NBC on February 18, 1985.
Not surprisingly, Marty Sklar is listed as Honorary Editor-in-Chief of this reproduction paper as he was the man responsible for writing the original editions as his first job at Disney.
So as the first page says: “Let’s put up our feet, relax, and take a wonderful tour of the Happiest Place on Earth…” Here on out I will give a brief synopsis of what you will find on each page above the picture of that page, and you can decide if you’d like to enlarge it so you can read the full articles.
Page One: ‘Dateline: Disneyland’ reviews opening day. ‘National Press…’ lists Press reactions to the Park. ‘Gala Parades’ is a nice piece explaining how important Parades have been at Disneyland. And we are also treated to a picture of Walt himself alongside the 30th Anniversary logo.
Cover / Page One
Page Two: ‘With High Hopes’ is a heartfelt expansion of the dedication speech by Walt Disney himself. A Picture of the original businesses along Main Street. And some vintage advertising.
Page Two
Page Three: ‘Under the Gaslight’ contains memories from Marty Sklar including opening day shenanigans, a wayward ostrich, and a stuck Tinkerbell. ‘Tour of Main Street…’ gives an interesting history of what the buildings on Main Street have been used for over the years.
Page Three
Page Four: ‘Tomorrowland Exhibits…’ lists some of the show spiel for the amazing Hall of Aluminum. ‘A Visit to Progress City’ gives us a seat on the Carousel of Progress to hear all about… well, progress!
Page Four
Page Five: Thrill to an aerial picture of Tomorrowland, an advertisement for the ‘Bathroom of Tomorrow’, and learn how to buy a piece of the moon for just one dollar!
Page Five
Pages Six & Seven: Pictures of Disneyland under construction from 1954-55 and some shots from the 1959 Tomorrowland expansion.
Page Six
Page Seven
Page Eight: The ‘Circus Show’ article gives a good overview of the Mickey Mouse Club Circus and ‘Cartoon Adventures…’ details how the dark rides of Fantasyland were created.
Page Eight
Page Nine: ‘Souvenirs Galore’ lists all of the fun and crazy things you could take home from Hobbyland. And ladies, don’t miss the complete collection of the Knights of the Round Table separates! Exclusive creations from Fantasy of Disneyland.
Page Nine
Page Ten: In ‘Orange Grove Becomes Jungle’ we learn how the famous Jungle Cruise came to be. ‘New Orleans Square…’ fills us in on all the mystery behind The Pirates of the Caribbean. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a Foot-saver Alpergatas. I don’t know what it is either, but you could buy one in 1955 from The Tropic Traders in Adventureland.
Page Ten
Page Eleven: ‘Frontierland Restaurants’ gives us a tasty tour of eatin’ in the old West along with a chance to meet the Frito Kid! ‘Frontier Days Recalled’ lists all of the fun attractions to be found in Nature’s Wonderland. And don’t miss the rootin’ tootin’ ads on this page!
Page Eleven
Back Page / Page Twelve: The articles on this last page are just the ends of articles from previous pages. Hungry? The Chicken of the Sea and the Market House are advertising for your patronage! And check out that wonderful map showing the main routes to Disneyland.
Page Twelve
And how much was a day at Disneyland going to cost you in the 1950’s? It was advised to plan on spending between 4 and 4.5 hours in the Park. Adults could gain admission and eight rides of their choice for just $2.50 with children getting the same deal for just $1.50. And apparently changes had to be made because patrons were complaining about the high price of going to Disneyland. I’ll just let that sink in.
To put this in perspective, the Red Wagon Inn on the plaza was advertising sizzling steaks and juicy chops in complete dinners for only $1.65 or $1.50 for lunch! Children could eat for just $1.00! AND you could get a coupon for a free Disneyland Souvenir Guide, no purchase necessary. Yup. What a ripoff!
I purchased this years ago from eBay and just love it! The fact that it has yellowed (because of the cheap paper) makes it feel genuinely vintage.
We like to visit places ‘close to home’ via day trips or overnight excursions. Michigan and Ohio are two States close enough to our Canadian border to make their attractions viable. You can find many of the places we’ve visited either on this site or on our YouTube Channel, such as the Henry Ford Museum along with Greenfield Village or Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum.
We’ve also visited the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, the subject of this post. So let’s begin with a fun pic (or photo-op) starring me, your host:
Just Chillin’ with the Penguins
I took dozens of pictures on this trip which I know are only of interest to me. But some of the things I saw should tickle your fancy too. Such as:
Everyone loves a good blankie!
Apparently in the wild, Orangutans cover themselves with largeleaves and branches to protect themselves from rain and sun, not unlike humans. So when in captivity they emulate this behavior however they can, even if it makes them look a little silly.
Together in Cuteness
No social distancing here! But seriously, how awesome would it be to cuddle up like this for a little nap?
“What’re YOU lookin’ at?”
I haven’t been given a dirty look quite this badly in some time but I guess I did fail to ask permission to take the picture. Sorry! BTW, these are American Bald Eagles that were hurt in the wild but are in the zoo to be rehabilitated for eventual release back into their natural habitat.
Look Closely… Ma and Cub Together
I love it when I can use glass enclosures as a natural ‘trick’ filter. In this case, it allowed me to catch the mother Polar Bear with her cub in an interesting way. I did nothing to alter this shot, it was just point-and-shoot at the right time.
Oh yes, this attraction venue is also an aquarium, so here is the best shot I got from the tanks:
WOW !
‘Nuff said.
One thing all roadside attractions do is provide places to take what has been called Fun Pics or photo-ops. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium offers up its share:
SMILE !
Too much fun!
It was a beautiful day and a well-run place with good exhibits and friendly staff. If you get the chance, be sure to visit! And if you do, share your Fun Pic in the comment section. CLICK!
For many of us it’s been awhile since we’ve seen this beautiful structure in person. So today we’re going to have a look at the splendor that is Cinderella Castle by means of vintage postcards.
We will start from a distance and pull slowly inward, card by card:
Long View
From the back of the card: “With its golden Gothic spires reaching toward the clouds, Cinderella Castle marks the gateway to Fantasyland… home of Peter Pan, Snow White, Mickey Mouse and dozens of other characters “come-to-life” from famous Walt Disney film classics.”
Now that could have been worded better. But bad copy aside, I think this is one of the prettiest postcards in the set!
On the Lawn
From the back of the card: “Beautiful Cinderella Castle, with spires reaching to the sky, marks the gateway to the happiest land of them all… FANTASYLAND.”
As you read the copy from these cards you’ll note that they repeat themselves. Obviously they felt that vacationers would only be buying one card with the castle picture, so why get inventive!
Front Courtyard View
From the back of the card: “Evening sets on towering Cinderella Castle, gateway to “the happiest land of them all”… Fantasyland. High inside the castle, guest dine in royal splendor in King Stefan’s Banquet Hall.”
Since April 28, 1997 this restaurant was renamed Cinderella’s Royal Table. It makes sense as King Stefan was one of the kings from Sleeping Beauty. Stay in your own fairytale, people!
A Grand Welcome !
From the back of the card: “Cinderella Castle provides a spectacular backdrop for Mickey Mouse and a cast of thousands on the world’s largest, most exciting stage… Walt Disney World.”
It doesn’t just take a village, it seems to require the population of a small city to staff just one park back in the day. Remember, when this postcard sold, there was only the Magic Kingdom to visit in Walt Disney World.
Nighttime Splendor
From the back of the card: “Glowing warmly at twilight, Cinderella Castle towers 18 stories above the “happiest land of them all”… Fantasyland. High inside the castle, guests dine in royal splendor in King Stefan’s Banquet Hall.”
And now we are at the archway to Fantasyland and ready for some nighttime fun! We have learned that no matter how, or from where, you look at it… Cinderella Castle is Gothic, beautiful, spectacular, and glowing. I couldn’t agree more!
I doubt this envelope is all stuffed with fluff but it could be stuffed with imagination! Winnie the Pooh sprang from the imagination of A. A. Milne as a way to entertain his son, Christopher Robin. But all these years later the world is still being entertained.
In 1996 the Canada Post Corporation released a commemorative set of stamps to show the progression of one bear with very little brain:
Envelope with Stamp Set Affixed
October 1st, 1996 is the release date, exactly 25 years after the official opening of Walt Disney World in Florida. And now for some history:
Back of Envelope
So did you know that Winnie the Pooh had a Canadian heritage?
Stamp Folder Cover
As you can see above, the stamps depict the original Winnie the bear from 1914, the telling of the stories to Christopher Robin in 1925, the publishing of the stories in 1926, and finally the present-day home of everyone’s silly old bear in 1996.
Stamp Folder Back of Cover
Didn’t know it was History Day, did you Mouseketeers?
Open Stamp Folder with Stamp Set
You can see the 25th Anniversary logo for Walt Disney World in the top left corner above. And we have some nice artwork by Wai Poon.
I always enjoy finding Disney stamps! They are an inexpensive collectible that doesn’t take up much space. I think it may be my wife’s favorite of my expanding collection as well!
Why is all the cool stuff just for kids? This line of merchandise included plush characters, coloring books, bend-ems, money banks, and numerous clothing items, to name just a bit of the ‘stuff’ you could get for your kids.
But what I got (I refuse to let the kids have all the fun!) was these vintage Color-Clings:
SPORTS
On this cling there are three sports to choose from. This product will stick to any non-porous surface like glass or windows and is reusable.
If you notice the clothing style and the fleshtone faces, I think we can place these somewhere in the 1980’s.
BEACH FUN
Looks like Minnie dominates at the beach with not one but two appearances! From sand castles to the Hula to just plain relaxing, kids and apparently fish just love the beach.
CELEBRATE !
Celebrate what? Ah, who cares! Just let the party begin.
This time Mickey gets to double up. I guess Goofy and Donald weren’t in the party mood. But I hope these clings put you in the party mood! Just imagine where you could stick these fun not-just-for-kids clings.
One of the hardest collectibles to find is the full matchbook. Usually some or all of the matches are gone (for obvious reasons: puff, puff) and then the cover is thrown away. Who would ever think to collect such a thing?
Because of the great artwork on the covers, and the historical relevance of such reminders of bygone places, many are indeed looking for and collecting matchbooks. But finding a full one is hard, and is impossible to buy online as laws prohibit the sending of flammable items in the mail. So we must be satisfied with the remaining covers we can find. Like:
Behold the beautiful artwork! From the Disneyland logo lettering to the sweeping Monorail Red. It’s a thing to behold.
Another reason these matchbook covers are cool is because they often list features or attractions of the venue that may now be gone. The replica miniature golf course of Disneyland is long gone (apparently since 1978 or 1981). Pity. I’d still putt-putt there! The 3-par golf course and driving range was gone by 1969.
The ‘adequate parking’ was expanded as towers were added and the land used by the golf features was appropriated. And is the Monorail Bar still there? I’m not sure.
Into every Disneyana collection at least one matchbook/matchbook cover should come!
Sometimes we may not notice or at least forget some of the changes that have happened over the years. This can be especially true with place like Walt Disney World where so much is happening and changing every day! And the characters are no exception.
But there is a way to look back and find the little things that have changed, such as looking at old post cards. Which we are going to do now. To begin, let’s have a look at the fairest of them all, Snow White, and of course her seven faithful friends:
“Hi-Ho!” “Hi-Ho!”
From the back of the card: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey, Happy, Grumpy, Doc – greet guests in the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.”
That was ‘then’, let’s have a look at ‘now’:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
From the back of the card: “Snow White radiates love and laughter to all she greets. And her faithful companions – Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, and Dopey – are never far behind.”
Apart from the better staging of the shot, we can see that the later image shows better color for the character costumes. The Dwarfs have slightly smaller heads which makes it easier to see their bodies/clothing. This difference is most evident with Dopey who looks much better in the later image.
Even Micky himself underwent a change in body image:
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom
From the back of the card: “Walt Disney World’s First Citizen, Mickey Mouse personally greets visitors to the MAGIC KINGDOM and towering CINDERELLA CASTLE.”
Again, the main difference we see between the images is photo quality. And like the Snow White images, Mickey is photographed in a slightly different location, as we will see.
That was ‘then’, let’s have a look at ‘now’:
Welcome!
From the back of the card: “Mickey Mouse has been the beloved symbol of Disney entertainment for more than a half-century. Each day, he welcomes Magic Kingdom guests with plenty of “Mouse-ka-cheer.”
First we see Mickey has put on a few pounds to appear more rounded and friendly, and we could say more mouse-like. He is also shorter. Also notice his pose. In the second image he is adopting a more inviting stance, with arms out for a hug!
Other differences: Ears; bowtie; gloves; and buttons on the pants.
Mickey looks different in the present ‘now’ as we see all Disney characters seem to continue to go through changes over the years. Which is your favorite look between the ‘then’ and ‘now’ versions of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Mickey Mouse depicted here?
Say that three times fast! DISNEY ON PARADE was conceived by NBC Films Inc. and Walt Disney Productions. It was a 2.5-hour live stage musical featuring a variety of Disney characters that had premiered before the early 1970’s.
It had four Editions: 1st Edition (1969-70); 2nd Edition (1970-71); 3rd Edition (1972-73) and the 4th Edition (1973-74). This View-Master set was produced in 1970 so one would expect that it was compiled with scenes from the 1st Edition, although the order and content isn’t correct. However, there is a clue on the cover of the packet that might give us another theory.
Let’s have a look:
Cover Packet and Companion Booklet
The original show officially premiered in Chicago, Illinois on December 25, 1969 but opened for a preview on December 16th in Long Beach, California. The show would go on to tour Australia in 1971-72 and be released as a television special on The Wonderful World of Disney. This View-Master set has The Wonderful World of Disney printed on it just above the title. But do you see a problem with that theory? Yes, this View-Master set came out a year before that! So we are left to conclude that the original 1969-70 show was ‘edited’ to fit on the 21 Stereo Picture discs.
Interior Reel Sleeve
You never know where you’ll find a Hidden Mickey!
Let’s have a look page by page at the booklet and learn how the show unfolded:
Notice that every other page has color with the alternating page rendered in blue and white. This would be to save in printing costs.
To quote another Studio: “That’s all folks!”
Ever wonder how you should handle a View-Master reel?
Gaf was a great provider of these products that became such a part of the childhood memories for so many! Did you have a favorite set growing up?
I love finding these candid moments in and around the Parks! I have my share of Castle pics and attraction videos, so seeing an ‘unscripted’ event is truly special:
Another day, another carrot
Disney horses are so beautiful! Unfortunately, this guy has to work alone today. Well, he has a human Cast Member to keep him company, but not another horse to share the load.
Are we going to see a car?
It’s nice to see how well cared for and groomed these horses are and the level of detail on their harnesses is amazing!
No car. That’s definitely a Trolley
With the crowds getting so large now I find that the Main Street vehicles don’t run as often as they used to.
Almost there…
Is there anything better than a leisurely drive down Main Street on one of these trolley cars? Even if it is only a one-way trip!
Ready for passengers
Let’s end the pictures with a closer look at the main Cast Member of this team:
Not a car, but it does have a 1-hp engine
I hope you enjoyed seeing this candid off stage to on stage moment!
Disleelandia 