Disneyland Monorail Opened 67 Years Ago Today

Above, the Nixon family and Walt Disney on opening day of the monorail.

67 years ago, the Disneyland Monorail system was opened to the public. It was opened four years after the park itself opened in former orange groves in Anaheim, California. These were the days when one didn't need a third home mortgage to afford to take the family to Disneyland.

The grand opening took place on June 14, 1959. It was dedicated by Vice President Richard Nixon and family. They were the first to ride it on opening day.

According to Wikipedia:

The Disneyland Monorail (originally named the Disneyland Alweg Monorail System) is an attraction and transportation line at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It was the first daily operating monorail in the country.

Walt Disney originally envisioned the monorail as a practical form of public transport for the future. However, the technology never became widespread in the United States beyond a select few novelty installations. The monorail came about during a time when America's—and particularly Los Angeles'—obsession with the automobile was increasing, and monorails in the United States were mostly only located in Disney's theme parks.

To read more, go here.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Superman

One of the classic Disneyland (Anaheim) rides is Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland. 

It opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1955 and refurbished in 1983. It was closed at Walt Disney World and was replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Speaking of Disneyland's opening day of July 17, 1955, here's Walt Disney chatting with Adventures of Superman star George Reeves:

Disneyland and Disney World: “The Most Expensive Place on Earth”

Above, Disneyland's Mark Twain steamboat in Frontierland in 1988. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There was once a time when a visit to Disneyland in Anaheim, California or Walt Disney World in Florida didn't require taking out a second or third mortgage, or even a co-signer. 

Not anymore. 

I used to go to Disneyland quite often with family or friends from the 1960s to the 1980s. The last two times I was there were both in 1988. The admission price for one day in 1988 was $28.00. 

The last Disney theme park I visited was Tokyo DisneySea in Japan in 2015. Since it seemed like half of Tokyo's population was there, we didn't go on any rides. The wait times were excessively long.

Today, the powers-that-be of the Walt Disney Company has seen fit to raise their prices again for Walt Disney World and Disneyland, practically to the stratosphere, and people are raising hell.

The New York Post reported:

“The Most Magical Place on Earth” is being rebranded as “The Most Expensive Place on Earth” by angry customers who slammed Disney for price hikes at its Disney World and Disneyland theme parks.

Disney customers took to Reddit over the past week to rip the Mouse House’s theme parks over higher admission fees, as well as a subpar experience that includes more expensive, lackluster food and staffing shortages.

Disney, which has been hit hard by the pandemic, has been increasing prices in order to make up for the loss of business.

Late last year, Disney said it would increase ticket prices at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., this year, noting that its popular single-day ticket price would jump 6.5% to $164 for admission to one park, while a two-day park hopper pass would cost $319, up nearly 9 percent.

That's not all, the food concessions and souvenirs at Disneyland has also become more expensive, but you'll have to read the full article to see just how expensive they've become.

Just to bring a date to Disneyland, for a halfway decent time for two, one should at least have $600 in their wallet. Imagine what a family of four would cost!

Walt Disney would probably spin in his grave if he knew how expensive it is to spend a day at Disneyland.  

To read more, go here.

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea: Top Tips

Above, Mediterranean Harbor at Tokyo DisneySea. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2015, during my last trip to Japan, our group arrived back in Tokyo after a trek of a few days to Atami, Kyoto and Osaka. We decided to take in a Disney theme park.

Since (at the time) I lived in Southern California and have been to Disneyland in Anaheim many times, it was decided to go see Tokyo DisneySea instead of Tokyo Disneyland. Tokyo Disneyland is patterned after the one in Anaheim, so it was preferred to see something new.

The two parks are next door to each other outside of Tokyo, so it takes a commute to get there. We went on a Saturday, so it seemed like half the population of Tokyo was there.

The Japan Times has an article with the "top tips" for visiting the parks.

They begin with:

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea are special theme parks, being the first Disney parks built outside of the United States. As the third and fourth busiest theme parks in the world, with Tokyo Disneyland seeing 17.9 million visitors in 2018, it’s a good idea to do your research before you visit the happiest place on Earth — or, at least, the happiest place in Japan.

To read more, go here. 

Platrix No. 2, Gene Autry and Anaheim Stadium

Above, newly-initiated member of Platrix Chapter No. 2 Gene Autry
attends the plaque dedication at Anaheim Stadium. Photo by Paul Evans.

Back in August 1985, Platrix Chapter No. 2, E Clampus Vitus had the honor of inducting into the order Gene Autry, the singing cowboy and then-owner of the California Angels.

Above, Gene Autry and Platrix Chapter No. 2 at the plaque dedication. Photo by Paul Evans.

The initiation rites were held in private in Autry's office. Following that, Platrix Chapter No. 2 dedicated a plaque at the stadium with our new member in attendance.

Above, the clamper parade on the field of Anaheim Stadium. Photo by Paul Evans.

The chapter had its own section of seats to watch the ballgame. But before the game, we had a clamper parade on the stadium field.

Above, the clamper parade. Photo by Paul Evans.

A fun day was had by all!

Satisfactory!

Enjoying It Again

Since the 1994 Major League Baseball strike, I have paid scant attention to the game.

I practically lived at Dodger Stadium (and, on occasion Anaheim Stadium) since the late 1970s by attending at least one game during every Dodger homestand. I have followed the Dodgers since I was a kid.

Above, enjoying Game 2 of the World Series.

I have been on the fields of Dodger Stadium and Anaheim Stadium. I participated in a flag ceremony at Dodger Stadium while in the Cub Scouts between games during a (circa 1963) double-header and a ceremonial parade at Anaheim Stadium with Platrix Chapter of E Clampus Vitus (we inducted then-Angels owner Gene Autry into ECV that day).

The baseball strike effectively killed my enthusiasm. The first Dodger game I attended since 1994 was two years ago. It was a shock to see how much things changed at Dodger Stadium and the prices for tickets. What used to cost $6.00 for a reserved seat (blue level), now cost $42.00. How in the world can a family afford to attend a baseball game with any regularity anymore? It boggles the mind.

Well, since the Los Angeles Dodgers made it to the World Series this year, the old enthusiasm is starting to come back. I have watched each game of the World Series and am enjoying them tremendously.

Even though the Dodgers lost to the Astros last night (13 to 12 in ten innings) in a wild game, I had a great time. The old anxiety (in a fun way) has returned.

The Disneyland Railroad Is Back

Above, Adventures of Superman star George Reeves with the E.P. Ripley
 locomotive of the Disneyland Railroad on Disneyland's 1955 opening day.

It has been a fixture at Disneyland in Anaheim from the beginning and now it's back.

The Disneyland Railroad is back in operation after being closed for 18 months and it has a new route.

Travel + Leisure reported:

Train enthusiasts can enjoy riding along the Disneyland Railroad in Anaheim this summer, as the iconic attraction has reopened to the public. 

After closing down for 18 months due to construction on the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the Disneyland Railroad began taking riders through a scenic new route within the California park on July 29. 

As visitors board one of the few remaining steam-powered trains still in operation today, they’ll be taken to a shoreline along the Rivers of America attraction in Frontierland, where they'll see an updated waterfront with an elevated trestle offering mesmerizing views over five new waterfalls in the Colombia Gorge section.

To read more, go here. 

Disneyland's Tower of Terror Shutting Down

Above, the Tower of Terror at Tokyo DisneySea. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Until I saw the one last year at Tokyo DisneySea, I didn't know much about the Tower of Terrror ride.

According to Travel + Leisure, the Tower of Terror at Disneyland in Anaheim ride will soon be no more. It will "embark" on its last ride January 2, 2017.

Travel + Leisure wrote:

Back in July, Disney announced that they would be closing the iconic Tower of Terror ride to make room for a new Guardians of the Galaxy experience. The park has promised a "free-fall sensation with all-new audio and visual affects," according to a blog post on its website. 

While we're all excited to see how the replacement ride ranks among the others, but for many this is an event worth mourning. 

Tower of Terror has held its statuesque location at the northwest corner of Disney's California Adventure park since its first ride on July 22, 1994.

But all is not lost, the article states:

You can still get a taste of the ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, and Tokyo DisneySea, which all have a version of the Tower of Terror.

To read more, go here.