Part 1 was fun and Part 2 of our look at the Disneyland 25 Advertising Supplement starts with a very colorful two-page center spread:
So what can we look forward to during the Disneyland 25 Family Reunion? To begin with, each Land gets its own feature weekend. There’s a Pop Country weekend. Canada, Japan, and Mexico get their own festivals. And every holiday ever celebrated gets a weekend too! But not to be missed is the 25-hour long party on July 16 & 17, 1980. This is a strictly a B.Y.O.S. event = Bring Your Own Stamina!
This page has a nice article about Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Disneyland’s newest mountain brings the Park attraction count up to a whopping 59! It was originally planned to be a part of the Thunder Mesa western-themed attraction in Walt Disney World, but Imagineers switched Parks and Disneyland got Big Thunder first. But don’t worry, WDW got its version just 14 months later.
Just an awesome photo page for the articles printed on page eighteen.
We start this page with more plugs for Disneyland partners such as The Carnation Co. And dig that beautiful Carnation van! The Los Angeles Times takes a moment to fill some space for itself. Then we are treated to a little article about America Sings. We’re told that if our feet are tired of walking the lands of Disneyland it may be ‘time to find some sit-down entertainment.’ 40 songs are sung by 114 comical Audio-Animatronic animal characters such as chickens, raccoons, geese, and even frogs!
The only drawback of this new attraction is that it replaces the Carousel of Progress! Now Disney fans will have to travel to Florida to see how General Electric dragged us all into the modern age.
“It’s Such a Small Wonder” shines a little spotlight on Storybook Land. Did you know that Storybook Land is a voyage through the never-never land of imagination?
The Queen Mary Tour is listed as #14 on the top 66 things to do in Long Beach. “Old Hollywood glamour. A rich maritime history. Authentic 1930s Art Deco décor. The Queen Mary is a full-service Long Beach hotel, historical landmark, and entertainment venue featuring award-winning restaurants, historical attractions, numerous special event salons and 346 staterooms. The Queen Mary gives a unique glimpse into an era when steamships were the most regal way to travel.” And it still operates today! ‘A Voyage Through Time’ right up to this very minute.
FUN FACTS: Walt Disney sailed aboard the Queen Mary to attend the European Premier of Alice in Wonderland.
If you ever wondered where some of the money came from to build and expand Disneyland, now you know!
‘How Will Disneyland Celebrate its Silver Year?’ This article clarifies the Family Reunion theme by telling us that Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy will be welcoming their “family” visitors. Yup, Goofy really is your Crazy Uncle!
Catalina Cruises sound so good! Here’s their synopsis: “Just off the coast of Southern California, lovely Catalina Island offers endless adventures on both land and sea. Snorkel the clear waters or venture out on a glass-bottom boat tour to view the colorful marine life and sunken shipwrecks. Equally scenic vistas await you on a hiking, biking or zip-lining excursion through the island’s grasslands and woodlands. Be sure to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Catalina Casino. Perched along the harbor, this spectacular entertainment venue has been the center of the island’s cultural scene since it opened in 1929.” And it still operates today!
Oh, and you can buy a pool.
This two-page spread lists the many changes that had happened to your favorite Lands between opening day in 1955 and present-day 1980. You’ll have to continue reading the details on page 29.
The article continued from page 18 is about Big Thunder Mountain and continues yet again on page 27.
I was excited to see the advertisement for the Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge by Disneyland as this is where my wife and I stayed during our (as yet) one and only trip to Walt’s original Park.
The Big Thunder Mountain article finally concludes on this page. And don’t forget to ‘Fly the friendly skies of United’ when you depart from this website.
This non-stop page of type concludes the “Insight” article written by Steven Hullet started on Page 7. I know this looks like a boring page but I include it for those who might like to read all of the articles. For those who don’t… scroll on!
“Vignettes” gives a brief look at the maintenance department of Disneyland. The article at bottom left is a continuation of the article about changes to Disneyland which started on Pages 24 and 25.
I thought it was the hills that were alive with the sounds of music? This article tells us that Disneyland is also alive with music thanks to the Leader of the Band, Mickey Mouse! The article concludes on the next page below.
Dave Dexter Jr. finishes his look at the role music plays in Disneyland. Did you know that Disneyland played a ‘muscular’ part in saving Big Band music?
Anaheim takes out a quarter-page ad to salute Disneyland even though there were times when the city wasn’t totally happy with the impact the Park had on their community.
And I just have to say: I want that Black Hole watch!
So get ready to close the supplement as we have reached the back page at last! And why not end things with an advertisement for Disney merchandise. But why does this page hold a special place for me? Note the ‘Extra Free Bonus’ box that urges you to ‘Act Now!’
It says: “Order now and get this Mickey Mouse Bookrack free with your free book. Mickey Mouse himself holds up to 15 of your child’s books in this sturdy, colorful rack.” I have two of these racks! I never knew where they came from until I read this supplement. And that is why I love collecting so much! But seriously, they are not sturdy.
And that concludes our look at the 1980 Advertising Supplement for Disneyland’s 25th Anniversary. Thanks goes out to the Los Angeles Times for publishing such a wonderful piece of ephemera. What was your favorite article?
