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I love looking at this kind of stuff! It seems that over the years there have been a lot of good and bad changes. Probably the changes that I regret the most are those to the shops in Main Street USA. I'd love to visit some of those long-gone shops!
Interesting that the Tiki room was a D; it was still an E in DL when the tickets were phased out in the 80s. The Mark Twain (DL) was an E in 1969; don't know if it had already been downgraded to D in 1973.
It's interesting that It's a Small World, and Hall of Presidents were considered "E" tickets. I'm sure for their time they were marvels of wonder, with their "advanced" animatronics figures, but in today's world, they would surely be D or C tickets, if that.
Main Street probably has the highest potential for painful removals of "attractions". Even though Penny Arcade and stuff like that is so small and seemingly insignificant, it adds SO much to the atmosphere and charm of Main Street. It usually takes a sizable building or amount of land to be removed to cause a lot of nostalgia and heartache, but in Main Street all it takes is a small building to bring on the hurt.
Is our Penny Arcade at Disneyland still intact? I think I heard it was turned into a Mickey-Mouse plush toy shop, but part of me wants to think that I misheard this. I never lived during the turn of the century, at least not the turn of the 20th century (obviously), but there's something about Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. that makes me feel as if I actually experienced it for real. The Street is highly idealized, like looking at a time through a memory after decades have gone by, but it just gives you a sense of what it would have been like as a kid growing up in that era.
It's interesting that It's a Small World, and Hall of Presidents were considered "E" tickets. I'm sure for their time they were marvels of wonder, with their "advanced" animatronics figures, but in today's world, they would surely be D or C tickets, if that.
Interesting perspective.
I guess I still consider It's a Small World and the Hall of Presidents to be "E" ticket attractions, based on size, scope, length of show, and (in the case of Small World) enduring popularity. Compared to "C" ticket attractions like Snow White, these two attractions are much more grand.
I think that if Disney were still using tickets and ticket books, the Hall of Presidents would probably have been "demoted" to "D" or "C" by now to because of the "E" ticket attractions added to the Magic Kingdom after 1973, such as Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain. Part of the role of the tickets was to encourage guests to go to various tiers of attractions, and keep them operating at capacity.
But that's just my opinion.
Werner Weiss
Curator of Yesterland, featuring discontinued Disneyland attractions
Being after 35 years, WDW MK really hasn't added many attractions. They have replaced a few. BUT with the huge amount of space they have , it is rather disappointing that they haven't done more with what should be their best of 4 parks. So much of their attention has gone to adding other parks, and adding hotels, that the main draw itself has become neglected and diminished in the process.
Critter Country's a mess ev'r since the Country Bears were kicked out. Ya can't cover pooh with honey and 'spect people ta like it.
An Adventurers It'sTimetoPut the Spotlight BackonBring Back the REAL Disney Gallery
Life for Me!~ ~ ~Melvin, Buff, and Max!!!~~~~ Dump the Dream Suite!
Interesting to read "riverboats" (AKA pural, more then one) in Frontierland and to see a picture of what clearly looks likes like the Mark Twain, vs, that Liberty Belle (Orginally the Richard F. Irvine). I have always heard the MK had two big river boats when it opened, and the the MK's "Mark Twain" was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland when it open. Not sure if thats true or not but at least the guidemap confirms the extistance of the second riverboat.
I have always heard the MK had two big river boats when it opened, and the the MK's "Mark Twain" was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland when it open. Not sure if thats true or not but at least the guidemap confirms the extistance of the second riverboat.
Here's what I understand:
The Magic Kingdom opened with one riverboat on the Rivers of America: the Admiral Joe Fowler.
In 1973, the Magic Kingdom added a second riverboat: the Richard F. Irvine.
In 1980, the Admiral Joe Fowler was retired because it was damaged beyond repair during a refurbishment accident. The Richard F. Irvine remained as the only riverboat.
In 1996, the Richard F. Irvine became the Liberty Belle after an extensive refurbishment.
Two ferries operating on the Seven Seas Lagoon between the TTC and the Magic Kingdom now carry the names Richard F. Irvine (former Magic Kingdom I) and Admiral Joe Fowler (former Magic Kingdom II).
No Magic Kingdom riverboat was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland.
Werner Weiss
Curator of Yesterland, featuring discontinued Disneyland attractions
Awesome job Werner, I love it! I will be at the Magic Kingdom for the first time this Tuesday. I have visions of it looking like the old guides, I hope its at least close.
To view old Disneyland and Theme park tickets, visit my blog at:
Even though the park was sparse back in the 1970's, those of who visited it were still blown away by it all. The technology on many of the attractions was cutting edge, innovative and mind-blowing (ghosts you can actually see through!?!). And the park itself was, at that time, the biggest in the world.
Question: Wasn't the "Mickey Mouse Revue" an "E" ticket when it first opened?? (I think they changed it to a "D" after the first year or so. Or am I wrong about that??)
Question: Wasn't the "Mickey Mouse Revue" an "E" ticket when it first opened?? (I think they changed it to a "D" after the first year or so. Or am I wrong about that??)
According to Wikipedia, "In October 1, 1971, the Mickey Mouse Revue show opened as an 'E' ticket attraction in Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom, Florida."
Wow, the first and only time I ever visited Walt Disney World was in 1973, and this article brings back a lot of memories of our family road trip from Chesapeake, Virginia down to Florida. We had moved to Virginia in early 1969 after living in San Diego for nearly eight years, from where we'd make yearly forays north to Disneyland.
We were looking forward to our trip to Disney World, and I remember we were all impressed by the scope of the place, and the hotels (both of them) all connected to the park (yes, only one) by the monorail. We stayed at the Contemporary, in one of the suites outside the main A frame, and had a great time playing in the water as well as visiting the Magic Kingdom.
I do remember being very disappointed by the lack of detail in the magic Kingdom itself -- sure it was much much larger than Disneyland, but it felt almost vacant, with much of the space under utilized, and the attractions less themed than what we were used to at Disneyland (Pirates especially disappointed me). Apparently the rest of my family felt the same, and we never returned, despite living in the general area until 1986.
But then the rest of our "trip of '73" was almost a replay of National Lampoon's Vacation, except that our Wally World was actually open, and so nobody punched a moose.
According to Wikipedia, "In October 1, 1971, the Mickey Mouse Revue show opened as an 'E' ticket attraction in Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom, Florida."
:ot: I'm way off-topic here cuz I'm about to ask about Disneyland history, but I was curious about the legacy of the jungle cruise attractions and was looking up the wikipedia entry for "Jungle Cruise":
I know that information on wikipedia is sometimes inaccurate and I was surprised to read that the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland was only a "C" ticket attraction in the first year of the park's operation (look for "Required Ticket" in the right-hand column). Is this true? I thought it was one of Disneyland's most popular attractions when the park opened!
I know that information on wikipedia is sometimes inaccurate and I was surprised to read that the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland was only a "C" ticket attraction in the first year of the park's operation (look for "Required Ticket" in the right-hand column). Is this true?
When Disneyland opened in 1955, the highest ticket was the "C" ticket.
Werner Weiss
Curator of Yesterland, featuring discontinued Disneyland attractions
According to Wikipedia, "In October 1, 1971, the Mickey Mouse Revue show opened as an 'E' ticket attraction in Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom, Florida."
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