Charles Phoenix's Retro Disneyland Slide Show
CHARLES PHOENIX’S RETRO DISNEYLAND SLIDE SHOW
the ultimate “E” Ticket to the Magic Kingdom in the 50s & 60s
—IN COLOR!
TONIGHT Friday, May 19, 2006 at 8:30 pm & Sunday, May 21, at 2 pm
“Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention please. For your personal safety keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times…” as we go back in time to the granddaddy of all theme parks when it was new.
At the REDCAT – Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theatre
(in the WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL)
631 West 2nd St. Los Angeles, CA, 90012
You’ll experience long-gone attractions like the Phantom Boats, Flying Saucers, Indian Village, the Carousel of Progress, and others. See original attractions on Main Street USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Frontierland.
Then explore the original Tomorrowland when it was when it promoted as “The World of 1987” and be there for the all-new Tomorrowland in 1967. You’ll hear the flaming back-story of the monorail, go inside the ultra space-age, all plastic House of the Future; take the TWA Rocket to the Moon and much, much more!
Also see Freedomland USA, the ill-fated wannabe Disneyland theme park that opened in the Bronx 1960.
JUST A FEW TICKETS ARE LEFT
$ 29.00 by phone now (213) 237-2800 ext. #1
or in-person at REDCAT box office now
INFO: (866) 754-3374 (866-SLIDESHOW)
www.charlesphoenix.com/redcat
HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT!
Charles, you look so mature for when that version of the Disneyland sign would have been up. Or did you get the way-back machine working again?
Hey, Kent!!! You old dog! Don’t ya know that the Charles we all know and love’s full name is Charles 1138 — the ninth in a line of robots designed by Disney before their plans were revealed in investigative reporting films such as Westworld and Stepford Wives? The newer models really are convincing, no?
About the sign:
A quick googling confirmed: this is not the sign that John Stamos purchased a few years back:
“November 2000. John Stamos, 37, was the winning bidder in an Internet auction of the huge galvanized steel sign that greeted park visitors from 1989-1999. He paid $30,700 for the portion of the marquee that contains the nearly 14-feet high Disneyland letters. The sign was a featured item on eBay.Disney.com, a new auction site launched by the Walt Disney Co. in conjunction with eBay.”
On this auction site they’ve sold tea cups and all sorts of film memorabilia… and the Charles units.
Actually, it would be cool to have old Abe from Hall of Presidents propped up in the kitchen corner.
But what a sign it was. The thing with Charles and is Retro Disneyland show, is not only to learn about early Disneyland but you may even see some things you forgot had special meaning to you. This sign for example.
Buz, thanks for the intel on Disney EBay. That’s a first. Go to the show people!
Love you Charles! That’s the Disneyland I remember. Part of the excitement of arriving (Dad, are we there yet?) was seeing that sign, waiting in line to pay at those little parking booths, the monstrous parking lot (I always forgot which character we parked under), getting to ride in the fun tram and seeing the monorail and the Matterhorn top just a skip away. You knew you had ARRIVED at Disneyland!
Now? Ugghhhhh…. My memories shattered as we have to park in that gawdawful, 21st century, 60 something-story parking garage with escalators and no view of what’s to come exept some marketing genious’s idea of a walk through ‘Downtown Disney.’ Meh. I am so not into the Cult O’ Disney, which it seems to have become… Too bad.
Doesn’t Chaz look wonderful?
Even Garbo had to have airbrushing but not Charles and he still looks swell.
What’s his secret?
SO if Stamos has the sign from 89-99, does that mean we can go line-up in front of his house. And is Rebbeca in yesterland?
Great post. Great times. Those were ‘our’ times, Elle. And now, albeit with a mongo parking structure (remember the farm field that it used to be?), my kids gets the same goose pimples and warm and fuzzies you and I had. Now, I am building their Disneyland memories.
I remember Walt saying in one of the books I’ve read, he didn’t want the park to be the same each time someone returns. At first, I struggled with that (i.e. I only got one visit with Nature Wonderland’s Rainbow Caverns, on my next visit, it was boarded up and became Thunder Mountain) but now I understand his thinking.
Here is a way cool web page. I’m not getting paid for the plug, it just brought back some good memories of the Disneyland I grew up with. http://www.extinct-attractions-club.com/
Along with Charles’ I frequent these two sites. Remember the pirate ship at Skull Rock? Check out the before and after pics.
Charming Charles!
I couldn’t resist making a comment today because, of course, every day is a good day to learn about beauty, etiquette, and lovely manners … and because your happy smile sent me right over to one of my favorite books. I turn now to John Robert Powers’ _how to have model beauty, poise and personality (1960). (And, yes, the title is in all lower case letters. Lower case is tres model-y!
I turn to the section entitled, “Develop a Radiant Expression:”
“A warm, appealing expression brings beauty to the face [...] By consciously training your face to wear an attractive expression, you will be taking a giant step up the ladder of beauty. Keep the corners of your mouth turned upward as much as possible. Even when you are listening to, or discussing a serious subject, there is no need for the mouth to take on a downward droop. The down lines are aging lines. Learn to avoid them.
Smiles are habit forming. What is more, they are contagious. People are all searching for happiness. They naturally gravitate toward the woman who looks happy. Her cheerful, life-is-a-wonderful-thing expression draws others to her because they hope to share that happiness themselves.
Don’t, on the other hand, imagine that I am advocating a foolish grin worn like a clown’s painted mouth. The happy look springs from the eyes as well as the mouth. It comes from an inward sense of enjoying life. To be effective, it must be sincere. The trick is to feel happy and let it show. However, you will find that often when a smile starts on the lips, it soon spreads to the spirits.”
Sage advice indeed! And pearls of wisdom that Charles is clearly already in possession of! Look at that smile and learn, slide fans. Our leader is truly the master of the radiant expression!
xoxo!
Miss Sharon
charles,
is miss sharon your wife or somethin’?
Hello!
Miss Sharon is not my wife. But, oh, how I do adore her so. Her weekly comments are entertaing and very well researched and…the information is always such great advice! Keep those commenmts comin’ Miss Sharon!!!!
Saw the show yesterday, my folks took me for a birthday present. What a wonderful journey! I, too, grew up going to the park a few times a year as a “local,” but as I was born in 1968, I almost couldn’t recognize the park in some of those slides. Now a mother of two, my Mom and I go about 6-7 times a year with my 2 and 5 year olds and have the fast pass system DOWN. Fun to think about E tickets and what that must have been like. Born deaf, my 2-year-old daughter (who can now hear thanks to the cochlear implant) loved Disneyland and its feast for the eyes from her first trip at 5 months!! Now she can delight in the sounds as well. Knowing that a trip to the Magic Kingdom is never more than a few weeks off is better than any mood elevating drug out there! Thanks for a great time yesterday…good for my soul.
You should consider doing a show in Cleveland,Ohio.I bet it would go over well.
I missed the slide show. Can you purchase it? Is it scheduled to be shown again?