Look Out Disneyland We Have 50th Anniverary Pins Two

Let's Visit the Golden Rides

I offered to send him this picture after he stepped in front

The Golden Rides at Disneyland's 50th Anniversary celebration were a reminder that there is continuity for all of us who ever visited the park.  Rides have come and gone but luckily some of the originals remain.  I am always amazed at some of the changes that have occurred.  Some of them are for the better and some aren't.  Some have worked and remained and some just faded away.  Does anyone miss the Rocket Rods.  Many of the attractions also received upgrades.  One of the original attractions that has changed over the years is the Jungle Cruise.  Scenes have been added.  There is a story that Walt Disney once overheard a mother telling her child that they didn't need to ride the Jungle Cruise again because they rode it last time.  This is said how he came up with the idea of plussing the attractions.  It is the subtle changes that keep the rides fresh.  Different animals where added over the years.

The Congo Queen

The cruise steams on multiple rivers in the World.  Elephants, tigers, even piranhas have been added.  Hippopotami have endured gunshots to scare them a way from the boat.  Then, the guns where holstered and now they have returned.  The new two story boat house to hold the waiting queue made it feel like you are readying for a cruise in a different era.  The steamers are named for the rivers they sail.  There has been many changes that plussed this attraction. The jokes that the Skipper tells even change depending on their personal style.  This can make every ride different.  However when we pass by Schweitzer Falls,  I wait for the classic joke of all time, "Look to your left and you'll see the backside of water.

We all drive a little Goofy

When I was a kid growing up in Southern California, there was a change that was occurring that actually brought the Future.  Therefore, this July 17, 1955 original has literally driven us into the Future.  Even before President Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act, some of us were already driving on the highways of tomorrow.  The Tomorrowland Autopia gave us young drivers freedom to motor freely.  Too freely then perhaps because the cars weren't confined by the center block to control over steering.  The sightseeing over the years have been futuristic.  Driving along seeing the Monorail track looming overhead gave the ride a guarantee you were seeing the future.  The cars have been changed and the queue has been improved in 2000.  I am convinced that 90% of California Drivers leared to drive on the Autotopia.  Next time, you pull through a drive-thru at any fast food place look around and notice.  Does this causeway remind of something?  I bet you'll go, "It's the Autopia."

Grinning like a Cheshire Cat

In 1983, the New Fantasyland was introduced.  The architecture changed.  Gone was the tent-like  Renaissance festival look and the Black Forest Bavarian took over.  Some of the attractions were moved and updated but they remained loyal to the original Disney themeing.  When my brother and I visited Disneyland as children, we loved to ride the Mad Tea Party.  We loved to spin it as fast as we could.  That dizzy feeling was so cool as we walked away.  In those days, the cups only had a strap across the opening.  Now of course now there is a door.  Moving it over near Alice in Wonderland made a lot of sense.  It too has been plussed with party lanterns adding to the ambiance.

A ride for a Princess

There is one thing that is always thrilling, looking through Sleeping Beauty Castle and seeing the King Arthur Carousel.  The Carousel has been a constant in Fantsyland.  Walt Disney it is said had fond memories of the carousel at Griffiths Park. He scoured the country looking for carousel horses.  Most of them needed refurbishing.  But the attraction always has been beautiful. When my children were young, they both enjoyed the ride.  However as the years went by my son enjoyed it less.  Probably most boys do.  My little princess loves to ride it to this day.  She is not the only one I see a lot of teenage girls on one of those steeds riding like Mary Poppins and Bert.

If you arrive for Early Entry or a Magic Morning, you should go straight for Fantsyland and get in line for this attraction, Peter Pan's Flight.  The line for this ride can back up in a hurry, and why not.

I'm Flying

This ride allows you to sprinkle on your Fairy Dust and fly away from London and soar to Neverland like Peter Pan.  The movie Peter Pan came out in 1953 and was the first movie that I ever remember going to.  Boys love adventure and Peter Pan had it all.  He lived in a magical place, Neverland, with a gang of Lost Boys.  He has friends that are Indians, Mermaids, and a pixie named Tinker Bell.  He has sword fights with pirates that included their captain, Captain Hook.  He lost his hand to a Crocodile that loved the taste and pursued him after that looking for another hand out.  I have known a lot of grown men who are Peter Pans never wanting to grow up. We rode Peter Pan's Flight eight times before the Twins were able to secure a ride in the Golden Pirate Schooner.

Ride 'em Stitch

There is no more iconic Disney attraction than dumbo the Flying Elephant.  This ride outwardly recognizable. There are no other flying elephants around.  Dumbo was always cool because you got to operate him. If you wanted to go up and stay up you could. There use to be only eight Dumbos at one time now there are sixteen. They cannot put more Dumbos into service so the wait time can get long sometimes. But as the line moves and you near the front, you are watching and anticipating your turn. Then someone comes along and hands you a large black feather. The same kind of feather that gave Dumbo confidence he could fly. This Magic Feather is your ticket for your flight with Dumbo. I'm glad Stitch is enjoying his Dumbo ride. What about you Stitch fans?


The next attraction was from the Wind in the Willows.  It was a segment of a two part film called The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.  

"Merrily, Merrily Now We Go Totally Perpendicular"

The Ichabod segment was shown yearly on or around Halloween because it was an adaption of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Everyone knows the story of Ichabod Crane.  It was a delightful story told by Bing Crosby.  However, I never really saw the Mr. Toad segment until it was released on video.  On the ride you drive recklessly much like Mr. Toad did.  You crash through everything in the house then continue out into public.  You then meet a train in a tunnel and you get to experience the heat when you land in Hell. While you are motoring along, you have the background music from the Mr Toad segment, "Totally Perpendicular."  We always ride this attraction early also. 


Lastly, we have the Storybook Land Canal Boats.  This is a voyage through a mini depictions of Disney films and shorts. 

Generally there is a pretty girl operating the Canal Boats

The "Lilliputian effect" viewing the miniatures as you sail along.  The other amazing thing about the attraction is the landscaping.  Bonsai styled trees are in place.  Everything is to perfect scale.  They use succulents to create a patterns and designs. You cruise though Monstro the Whale's Mouth from Pinocchio to reach Storybook Land.  Which canal boat did they refinish to be Golden?  It was the the Tinker Bell, of course.  
This brings us to the end of the Golden 50th Anniversary pins.  Disney knows how to celebrate.  They knew that everyone of would want to celebrate and remember his event. That is why this collection is so memorable.  Soon, we will investigate another set of pins hat was sold during the 50th Anniversary, the Magical Moments pins.  Thank you for reading and if you have a special pin request please leave me a comment.  See you soon in Disneyland.