Look Out Disney We Have Pins 1955-1965

The 50th Anniversary Magical Milestones Pins 

We will open the shoulder carry pin case again.  The special Golden Attraction pins were covered on a previous blog post.  The 50th Anniversary at Disneyland on July 17, 2005 was a splendid celebration.  My family and I had an enjoyable time before, on, and after July 17th.  One of the things that I did was shop.  I shopped for pins.  There were plenty of pins to choose from.  Because the Happiest Homecoming On Earth was focused on the Disneyland Park, the Disney people instituted a collection of pins called the Magic Milestones.  

Let's unzip the case and see what is inside.

It wasn't my first adventure at buying pins.  Now, the hunt is what I enjoy.  I like going to different pin shops and kiosks. The Magical Milestones pins were offered well before the actual anniversary.  By the time we arrived, the pins were well picked over.  This only increased the hunt.  I started my hunt at Disneyland since the family enjoys Disneyland the most.  One Magical Milestone that I remember was the opening of Tom Swyer Island.  Getting away from mom and dad and being able to run free with my younger brother is what we both enjoyed.  There were dirt paths, caves, barrel bridges, and a fort.  Fort Wilderness was a log fort that had toy guns that you could point and shoot at the passing riverboat, Mark Twain.  Mom and dad probably got to sit down and have popcorn waiting for us to return at our appointed time.  

Who is rocking the raft?

I chose to keep the card that the pins were displayed on.  The display card added to the charm.  In my case the card and the pin are kept together.  When I turned the cards over, I was surprised by the price of each pin.  

Maybe a collector would like to have the card

Shh! Don't tell my wife how much I spent for each pin

I don't know about you but if your as old as me and you went to Disneyland early you will remember the Monsanto's House of the Future.  I remember standing in line with my mom in line to see the House of the Future.  My mom wore a dress. Nearly every woman in those days wore dresses.  She also wore high heel shoes.  You would be surprise how many women in the 50's wore high heels to Disneyland.  My brother went with my dad to do what two gearheads liked best, ride Autopia.  


I asked perhaps whining, "Why do I have to go through here?" 


To this day over fifty years later I remember my mother responding,  "This is the kind of house you are going to live in.  This is your future." 


It was made of strong plastic and had many innovations.  It had a huge television screen on the wall in the family room.  In the 50's everything was atoms, jets, and rockets especially when talking about the future.  The kitchen was labeled Atoms for Living Kitchen.  That's because of the microwave oven.  I remember my first Radar Range.  It was difficult to move because it was so heavy.  My mom was right, there was the future right in front of me.

The home was indestructible

How did we survive the 60's without the black light? Well the first time I saw the effect was before the 1960's on the Alice in Wonderland attraction.  The ultraviolet light made everything in the ride pop with color.  As you pass down the Rabbit hole you enter the garden where the flowers are singing "All in the Golden Afternoon.  Then you enter the croquet game with the Queen of Hearts.  As you leave you are wished "A Very Happy Unbirthday."

I wonder if it glows in black light

In 1962, I went to the Seattle Worlds Fair.  The had a Monorail that ran from a station downtown to the Fair site. It was so exciting to ride on the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere, The Disney Alweg Monorail System was started in 1959. The Monorail was just a ride in the beginning.  Only a couple years later it was extended to stop at the Disneyland Hotel.  This made it a transportation system now.  It is a great transportation for a guest with sore feet.  

In those days your choice of monorail colors were red and blue

Does anyone know of this parade?

I don't remember this parade.  I hate fighting for a place to sit.  Waiting was not my dad's thing.  He was the get in use all your 15 tickets and head for home.  In  those days, my mom had to fight for him to stay for Fantasy in the Sky fireworks.  However, as we waited in the parking lot inching our way out my dad made sure that the family understood how stupid waiting for some fireworks was. 

The next attraction was one of my favorite rides.  It was in Tomorrowland.  It was the Flying saucers.  These hover craft bumper cars were fantastic.  You moved side to side or back and forth by leaning in the direction you wanted to go.   My brother and I at first went after each other.   We then discovered it was more fun to team up a bump into some unsuspecting person. Now I see coming to Cars Land the June 15th an attraction called Luigi's Flying Tires.  We may get to fly and bump again.  

Look out those blond boys are heading right at us!

In 1960 Disney Studios released the movie Swiss Family Robinson.  It was about a family stranded on a tropical island.  They were forced to build a new home using things salvaged from their shipwreck.  Their new home was built high up in a tree.  The new treehouse incorporated an eclectic array of items, including an organ.  They transported water by the use of a water wheel lifting water to he treetop using  bamboo tubes.  There were other ingenious elements to protect them from pirates that of course eventually attacked.  The Swiss Robinson Tree House was built in Adventureland to resemble the one in the movie.  As a child it was fun to run up the stairs and across the rope suspension bridge.

Where once I ran up now I'd be huffing and puffing.

What is a Tencennial?  For Disneyland it was their tenth year anniversary.  They had a parade and the Wonderful World of Color television show.  Walt Disney himself was the host of the show which featured a dancing birthday cake with dancing candles.  The only way I got to see the celebration of the Tenth Anniversary was on the TV.  

What will we get when we unwrap this gift?

Oh look! It's a dancing birthday cake.

In that show, Walt himself told us about changes that were coming to Disneyland.  Changes that included New Orleans Square and Pirates of the Caribbean.  So I'll take my cue from the master himself and wait till next time we visit Magical Milestones of Disneyland. Disneyland celebrates their anniversary every as a birthday.  The birthdays that fall on every ten years especially so.  Remember the sixtieth is coming in three short years.  With all the celebration for the Queen of England's Sixtieth Diamond Jubilee or sixtieth anniversary, I'm hoping that Disneyland celebrates as grand.  Let's celebrate together.   Meet you in Disneyland.