For our trip to Disneyland yesterday, I mentioned that our tour guide, the great Alan Hess, brought along an original ViewMaster featuring photos of Disneyland from opening day. In that spirit, here’s what my ViewMaster reel would have looked like from yesterday.
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Always a highlight: The Enchanted Tiki Room, which feels like you’ve stepped inside a classic Disney film.
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We learned about the very interesting use of scale to make the architecture feel less imposing. So the castle’s features, for example, keep getting smaller in scale, the higher you go.
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As always, I’m captivated by the branded trashcans in each “land.”
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We got to go “backstage” (no photos) and behind-the-scenes of the Indiana Jones ride, where we each got to pilot the jeeps that people get to ride in, then cut to the front of the line and ride it with a team of Imagineers. They’ve come a long way since Dumbo.
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Of course I appreciated the many methods of public transit—monorail, train, bus—and I also got to drive a car. For fun!
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The Jedi Academy Graduation ceremony, where young Padawans took on Lord Vader. The force of cuteness was strong with them.
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I’d forgotten how beautiful and different Disneyland is at night. it’s a small world was brilliantly-lit for the season. The inside, with chintzy decorations cluttering the classic dioramas, was a different story.
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The view—and the only part I really remember as the vertigo set in—from the teacups.
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As the sun set, the air chilled, and everyone cuddled up with their freshly-purchased Mickey Santa Hats. And it snowed.
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More about the USC/Annenberg Getty Arts Journalism Fellowship. More photos here.
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