#Disneyland – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

Monday Window – 2026 August 17

Kitty by a Window –
2 – AI creation by PR

Great Moments

with Mr. Lincoln

Back in 1970 Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was an incredible experience, it was a classic Disneyland attraction that was a great marvel for its time.

It first debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair as a highlight of the Illinois pavilion before Walt Disney himself decided it needed a permanent home at Disneyland in 1965. When we went as a family in June of 1970, the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln had only been at Disneyland for approximately five (5) years.

It was groundbreaking at the time because it featured one of Walt Disney’s first full-scale audio-animatronics figures, bringing President Lincoln to life with incredibly realistic movements and a powerful speech. The show combines a historical presentation with a speech delivered by the animatronic Lincoln, using recordings of his actual words. It aims to inspire guests with Lincoln’s legacy and the ideals of the United States.

*Entering Great Moments*
*with Mr. Lincoln at*
*Disneyland June 1970*

Entering the beautifully designed theater, often called the Main Street Opera House, the anticipation waiting for the show to begin was part of the “Disney” magic. Then, President Lincoln’s figure, so lifelike with its movements and expressions, would rise from his chair and begin to speak. We were amazed at how realistic he looked and sounded, delivering a powerful address compiled from his actual speeches, focusing on themes of liberty, union, and the importance of preserving the nation.

The building itself is a fantastic example of Disney’s immersive theming. It’s designed to look like a classic turn-of-the-century opera house, perfectly blending into the nostalgic atmosphere of Main Street, creating a sense that you’re stepping back in time. Architecturally, the facade you see, which houses the attraction, is a brilliant example of Disney’s Main Street, U.S.A. design philosophy. It’s crafted to evoke a grand, late 19th or early 20th-century opera house or theater. This style, often referred to as Victorian or Edwardian, features ornate details, classical proportions, and a sense of historical grandeur, all intended to transport guests to a romanticized turn-of-the-century American town. The prominent marquee, the arched windows, and the decorative elements all contribute to this immersive illusion, making it feel like a real historic landmark.

This attraction was one of the very first to showcase Walt Disney’s revolutionary innovation. Audio-Animatronics are essentially sophisticated robots, specifically designed to mimic human or animal movements, with their actions precisely synchronized to pre-recorded audio tracks.
For the Mr. Lincoln figure, this meant intricate hydraulics and pneumatics controlled the movements of his head, eyes, mouth, arms, and even subtle shifts in his posture, making him appear incredibly lifelike as he delivered his speech. The audio was meticulously matched to these movements, creating a seamless and convincing performance. This was incredibly advanced for 1964 and 1970 giving audiences an unprecedented experience of history brought to life through robotics, far beyond simple static mannequins. It was truly a marvel of engineering and storytelling that we enjoyed watching every time we visited Disneyland.

[I’m not sure where I was at the time (probably standing near my dad who took the picture), but the three prominent figures (two looking this way, at the camera, and the lady in the red and white tank top) are my mom, my cousin, and my brother.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Window-2026.08.17

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm

Location: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln; Main Street; Disneyland; Anaheim, California, USA

God Bless. Stay Cool. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Disneyland Parade — 1979

Here Comes

Mickey & Minnie

and Friends

Disneyland’s first parade was held on Sunday, July 17, 1955. The Opening Day was dedicated at an “International Press Preview” event which was open only to invited guests and the media.

The dedication and other special events of the opening were televised nationwide and anchored by three of Walt Disney’s friends from Hollywood: Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan. It was broadcast live by ABC. Even though the Special Event was by invitation only, many people succeeded in sneaking into the park soaring the number of attendees to an astounding 28,000 people.

https://videopress.com/v/rYRRGrxb?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Disneyland has been having parades at the amusement park since that very first day except during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 when the park was closed. The theme of the parades change periodically with the seasons and significant historical events of the times. The Characters Parade occurred most years, as well as an annual Christmas parade and were popular among the tourists visiting the park.

In 1979, the Dumbo Circus Parade theme featured the same basic “Character Parade” floats with added circus decor. This particular theme parade only ran in 1979.

Although none of the floats were captured by my dad on this particular visit to Disneyland, many of the Characters were captured by his 35 mm camera. I am so glad that I am able to digitize his slides for preservation and am able to share them with all y’all.

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Tourist Attractions

Cosmic Photo Challenge-Motion

Throwback Thursday

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm

Location: Disneyland; Anaheim, California, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and watching the parade with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Moving Forward on a Mine Train

Disneyland’s Mine Train

Through Nature’s Wonderland

Going back to our Disneyland adventure let’s take. Look at another attraction we rode. We are taking a look at our ride on Disneyland’s Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland.

The Disneyland Mine Train was an attraction through Nature’s Wonderland in Frontierland that ran from May 28, 1960 until January 2, 1977. It was previously called Rainbow Caverns Mine Train and later became Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

The Mine Train rode past the mining town of Rainbow Ridge where you could observe what a mining town would have looked like with a hardware store, the El Dorado Hotel. It allowed you to feel like you were in the old west. The train would take you through a tunnel and into Beaver Valley, where you could witness beavers at work chomping their wood, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, foxes and other forest animals.

After Beaver Valley the train moved forward going across a bridge by Cascade Peak, where you could feel the mist coming from the waterfall on your skin. At this point you could see jumping fish, mountain goats, and swimming bears.

The narrator would announce where you were coming to and what you would see at each destination. From Beaver Valley the train moved forward into Bear Country where you could see 2 large elk with their antlers intertwined, fighting each other.

From there the Mine Train would continue moving forward taking you in a circular shape around the Living Desert, with the other half being a forest filled with desert cottontails, rattlesnakes, waterholes, tortoises, badgers, and armadillos. The displays made everything seem so realistic and lifelike.

The last portion of the ride took you through Rainbow Caverns. In the Caverns you could see giant stalagmites, stalactites, and colorful falls on every side.And if you looked real carefully, you’d see geyser grotto, and the witch’s cauldron.

Thanks for climbing aboard and joining us for our ride on Disneyland’s Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland adventure.

Ludwig’s Monday Window

Becky’s #SquareRenew – Moving Forward

Pull up a Seat-Week 20

Location: Frontierland; Disneyland; Anaheim, California, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CWWC: Traveling Around Disneyland in 1965

Traveling back in time to December 1965, to a family day trip. Packed and loaded in our 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 with a cooler of drinks, snacks, and sandwiches; we began our approximately hour and fifty-one (1hr 51min) drive north moving forward through the city streets until turning onto CA-94 and eventually onto the recently constructed I-5.

Upon arriving at the Disneyland entrance, my parents purchased our admission and ride tickets. General Admission prices for adults at that time was $2.60 per adult and included a ticket for the Monorail. Junior prices were $1.80 and Children’s admission prices were $1.10. Tickets for the rides cost extra. A book of 10 tickets ranged from $3.00 to $5.00.

In 1965, the cost of admission was considered a lot of money. However, people considered visiting Disneyland was a worthwhile family adventure.

After our tickets were purchased and we entered the park, we selected what rides we wanted to ride. We went to each ride or attraction as a family unit, not venturing off individually. Our first ride of choice was the Monorail.

The Monorail was considered as a mid-century marvel and captured the hearts and imaginations of the theme park and Disney fans. The Monorail was a Highway in the Sky which allowed for a unique experience viewing the park from above.

Our next selection was to ride the submarine adventure. The attraction features vehicles that were designed to look like submarines. It required the E ticket was in the Tomorrowland area of the park.

The submarines took us on an adventure under the sea simulating fish and other sea creatures allowing us to imagine we were really being submerged and viewing the undersea life of a tropical lagoon.

Next up was the Autopia adventure. This was where we could get in cars and race around an enclosed track. We could imagine we were actually racing the other drivers.

***My mom getting out***
***of the Race Car.***

After a full day of adventures Moving Forward around the park, we selected a spot on the side of Disneyland’s Main Street to watch the Parade. The waiting was a time of excitement as we looked forward to the parade starting.