printersdevil78

The sooner demolition begins, the sooner my photos from last summer become "vintage" enough to sell on eBay! But yeah, SFKK was a nice little park, so this kind of sucks. I remember getting a text from my former roommate (who works in finance) that Six Flags had filed for bankruptcy--just as I was cresting the lift hill on Thunder Run!

Hooray for the Great Frederick Fair! I used to go when I was in college, and even by myself I had a blast. My grandfather, rest his soul, used to like to display toy trucks around his house, and I got him a couple with the fair's logo to add to his collection for Christmas one year. Good memories.

Kelly had highly anticipated the next day for a long time: her (and Lauryn's) first visit to the Magic Kingdom! We ended up spending the equivelant of two full days here, but this was our only "full" full day here, if that makes any sense. At any rate, enjoy! By the time we took in one last ride--on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad--it was almost time for the park to close for the evening. We endeavored to take the train back to the main gate, but were told it stops running before the fireworks and doesn't start again until the next day. I understand why it wouldn't run during the fireworks, but why not operate it for the three hours the park was open afterward and people were the most tired? Sounds to me like Mickey was using the fireworks as an excuse to cut costs.... Kelly, with her bad ankle, was not amused. At any rate, we hobbled back to the front gate and caught the bus back to our hotel, arriving just after midnight. Next up: more Magic Kingdom and World Showcase. Here's a hot piece of cowboy a** for you to look at in the meantime! Looking for Spalsh Mountain? Well, it was closed during our entire visit! In fact, it's been closed all but two times that I've ever been to Disney World (and it hadn't yet been built the first time). I hold natatomic personally responsible. The next morning, Kelly said she noticed nearly everyone in the audience was sitting in reverent silence during the whole show, except for shouting, "You tell 'em, girl!" and the like during the singing of "All the Guys Who Turn Me on Turn Me Down." Kelly: "Was that because that show, with those bears and that kind of music, was a quasi-religious experience for them, or was it because they were as stunned as I was that something that stupid actually exists at Disney World?" Me: "They liked it." Kelly: "That's what I was afraid you were going to say." We experienced another Disney Cluster immediately following the parade, though not nearly as bad as the fireworks cluster; a mini-cluster, if you will. At my urging, we escaped into the Country Bear Jamboree. This was the only attraction in all of Walt Disney World that Kelly did NOT like at all, likening it to "a Chuck E. Cheese in Tennessee." You know, if I was a mouse and I had my own parade, I think I'd make my girlfriend bring up the rear, too. At certain intervals, Tinkerbell flies by to change the entire parade from colored lights to white lights and back again. You will believe a hippo can fly. "Oh, look! It's my biggest fan!" This parade brought to you in living color by NBC. Oh... hi, Mickey! Hmmm... wonder who that fanfare could be for? We had thought once about sticking around Main Street after the fireworks for the Spectromagic parade, but after our Disney Cluster experience, Kelly was wary of trying to fight more crowds and taking the time to find a good spot just to have 40 people weasel their way in front of us 10 seconds before the parade started, so we initially decided to skip it. However, as we left The Haunted Mansion and started making our way to Frontierland, we found a largely deserted area of front-row parade viewing near the Hall of Presidents, so we settled right in. After escaping the angry fireworks mob with only minor injuries, we attempted to ride the "Liberty Belle" only to discover it was closed for the night (and would remain closed the next morning) due to a technical difficulty. We decided to see the Hall of Presidents and take a ride on The Haunted Mansion (Lauryn's other favorite attraction--we rode it four times throughout the week) instead. We had a hard time finding a spot for the fireworks, and when we did find one, enough people shoved in front of us to partially obstruct our view, but we got to see them at least. Afterward, Kelly got to experience her first "Disney Cluster" (short for "Disney Clusterf***). Basically, this is when Disney crams approximately 80,000 people into an area meant to hold about 500 for an event (fireworks, parades, Illuminations, Fantasmic! holding area, etc.), and when it's over, you'd better grab your kid and channel the instincts of an NFL linebacker if you want to survive and/or ever see your family again. The sun set while we were in line for the car ride, and Lauryn started getting cold. Kelly bought her a sweatshirt, and I loaned her my hat for our alfresco dinner at Mrs. Potts' Cupboard--Chicken Parmesan sandwiches for Kelly and me, and a chili dog for Lauryn. As much as I tried to explain it to her, Lauryn couldn't understand that this was a "driving experience" and not a race. About halfway through the course, she asked me if she was winning the race, so of course I told her she was. When we turned the corner and saw other cars in front of us, she asked how we could be winning if other people were ahead of us. I told her that because there were so many people at the Magic Kingdom, they had to run more than one race at once to fit everybody in, so the cars in front of us were really the last cars in the race just ahead of us. That made perfect sense to her, and when her grandfather called her two days later to say hello, the first thing she told him was that she won the car race at Disney World! Though she claims "everything" was her favorite, I think I can safely say that this was Lauryn's favorite ride of the trip. She was so excited that they gave her her very own driver's license that she later proclaimed to her mother (Kelly sat this one out) that she was going to drive us all home when we got back to D.C.! Not to be confused with Monstars of Rock. MILF! I present, for your consideration, the second most unnecessary Fastpass of all time (behind only Honey, I Bored the Audience at Epcot). In fact, those two attractions, Universe of Energy and Tom Sawyer's Island were the only four non-World Showcase attractions (we didn't do any of the movies there) that we avoided by choice during our trip. Of all the pictures I've taken of Lauryn, she never seems to look happer than when she's posing in a jail cell. I hope that wears off before she turns 18.... Lauryn wanted me to show "that lady that took (me) to California" on the West Coast Tour that she likes Chip 'n' Dale, too! We got to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin only to discover that we were too late--apparently Buzz had been waiting for us to save the galaxy for about 50 years, and now all he was interested in was the early bird special at the Old Country Buffet. Kelly really, REALLY liked this tree for some reason. Not sure why.... The Peoplemover was also a big hit. Kelly got to sit down, and Lauryn got to be elevated--two of their favorite things! Kelly absolutely loved it! She named it among her top five Disney attractions (the others being the Hall of Presidents, Spaceship Earth, Mission Space and Pirates of the Caribbean). Lauryn liked it, too--but she wouldn't believe us when we told her all the "actors" in the show were really robots, nor would she believe that the seats, and not the stage, were what was moving. OMG, the Carousel of Progress is open to celebrate its 45th anniversary! We can't pass this up! All aboard! Kelly's foot was bothering her again, so we caught the train to Tomorrowland. Lauryn's never met a train she didn't like, anyway, so it worked out well. Wherever Donald is, it looks like he's naked... and not just from the waist down! Lauryn really wanted to go on Donald's Boat, as well, but we didn't want her walking around in wet clothes for the rest of the day, so we let her admire it from afar. "Yaah-haa-haa-hooey!" Won't somebody please save the popcorn? Hooray for well-themed Vekoma roller skaters! Lauryn had been begging us all day to ride a roller coaster, so the time had finally come for Goofy's Barnstormer. Hi, Elissa! "Hi, I'm Lauryn. I'm your biggest fan!" "Hi, I'm Lauryn. I'm your biggest fan!" "Hi, I'm Lauryn. I'm your biggest fan!" "Hi, I'm Lauryn. I'm your biggest fan!" Look, Tyler! Minnie has "mouse-onaise!" We took a tour of Minnie Mouse's house. My grandfather used to thin his brushes in old Maxwell House cans. Minnie uses Maxwell Mouse! Instead of immediately hitting Tomorrowland, we visited Mickey's Toontown Fair in hopes of setting us up to be at the front of Tomorrowland in time to see that evening's fireworks over the castle. At least the men's room was clearly marked.... We had already tamed Mickey's Philharmagic, Winnie the Pooh and Snow White's Scary Adventures, and by the time we got off the teacups it was nearly 1 p.m. All three of us were hungry, so it was fortunate that the restaurant we wanted to try, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, was right next door. I got the ribs, which were my main reason for choosing the place. They were OK for amusement park counter service food, but they won't win any awards. Note the chocolate cake; a dessert came with every meal on the dining plan, plus we got a total of 21 snacks throughout the week. Forget the Freshman Fifteen; the new weight gain trend is the Disney Dozen. "Jason, I'm going to spin us so fast that you puke!" Fortunately, 5-year-olds don't have a good grasp of speed, so a little acting on my part convinced her that she came close--otherwise, I might have been in trouble! Next up was the Mad Tea Party, which Kelly wouldn't have ridden even if her foot was in good working order, so I was called into duty again. Despite my arguement that she could ride one anywhere, Lauryn insisted that she be able to ride Cinderella's Carousel, and since the line was short, we said OK. I went in to help her onto the horse, and because the CM had locked the gates and wouldn't let me out, I ended up riding, too. "By the way, they're real... and they're spectacular!" So, we rode Dumbo, posed for some photos, got some stickers from a nice man at the Disney Vacation Club booth, picked up some Fastpasses for the Winnie the Pooh ride and *still* had 20 minutes left to wait in the Ariel line, our longest que of the trip. As we approached, Lauryn got nervous and said she didn't know what to say to Ariel. Kelly suggested telling her she was her biggest fan. It worked so well that Lauryn repeated the line for every single character we met for the rest of the week! A more extreme version of the "the sun is in my eyes" pose. "No, Jason, it's the part where we go up in the air! Duh!" ...or the fact that it can heal the crippled? So what's the best part of the Dumbo ride: the pooping elephant topiary... Kelly managed to trip on some steps and pull all the ligaments in her foot two weeks before our trip, so she had to take frequent breaks. She went to secure us a spot in the hour-long line to see Lauryn's favorite Disney character of all time, the Little Mermaid, while we stood in the 10-minute line for Dumbo. I had no idea It's a Small World was a Jeff Johnson credit! Kelly: "Look, Lauryn, this ride is full of singing dolls!" Lauryn: "Can't we go on the pirate ride instead?" Hidden Mickey in line for Peter Pan's Flight! Responding to an inquisitive young lad during our ride, the trolly conductor said the crane was actually what they used to hold up the castle! In reality, they were removing the Christmas lights. In walking through the castle, there was a CM standing in front of the entrance to Cinderella's Royal Table, advertising that they had immediate Princess Breakfast openings. This not being the norm, we thought for a half-second about doing it... until we found out it would cost $115 for the three of us. By the way, Lauryn really was still in good spirits when I took this photo; this is her "the sun is in my eyes" face. Fortunately, if there's one thing Lauryn likes more than characters, it's horses. As soon as she saw the trolly pull up (complete with singing and dancing cast members), she forgot all about Daisy Duck (who was standing on the other side of Pluto), and away we went! Our initial plan had been to immediately catch the train so we didn't get caught up in the long lines to greet characters in Town Square. Lauryn immediately spotted Pluto, however, and our intentions when out the window. Behold!

^I paid between $5 and $10 each for the nametags I have. I think I got the 2004 CM publications for something like $4 for the box, but it was a package deal from a guy I bought a lot of other stuff from (including the Imagineering pass, which I paid quite a bit for) at the same time, so he cut me a big break. I can see the ones from the mid-'90s going for at least $5 each, maybe $10 for the full-color TOT one. Just my opinion, of course. I certainly don't claim to be an expert when it comes to pricing these things. As my grandfather used to say, everything is only worth what you can get for it.

I've been to Walt Disney World many times, but the week before last was the first I had ever been with a child (not counting my sister when she was 6 and I was 9). I took my fiancee, Kelly, and her 5-year-old daughter, Lauryn, for their first-ever trip to Orlando, and they had a ball! It was interesting to see things not only from a kid's perspective, but also through the eyes of a first-time visitor at (age withheld upon request/threat). They were both fully blown away, but my favorite quote from Kelly was: "Wow, now I understand why you always complain about everything. You're comparing it all to this!" Anyway, on to the photos! We took the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom (which Kelly said was sheer torture to be that close to and not go inside) and got to see a little of the Electric Water Pageant while walking to the resort bus depot. It was a great way to end our first night. Coming up: Kelly and Lauryn's first visit to the Magic Kingdom! ...but it didn't hold a candle to this! This pineapple bread pudding a la mode with banana rum sauce was absolutely, hands down, the best thing I've ever eaten! Kelly later said she wished we had ordered seconds--not because either of us could have forced ourselves to eat another bite, but because she just wanted to be in its presence a little longer! For dessert, Lauryn really liked her ice cream with Mickey Mouse sprinkles... Kelly had fun, too. She got leied! Despite repeated efforts, this blur was the best photo I could get of Lauryn in the conga line. I swear, if they could figure out a way to bottle her energy, we'd never have to worry about using fossil fuels again! For the rest of the night she kept telling us how excited she was about "that little party" she was invited to at the Hawaiian restaurant. I showed up well dressed for the occasion! I wore that shirt all day, despite the temperatures at home being in the low 30s (for our friends using the Celsius system, that's near 0) when we left home. This nice Hawaiian (probably pseudo-Hawaiian) lady came around to gather up all the kids for a limbo contest and conga line. Kelly really liked the way she phlegmed the state's name: "Hhhhawahhhhii" For the main course, servers walked around carrying skewers of grilled shrimp, steak, turkey and pork (I liked the pork the best) and asking if you wanted more until you finally said no. I was initially opposed to getting the dining plan, but it did allow us to eat at a number of places (like this one) we otherwise would not have been able to afford. I still don't like that our restaurant reservations more or less dictated our park schedules (which park we attended on which day, which rides to hit to ensure we were at our restaurant in time to meet our reservations, etc.), but I'd probably do it again. As everyone says, however, even the basic plan (which we got) delivers way too much food. Soon enough, however, the good stuff came out. Those wings and the noodles were especially awesome... and those were just the appetizers! "Awww, salad? Why did it have to be salad?" "I can't wait for the first course to come!" The earliest reservation we could get, three months out, was for late in the evening. However, we checked in early, planning to walk around and check out the resort for awhile, and ended up being seated almost immediately, 45 minutes ahead of schedule! Our table was right next to the grill. We got there just in time to see the fireworks from the end of Fantasmic! from the picture window on the other side. And just why were we going to the Polynesian Resort? Well, why does anyone go to the Polynesian Resort? Land ho! Finally, it was time to make our way to dinner. After a short Disney Transport bus ride (Kelly chatted with most of the drivers throughout the trip, and we learned a lot of really interesting things--like that Disney World controls the second-largest bus fleet in the United States), we hopped a resort launch to the Polynesian Resort. This was Lauryn's first of many crying fits of the trip because she didn't get to pick where we sat (she caught on later that decisions at Disney have to be fairly quick). I'd actually heard on the radio just a few days before that statistically, more kids cry at Walt Disney World on any given day than any other place on Earth. Lauryn couldn't quite grasp why I asked her to stand behind the big box instead of next to the puppy, but Kelly really appreciated the resulting photo. We also spent a little time in the arcade. Me: "Do you want your picture taken with Herbie?" Lauryn: "Who's Herbie?" Me: "He's a car that's alive." Lauryn: "But he's not moving. Is he dead?" Me: "Just stand next to the car." All the rides at Walt Disney World, and Lauryn was the most interested in this little play area that resembled the one at the park near our home. Actually, it was around this time that she started asking where the castle was. I tried a few different ways of explaining to her that while we technically were at Walt Disney World, Disney World was more than just the Magic Kingdom. After each try she kind of got a funny look on her face and said, "So we're not REALLY at Disney World?" Finally I just told her no, we weren't, but we'd be going there the next day. Lauryn used to take ballet classes, so she really appreciated the giant dancer with the toy soldiers, even though she's never seen "Fantasia 2000" (or the original "Fantasia," for that matter). "That was an inappropriate joke, see? Nyah, see?" "That's nothing... have you seen my giant Woody?" "Oh my, Buzz, what a big... helmet you have." Kelly was too excited to get a lot of sleep the night before, and she had to get up slightly earlier than I did to get Lauryn ready (living in BFE, we had to leave by 8 a.m. to make our 1:30 p.m. flight), so she was dead tired by the time we actually got to our room. I took Lauryn on a tour of the hotel while Kelly took a little nap. We stayed in the Toy Story section. A cast member in the lobby gave Lauryn a balloon with pictures of her favorite food on it. She wasn't sure whether to play with it or eat it! We had checked into the All-Star Movies Resort online before leaving home, so our wait at the check-in counter wasn't long. Still, with approximatly 8,000 kids running around, I suggested to Kelly that I take Lauryn to the little Disney Channel theater they had set up in the lobby while she picked up our keys and got a confirmed list of our dining plan reservations. After settling into her theater seat, Lauryn looked up and me and said quiety, "Jason... I think we really ARE at Disney World, aren't we?" This is the real reaction shot. During the 10 minutes we waited for our bus, we pointed out all the Mickey Mouse signs in the terminal and made an appeal to logic: What were all these pictures of Mickey Mouse doing around us if we weren't really going to Disney World? Supposedly we *told* the people to put all those Mickey Mouse signs there and to play the Disney World video on the bus as part of our elaborate hoax. Man, I wish we really had the power she apparently thinks we have! So finally we got to the Disney's Magical Express check-in, and Kelly spring the surprise... only Lauryn was having none of it! She said she knew we were just teasing. For this shot, I asked her to show me what her face would look like if she believed we really were going to Disney World. After the pose she added, "That's what I'm going to do when we really do go." Me: "Lauryn, are you excited about our trip?" Lauryn: "I can't wait to see the big potato!" OK, so here's the thing: We decided it would be best for our sanity--and heighten the surprise--if we didn't tell Lauryn we were going to Walt Disney World. She knew what Disney World was, and she knew we were going there "in the future," but to the best of her knowledge, this trip was taking us to Idaho to see the world's largest potato sculpture. This is Lauryn riding the Metro to the airport, completely unaware where she's actually going.

Great report! SCBB was unexpectedly my favorite park of the West Coast Tour. I really enjoyed the nighttime photo of Giant Dipper and your coastal pictures from the Fish Hopper.

I completely feel your pain. I shed most of my 20-year collection (1990-2000) of TV Guides during this move, and I have a feeling I'm going to come to regret it eventually. But something had to go, and they a.) were heavy, b.) took up a lot of space, and c.) seemed the most expendable.

^Holy crap, a full Disneyland box is unheard of among non-sports card collectors! Guess there are four boxes known to exist now! It's up over $500 with more than a week left to go. If anyone needs something to get me for my birthday this year....

^^What I have in the way of coaster and other amusement park paraphernalia is now safely stored. Nothing on the level of Disney, and most of it is from defunct parks. Some tickets and a small pennant from Silver Beach Amusement Park in St. Joseph, MI; some reproduction postcards and a reproduction poster from Palisades Park, NJ; some old cups from Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens; an early '80s Kings Dominion souvenir booklet (a copy of which I believe appeared as part of Shane's Amusement Attic at one point); old pin and photo album from Cypress Gardens; and various tickets, tokens and brochures I've picked up through TPR trips and random Bags o' Crap. I also have lots of old postcards, photos, tickets, souvenirs, pennants, brochures and park-used items from mostly defunct parks in Maryland, a lot of which I accumulated while researching my 2005 book "Maryland Amusement Parks." I'd love to do a sequel with all the materials I've collected since then. I've even pitched it to my publisher, with whom I'm about to sign for another regional history book, but as long as the original continues to sell strong, they aren't interested.

^That's awesome! I had the chance to buy one of those State Fair signs from another collector at one point, but didn't have the money at the time. Also, thanks for the front page link! Barring any more requests for snow shoveling, furniture moving, trash hauling or box unpacking, I'm hoping to make this the final update until I can get into my computer and grab the drum head photo. Enjoy! I'm sure many of us have these--the limited edition Disneyland 50th anniversary golden mouse ears. For those who missed their chance, the Mickey & Me gift shop, directly across the street from Disneyland at the Park Vue Inn, still had originals for sale as of last August. A hollow, openable model of Epcot's Spaceship Earth with the Walt Disney World year 2000 celebration logo molded into the base. I've used it for the past few years to keep my growing accumulation of vintage Maryland Jaycees pins (yet another thing I collect). Walt Disney World 10th anniversary Main Street USA lamppost sign from 1981-'82. The back is yellowed in such a way that you can see the white outline of the top of a banner that once hung from it. A second Walt Disney World ride-used "Small World" hat. In 1965, Donruss issued a trading card series to celebrate Disneyland's 10th anniversary. Forty years later, in 2005, Upper Deck issued a much fancier series to celebrate its 50th anniversary. This is a factory sealed box (wish I had one of those from the 1965 series!). This Disney Dollars Christmas promotional display from Walt Disney World's City Hall, circa the late '80s, was the last item I bought prior to my last move. All the Disney Dollars inside are stamped "void" on the back, even the ones glued down in such a way that they couldn't be removed without damaging them so much that they would be unusable anyway. While these menus pop up every great once in awhile on eBay, mine uncharacteristically came with its inserts still inside. Check out the variety of coconut-infused beverages available! What's really nice about this is that the "Special For Today" insert dates this menu right down to the last day it was used: August 9, 1940 (it also liberally advertises Dr. Pepper as a "health drink). Anyway, that's it (until I can come up with the drum photo, anyway). Hope you enjoyed looking at these items as much as I enjoyed collecting them. This is the inside. The most expensive items on the menu were the filet mignon or New York strip steak, including salad and choice of potato, for $1.25. It's interesting to note that the price of a Heineken was hand-corrected from 35 to 45 cents. Also note the liberal use of "Pinocchio" characters--the film was released early that year. Also not directly park related, but certainly of interest to most people reading this thread, is my 1940 Disney studio commissary lunch/dinner menu. I had a chance to purchase a breakfast menu of the same vintage (featuring Donald Duck on the cover) at the same time, but had the money for only one, and the breakfast menu went for more. OK, I saved the best two items (three if you count the not-yet-posted drum head) for last. Granted, it's not 100 percent park related, but... here is a rare copy of The Marceline News and Buckley Herald, announcing Walt and Roy Disney's intention of attending an Independence Day celebration in town and a screening of "The Great Locomotive Chase." For those who own Robert Tieman's "The Disney Treasures" book and CD set (the one in the blue box), the audio clip during which Walt remembers his time in Marceline (it starts with him talking about playing dead in the local mortician's hearse while Roy washed it to earn extra money) was recorded during this visit. I don't remember having purchased this item, and I don't know 100 percent what it is, but I found it while packing, and it seemed worthy of inclusion. The park map is from 2001, and I would guess that the pin is from one of the Disneyland tours--maybe "Walk in Walt's Footsteps." Either way, it reproduces the 1958 souvenir map, which I thought was pretty cool. Disneyland "Honorary Citizen" sticker. My only item from Disneyland Paris, an original stock certificate from "Euro Disneyland." Disneyland Railroad conductor's hat badge. Again, I can't be 100 percent sure this is authentic (these and the Ambassador badges are sometimes counterfeitted), but again, it came from my dad, who got it from a reputable Disneyana dealer, and I trust that they both did their research. Disneyland and Walt Disney World cast member anniversary buttons. Interesting to note that the Disney World one would have been worn on the opening day of EPCOT Center. Disneyland arcade token. Unused Disneyland Star Tours opening night ticket. Not sure who got this and then turned down the opportunity to attend, but I bet they were kicking themselves afterward! The ticket is a lot larger than it looks here--approximately 12 inches tall. Disneyland Lilly Belle passenger railroad car unused register page. I can't be 100 percent sure this is authentic, but... it was a present from my dad (birthday or Christmas), and he's a lot better at I am at determining original documents from reproductions, fakes and forgeries, and he's usually extremely thorough, so I'm going to have to guess he did his research before purchasing. Disneyland "40 Years of Adventure" faux felt pennant. This thing is pretty flimsy; supposedly they gave these away to guests who attended the opening day of Indiana Jones Adventure. Disney-MGM Studios Brown Derby recipe cards from 2000. Walt Disney World year 2000 celebration napkin and park maps. Disneyland 50th anniversary popcorn box. Disneyland 50th anniversary napkin and park map, along with a DCA Mission Tortilla Factory "tortilla tattoo." U.S. Postal Service first-day issue cover for the 1968 Walt Disney stamp, comemmorating Marceline, MO. I have the actual stamp somewhere, but again, didn't run across it to photograph it for this TR (much of the stuff that was already packed in Rubbermaid containers stayed that way).

^Went well; thanks for asking. I actually have a photo TR from that coming up, possibly later today, but definitely sometime this week. Disney's a whole different animal when you're traveling with a 5-year-old! For others who have talked about their collections in this thread, I'd love to see your photos, as well. As far as framing, I bought all my stuff at Michael's or Wal-Mart, and I framed it myself using photo corners (and Velcro for the 3-D items in the shadow boxes). Seven years ago, when I first moved into the apartment I just moved out of, I had my spare bedroom set up with a lot of this stuff as a sort of Disney park museum. When I lost my part-time job (which supplemented my income from my full-time job and allowed me to obtain most of this stuff in the first place) a couple years ago, I ended up having to take in a roommate to continue living the lifestyle to which I had become accustomed, and all the Disney stuff got moved out so I could rent the room to him. Most of the framed items had been sitting in the back of my closet until I moved them this month. Anyway, on to more stuff! And this is the tag on the inside of the Small World hat, denoting the costume designer responsible (I think) and the country represented. And with that, I've been told it's time for another break. See ya real soon! This is the other side of that description card of the Cafe Trocadero brick. Now that Disney-MGM Studios is no more, I guess it's sort of a collector's item in its own right. OK, this is a photo of the display case where I kept my best smaller stuff over the past seven years, so there's a lot in here. It's difficult to do a "left to right" due to the positioning, but I'm sure you can figure out what's what: Disneyland Hotel ashtray; Frontierland wooden nickel; Disneyland 35th anniversary Party Gras tokens thrown out during the parade; Disneyland Railroad jacket and hat buttons; 1976 America Sings ribbon (unused) that would have hung from cast members' name badges to promote the then-new attraction; Club 33 tie tack (I also have a Club 33 embossed napkin that, once again, I'm wondering what I did with since it's not among these photos); original brick from the steps of Hollywood's original Cafe Trocadero, famous among stars in the 1930s, purchased at Sit Cahuenga's Hollywood One-of-a-Kind Memorabilia and Curios at Disney-MGM Studios (plus a matchbook from the cafe later purchased on eBay), hat originally used in the last room of Walt Disney World's "It's a Small World" and various matchbooks promoting Disneyland, the Disneyland Hotel, Mickey Mouse's 50th birthday, Disneyland's Red Wagon Inn and Chicken Plantation Restaurant, and Disneyland's Aunt Jemima's Kitchen (nee Aunt Jemima's Pancake House). Walt Disney World 25th anniversary celebration all-access staff pass and one of my favorite pieces in my collection: a park-used Imagineering pass. Based on the date, location and stickers, I believe this was used during the construction of Tower of Terror. That reminds me: I also have a reproduction WED Imagineering SOP handbook somewhere. Now that I'm going through these photos, I wonder where it got to. Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Animal Kingdom opening day press/VIP passes. Walt Disney World cast member publications, 2004. Walt Disney World 10th anniversary tickets and Disney-MGM Studios Fantasmic! opening night pass. 1956 souvenir guidebook. The Disneyland News, Vol. 30, No. 1, 30th anniversary commemorative edition. The Disneyland News, Vol. 1, No. 1, July 1955. Disneyland ticket book, missing the elusive E-ticket section. From left: Sunkist Citrus House/Sunkist I Presume complimentary drink ticket, Disneyland 35th anniversary Fraternal Order of Armadillos card (top) and Dapper Dans sing-along card.

Still more! Jolly Roger/Fortune Red fortune card from Disneyland. Time for yet another break (still arranging furniture and hanging clothes). Still much more to come! Annual passholder parking cards (not sure of the date on these). Trading cards issued as a promotional item for the "Disney Wonder" cruise ship. Clockwise from top left: 1957 Disneyland "A" ticket (the year is easy to identify because of the "Space Station X-1" listing; Disneyland began issuing ticket books in 1957, and the next year that attraction was renamed "Satellite View of America"), 1995 Indiana Jones Adventure decoder card (issued so guests could pass the time during the four-hour wait in line by deciphering the heiroglyphics on the walls) and 1950s Disneyland parking pass. Early Disneyland "Mark Twain" steamboat ticket. 1960s Disneyland TWA Rocket to the Moon Lunar Flight Certificate. Reproduction "It's a Small World" concept art. Reproduction 1958 Disneyland souvenir map. Reproduction Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion attraction poster. 1979 Disneyland "Magic Nite" promotional poster. Come to think of it, I have a late '70s Grad Night poster (with a disco theme!) that I bought at the same time as this one, but I must have taken it out of its frame at some point, and I didn't even think of it until just now. It's probably rolled up in the same batch of tubes as my "Pirates" movie poster. Original "Haunted Mansion" preview movie poster (I have an original "Pirates" preview poster, as well, but it's not framed, and I didn't unpack it for this TR). S.S. Columbia print originally made to hang in rooms at the Disneyland Hotel (this one was a spare, that never framed nor hung, sold as surplus). Collage made of Walt Disney postcards sold to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Disneyland Autopia driver's licenses from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Publicity photo from the opening of The Haunted Mansion. Publicity photo from the opening day of Disneyland. Walt Disney Co. stock certificate. Collection of Disneyland Fastpass tickets (this was back when WDW was printing theirs on what seemed like cheap adding machine paper) and an admission ticket from the second year of DCA. Collection of park-used cast member name badges (with a few Disneyland anniversary pins thrown in for good measure). Disneyland/Walt Disney World record album from the mid-'80s. Early Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad tickets (when each attraction had its own distinct ticket) and a D&SFRR conductor's hat button. Walt Disney World 15th anniversay press passes and a cigar band from the old Disneyland Tobacco Shop. Other side of that menu. Two things I especially like: 1-Snow White dosen't have a nose. 2-A hot dog, French fries, vegetable of the day, ice cream and milk (or buttermilk) combo cost the wallet-busting sum of 85 cents. Early Red Wagon Inn children's menu from Disneyland. Back of that menu, advertising "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." Disneyland 2003 Blue Bayou menu. Disneyland Blue Bayou reservation card. Walt Disney World Plaza Restaurant menu. Original Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater menu from Disney-MGM Studios. Early Walt Disney World Diamond Horseshoe Review menu featuring Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue. Reproduction photo of Walt Disney in front of the Tower of the Four Winds at the entrance to Pepsi-Cola Presents It's a Small World at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Tray used at Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavillion at EPCOT (notice the inclusion of the long gone Food Rocks show in the attractions advertised). The back of said placement, with a children's menu. Carnation Cafe placemat advertising the "Farewell Season" of the Main Street Electrical Parade in 1996. Thanks to DCA, it didn't exactly "glow away forever" the way advertisements said it would. I personally like the way Mickey Mouse is poised to "pull the plug." Chunk of the Matterhorn. Year of a Million Dreams promotional Fastpass for Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. Walt Disney World College Program promotional table standee. Disposable Disneyland 50th anniversary soda cup. Promo trading cards for a Disneyland series slated by Upper Deck in 1991 that never materialized. Clockwise from top left: promotional trading cards issued by Kodak to celebrate the first year of Fantasmic! at Disneyland, admission pass for "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour at Disneyland (I have the commemorative pin they gave us, as well, which is pretty much this photo reproduced in gold, but no photo) and Disneyland admission tickets promoting the opening of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at DCA. Plate from the Plaza Inn at Disneyland. Unopened pack of cards issued to celebrate Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary. I have the complete set; alas, no picture of that, as it's been stored in my parents' attic (think the warehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark") for some time. OK, so this one's not Disney... I still thought it would be cool to share. It's from the late '50s/early '60s, and there's one just like it in the museum at Knott's. Walt Disney World year 2000 brochure. Napkin from the "100 Years of Magic" celebration at Walt Disney World. I want to say the celebration began in late 2001 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth, but I got the napkin during my January 2003 visit. During my first visit to Disneyland in 1990, everyone got one of these game cards at the main gate to celebrate the park's 35th anniversary (this is the full set). Most of them said "Sorry No Win," but at certain intervals, someone would win a small prize. I won a Minnie Mouse pin. Then at much greater intervals, someone got a ticket that directed them to a "Dream Machine" in the middle of Main Street. These lucky winners would pull the handle of the Dream Machine to find out what they won. The grand prize was a crap car (I think it was a Geo--someone correct me if I'm wrong). In 1985, Disneyland began a State Fair Days promotion that included these sticker giveaways. This is the full set. Having neglected to photograph the backs of these cards, I can't quite remember where they're from, but I believe they were promotional items for a non-U.S. airline. These Magic Kingdom trivia cards were printed up and given away as an incentive when you bought a certain book (can't remember which book; something to do with Disney trivia) at the World of Disney store at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney.

Thanks! Continuing on.... On the right is one of the 1965 Donruss cards, featuring The Haunted Mansion. They came in two varieties, one with a puzzle featuring Disney characters on the back (common, pictured) and one with a description on the back of the ride or scene pictured, surrounded by a blue border (rare). I have a full set of the puzzle-backs and a handful of the blue-backs. To the left is an unopened pack of trading cards issued to commemorate Disney's Animal Kingdom. Time for another break. More to come soon. Even rarer, however, is the box that held these packs of cards! As of 1995, there were none known to exist. Since then, three three have been discovered that I'm aware of, and I have one of them. A year after I bought it, I had it appraised at an "Antiques Roadshow"-style show called "Pop Nation" that was a pilot for either A&E or the Discovery Channel (can't remember which) that never aired, and the expert who evaluated it said even he had never seen one in person. This is somewhat rare: an unopened pack of Disneyland trading cards issued to celebrate the park's 10th anniversary in 1965. The gum is still inside! Baseball card collectors take note: This was, I believe, the first set of trading cards ever created by Donruss. I bought the cans on eBay and was skeptical, but they were cheap and of interest to me even if they weren't Disney-related since the founder of the company that eventually became Del Monte was from my hometown. As it turned out, they were all tagged with WDP price stickers, so they had something to do with Disney, anyway. In the background: a plate used during a dinner to honor President George W. Bush (allegedly in connection with the addition of his Audio-Animatronic to the Hall of Presidents) at the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World. In the foreground: three reproduction early 1900s Del Monte cans allegedly used as window dressing on Main Street USA in Disneyland. This is one of the items from the press kit. The kit originally included a number of black-and-white publicity stills, a press release about events planned for the 10th anniversary, a brief history of the park and several pages of individually typed cutlines (captions) for the photos. Apparently someone at the newspaper that received this one put the photos in an album and cut up the cutline sheets, glued them on the corresponding pages and added file index numbers. These are some of the best actual (i.e. not in books or magazines) pictures of Disneyland and Walt Disney I've ever seen. A closeup of the Electrical Parade bulb. The flash really picked up the dust! The gold vinyl bag in the back of this photo was my very first Disney collectible, found by my dad in a local antique store (the fact that we live on the other side of the country from Disneyland makes it even more remarkable) and given to me for Christmas around the year 2000. It's a press kit from the 10th anniversary of Disneyland ("Tencennial") in 1965. The little black box from the left contains a bulb used during what was supposed to have been the final season of the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland in 1996. The lights were packaged in commemorative boxes and sold for charity. I got mine on eBay. Lesser known is the second series of these cards, issued in commemorative covers during the final 12 weeks of 1995. Eleven of the cards were sold in extremely limited quantities at Disneyland, a different card each week, with the 12th available only to annual passholders. It took me awhile to acquire the full set, one card at a time, via eBay. A limited-edition binder was available to store the cards. In 1995, Disneyland issued a limited edition of trading cards, one for each year of its existence, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The individually numbered cards were given out at the front gate, a different card for the first 39 weeks of the year. Following the promotion, the leftover cards were packaged as sets and sold at the Emporium... except the 40th card, featuring Indiana Jones Adventure, was available ONLY as a front gate premium, making it the rarest of the cards. Walt Disney World 25th anniversary lamppost sign from Main Street USA. I briefly had one from the year 2000 celebration, as well, except UPS damaged it in transit (thanks, Big Mike ), and I had to surrender it to settle the insurance claim.

As some people on the forum know, I've spent the past month or so moving all my worldly possessions out of my apartment and into various storage facilities in preparation to move in with my fiancee and her daughter. I'm happy to announce that, as of 8:30 p.m. yesterday, the move is complete! What fewer people probably know is, I'm a massive collector; basically, anything that can be collected, I've got. Comic books. Baseball cards. Coins. Autographed sports memorabilia.... Nearly all of those things went to my parents' attic to be folded in with my father's collections. However, the collection I'm probably going to miss most in my new digs is my Disney theme park collection. Throughout the years, I've amassed a pretty decent collection of things ranging from "kind of neat" to "that's amazing" to "why the **** would anyone ever keep anything like that?" As I ran across these things in the process of packing, I decided to keep a photo record, and I thought it might be of interest to Disney fans on this site. A couple regrets first: I neglected to get pictures of my 1956 Disneyland individual ride tickets and uncut sheet of Disneyland candy jar labels before packing them away. And I wasn't about to take my prized possession, a bass drum head used by the Disneyland Band in the mid-'80s, out of its carefully packed box, so instead I scanned a photo of myself holding it when I received it a number of years ago for Christmas... and saved it on the hard drive of a computer I haven't had a chance to hook back up yet, so that will come later. In addition, there's nothing "fancy" about the backgrounds. Basically, I would find the stuff, place it on whatever flat surface was most convenient (recently cleared table, floor, packing box, etc.), snapped the photo and packed it away. I also refrained from taking pictures of things anyone can walk into Disneyland/Walt Disney World and buy. Most everything here was either produced and given away in limited quantities for a limited time or actually park used and purchased from eBay, private collectors or the Walt Disney Co. itself. Having said that, I hope you enjoy this glimpse into more than a decade's worth of Disney theme park collecting! When they closed the attraction, I purchased one of the seatback game devices. No clue if this is the one I actually used to win, but I like to pretend it is! OK, Kelly needs to get here to vacuum for a second. More to come shortly (I promise that's the last of the WWTBAM stuff). Of course, there was also the free Disney cruise, which was the real grand prize! This is my certified letter with the cruise details. I have a Disney-MGM Studios folder, as well, that they gave me backstage that day with all the details on how to claim the cruise, but apparently I neglected to photograph it. The neatest prize was this WWTBAM varsity jacket! I only wore it once--on the flight home because I couldn't fit it in my suitcase! Other items I won included a hat for the 1,000-point question (this was the original design; later it was an all-black model), a polo shirt for whatever the next point level question was and a giant medallion for answering the final question that was so heavy and solid that the X-ray machine at Orlando International Airport couldn't see through it, so I had to unpack my entire bag and show it to the TSA person. He thought it was neat! In January 2003, I became the 49th person to win the Walt Disney World version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire--Play It!" Included in this display frame is the 1,000,000-point pin (I got 15 in all, one for every question I answered correctly), the pin lanyard I won, a piece of the confetti that rained down on me when I answered the final question, a Fastpass I picked up before the show with the intention of using it later that day (no sense in going back after I won the whole shebang!), a park map, my park ticket and hotel key card, and a Disney-MGM Studios decorative toothpick from my burger that afternoon at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre, just because I thought it make the display look better.

What, they're removing Corkscrew Hill? This is an outrage! Let's get some T-shirts printed up! Start an online petition! Save Corkscrew Hill! They're taking out a classic ride for some Soarin' Over Europe crap? That's not fair to the fans or to the children who will never get to experience this unique and wonderful attraction. Anheuser-Busch ran this park like a family for over 30 years, and now this big conglomorate thinks they can just come in and start changing things? The nerve. The nerve! Amusement parks should never, ever change. Period.

You can take these three off the list. Banana Split sign - Gilroy Gardens Thunder Canyon sign - Cedar Point Spinovator - Canada's Wonderland

Congratulations, Matt! Do you know yet to what area/attraction you'll be assigned? I'm heading down there a week from tomorrow!

^I really like the idea of using the Gadzooks font for the member name to parallel the logo. Good job!

Are you kidding? I love hardcore toy collectors! How else would I be able to sell new, name brand die-cast vehicles for $90 on eBay? Also, "Legends of the Hidden Temple" rules! Jason "I'm not a troll, but I have my sources" R.

^Neither do I, but Larry the Cable Guy so needs to play that part!

When I left the mountains of West Virginia this morning, it was snowy with a temperature of 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Currently in the flatlands of Maryland: clear and 17 degrees.

lol, I forgot about the Mt. Rushmore Coke machines. Great TR from a really neat area. Too bad you skipped the Flintstones park, though. No actual rides there (unless you count the kiddie train and Barney Rubble car go-kart), but lots of concrete statues of the Flintstones characters and their houses and businesses, a decent little theater show and... well, when we were there, it seemed like they really could use all the business they can get.

Wait, we get a discount to Bob's Funland? I'm so in now!

Oooh, this sounds like fun! - Favorite new coaster Ravine Flyer II - Favorite new ride Soarin' Over California - Favorite new park Disney's California Adventure - Most memorable park moment Proposing to my now-fiancee at Busch Gardens during opening day of the very first Christmas Town event - Most memorable coaster moment Riding Ravine Flyer II in a lightning storm with TPR - Best ERT session Ravine Flyer II (notice a pattern?) - Least favorite coaster Predator - Least favorite ride Jaws at USF (got unexpectedly soaked and had to spend the rest of the day--high of 65--walking around in wet clothes) - Least favorite park Tie between Cedar Point, Kings Dominion and Knott's Berry Farm - Most interesting ride you've seen introduced Soarin' Over California - Least interesting ride you've seen introduced Simulator clones at parks throughout the United States - Your favorite TPR moment (favorite post, trip report, video, whatever!) Seeing Niagara Falls, feeding bears, petting a beluga whale, getting awesome career advice and riding Ravine Flyer II in a lightning storm all on the same day during the Behemoth/Flyer Trip--one of the very best days of my life thus far! - The decade's biggest flop Cedar Fair - The decade's biggest success Six Flags' turnaround (well, maybe not financially....) - The best meal you've had at a park Biergarten German buffet at Epcot (best non-Disney meal would be the TPR beachfront buffet at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk) - The worst meal you've had at a park Cold Taylor pork roll sandwich and warm Pepsi at the now-defunct Bushkill Park in Easton, PA - Best park turnaround Six Flags parks in general - Worst park turnaround Astroland - What was the biggest trend of this past decade? Changes in park ownership

Man, was there some kind of "snowmen with cheeseburgers" fad that I missed out on this year? I see two different cards with that theme just in these pics alone. I always thought snowmen were vegeterians!