'70's SoCal Park Photos

[CdnbMatt]

So oddly enough attending a funeral yesterday led to a great find. Searching through some old photo albums back at the house I came across a good collection of photos and guide book cutouts from Disneyland, Universal Studios and gone but not forgotten Busch Gardens Los Angeles.

 

Please keep in mind that some are not of the greatest quality AND I apologize for the glue stuck to some of them, but it was the best I could do without ruining the originals. Enjoy

And that is that! I do have a couple more from Busch, but a seem to be having some scanning toubles at the moment. Hopefully I can get them up soon. BTW, does anyone know what is sitting where Busch Gardens used to be?

Last but not least Busch Gardens!

Ma and Pa Kettle's animal Farm at the Visitors' Centre at Univeral Studios.

A HHN preview???

The stuntmen at Universal Studios Action Arena.

The original tram tour

The next stop on our tour is Universal Studios

Mine...Mine...Mine..........oh wait..not yet

The original and still the best in my opinion. Now able to hold more chubby people than before!

Man, I wish this was still here. Can anyone tell me what, if anything, was in the skull?

Looks larger in 1970.........

This is the first of a few attraction discriptions found on the back of some of the cutouts. Most don't really match up with the photos so I will just post them for interests sake.

The Matthorn pre-bobsleds.......I think

Front page of the Disneyland Guidebook from 1970

[CdnbMatt]

Jeez.......I am sorry, I completely forgot to resize the photos after cropping.

[redfoot12]

I never even knew there was a Busch Gardens LA. Was it themed zoo or something?

[robbalvey]

What a great find! The photo sizes aren't too big so don't worry about it.

 

This is going to be a great retro week with this and Shane's attic starting back up again!

 

Thank you for posting!

 

--Robb

[AllenA07]

The Busch Gardens in LA closed a long time ago, I'm sure however there are a few people on this site that are old enough to have the chance to go. It was located at the brewery off the 405 in Van Nuys. I believe that the land today is owned partially by the brewery and (I'm going purely by pictures I've seen) the LAX fly-away.

[coasterfreaky]

Great find!

 

Some people may not know, but the old trams in your photos of Universal Studios are some of the trams used at Dollywood....still toting people around.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Thanks for sharing! Its nice to see Disneyland still has alot of its nostalgia today from this time...and the valley with a 213 area code? This HAD to be a while back!

[socalMAN123]

To answer your question about Skull Rock, there used to be dining in there.

---Brent

[RonFrost]

Fantastic find!

 

I was only 4 years old when these photos of Disneyland were taken, but many of the attractions look like I remember them when I started going there in the early 70's.

 

I think the Skull Rock was near the Pirate Ship restaurant in Fantasyland. Seems to me there were some caves of walkways through it that you could play in.

 

I secretly dreamed of being one of those tour guides, or Disney Ambassadors, with the riding crops and stylish hats.

[montezooma]

Now this is some great stuff!!!! I have to say these pics top anything I have found in my attic. My collection pretty much stops at 1976.

 

I really enjoy seeing these old pictures of Disneyland, and I can't wait to see what else you have from Busch Gardens. I am afraid the only thing I have from that long gone LA park are memories.

 

Great job!!!!

[dino]

Great pics, I love these kind of threads. Is it me or does Disney seem like it was more green back then?

[thrillgeek]

Great pics thanks for sharing! I wish Disneyland still had that chair lift. You would get such cool views of the rides and other attractions. Not to mention the fireworks!!

[thrillerman1]

Great stash of stuff to find. Thanks for sharing!

[CdnbMatt]

Thanks for the answer about Skull Rock guys! It's little things like that I wish were never removed from parks. Much like the Wonder Mountain Walkway at Canada's Wonderland. They may not be thrilling, but still an attraction in my eyes.

 

BTW Shane, I love your Attic posts, seeing parks in another time is definitely a highlight for me!

[ebl]

"...and the valley with a 213 area code?" (Bolliger&Mabillard)

 

The Valley was 213 till about 1982 if memory serves, then got its current code of 818. And they're getting a 747 overlay next year.

 

Great memories for me, as I visited these parks in the late '60s and early '70s. Unfortunately, I don't have much from then, but I think all of you have seen my 1971 Magic Mountain map. I posted that in Shane's thread last year.

 

Busch Gardens in Van Nuys was a fun place to go despite not having a coaster. But it did have two monorails, and the bridge over the railroad tracks to get to the 1972 expansion is still there. There's just no way to get up to the bridge. I guess it was easier to leave it than to tear it down.

 

I have some Knott's stuff from the early/mid-'70s that I need to get scanned and posted to Shane's topic in its new season.

 

Eric

[RIP Psyclone]

Check out the area codes in the 70s!

www.lincmad.com/map1970s.html

[ebl]

^ Lincmad is a cool site. Of course, I remember when area codes were in Roman numerals...

 

I also have a map from Japanese Village and Deer Park from 1973 when I went there on my only visit. It's time to get into Eric's Ancient Archives and dig this stuff up.

 

Eric