character history question

[jdb in AZ]

My sis and family recently went to Disneyland -- first time she's been there in over 40 years. Yeah, she's deprived. She was surprised that they have people dress up as characters including Cinderella and you can even have your picture taken with them. (Imagine that!)

Did Disneyland have the face characters when it first opened? My sis and I were there with our parents way back when. Yep, we're old geezers.

DH "suggested" that I point out to her that they have characters in all the Disney parks, and even on the DCL ships, but I didn't want to "go there" with that info.

 

[chickapin parterre]

The museum has a photo from 1955 and gives credit to ice capades as a platform to the concept of characters. Family vacation film and development were also expensive, even more so with color, so very little photos in my own photo and slide library of characters from Disneyland visits by strangers And, most of my photos are objects that fill space, submarines,Matterhorn, castle, train, etc. Also, the concept of social interaction may have been different. Many mickey mouse studio photos of kids and family in my library, but very little street interaction, much like a parade, look at characters from a distance, but don't be running up and hugging them. as a Alphabet Ticket book kid, I never even imagined giving mickey mouse a hug, Walt was more of my hero then someone I seldom saw on the screen. I saw Jimny Cricket and Donald duck more on the screen than Mickey MOuse., .....so not wanting to be a fool, I never messed with trouble.

 

[ImDMous]

I'm a kid of the 70's, so the next generation after opening. I first went in 1975. I definitely have pictures of myself and Mickey and Minnie. And me crying my eyes out because I was afraid of this strange mouse hugging me. I don't really think I remember any "people" characters though. Maybe Pinocchio but he had a normal person body and big plastic head.

 

[StageTek]

I have a picture of me with Alice and the Mad Hatter taken in 1961. I was 4.

 

[TechGuy]

my mother told me (when I was very young) that I was a big boy and Mickey didn't want to see me in my "pee-pee" pants, so he must have been there in the early 60's. I will see if I have any photos, I should.

 

[bfost87]

I'm confused that your sister is amazed the parks have characters.. Anyways, here's Mickey, Minnie, the White Rabbit and Alice in 1958.

 

[ImDMous]

Those are frightening, now I know why I was scared of Mickey.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I went to Disney World (Magic Kingdom & Epcot) in 1985. This was our first trip to any Disney Park; I was 15. I have absolutely no memory of seeing any of the characters at the parks. I keep telling myself that they must have been there, but we don't have photos of any of them either. Very strange.

Are there just a lot more of them available now?

 

[ADLFAN]

Haha, totally frightening! I remember reading somewhere in my DL research that Walt had to talk his brother, Roy, into allowing the characters to inhabit DL because Roy wasn't convinced that his brother's park would a success, Haha, and he didn't want to attach the characters to something that might not work out in the long term. I wonder if those old costumes throughout the ages were archived somewhere?

 

[jdb in AZ]

Another thing that my sis was amazed about -- "There's a statue of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse" in front of the castle. Anyone know when the statue was placed there? Sis can't remember the statue being there; I can't remember when it wasn't. Sort of like the characters. I don't remember when they weren't in the parks.

 

[chickapin parterre]

nov 18, 1993, Mickey mouse 65th birthday was the dedication.