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| Disneyland 1955 |
Canon Style
by Todd J. Pierce
So what are the cultural differences between Disneyland in the 1950s and the park as it exists today? Based on the video, “Disneyland Canon 1957,” I’d first point out the open spaces, also the absence of overcrowding. Environment is at least as important as the rides: throughout the video, park guests are captivated by the scenery. I might also point out the lack of vending carts. But, based on the comments on YouTube and other sites, viewers were most impressed with the clothes people once wore to the park.
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| Disneyland 1956 |
For today’s post, I’ve uploaded four photos from the mid-1950s—all of them new, never-before-published. The banner photo (above) is from August 1955, when daily temperatures regularly spiked into the 80s and 90s. But even there, with that heat, some men are in suits and ties, women in dresses with hemlines falling below the knee. Part of this style, I’m sure, is cultural. People in the 1950s simply dressed more formally than do people now. In my opinion, the 1950s were more about appearance; whereas, our current decade is more focused on experience. But, for me, this alone doesn’t fully explain the style of dress one used to see at Disneyland.
I’ve got a couple theories.
You see, from the start, Disneyland presented itself as a playground for celebrities. The live telecast of Disneyland’s opening (in 1955) included dozens of high profile guests, all of them dressed as though they were attending a social event and not an amusement park: Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Fess Parker, and Danny Thomas.
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| Disneyland 1958 |
Beyond this, Disneyland was the first amusement park to consciously incorporate the art direction and stage design one would usually find on a Hollywood set into a physical setting. For most families, this was their first opportunity to explore an extended jungle set or a western village, something that previously they could only see at the movies or on TV. For us, this type of themed space is common. You can find it at most every mall. But in the mid-1950s, it was new: a blending of film and a real-world location. More so than now, Hollywood was touched with prestige. The park’s association with that fabled city, I suspect, encouraged people to dress up a little.
Anyway, check out the photos. You can click to enlarge them. Post your own ideas below as to why people once dressed up to visit Disneyland. And if you want to help recreate the elegant style of the 1950s, Dapper Days hosts two events each year to bring back the era of Eisenhower. You can find their site here.
Come back next Monday. I’ll post up a couple more photos.
Todd J.Pierce
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| Disneyland 1956 |
It was considered a matter of grooming. You went out, you groomed yourself which included dressing nicely. Add to that, casual clothes, like the ones we have today were considered WORK wear, something worn if you did manual labor. Last but not least, Disneyland was a brand new idea so people dressed for something special. Sadly, the majority of today’s guests have no regard for their general appearance.
(In the pictures above and in the YouTube video) I still see women wearing HEELS! Girls and women wore skirts or dresses. We would not be caught dead wearing those clothes now…the young boys were wearing shorts, men wearing trousers and ties!
Guests have no regard for being polite or even say “Please” or “Thank you” to the Cast Members. Make an effort to be polite and thankful to the Cast Members, please.
I was 4 in 1955. I can remember wearing white gloves and NYLON dresses–with NYLON linings–into downtown Washington DC for special occasions, regardless of the temperature. On an August day in DC, that was about as awful as it gets! “Nice” young ladies and gentlemen simply dressed for outings. My poor mother even had to wear NYLON stockings. I agree that nowadays we’ve gone too far to the other side (have you seen airline travelers lately? Ugh!), but dressing for the climate is a must. At 60, I still get overheated the minute the temperature hits 72. Shades of the 1950’s?
Saying “Please” or “Thank you” just might get you rewarded. Years ago, when Autopia re-opened sponsored by Chevron, they handed out “Driver’s Licenses” in the queue line. The stack of licenses given by the Cast Members had random “winning ticket” licenses that entitled the holder to a free toy at the gift shop at the exit of the ride.
My son, maybe 6 years old at the time, was handed a license to which he responded (totally unprompted, mind you) “Thank you.”
The cast member, taken aback by his manners, said, “No one has EVER said ‘Thank you’ to me for these.” She then shuffled through the stack to find a winning ticket to give him.
Made daddy proud, that’s for sure.
Phil. Thanks for your Cast Member story. Awesome! I have complained for decades about the apparent removing of Walt (and all that he stood for) from the Park. I have maintained that his memory and his wishes are still present, mostly, within the Cast Members and their actions. This great story just reinforces that in my mind. Thank you.
I think you also have to factor in the idea behind a trip to Disneyland has evolved over the years as well. Back in the days before the concept of the passport existed, the time you spent at the park tended to be less. The idea of wearing a suit and tie might be understandable if you’re only going to be in the park for 4 hours. It’s a little harder to fathom spending 14 hours in a suit at the park.
This also plays into the space issues. Once the old ticket system was killed off, people stayed much longer. Add in inexpensive annual passes, and now all of a sudden you have people staying longer when they visit, and also visiting more often. More people means less space. More people means you need more places to feed them and sell them stuff.
Speaking of space, I find it quite a bit of property management wonder to see how the Park execs managed to put up with the limited space after the ticketing system got a revamp. To be able to keep the park running properly with that many people coming in on the regular is tough (It probably would be tougher if the guests still went in in full gala attire).
Guests today look they’re dressing for a beer bust: mismatched shorts and t-shirt with faded artwork on it, and flip-flops. Is it too much to ask to not dress like you just grabbed what was available from the unfolded laundry basket?
You can spot the foreign guests easily: They left the hotel dressed with a sense of self-respect and clearly took a look in the mirror before leaving their room.
The US has become a nation of overgrown children.