Welcome to another episode of Photoniks! After the excitement of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Mr. Daps and Clocky dive into a vintage collection of Disneyland construction and refurbishment photos! From mid-60s build-outs to major 80s Fantasyland overhauls, the duo examines the unique (and wildly changing) standards of daytime construction inside the park.
Key Highlights From This Episode
- PeopleMover & Monorail Scaffolding (1966): Examining late 1966 Kodak picture spot photos showing the PeopleMover track construction alongside Monorail Red. The hosts react to daylight construction workers maneuvering safety rails, wooden planks, and 2×4 scaffolding right in front of park guests.
- Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Refurbishment: Taking a look at a classic black-and-white shot of Fantasyland’s iconic pirate ship restaurant surrounded by painter scaffolding and leaning wooden ladders.
- Pre-Opening Matterhorn Bobsleds: Checking out early track construction on the Matterhorn prior to its debut, complete with small, newly planted surrounding trees that made the mountain appear towering.
- 1982 New Fantasyland Transformation: Analyzing rare 1982 construction walls during the total overhaul of Fantasyland. The photo captures the repositioning of the King Arthur Carrousel, construction vehicles parked on guest pathways, and classic 80s park details like Mickey balloons and ear hats.
Which era of Disneyland construction was your favorite to look back on? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget—no flash photography indoors!
