Quack!

If you enjoy things that look interesting, you'll love today's post. Part item and part my awkward photography, I'm excited to present this lovely Walt Disney World Donald Duck hat. This will also be the debut of my Polynesian pillows providing a somewhat tropical background.

Made of a straw/mesh combination, this hat has a lot going for it. Firstly, the beak--when squeezed-- makes a "quack" noise. While it can't match the lovely quackers sold in the parks today, it sounds just like any other toy from the 70s and 80s that made noise when squeezed.

The ribbon is also a wonderful touch and I'm amazed it has remained intact given that it's held on by a single staple.


The beak is also held together by staples. The black part of the eye are able to move and oddly enough, there are still long strands of hot glue sticking out from behind them.

I found this hat at a store that literally had things laying around everywhere for you to dig through. It was sandwiched between some other Disneyana and undoubtedly was probably smooshed somewhere in storage before its arrival at the store. I had a heckuva time trying to keep the head from collapsing while taking these pictures.

The tag is located on the inside and judging by the size, it has to be a kids large.

I've seen this hat in several pictures of WDW during the 1970s. Despite it's crude construction and awkward appearance, it's quite charming. While the Disney hats of today's park are no doubt more durable and realistic, there is something to be had with this Donald hat.

Simply put, it's playful and fun.

Seabutton Alpha

It's been one month with no new postings. How dare I call myself a blogger. What better way to get back into the swing of things with a great design from 'The Living Seas.' Thank goodness the 1980s was prime time for buttons or else we'd have no way to wear these awesome designs.

The back contains the usual price tag with © Walt Disney Productions, but the price has been savagely scratched away. I probably have another button made around the same time with a complete sticker on it, so I'll make a mental note to find it. The side of the button (sorry, no picture) reads ©1985 Walt Disney Productions.

It measures 3" across.

In other news....

If you are heading to WDW soon and want to pick up some cool new merch, checkout the Agrabah Bazar in Adventureland for a Jungle Cruise t-shirt and the Briar Patch in Frontierland for a Big Thunder Mountain shirt. I forgot to snap pictures of each while I was in Florida last week, but I promise to have them posted on here as soon as I can.

For Your Eyes and Ears Only

Today's post takes us back to April 30, 1982 for an update on EPCOT Center's World of Motion. This issue of Eyes and Ears details a quick ride through the show and offers some fun facts along the way. Let's explore this 8 page extravaganza...

Page 2 continues the World of Motion story and divulges information about the very first round of EPCOT Center site tours. Something I've noticed about the older Eyes and Ears is they give gradual updates on the progress of an attraction. The Eyes and Ears of today will only run stories about attractions that are 100% completed. Click on the picture and look for 'Other Information' to see what I'm talking about.

Page 3 offers an interesting look into the world of the 'Cast Crew.' A group of 5 people who seemingly do all of the backstage repair work. It's hard to fathom that at one point in Disney World's history it had only 5 people working to care for all backstage areas.

Page 4 informs us of a great Cast Member offer for Discovery Island.

The next couple pages are reserved for Cast Activities.

'Walt Disney World, The First Decade' which normally retails for $9.50 is available for Cast Members for just $6.


And the glorious 8th and final page. It's nice to see the only ads in here are by and for Cast Members. The Eyes and Ears of today have no classifieds and are full of ads from outside companies.

So Soft

It's not often that you find something from the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village or any of its predecessors that is anything more than a map or some form of ephemera. It's that exact reason why today's item is somewhat unique.

The Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village debuted on March 22, 1975 and remained under that name until 1977. That same year the name Walt Disney World Village took hold and it lasted until 1989. While the history after that point is somewhat drab --in my opinion at least-- there were two additional name changes finally resulting in what we now know as Downtown Disney.

When you think of all the vintage t-shirts one could purchase back in the day at WDW, you'd seldom think of someone buying one representing a place of mass commerce. It would be like going to Walmart and buying a shirt that says 'Walmart' on the front of it. However, this logo is just so simple that you can't help but want to wear it anyways. It seems like everything had a shirt back then.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out what decade this comes from. It's obviously the 70s or 80s. Any ideas?

Very Important Napkin

I've been going to Walt Disney World enough times to satisfy my next lifetime, but I've never been in any of the VIP lounges past or present. Although they were a bigger deal back in their day, these lounges are still a wonder to those of us who never had the chance to see one.

This napkin comes from the extinct Kodak VIP lounge from Journey Into Imagination. I'm a big fan of anything that comes from these lounges because not just anyone was granted access to these inner-attraction hideaways.

For being such a small item it sure is stylish. A perfect example of Disney keeping it simple on all fronts. Click on the picture and notice the edges of the napkin.

The only thing I'm not sure of about the item is what decade it's from. Any ideas?

Confetticot

It has been a while since I posted something from the 70s or 80s, so I figured why not get back to basics with two things I love to collect: vintage t-shirts and EPCOT Center.


While I don't have much to add about the t-shirt, I'll say it's one of the more appealing EPCOT Center shirts produced during the 80s. While I hate to take away from the numerous beautifully designed shirts of the era, I just adore the vibrant colors and sense of life this shirt delivers. You could almost slap the "Celebrate Today!" slogan on here and it would fit right in with 2009. But let's not really do that.

Even the tag is fun! EPCOT Center shirts from the 80s either had Artex tags or the nifty one pictured above. I was once told that just because an item had a © 1982 Walt Disney Productions did not mean it was actually made that year.

I received this as a gift for my birthday in June and wore it almost every time I went to EPCOT. So chances are if you went to EPCOT in June-August, you might have saw me wearing this. As a side note, this shirt was a BIG hit amongst Cast Members at the Japan pavilion. Further making it my favorite World Showcase country.

This shirt is a size large. I'm a pretty small guy and the shirt fits me perfectly. Just to give you an idea of the crazy range of fit for some vintage tees.

38 Years of Inspiration

Today's post features a brilliant new product line that has taken fans by storm and reaffirmed my belief that someone at Disney is listening.

The '1971 Collection' is, well... a collection of sorts (mainly t-shirts) that pays respect to the Disney World of old. Also included in this line are bobble heads, but there really isn't anything retro about them. The characters who made the bobble cut were Brer Rabbit, Big Al, Gus and Ezra from the Haunted Mansion, and Jack Skellington. You can view them by following this link. However, I'm more concerned with the t-shirt aspect so let's explore...

This was the first shirt I found from the collection and it includes that lovely MK logo which has been making a comeback this year. The style is only for girls and after seeing it on friends, I must say that it's quite stylish and fits nicely. The shirt caters to the "new vintage" look that is so popular these days, but it doesn't overdo it. The material looks and feels vintage as well. It's a perfect blend of new and old.


The back pays homage to WDW's opening year.


Fast forward a couple of months and a new gang started showing up around MK. First came the yellow Mr. Toad's Wild Ride t-shirt and for a limited time it was only available in the gift shop of Mickey's PhilharMagic. Oddly enough, every time I asked for the shirt in a medium, the Cast Member would either be unaware of the shirts existence, be surprised that Disney still had "old" Toad shirts, or tell me that it was left over from the old attraction and once it was gone, it was gone for good. This happened at both PhilharMagic and the Emporium. When I left Disney World for home these shirts still had their own section at the first entrance of the Emporium,


Finally a shirt for the guys!


Even later down the line came another Toad shirt, but this time it was only for girls again.


This Small World shirt came around the same time as the second Toad and it too is only for girls.

As I typed out this entry I was reminded of a shirt at the exit of Haunted Mansion that may or may not be from this collection. For the life of me I cannot remember whether it was or not. There is also a new Jungle Cruise t-shirt that has been seen at Zanzibar Traders, but I cannot confirm if it's from the same line.

I hope Disney continues to produce both more attraction specific and retro merchandise. I saw countless numbers of Guests wearing the yellow Toad shirt and I myself would get so many positive comments every time I wore it. Heritage and tradition is touted heavily at Disney and these shirts are a great way of showing it. Like my post title suggests, Disney World has 38 years of history, design, characters, and attractions to offer the consumer. With the 40th coming up real soon, I think the time is right for Disney to dust off its past and infuse it with the present.