Bags, Take 2

Here’s a new addition to my bag collection that I had not seen before:

It looks to me to be from the early 1960s. It has the effect of being woven, so I’m wondering if it was from the Adventureland area, or if it was a bag used park-wide. Either way it’s pretty darn cute. I could imagine any purchase made at the Adventureland Bazaar or Tropical Imports to feel that much more special because of such a cute bag! It’s all in the details, you know!

Reader “sb-illustrations” has sent me some photos of his bag collection from the 1980s and 1990s. I share them here for you now!

This lovely one came forth in the late 1980s to replace the bag that featured pastel-colored versions of Disneyland attractions.

After which arrived this bag in the early 1990s. It came after the bag commemorating Disneyland’s 35th anniversary. It is very bright and colorful, reminding me of the graphics on the MMC which was airing at the same time. That Starspeeder looks like it’s going to crash into the Mark Twain! Watch out!!

And here is the bag I spent so much time with back as a cast member in the late 1990s. If I had a nickel for each time I was asked for 50 of these small bags… oohh boy!

And finally, to commemorate the opening of Disney’s California Adventure in 2001, there’s this bag, which is meant to look like it’s covered with old travel stickers as one would adhere to an old steamer trunk. I think a more authentic look would have actually made this concept quite cute, instead of being so… well… early DCA.

Thanks, Steve, for all the great scans!

It’s my bag!

I just returned from a fabulous trip to Disneyland and Club 33 this week and my nitpicky brain picked up on something that I had not thought about in a good while- bags.

Show of hands! Who misses bag individuality in the park? I sure do! I will let my Disney dork flag wave and admit that I actually do keep most of my Disneyland shopping bags (because I keep everything from that place), but I will say that I’m not a fan of them. I was especially disappointed that even Club 33 doesn’t have their own merchandise bag; they have their own tissue paper, but not bag.

Normally, I preach the need for the flow and cohesion of storytelling in the park, but this is one time where I do not like it. I would really love to see some specialty, land-specific bags back. Granted, some of the individual bags came from the lessee establishments, but I feel that it would really create more of a realistic experience, especially to Main Street. It might also subconsciously divide Disneyland up so that it didn’t all feel like one large shopping experience. While we’re on the topic, I would also like the return of land-specific merchandise. But, that’s another blog entry.

To refresh everyone’s memories of merchandise bags of the past, I stumbled on this wonderful Disneyland Flickr Pool and found the following artifacts of consumerism (unless otherwise credited), before it all went to one design around 1990 for the 35th anniversary. Great stuff!

My personal favorite, circa late 70s-80s. I actually made stationery out of this. Word files look a lot more fun now! Photo credit.

It just makes your purchase from the Art Corner a little more special! :)

Bags from the 1970s. Photo credit.

Original bag from the 1950s. Love the atomic styling of it!

This is also one of my favorites! Look at the charm!!

Yep, they had their own, too! Photo credit.

 

Small wonder what decade this represents!

The individuality spilled out into the Disneyland Hotel, too!

This is also a great bag! I can only assume that perhaps it contained a little something from the One-of-a-Kind shop?

The styling on this bag is great. I love the red accents!

For your psychedelic purchase. Photo credit.

This bag is also from the 60’s. Be sure to enlarge it so you can see the wonderful line drawings. Photo credit.

Looks to me like 2 delicious churros would fit in here! Great piece from the 1970s.

And, just for fun, because I found it in my travels, a bag from the 1964 World’s Fair. Photo credit.

My Friend Ferdy

I love Ferdinand. Truly. It is one of my all time favorite stories and Disney shorts. It’s simple and beautiful and reminds us all to be in the moment, to be at peace, and to be grateful for all that surrounds us. It is pure, effective, simple, unaffected storytelling in its best form, in my opinion. It’s one of those ideal finds that appeals just as much to adults as it does to children. The perfect Walt discovery.

In honor of that perfect discovery, here is my perfect discovery: Meet Ferdy.

Ferdy sits atop my desk, totally clashing with its Queen Anne style, but I don’t care and neither does he. He is forever gazing at me quite happily with his floral offering, reminding me to take breaks from whatever I’m working on, and to be present and mindful. He also encourages other more enjoyable activities, especially while I pay bills. I always follow him up on his sage advice!

 

 

Ferdy dates back to the release of “Ferdinand the Bull” (1938), and is in excellent condition for his age. He has a few cracks in his paint, but otherwise he’s still a dapper fellow. His tail is made of a bunching of satiny type string connected to his backside, which I keep away from bees at all times.

The flower he holds in his mouth is made of pink plastic and is still holding up nicely after all these years. Isn’t he a charmer!?

I’m throwing in his film debut just because it’s a good thing to watch. It’s his gift to you! Enjoy!