![]() For example, visitors could still have their portrait drawn on the “ Streets of Paris” in The Art Corner. Not far from Hobbyland (located in this central area of Tomorrowland) Disneyland Guests found other art-related merchandise locations and exhibits. ![]() It may have been at this time (during November of 1957) that television’s Mouseketeers (like Bobby Burgess, Annette Funicello, Karyn Pendletonan others) made an appearance both performing and singing autographs from the Flight Circle “Stage.” Meanwhile, Hobbyland was still a place where Guests could purchase model cars (by Wen-Mac, Matchbox, and other manufacturers), planes & boats. In addition, the only photo of the Flight Circle to be featured in the Guide is devoid of Operators or model craft. Copies of “A Complete Guide To Disneyland” (published 1957) label the area as “ Hobbyland” (see map excerpt above “The Complete Guide To Disneyland”, published 1957), but there is no mention of it among the list of “Exhibits” or “Shows” in Tomorrowland. It seems that shows ceased, for at least a period of 1957. Fortunately, some brief footage of this activity was also captured and preserved in “Disneyland - The Park,” a short-film party of the Disneyland anthology television series (first aired 1957). A year later, several scenes of “Disneyland U.S.A.” (released by Buena Vista Film Distribution, December 20, 1956) preserved moving images of this occasion and “special area reserved for model airplane clubs.” Something that needs to be seen to be believed, occurred during the second meeting of “Model Clubs” at Disneyland - visitors operating small-scale model boats in Swan Lake (near Sleeping Beauty Castle) and even navigating their miniature craft through the Jungle Rivers of the World. Two months later (during the winter holiday season, on December 1, 1955) and in conjunction with the Flight Circle, some of the first “Model Clubs” met in Tomorrowland (and other areas around Disneyland). The trio would demonstrate commercial models that could be purchased in kits, as well as special one-of-a-kind models built by the hobbyists. Over at Disneyland (that very month of October of 1955), the daily show was operated by Bud Hartranft (a former Army Air Forces, TWA, American, and KLM airlines pilot), Chuck Coryell (a former railroad signal man), and Dennis Schauer - all donned in boots and plastic safety caps. ![]() Forrestal supercarrier, during the “What I Want To Be” segment of the Mickey Mouse Club anthology television series (season 1 episode 2). “And Now, I Want To Introduce Our Flight Crew…”īy October of 1955, Wen Mac models were beginning to be a household name, and popular hobbies among aviation fans of all ages! Operators can be seen flying the model planes on the Walt Disney Studio Burbank lot, performing combat maneuvers and even attempting to land them on the deck of a model recreation of the U.S.S. Some of these amazing features were demonstrated within Disneyland’s Flight Circle, by seasoned aviation enthusiasts and hobby specialists! The little engines turned an amazing 18,500 rpms (revolutions per minute) - that’s 308 revolutions-per-second! In addition, some of their 1950s models could amazingly drop bombs, fire rockets, and even eject parachutes while in flight. In an era of light-weight balsa wood model planes, Wen-Mac airplanes were described as “perfectly engineered…a plane easy to fuel and fly without any of the tedious and painstaking construction work necessary in the past.” According to Disneylander (January, 1958), “The McRoskey’s, Len and Jack, began their fabulous climb to becoming the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer.”īy this time, Wen-mac’s plastic models (with miniature fuselages and wings), were powered by a real internal combustion engine (housing a piston, spark plug, crank shaft, and connecting rod). In addition to these mechanized construction toys, Wen-Mac was currently manufacturing “‘ready-to-fly’ all-plastic planes,” which were started by the pull of an automatic recoil cable.
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