This is a toy I got for Christmas years ago. I was weirdly fascinated by it and convinced my parents to buy one on eBay for me. It wasn't very expensive, and it looks like you can still buy one for cheap now! Overall, this playset is an interesting representation of the park that takes some liberties but is overall more faithful to the real layout than toys made now. As the logo states, it was a Sears exclusive. This is the box that it came in.
The set is made up of a mat with plastic figurines and objects on it.
My favorite building of the set is the train station. The modern Disneyland logo in the flowers seems to recall Nara Dreamland... and yes, that is a Keel Boat in the Jungle Cruise!
The main street buildings are not in the right position, but this block's architecture matches the park. You can see the Candy Palace on the right, and I give them accolades for including both the Crystal and Penny Arcades! :-D
The left block doesn't seem as accurate, but they have a "Juice Bar." The purple coloring of the building seems to suggest grape juice, but with the Welch's stand being in Fantasyland, this should probably be the Sunkist Citrus House. Yep, I was thinking about this in fifth grade. Note the omnibus!
Like all of the structures, Sleeping Beauty Castle is a shell that weighs almost nothing.
Adventureland's only attraction is the Keelboat Cruise. I mean, there's no Rivers of America, but still...
Frontierland has the stockade, a teepee w/ Indian, a sheriff's office w/ sheriff, and a wagon with a crooked horse from being kept in an attic (not mine!).
Obviously, Fantasyland isn't behind the Castle. Dumbo, which spins around, has a capacity here that rivals the Haunted Mansion. I'm not sure about the antique cars included. I put them on Main Street, which makes the most sense, but the box has them in Fantasyland. It's supposed to be Mr. Toad, I guess - but they look nothing like that attraction's ride vehicles, past or present.
Tomorrowland, like the park at opening, is the most spartan. This building has always interested me. I've seen it at least once on old ephemera (which I can't find now), but I'm pretty sure that it was never in the park in real life. The souvenirs that I saw looked to be from the 50s or 60s, too, so I find it weird that they would include it in a toy made in the 80s.
6 comments:
Andrew, as a kid I would've LOVED playing with this! Your Disney set is much better than anything I ever had. I remember having a Disney clear-plastic castle (maybe 2 feet wide x 1 foot high when "closed") that opened up and came with about 40 different Disney characters -- each about an inch high, made out of a hard plastic and each colorfully painted. I LOVED playing with that set. I've seen the little characters sell on ebay for a small fortune - but I've never seen the clear-plastic castle for sale. Wish I would've kept that. I enjoyed this post!
Sue
That poor horse...
That sounds like something a kid could get a lot of enjoyment out of, Sue! And I mourn for the horse every day. :*\
What a great play set! I wonder if the cars in Fantasyland, were supposed to be the Fantasyland Autopia or the long-extinct Midget Autopia?
I noticed that the Disney characters in the set, appear to be identical to the old "Disneykin" figures, which were made by Marx:
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FcS_p_XMyE/XE2IDY0uALI/AAAAAAAAQyE/dAzBZJO3_JkGw_P9l4DLQaG-ML_jaYYzwCLcBGAs/s1600/Herbie%2B%252830%2529.jpg
Is there a date, or a manufacturer listed on the box?
I think the cars in Fantasyland were just a "throw 'em where there's room" kind of thing, TokyoMagic. That's awesome how the figures here were part of a larger collection! Thanks for pointing that out. As for a date or manufacturer, there is a contents sheet that I've seemed to misplaced now, but there's another eBay listing that backs up my estimate of the 1980s, saying 1988. Thanks for the comment!
Andrew, if memory serves me right, it's your BIRTHDAY, today - July 10! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I hope you have some fun plans for your special day!
Sue
P.S. If I have the date wrong, please let me know.
No, you're right, Sue. Thank you, it means a lot to me. :-D
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