On Top of the World!

 

Top of the World matchbook

The current California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort was originally the Top of the World restaurant and entertainment venue until 1993.

  

This matchbook features the original Big D/Globe Head logo in gold on the front and the early Contemporary Resort logo on both sides.

The First Postcard

Contemporary Resort
pre-opening postcard
(Fl-024)

It all started with a....postcard.  This pre-opening postcard of the Contemporary Resort is sequentially the first postcard created for the 1971 opening of Walt Disney World.  Why Fl-024 if it is the first card?  Great question.  My research has yet to figure that one out.  You can read more about these early postcards at WDW in Postcards.

Bob, Bob, Bob....

Water Recreation
pre-opening postcard
(FL-026)

Sorry, Al, the girl in the picture does not come with the hotel.  At least that is Bob's joke on this pre-opening WDW postcard.  But there are "...many like her down here asking for you."  The postcard was created prior to the 1971 opening (notice the future tense in the text) but Bob's visit and stay in the Contemporary was in March of 1973.

Better Than Waiting on Hold?

Hotel Reservation Card
1975

In 1975, you used a card to 'reserve your corner of the world.'  Mailing in your reservation may not as efficient as online but look at those prices!

The resort hotels included: Contemporary ($42-$56), Polynesian Village ($42-$50), and Golf Resort Hotel ($42-$50).  Fort Wilderness Campground Resort ($12) and the Lake Buena Vista Vacation Villas ($50-$77) and Treehouses ($85-$95) could also be reserved.  The Lake Buena Vista Hotel Plaza, which included the Dutch Inn, Howard Johnson's, Royal Plaza and TraveLodge were listed as back ups if the WDW resorts were full.

Walt Disney World Sucrology

Dixie Crystals Sugar Packet

Apparently, people collect lots of interesting thing.  (Who am I to judge, right?)  But in looking for information about these items, I learned of Sucrology, "the hobby of collecting sugar sachets and/or packets."  Thank you, Wikipedia.


Here is a set of Dixie Crystals sugar packets, "The Official Sugar in Walt Disney World."  The set contains seven different packets.  Each packet has a photo from WDW on one side and the globe head logo on both.  I'm not sure when these packets were made but the images do contain the Walt Disney Productions copyright which I don't seem to find on the earlier 70's items.

The packets feature some great shots of The Magic Kingdom: The Hall of Presidents, Cinderella Castle, Rivers of America and Main Street USA, as well as The Contemporary Resort.  You can see another set of these on Flickr, posted by Sucrologist, Sugar Packet Chad.

The Start of My Collection

Walt Disney's Donald Duck
Coloring Book Page
1972

So my love for Donald and the early Walt Disney World logo may come directly from these pages.  The book itself, "Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Donald Duck's Camper USA," is long gone,  but I did save these few pages that reference WDW.  The book was published in 1972 but from my handwriting and expert coloring, I must have colored it in the mid to late '70s. 

4th of July, Walt Disney World Style

World magazine, 1977
pg. 26

Happy 4th of July, Walt Disney World style.  "When it comes to entertainment at Walt Disney World, your convention and banquet entertainment is limited only by your group's imagination."  Clearly the group in the picture above had some wild patriotic ideas.  This photo, from the 1977 World magazine, is taken from the Convention Magic section.  You can see more details, and awesome 70's photos, from the magazine in earlier posts: Welcome to Our World & The Other Side of the World.

Riding Thru the Contemporary Resort

Riding Thru the Contemporary Resort
pre-opening postcard
(FL-025)

This pre-opening postcard shows an artist rendering of the Contemporary Resort and the monorail leaving it on the "Highway in the Sky."  

This version has the standard globe head logo.  There are other versions of this card that contain the Florida Flag logo.  

There are also editions of this postcard that refer to the Tempo Bay Resort, the once potential name for the Contemporary.  

You can read more about this pre-opening card on Big Brian's blog.

WDW Souvenir Catalog 4

Gift Catalog, pg 10
1976

These final pages of the 1976 gift catalog have some excellent logo items.  The Dinnerware, Thermo Assortment, and Carry-All Bag are all fairly common finds.  If you have any of these items or remember them from the 70's, please feel free to share your thoughts. 

Postcard #1?

Contemporary Resort
pre-opening postcard
(Fl-024)

It all started with a....postcard.  This pre-opening postcard of the Contemporary Resort is sequentially the first postcard created for the 1971 opening of Walt Disney World.  Why Fl-024 if it is the first card?  Great question.  My research has yet to figure that one out.  You can read more about these early postcards at WDW in Postcards.

Best of 2015

Walt Disney World: a coloring book
Golden, 1983

Based on the popularity of Adult Coloring Books this year, it should be no surprise that the most popular items from my blog in 2015 were from the 1983 Walt Disney World: a coloring book posts.

Coloring Main Street - March 21

Coloring Frontierland - March 27

Coloring Long Lost Attractions - April 3
 

Coming in a close second to the coloring book posts, was the Water Recreation pre-opening postcard that Bob sent his friend Al.  If you missed it, you can revisit it at this link: Sorry, Al - August 7.

Sorry, Al

Water Recreation
pre-opening postcard
(FL-026)

Sorry, Al, the girl in the picture does not come with the hotel.  At least that is Bob's joke on this pre-opening WDW postcard.  But there are "...many like her down here asking for you."  The postcard was created prior to the 1971 opening (notice the future tense in the text) but Bob's visit and stay in the Contemporary was in March of 1973.

Happy 4th of July

World magazine, 1977
pg. 26

Happy 4th of July, Walt Disney World style.  "When it comes to entertainment at Walt Disney World, your convention and banquet entertainment is limited only by your group's imagination."  Clearly the group in the picture above had some wild patriotic ideas.  This photo, from the 1977 World magazine, is taken from the Convention Magic section.  You can see more details, and awesome 70's photos, from the magazine in earlier posts: Welcome to Our World & The Other Side of the World.

Contemporary Class

Contemporary Resort matchbook

Nothing says class more than gold tipped matches.  This 80's matchbook from the Contemporary Resort is an upgrade from the earlier orange edition.  This book certainly matches (pun intended) the grandeur of the original WDW icon.