How Much Postage?

 

Ready to Mail Jigsaw Puzzle

With the mess that the USPS is going thru right now, I'm not sure I would trust this to make it to its destination but what a great souvenir.  I love the Big D logo curved on the front and in its traditional form on the back (mailing side).
There is no registered trademark on the logo and so I am assuming this piece is from the early '70's.  It still has the original price tag on the bottom of $1.50. (less than a nice postcard today)

Wigwams and Ducks?

Wacky Wigwam
Parker Brothers, 1972

Wigwams and ducks? Interesting topics for an early Walt Disney World game, right? This 1972 Parker Brothers game is labeled as "A Walt Disney World Game", although there is no reference to the resort in the game itself. 

The object: be the first to cover all of your ducks under wigwams.  First, cover all of the ducks based on the number shown on the spinner.  Then fun begins by trying to find your opponents' ducks and uncovering them first. 

The game was made in Canada, thus (instructions en francais a l'interieur).  The back shows two other WDW games that I am on the lookout for now.

Thanks to my daughter for testing this game with me.  (I won)

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. 

Disney Ducklings

Minute Maid orange soda can
Huey, Dewey & Louie, 1986

All this month I have been sharing soda cans from Coca-cola's celebration of Walt Disney World's 15th Anniversary that featured EPCOT.  To close out the month and celebrate Easter, I thought it fitting to share these 'mischievous little' ducklings, Huey, Dewey & Louie.  Like their Uncle Donald, they are on a black Minute Maid orange soda can.

Coloring Frontierland

Walt Disney World: a coloring book
Frontierland, 1983

As we continue our tour through Walt Disney World: a coloring book, Mickey and Minnie lead us into Frontierland.  There are 14 pages for the Old West, several featuring characters exploring Tom Sawyer Island.  Grandma Duck is giving her disapproving glare, this time at a dancer from the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon in the last image from this section.
Liberty Square only gets 8 pages to show off their few attractions.  Donald is shaking Lincoln's hand in the Hall of Presidents and Morty & Ferdie are running from the Haunted Mansion ghosts.

Coloring Main Street

Walt Disney World: a coloring book
Main Street U.S.A., 1983

Main Street, U.S.A. is the perfect place to start our tour through "Walt Disney World: a coloring book" that I introduced last week.  Each land has a section showing characters interacting with attractions in the respective area.  Peter Pan & company are checking out the shops, Goofy & Donald are trying their hand at firefighting and Mickey is taking Minnie on a date to the Crystal Palace.  These are just 4 of the 12 pages highlighting  turn of the century fun on Main Street, U.S.A.

Heading clockwise around the hub, Adventureland is the next stop.  Mickey & Minnie are the first brave souls to enter past the tiki gods.  Of course, you will find Mowgli & Baloo there, along with the Three Cabelleros.  Adventure can happen in any type of jungle, right?  Then there is adventure on the high seas in Pirates of the Caribbean.  Check out Grandma Duck scolding the pirates.  

The Mickey Mouse Revue

The Mickey Mouse Revue postcard
01110235 dp 79914-c

The Dexter Press postcard series continues its tour of Fantasyland with this opening day attraction, The Mickey Mouse Revue.  You can see more images and learn some of the history behind this original E-ticket attraction at Walt Dated World.

Happy Birthday(land) Mickey!

McDonald's Happy Meal Box
Mickey's Birthdayland, 1988

This week marks Mickey's 85th birthday.  For his 60th birthday in 1988, Walt Disney World celebrated with what was going to be a temporary area in the Magic Kingdom called Mickey's Birthdayland set in the town of Duckburg.  You can read more the history of this area at Walt Dated World. 

McDonald's joined in the celebration with this Happy Meal box from 1989.  The Big D/Globe Head logo was used on the top.  Each side contained activities and/or punch out characters.  The toy was one of the Fab 5 in a  'pull-back racer.'  You can see the racers and a slight variation on this box in this commercial.

Look Out Donald

Walt Disney World Florida Tray

Mickey & friends take a day at the Florida beach on this 10 3/4" black metal tray from Walt Disney World.  The original castle logo marks the spot for the Vacation Kingdom along with many other popular tourist spots of the 1970's.  Don't get too close to the water, Donald.  Looks like you already lost one of your nephews.

Turn and Learn About the Walt Disney World That Never Was

Mickey Mouse and his Friends in Walt Disney World
Ideal Toy Corp., 1971

This unique pre-school 'Turn and Learn Storybook' was produced by the Ideal Toy Corp. in 1971.  It measures 11.5" x 9.5" when closed. The wheels turn and create images that correspond to the story when the numbers are lined up in the center picture frame.

The story follows Donald and his nephews thru WDW.  But Huey and his new balloon gets whisked up by a gust of wind.  Peter Pan, in order to find him, flys over "The Old Caribbean Village, The North African Market Place, Persia and Italy," locations that were planned but never completed.

Ideal clearly anticipated the completion of these planned resorts, although they were not expected in Phase One.  Based on this oversight and the early Bay Lake logo on the front, I assume this item was developed in early 1971 before WDW opened to the public.