Disney and the McCartney family

 

December 16, 1973 

These photographs are timely because I just returned from my trip to Disneyland in California yesterday.   I have seen close-up photos of Paul and Linda with some Disney characters, but I have previously never seen these that are further back.   I wonder where this took place  They are sitting near a set that has scenes from Pinocchio and behind them is a Winnie the Pooh scene.   There is also a sign from Robin Hood, which Disney had just released in November of 1973.   I also didn't know that Heather,  Mary and Stella were there on set meeting the characters too.  

My Disney holiday

 

Anyone that is a long-time visitor to this little corner of the web, might recall that my two favorite things are The Beatles and Disney.   I will once again be at Walt Disney World Saturday - Thursday.   I have some Beatles photos scheduled to post while I am gone, but I am not going to be able to answer any messages and it might be difficult for me to approve comments.    I will try on my phone.   I wish I could just leave comment approval off, but if you saw how many spam comments I get, you would be shocked.  (I think one day I had 30 of them!!).    

I will keep up with the Beatles' goodness when I return.   

Golden Celebration

 

In 2005-2006 Disney Parks were celebrating the 50th anniversary of Disneyland.   It was called the Golden celebration and all sorts of "golden" things were on display and sold at all of the Disney parks around the world.   

Some Paul fans went to Disneyland in California in November 2005 before the Paul McCartney concert in Anaheim.   They bought a pair of golden Mickey ears and had "Paul" stitched on the back.    Toward the end of the concert,  one of the fans tossed the ears up on the stage and Paul picked them up and put them on.  Goofing around, he put them on Abe's head for a little bit, before putting them back on.  He wore them as he left the stage, as you can see here.   

The fan was wearing her black Mickey ears and Brian Riddle saw her and made a symbol like Mickey ears above his head.  

Take a spin

Julian Lennon and Mal Evans on the Madhatter's teacup spin at Disneyland 1973

We all Stand Together

Ringo's Disney mirrors

One of my most wanted Beatles collectibles would have to be these Disney mirrors put out by Ringo or Robin in the early 1970s.   

The happiest place on Earth!

Photo by Nancy Andrews

By the time you all see this, I will be at Disney World in Florida!   I am setting the scheduler to post some things while  I am gone including some Beatles photos with a Disney theme.   If you have been following this blog since the beginning, you will remember that I love the Beatles and Disney, so you know I am having a great time. 

I am kicking things off with two photos of Ringo at Disneyland in the late 1970s.   I have had these photos in my files for very long time, but just recently figured out that they were taken on the same day. 

Julian likes Donald Duck

Beware my love

When these photos were taken of Wings in January 1976 while they were recording "Beware my Love,"  Paul was seen in several of the photos holding a Sorcerer Mickey Mouse electronic toy.   Since I love to find connections between the members of the Beatles and Disney, this interests me.

I found out the the toy is a Mickey Mouse electronic calculator made in Japan in the 1970's and distributed worldwide called "Mickey Math."    It came with a pouch, instructions and and plug-in adapter, so that you could plug it into the wall or use batteries.   Here is what the calculator looked like.

Used with permission by Flickr's Creative Commons 

I would guess that one of the McCartney girls was playing with this toy and had it laying around the studio at the time of the session.    It looks like one of those toys you would ask your folks for, because it looked cool, but when you got it and realized that it was just math, you never used it.

John Lennon ride the Monorail

I have mentioned many times that my two favorite things are the Beatles and Disney Parks so whenever I can mix the two together, I am a happy person.

We have always known that John, May and Julian went to Orlando, Florida in December 1974 and went to Walt Disney World.   At that time there was only one park on the property, The Magic Kingdom.   They stayed on site, at the Polynesian Hotel.    To get from the Polynesian (both then and today) to the park, the best way to travel is by Monorail.   The train stop is actually right inside of the hotel so that guests do not have to go outside to enter the train.  

Here is what John's room at the Polynesian might have looked like

Photos found at http://www.tikimanpages.com/poly/history/1970s

A couple of shots from 1974 of the monorail entering and exiting the Polynesian

So obviously John and his crew took the Monorails to get to the Magic Kingdom.   Below is a story that I have heard for years about what took place by one of the cast members.

"I met John Lennon at Disney World while working as a monorail operator. He, Julian and May Pang

rode in the front of the monorail on two different occasions with me. I allowed him and Julian to operate the train. The second day John

 came out to the station and actually ask if I was working. He and Julian waited until I arrived in the train and again rode with me and

 drove the train. May Pang took a lot of pictures that day. As they left the train that day John ask if I would like to take some pictures and

 waited while I retrieved a camera. I have a great 8×10 of John Lennon and I together." -Cast Member Hal East

And thanks to the wonderful folks at the John Lennon Lost Weekend Facebook page, that photograph has magical appeared!

You see cast member, Hal standing there in his monorail costume and who is most likely Adam Levey in the background.  Perhaps May Pang took the photo?

May has an interesting tidbit of a memory on one of the rides back to the Poly during that trip:

Riding the Disney World monorail back to our hotel, I overheard a father tell his son he had heard a Beatle was visiting. “Which Beatle?” The father said, “George Harrison." I burst out laughing. John asked why. We then all started laughing so hard that the Dad turned around. It then registered which Beatle was at the park that day - and why we were laughing. “It’s O.K.," John jokingly said, "we all look alike.” -- May Pang

Thanks for Donald

Somehow I think a fan sent Ringo a Donald Duck to help him change his mind about hating the Disney character.    Carol was lucky to get a response back from Ringo!

George at the Happiest place on Earth

I just love this photo of George and Eric Idle along with apparently with some fans  Derek Taylor's wife and kids and Richard Diello at Disneyland in 1977!    I guess Derek Taylor took the photo since it is from a book I want but will never own, Fifty Years Adrift.  From what I understand, George, Peter Sellers, Ravi Shankar and Eric all went to Disneyland.  What a sight that must have been!  They are in Fantasyland near the carousel. 

The happiest place on earth

This new photo was posted on this tumblr page with an explanation that the blogger's grandfather took the photo of John and May while they were watching a parade at Walt Disney World in 1974.   It is truly an amazing photograph!    I am trying to figure out where at WDW they are.   Adventureland maybe?

Jules at Disneyland

You know that nothing makes me happier than combining my two favorite things:  Disney and the Beatles!   In the June/July 1985 issue of "The Write Thing" Don Lehmer posts shared a photo and a little story about meeting Julian Lennon at the happiest place on earth in early 1985.   I totally do remember Julian's performance from Disneyland that year on TV!

Julian and friends at Disneyland.  photo:  D. Lehmer

 My wife Melinda and I decided one day in January to make a mid-week trip to Disneyland for a day of fun.  Little did we think we would meet up with the likes of Julian Lennon.

As we were waiting to board "Big Thunder Mountain," a train-roller coaster type ride, we were told we could sit anywhere in the train car except for the last two rows.  At about the same time I noticed a Disneyland officials with an ear transmitter on who was looking around rather nervously, waiting for our train to arrive.  I told Melinda someone special was probably on the ride and to watch to see who was going to get off.  Lo and behold, Julian and bandmate Justin Clayton  were the "someone special" with two friends, and they liked the ride so much they were going for a second time.  And as luck would have it we were fortunate enough to be seated in front of them.  There was no way we could enjoy the ride just as a ride when everytime I turned around there was Julian!

As we were leaving, I asked him if I could take a snap, which he happily let me do.  I also told him what a great album "Valotte" was and wished him all the best.  We later found out he was in the park to film segments on the 30th anniversary of Disneyland TV special broadcast in February.  What a special day it turned out to be.

Ringo at Disneyland

I can't believe I have never posted this photo on this blog!  It is awesome!   It is in the mid 1970's and Ringo Starr is with his children at my favorite place on earth to be:  Disneyland!    They are walking in New Orleans Square near a gift shop that sells glassware (or at least that is what I think).   Walking with them in the "plaid"  (the cast member that is assigned to escort famous people around the park so that their day at the Disney park is easy) named Nancy Allen.   I love how Ringo is holding Lee's hand.  Is that Zak behind her in the sunglasses?   Where is Jason?   Behind Ringo maybe?   I have no idea who took this photo, but I thank them greatly!

Mary Poppins

Earlier this year, Paul and his family went to see the same Broadway musical that I saw last summer when I was in New York city:  Disney's Mary Poppins!   But Paul was allowed to go backstage and meet the cast, as seen here.   Lucky Mary Poppins kids!

Ringo and Nancy at Disneyland

I was scanned some photos out of Nancy Andrew's book tonight and just thought this photo was beautiful. It isn't a fan photo, but I just loved it too much not to share it. It is Nancy and Ringo at Disneyland and they had just bought hats at a store on Main Street U.S.A.

Disney!

Paul and Linda were on "The Wonder World of Disney" TV programme in 1973

Photos of John, Ed Jesse Davis, Julian and Mal at Disneyland (where I am going to be!) in 1973

John at DisneyWorld in 1974

John and May relaxing at the hotel at DisneyWorld in 1974 (I love how John bought a typical Disney T-shirt!)

Well Beatle friends, I am going on vacation to California and going to Disneyland! Yippie! I LOVE Disney. I went to Disneyworld (Florida) last summer so I am anxious to get to Disneyland. I wont' be updating this blog while I am there, but feel free to email me any photos you may want to share and I will post them when I get back. In the meantime I have added some Disney related Beatles photos. Talk to you in a week!

Love, Sara S.

Mal Evans

Not a true "fan photo" but still one of my favorites. Julian and Mal in the Teacups at Disneyland in 1973. Photo taken by May Pang.


George and Mal during the Sgt. Pepper era



Paul and Mal with fans during the Sgt. Pepper time

I love Mal Evans. After the 4 Beatles, Mal is my next favorite Beatles person. He just seemed so kind and caring. You read these stories about fans waiting outside EMI and Mal would bring them tea and chat with them about what the Beatles were doing that night in the studio. I would love to see some of the photos of Mal fans have taken back during that time. Mal spoke at the 1974 Beatlefest in NYC. According to what I have read, he was really nervous and was oinly going to show some home videos he made and leave. But he got such a warm reception from the fans that he stayed and talked for a long time. I would love photos from that as well. I think I mostly love Mal because he reminds me of my Grandpa who passed away in 1994. They look similar....same glasses, height and weight. Same look in their eyes that tells you that when you peel away the rough exterior, there is a true teddy bear inside.