Just when you thought the vault of strange Disney Parks moments had been emptied, we’re back with another batch of delightful oddities. From executive stunts on iconic mountains to character appearances so niche they practically vanished overnight. Buckle up: the weird, the wacky, and the wonderfully obscure are all just ahead, revealing a different layer of magic from Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Frank G. Wells, Alpinist
Frank Wells served as the President of The Walt Disney Company alongside CEO Michael Eisner from 1984 until his untimely passing in 1994. Beyond his corporate achievements, Wells was an avid mountaineer who attempted to climb the Seven Summits, successfully scaling all but Mount Everest due to bad weather. He even scaled Disneyland’s own highest peak, the Matterhorn, during a special event in 1989:
Next time you hop aboard your own Matterhorn bobsled, keep an eye out for the “Wells Expedition” crate within the Yeti’s lair, paying homage to the late great mountaineer.
SandWITCH?
For my fellow Disney Channel online gamers, this may look like a massive stack from Experiment 625’s sandwich stacking game — because that’s what I thought at first. No, this peculiar float was part of America on Parade, which performed at both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom from June 1975 through September 1976 during the American Bicentennial celebration.
Image courtesy of D23
One of the more bizarre elements of America on Parade was a float depicting the Salem Witch Trials. While official materials downplayed the theme, it was hard to miss: the float featured a giant-headed figure being “dunked” in water, referencing the infamous and absurd practice of determining if someone was a witch by seeing whether they floated (resulting in many innocent people drowning).
Image courtesy of DisneyPix
Thankfully, not all the floats were quite so strange. Others included more straightforward historical scenes, such as Betsy Ross sewing the American flag in an oversized rocking chair, a stagecoach symbolizing westward expansion… and perhaps the grandest sandwich ever featured in a Disney theme park.
N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E C-L-U-B
Today’s cover image is from an official meetup of the Mickey Mouse Club from the 1930s. Honestly, this looks like a scene straight out of a horror movie. Imagine if Ben Cooper Mickey Mouse masks took off instead of all the ear caps and headbands we see today? Would the world feel a little more or less scary? You decide.
Flight 1401 Cleared for Cuteness
Okay, we need some eye candy after that last one… How about 1980s EPCOT spacesuit Mickey and a couple of shiny Star Wars droids at Disneyland?
It doesn’t get much better than this. The adorable galactic trio posed for a quick pic during the opening of Star Tours at Disneyland Park; a character combination snapshot that likely didn’t (and will never) happen again.
Okay, but how about Luke, some Ewoks, Minnie, Mickey, C-3PO, and R2-D2 accompanying Michael Eisner and George Lucas at the ribbon-sabering?
I hope these wacky glimpses into Disney’s past brightened up your day (and didn’t give you too much nightmare fuel)! That’s all for now, but let’s do this again sometime.
All images featured are owned by The Walt Disney Company, unless otherwise stated
