The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (74 page)

This little stand has been at
Disneyland
since
Opening Day
in 1955.  It’s unique in that it’s the only
Disneyland
store with counters both inside
and
outside the park.  Located immediately within
Disneyland Park
’s
Main Entry Turnstiles
, just south of the
West Entrance Tunnel
, it has a window that extends past the gate, thereby serving Guests who’ve just entered the park, as well as those who’ve just exited.  For a tiny place, it’s incredibly convenient!

If you’ve just entered the park and you absolutely cannot wait to buy a
Disneyland
souvenir, head on over to the
Newsstand
.  If you either don’t want or can’t afford to enter
Disneyland Park
, you can still purchase a little keepsake at the
Newsstand
’s exterior counter.  If you’re exhausted and half-asleep and you just left the park for the day, and you suddenly realize, “Oh no, I forgot to get anything for Aunt Mildred!” don’t worry, you don’t have to go back into the park and back to
Main Street
, or brave the roiling crowds at the
World of Disney
store; just stroll over to the
Newsstand
.

Although its wares are limited to a small sampling of T-shirts, hats, postcards,
keychains, pens, and other
tchotchkes
, it’s prices are typically low, making it a great stop for kids or Guests on a tight budget looking for a souvenir for themselves or someone back home.

In addition to being a store, the
Newsstand
is an important parcel pick-up spot for the park.  If you purchased bulky, heavy, fragile, or precious items that you don’t want to drag around the park or put in a locker, check them at the
Newsstand
, then stop here to pick them up when you leave the park.

Silhouette Studio

[
FastView:
 
Artists capture your kids, your family, or yourself at this moment in time, and frame the image forever.  One of the park’s most popular souvenirs.
]

Launching in the summer of 1956, a year after
Disneyland
opened, this tiny jewel occupies a small space between the
China Closet
to the north and the
Crystal Arts
store to the south.

Silhouettes are portraits that capture the outline of a person or object, traditionally cut freehand from black paper or cardboard and then displayed on a light background for maximum contrast and impact.  Originating in the 18
th
century, silhouettes could be astonishingly detailed and stylish, and were far more affordable than painted portraiture.  Even after photography was invented and became a common way to preserve people’s images, silhouette portraits retained their affordability and popularity.

At this
late Victorian-era
Main Street
studio, you can have your profile immortalized forever by talented silhouette artists who cut your profile from black paper in only moments.  It’s one of the most economical and most meaningful
Disneyland
souvenirs you’ll find.  At around $9.45 per person, and about $11 per frame, a family of four can elegantly freeze-frame themselves, posed together, for a reasonable fee.  Solitary subjects walk out the door with their silhouette for $9.45, about $21 with frame.

Are you or your child big fans of
Mickey
or
Minnie
?  Ask about having the famous mice’s silhouettes included in the portrait!

The only drawback at this location is the slight square footage; try back another time if there are a lot of Guests waiting.  Early in the morning when the park opens, or mid-afternoon when
many Guests filter out after the mid-afternoon
Parade
, are good times to sit for your silhouette portrait. 
Kid’s Eye View:
Old-fashioned and cool, but it takes awhile.

20
th
Century Music Company

[
FastView:
 
There’s a lot to appreciate in this tiny shop, a wealth of
Disney
books, CDs, DVDs, and games.  You can also ask CM’s to check when your favorite
Disney
film is due to leave
the vault
.
]

The
20
th
Century Music Company
occupies two handsome but narrow buildings just south of the
Main Street Cinema
and north of the
Main Street Magic Shop
.

The
music shop exteriors are charming.  The northern structure is shaded by a striped awning, above which hangs a sign bearing the store’s name and an old-time gramophone (which was cutting edge technology in its day).  The southern building’s sign proudly proclaims “
New Sounds for a New Century
” meaning, of course, the 20
th
century.  Above the sign, colorful flowers bloom in homey window boxes.  Windows at the ground level showcase vintage sheet music and musical instruments.

Guests
enter through the street door or via the adjacent
Main Street Magic Shop
.  Only slightly larger than the
Magic Shop
, the
20
th
Century Music Company
still manages to pack a lot more than music within its walls.

This is the best place in the park to search for
Disney
DVDs, CDs, and sheet music.  The store also sells a limited selection of
Disney
books, usually a blend of tried-and-true favorites and
Disney Editions
’ newest releases.

Looking for a
Disney
DVD that you don’t see on display?  Ask the Cast Member behind the counter about it.  They have access to a master list of which
Disney
films are in release and which are in the
Vault
.  What the heck is the
Vault
, you ask?  It’s the
magic
limbo where
Disney
films wait between releases.

While
Disney
films are in the
Vault
, you can’t buy them new; you can only track down used copies online or through your local sellers.  If the movie you want is in the
Vault
, Cast Members can tell you when it’s scheduled for release and you can plan accordingly.

Service in
20
th
Century Music Company
is typically warm and Cast Members are knowledgeable.  It’s a nice place to browse when it’s not crowded.  Whether you’re looking for the latest
Phineas and Ferb
DVD or a collection of classic
Disney
songs, you can’t do better than to meander in here.

Although it looks like it’s been a part of
Disneyland
forever, the
20
th
Century Music Company
didn’t open its doors until 1999.  In the decade prior to that you could purchase
Disney
memorabilia at this location, and from 1955 to 1990 it was the
Fine Tobacco
shop.

We might find it hard to believe in this virulently non-smoking world, but Guests from the 1950’s through 1990 could stroll into
Fine Tobacco
to purchase the materials for their nicotine fix.  In the early days of
Disneyland
, smoking was pervasive throughout America and its health hazards weren’t widely understood even by the medical community.  Many of the park’s early Guests would’ve smoked like chimneys, as
Walt
did.

Today,
smoking is restricted to three authorized sites within the park, one in
New Orleans Square
, one in
Frontierland
, and one in
Fantasyland
.  Tobacco products aren’t sold anywhere within
Disneyland Park
, so if you’re a smoker, remember to bring your own supplies, or hit the 7-Eleven at
Katella
and
Harbor
before your park visit.

The one clue that the
20
th
Century Music Company
once housed a purveyor of fine tobaccos is the vintage wooden Indian statue out front on the curb.  Many Guests stop to pose for photos with this classic cigar store Indian.

On one visit, my family and I watched a talented Cast Member put on an impromptu performance; she stood next to the Indian statue and pretended to be a statue herself. 
She drew a crowd; Guests teased her, trying to get her to move or blink, but she stayed frozen for a long time.  Just another example of the spontaneous entertainment that permeates the park! 
Disneyland Mission:
  Can you and your group find the other cigar store Indian in
Disneyland
?
Kid’s Eye View:
  A great place to buy
Disney
DVDs, CDs, and books!

Grub:

Blue Ribbon Bakery
  [Closed Jan 2012]

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.  This entry appears here for readers interested in
Disneyland
history.  The
Blue Ribbon Bakery
was absorbed into the
Carnation Café
.
]

A number of the shops and restaurants along
Main Street
have distinctive aromas; for the
Blue Ribbon Bakery
, it was a mélange of fresh-brewed coffee and rich pastries that drew Guests in off the street.

On my very first visit to
Disneyland
in March 2006, my brother introduced me to the
Blue Ribbon Bakery
and its iconic black-and-white frosted
Mickey Cookies
.

Anchoring the southwest corner of
Main
and
Center
, the bakery was adjacent to the
Carnation Café
to the south, and connected to the
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor
to the north.  You couldn’t miss the bakery; you just followed your nose, and looked for the giant carved wooden coffee cup sign, complete with eternally transfixed wisps of steam drifting up from the cup.

The
Blue Ribbon Bakery
opened in 1990, originally located where the
Gibson Girl Ice Cream
Parlor
is today.  In 1990 the southwest corner of
Center
and
Main
was held by the
Carnation Ice Cream Parlor
.  In 1997,
Blue Ribbon
took the corner, and the
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor
opened in the vacated space.

Despite its relatively modern pedigree, the
Blue Ribbon Bakery
was pure, delectable nostalgia.  Inside the bakery you found an attractive brick interior with polished brass rails, pots, utensils, and bakery molds.  The
Blue Ribbon
got the look of an old-time bakery just right, and got the scents right, too; you smelled coffee brewing, as well as muffins, cookies, and croissants baking.  You actually saw the Cast Members placing pastries into the ovens, and withdrawing perfectly baked batches.

Behind gleaming glass counters we
re trays of the afore-mentioned
Mickey Cookies
, Tollhouse cookies, muffins, meganormous cinnamon buns, crispy treats, biscotti, etc.  There was also a choice of fresh fruits for the healthy set.  In addition to pastries, the Cast Members prepared tasty sandwiches.

There we
re two downsides to the
Blue Ribbon Bakery
, and they seemed to be related.  One:  except for the very early morning hours and off-season weekdays, lines were usually extremely long, not only because the food and drink here were popular, but two:  for some unfathomable reason, many Cast Members staffing the counter tended to move at the pace of molasses.

Guests
visited the
Blue Ribbon Bakery
for the intoxicating aromas and old-time ambience, and braved the line to enjoy the tasty coffee drinks and pastries.  Delays aside, once you received your food and your beverage, they were delicious, and your long wait seemed unimportant.