Step back in time to visit Disneyland 50 years ago

September 1, 2026, 3:07 PM · Yesterday, I posted my family's old Super 8 home movies from what is now Universal Studios Hollywood. Today, let's head down the 5 for a trip to Disneyland.

Two trips, actually. Today's home movies include trips from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The earlier one might be my first-ever visit to Disneyland.

Again, these were shot back in the days when stuff was shot on film. You had only a limited amount of film in each reel, so most people would not think of filming entire parades or attractions. You got a few seconds of your loved ones in the special environment, and that was it, as you tried to conserve that expensive film. (You had to pay again to have it developed, too.)

So that's what you should expect from these home movies. But you can get glimpses of the Rivers of America back in the day, as well as the old Jungle Cruise, Tomorrowland with its working PeopleMover, and the Skyway going through the Matterhorn. The clips ends with a healthy amount of coverage of the Mickey's Character Parade, which ran at the park in the early 1970s.

Tomorrow, let's head across the country to Florida for a visit to Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent, now known as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Yesterday: Step back in time to visit Universal Studios in 1974

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