A Reminiscence: Welch's Grape Juice In Fantasyland

[RegionsBeyond]

Growing up, I was at the right age directly to experience most notably the 'New Fantasyland' of 1983, as opposed to the prior 'tournament tent' version, but my strongest early memory of the area is from before the '83 redo, of an element that dates back to 1955: having a ice cold grape juice (in a plastic cup shaped like a bunch of grapes, even!) from the Fantasyland Welch's stand. It was opposite the Skyway, if I am remembering correctly, and I may even have been still sipping the juice as we swung out over the park and neared the Matterhorn and the roaring abominable snowman, a part that always made me nervous when I was young - against the rules, no food and drink allowed!

I don't have a clear mental image of the location, however, so this picture is a treat:


Welch's Grape Juice at Disneyland 1955 by Miehana, on Flickr

I can only assume it looked mostly like that when I remember procuring the delicious beverage, and continued to do so till it closed. The mural of Fantasia characters was designed by Sleeping Beauty lead designer Eyvind Earle, who also was the inspiration for the artistic style of the original Castle walk-through and it's newest refurbishment.

Who else remembers fondly this little extinct bit of park history? The location was replaced, along with the indoors theater, for the construction of Pinocchio's Daring Journey.

[whitestrat]

Oh man! I totally remember those cups shaped like a bunch of grapes!

That mad the juice so much more exciting to a young lad!

[swampymarsh]

Those minotuars really jog my memory.

[Elias1955]

Check out that Fantasia mural behind the counter!

[Mr Wiggins]

Thanks for a great thread, RB!! Brings back wonderful memories of frozen grape juice bars on hot summer days.

About the location -- if you entered the pre-1983 Fantasyland and walked northwest, passing Snow White on your left and the Carousel on your right (the Carousel was then much closer to the Castle), the Welch's Grape Juice counter would be on your left, between Snow White and the Mickey Mouse Club Theater (later renamed Fantasyland Theater). Welch's and the Theater were roughly where Pinocchio is now. It sold grape juice and frozen grape juice bars. Yesterland and Daveland have pictures that show its location.

[whitestrat]

It's amazing that in the Disneyland of yore, a simple refreshment stand had a wonderful Eyvand Earle mural on the wall!

[RegionsBeyond]

Indeed, there were (still are) some great pieces of art scattered around the park: the old Mary Blair Tomorrowland mosaic murals come to mind. They weren't precisely futuristic, but was still sad to see those go. The Pirates 'pirate maiden' painting in the skeleton caves section might still be a original Marc Davis, I've heard varying reports on that.

[whitestrat]

Same with reports of Mary's murals still being behind the ones that are up there now. It always seemed amazing that they would destroy them, but then again, it doesn't.

[monster heck]

AWESOME! I remember having this as a kid with my parents.

[NDNation]

I had forgotten all about the grape juice stand! And as much as I loved the juice itself, I think I loved the big, round dispensers even more. They made the juice seem so enticing.

[MickeyMaxx]

For the life of me, I don't remember this. Must have been to "ride" oriented. Had I ever seen it, for sure I would have visited it often. My mom had to set a limit of one small juice glass a day of grape juice when I was a kid. Otherwise, I would have consumed the whole bottle in one sitting.

Great photo and link and Wiggin's additional links are appreciated, too!

Thanks for this thread!

[ttrocc7007]

Regions,
I've posted here quite a few times about one of my favorite memories of hot summers in Anaheim being kids running around with purple lips and mouths from those luscious frozen grape pops.
the Fantasyland Theater was one of the few places in the Park that was not only air conditioned, but with the films running on a loop it was not time limited. you could go in and sit as long as you cared to without being booted out.
When the temperature reached up into the hundreds, there was no better way to spend an hour than bugging your parents for a grape ice pop, and taking a seat inside the Fantasyland theater. Since I was 12 by the time I made my first visit, I found the stuff they played in the theater far too juvenile for my own tastes and after an hour I would beat it out of there.
When I was growing up on the east coast I spent a few summers up in western New York which is still the prime growing region for Welch's concord grapes. The place I used to stay and work had several acres of active concord vines (and still does). There is nothing in this world quite like a concord grape right off the vine. Each one is like biting into a full jar of Welch's grape jelly!

[Ortizmo2000]

This must still have been around in the 70's as it all looks extremely familiar to me.

[peoplemover]

One of my favorite stops in the park! I loved the mural and since my family frowned on soda, I drank a LOT of Welches grape juice and Sunkist orange juice while in the park! Now I want to visit the pirate ship and have a tuna sandwich...

[dsny1mom]

My brother just gave me an incredibly well perseved wrapper from a DL Welches grape juice bar. I'm amazed he has kept it since the 1950s or 60s. He sure did love those bars and the purple lips they gave him!

dsny1mom