Maps! The Magic Kingdom, 1989

By Michael - August 13th, 2009

The Magic Kingdom, 1989

Look! Skyway! 20K! Birthdayland! No Splash Mountain!

And if you squint, the unmolested Tiki Room. Ahh, 1989.

9 comments to Maps! The Magic Kingdom, 1989

Kipp

August 14, 2009 at 11:34 am · Reply

Also notice that The Emporium doesn’t take up the entire west side of the street, there was actually an intersection on Main Street back then!

I also like the Mail Drop locations… I wonder how much those were ever used…
Bob

August 14, 2009 at 7:59 pm · Reply

Trees in the Hub!
Walter

August 15, 2009 at 1:19 am · Reply

I actually think those mail boxes were, and still are, used quite a lot (where else could you send those wonderful postcards). I think there was even a special “Walt Disney World” postmark that was highly values, but has since become “Lake Buena Vista” or even “Orlando.”
Hoot Gibson

August 17, 2009 at 8:47 pm · Reply

YES! This map was from my generation! I love your blog!
Michael

August 18, 2009 at 8:23 pm · Reply

Yeah Hoot, these are “my” maps too. That art style still gets me way more excited and gives that Disney “vibe” better than the maps today.

And thanks everyone for pointing out the other details – I hadn’t thought about the trees, or the fact that Center Street was still there. Those were the days!

I did notice all the mail drop locations – I had to zoom in to remove the center crease from the image and was shocked at all the mail envelopes lining the street. Then again, back in the day Disney sold many different postcards featuring a range of attractions and vistas. Now they’re mostly generic character cards, and fairly hard to find at that!
Another Voice

August 18, 2009 at 11:31 pm · Reply

The lack of post cards I don’t really blame Disney for…these days it’s a quick picture taken with a cell phone e-mailed back home. How about the ‘Two Hour Photo Express’ locations as well.

Personally, I wish they’d bring back the ViewMasters.
Michael

August 19, 2009 at 12:08 am · Reply

True, true. It’s definitely a societal change that’s behind it and not some marketing caprice. Still, I’d love to have some retro postcards to buy. 🙂 Some of us luddites still enjoy putting pen to paper!
Another Voice

August 19, 2009 at 11:54 am · Reply

The bigger issue in all of this is that in the quest for “merchandise”, Disney has dropped real “souvenirs” – those small trinkets that people funnel all their memories of a trip into. The trinkets that make people want to go back to a place again. How many people have a little figurine that brings back a flood of emotions when they see it? How many kids spent hours and hours pouring over those big wall maps, endlessly plotting about what they’d do the next time they visit? And, as Walt said, how many people let those picture books on their coffee table to show friends?

These days we get $800 ‘Stitch rides the Teacups’ polystyrene figures and $50 ‘I’m Grumpy Because I’m with Doopie’ handbags. Disney continues to play to their captive audience and ignore normal people.
Michael

August 19, 2009 at 9:22 pm · Reply

Indeed. I know I’ve railed against the merch issue before, but replacing “souvenirs” with “merchandise” is the perfect way to put it. There’s precious little in the WDW stores anymore that you can’t find in regular retail stores at home, and that’s why I hardly buy anything anymore. It’s amazing to realize the very specific, diverse merchandise that used to exist.