Rides - Whitney Years
1950's
The 1950's brought the demise of THREE Playland icons... The Chutes, Big Dipper and Back Lot attractions.
This was a decade condensing Playland. Post Chutes and Big Dipper removal, everything moved forward to the Great Highway frontage blocks. The back lot would become basically a parking lot.
It was, OUT WITH THE OLD and in with the new.... Old Looff/Friedle built rides of the 20's gave way to the "Portable" Carnival type rides. This increased ride variety and kept the decade fresh with constant rotating new rides. No one seemed to mind the loss of the Back Lot, the Chutes or the Big Dipper. Whitney's kept the rides and entertainment flowing....
Many seaside amusement parks were following in Playland's foosteps in the 50's... Downsizing, condensing and removing the big old clunky rides. But the loss of Playland two major attractions, may have been too much..
In 1955, everything changed, Disneyland opened.... it was a game changer! Where many parks were scaling back and adding Portable carnival rides, Disney was building old school permanent rides on a grand scale. By the end of the decade, Playland had lost it's Victorian Seaside appearance and big ticket attractions gave way to Carnival rides. Compared to Disneyland, Playland started to look more like Carnival, than an amusement park... Disneyland thrived, while Playland's numbers dived...
The 50's opened with the Edgewater ballroom which replaced Topsy's in 1946. The Chutes can down early in 1950 and the Chutes block was remodeled with new Hey Dey ride, Dark Mystery and Diving Bell. This closed down those attraction on the back lot.....
Flies for the last time before being removed in 1951
In 1952, Barnum at the Beach takes over Edgewater Ballroom. The Rotor ride comes for 3-4 years. Big Dipper gets a fresh new paint job around 1954.
Left takes you onto the ride. Right takes you up to observation deck
Riders
Opens in 1947. Bought used from venice Beach. It has a short life at Playland
1952 sees an end to the derby racer and the back lot
Post Rotor, the Roto-Jets come in right before the demo of the Big Dipper
Post removal of the Big Dipper, CHutes and the back lot.... We find a more concentrated Playland. The Surf club comes into the Barnum spot and becomes a rental space... No longer a public attraction. the skyline looks much different compared to the days of Chutes and Dipper on the landscape.
Post Dipper removal... The dipper lot starts remodeling for the future... Pre-limbo Tae Myers Collection
Extended Concessions and the Limbo dark ride are used to fill in the empty space of the Dipper 1958
Chutes Lot opens a kiddie ride area...
By 1959, Playland's numbers are down. the park is starting to look shabby. George Whitney sr passes away in 1958. It's future is uncertain. George JR comes in 1958 and has a new vision for Playland.