When my friend (who’s a big fan of all things Disney) mentioned there was a pop-up Disneyland exhibit in town, I had to go check it out. I’ve been a Disneyland Annual Pass holder for about a decade now, but decided to take a little break two years ago. Needless to say, I’ve been having Disneyland withdrawals, so I figured the ‘That’s from Disneyland’ pop-up would be a good way to get some Disney back into my life!
The ‘That’s From Disneyland’ Auction and Exhibition is… you guessed it, an exhibit and auction! Put together by collector Richard Craft in partnership with Van Eaton Galleries, the exhibit is full of Disneyland memorabilia—from concept art, to Disneyland park maps & posters, to ride vehicles and much, much more.
We got to the exhibit around 5:30 pm. Parking was easy to find and there was no line to get in. Inside, there were a decent amount of people but it wasn’t crowded. It’s located at an old Sports Authority (which sounds like something out of a ‘Stefon’ SNL skit, but don’t worry, there’s nothing weird going on inside) so there was ample space to look at everything on display and take photos comfortably.
Some of my favorite things at the exhibit were the framed pieces of concept art. While not as colorful as some of the other items, it’s pretty interesting to see the different ideas people came up with for various Disneyland attractions, eateries and lands.
There were also some really cool, and really big memorabilia from the Disneyland Hotel.
This Disneyland Hotel ‘D’ was easily the biggest item at the exhibit measuring 16 feet tall, 9 feet wide and 4 inches deep.
There were a ton of vintage Disneyland posters on display. Most of the exhibit is arranged in sections according to ‘land’, so the artwork was also sorted accordingly.
Multiple attraction vehicles were also on display, some from retired rides as well as rides that are currently at Disneyland.
These little guys from ‘It’s A Small World’ were up and running… or moving I should probably say… sans music though, so I’m not sure if it made it better or worse.
One of the more noteworthy and popular photo ops at the exhibit was the infamous Stretching Portraits section from the ‘Haunted Mansion’ attraction.
It was indeed a very Disneyland packed exhibit! Altogether, we spent about an hour or so there. We enjoyed checking out all the different Disneyland maps throughout the years, and imagining what it would have been like if there really was a ‘Gyrating Giraffes’ food stand. Being so close to the props and decorations was really cool due to the fact that you’re not able to see some of them that way when you’re at the park.
I would definitely recommend checking out the exhibit and auction if you’re in the area and have some free time. It’s family friendly, and not to mention it’s free!
‘That’s From Disneyland’ Event Information
Entry to the ‘That’s From Disneyland’ Auction and Exhibition is free. The exhibit runs from August 1st to August 24th 2018, Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-8pm (the auction portion of the event is on Aug. 25th & 26th) and is located at 13730 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA.
