Souvenirs: Hollywood Pennants

I have not been good about maintaining my Souvenirs Department here at 2719 Hyperion, especially considering the sheer volume of Disney theme park memorabilia that adorns my walls and clutters my household. One of my earliest posts from back in the fall featured one of my favorite types of souvenirs, the now largely extinct pennant. Once a mainstay of places like Main Street's Emporium and EPCOT Center's Centorium, the pennant has pretty much all but vanished from Disney theme park shops.

These particular examples date back to 1988 and 1989 and showcase Disney-MGM Studios. In those early days of the park, while the water tower was largely considered to be the Studio's iconic symbol, the graphic of Mickey Mouse holding the clapboard was the image that was featured on the vast majority of merchandise and marketing materials. This went back all the way to much of the park's pre-opening materials including the pennant pictured above.

I would venture to guess that a substantial amount of current guests to Disney-MGM Studios do not bother with the Backlot Tour and Catastrophe Canyon. Yet in those early days before Muppet*Vision 3D, Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, Catastrophe Canyon was a true headliner attraction, as this particluar pennant reflects.