Yukon Klem: A True Long Lost Friend

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I was in Northern California this past weekend spending time with my girlfriend’s, Katie, family for her  brother’s birthday. Her brother, Peter, is also a DisHeadâ„¢ (yes, that is a term I just created and traded-marked. You’re welcome) and he shared with me some pictures from their past Disneyland visits. Their family used to go to Disneyland a lot when he and his sister were children.

While I was looking through their photos I noticed a character that I have never seen before: Yukon Klem. They only have two pictures with this character from when they stayed at the Disneyland Hotel in1989. I did some research and talked to Peter about this mysterious character. Here is what I learned. 


What I could gather from my research and talking to Peter and Katie is that Klem was a part of the Yukon Follies Revue that was at a restaurant at Disneyland Hotel called Sgt. Preston’s Yukon Saloon. A review from the L.A. Times, from 1991, said that it was a combination of the “Country Bear Jamboree and the Golden Horseshoe Revue”. That sounds like a show I would love. When the show wasn’t going on, Klem would walk around the hotel and take pictures with guests.

Peter taking a picture with Klem. I love the hat that he is wearing.

Klem made Peter’s Katie cry because he took her hat away. She still hates him until this day. Also, the ‘RaceWay’ in the background was a track where people could steer around remote control cars.

        I don’t know much about the Disneyland Hotel before Disney owned it. The history of the Disneyland Hotel is an interesting one to say the less. The Magical Hotel and Vintage Disney Parks blogs have a lot of photos from the Disneyland Hotel before the 90’s. It’s sad to say that Yukon Klem will likely never see the light of day again. It’s too bad because I would love to see him roam the parks with the other rare Disneyland characters.

*Special thanks to Peter and Katie for sharing their Disneyland Hotel photos and experience.

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