Friday, August 25, 2006

New Orleans Square



Here are two considerably different views of the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland. In the first view, the Square hasn't actually been built yet. There is a big green construction wall (with attraction posters)...since this slide is undated, the wall might be hiding the steel and concrete foundations for the early walk-through pirate attraction. You get a good look at the loading area for the rafts as well. Yes, this is yet another photo taken from the Mark Twain!

The second slide was thrown in just for the heck of it. It is dated 1968, and you can see the distinctive cupola on top of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction building. I assume that all of that wrought iron is part of the Club 33 restaurant? The crowds are pretty heavy, I'm sure there was a lot of public interest after all of the hype. Check out those cool ornate benches, and the magnolia trees in bloom.

6 comments:

Daveland said...

Great construction shot! On the 2nd pic, the wrought iron is actually a balcony area for the Disney Gallery, where you can view the current show Fantasmic! and eat from a huge dessert buffet.

Matterhorn1959 said...

Hey Major- Dave is correct about the wrought iron. It is the balcony outside of the Disney Gallery.
I miss the old New Orleans Square pre-Fantasmic. I like the walkways as they are in these images, not as some sort of bogus stage seating area.

William Kelley said...

Wow, the first ever construction photo of New Orleans Square that I've ever seen, albeit just a wall. I hope there's more! By the time of that photo I assume they'd already decided to make it a ride-through.

And at the time of the second photo, that would be the balcony of Disney's new apartment, long before the Gallery was installed. I too love the simplicity of the walkways outside of NOS, pre-Fantasimic, pre-bridge.

Matterhorn1959 said...

Mojave33- the apartment was never completed and the space was turned into offices for administration and then rebuilt into the Disney Gallery in 1987.

William Kelley said...

matterhorn, right you are, I was just pointing out what would have been...

Daveland said...

Interestingly enough, for the Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean Olszewski sculpture, they are going to recreate what would have been Walt’s apartment if those plans had gone through. You will be able to lift the roof off the building and see the apartment. Although kind of cool, it does seem weird since the thing was never built.