Sunday, March 16, 2008

Tomorrowland, July 1961

This is kind of a fun point of view, you can really imagine yourself sitting inside the Monrail, having just boarded at the Tomorrowland station. This is our first Monorail ride ever, so we're curious to see what it's like. Smooth and quiet, I'll bet! Look over there, when we come back we can take the Skyway to Fantasyland. But first, maybe we can grab a bite to eat at the Space Bar. Anybody know what that backstage building was for? Is that where the diorama was housed?


Now for a view of the Monorail and Sub loading area from across the lagoon. It is amazing how many people were convinced that the lagoon was filled with real water. In fact it was an illusion created with lights, mylar, and dry ice. I would explain how it was done, but it's very technical. Besides, I don't want to spoil the magic!

5 comments:

Matterhorn1959 said...

Major- the building in the first image is the diorama building for the Grand Canyon with the top floors being administration offices.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Do they still have offices in that building? Neat set of photo's. I always thought that water was fake, now the truth comes out!

Thanks!

P.s. I want the speed ramp back, I had to use (gasp) the stairs to exit the monorail last week, so ordinary, not very futuristic!

The Viewliner Limited said...

The Richfield Eagle is probably one of the best logos of all time. Beauty pics.

CoxPilot said...

Matterhorn: The top floor of that building, at the north end, is where the men's locker rooms were. You can see the door that led out to the balcony, and the stairs were at the end (another door at the north end too). The showers and restrooms were in the middle, and the lady's lockers were at the south end. Admin and wardrobe were down stairs. At least that's how it was in '61. We could hear the diorama spiel through the walls. There might have been some admin at the far south, top, but I don't remember. And, they used to park the extra buses under an overhang just next to the north side of the building. (we would nap on the top-side seats)

Major Pepperidge said...

CoxPilot, thanks for the great info... nothing like hearing it straight from somebody who experienced it!