Rocket to the Moon
Zowie! I don't know about you, but I think that this is a pretty darn nice portrait of the fabulous TWA Rocket to the Moon! It's undated, but I am guessing that it is from around 1956, give or take a year. The rocket was supposed to be a scaled-down representation of what a REAL moon rocket might look like. Can you imagine if this were twice as tall? Of course it would have been completely overwhelming for Tomorrowland, this version looks just right.
Folks in the foreground are eating their burgers in the meager shade provided by what looks like Martian playground equipment. Maybe they got their food at the short-lived Dairy Bar? I believe that might have been just to our right, out of frame - - depending on when this picture was taken. Otherwise they could have gone to the venerable Space Bar. Why were all of the restaurants in Tomorrowland called "bars", anyway? 
7 comments:
This is a great photo. It looks like it might even be a pre-flight circle shot. Shouldn't you be able to see a bit of the fencing where the grass is, and maybe a little of the Astro Jets on the left?
Coxpilot, you could be right... do you know when the Flight Circle was put in?
Absolutely fantastic picture. It doesn't get any better than this.
Disney always kept on top of marketing lingo. In the 60's, a "bar" meant quick walk-up counter service at a time when that kind of food distribution was not common.
A perfect shot.
I think the circle went in in late '55 or very early '56. I wish I could find out what model airplane club first occupied it with their demos, but I know Wen-Mac came in about mid '57. Then, Cox took over at the start of summer '58, and stayed until the end of the summer season of '65. The Circle was used for flying jet pack man demos until Tomorrowland shut for the big redo in '66.
I love that snazzy couple over at the right--the guy in his bright orange shirt with his summer-weight khakis stylishly rolled to his ankles. And his girl is also dressed for hot weather, with those short shorts and sleeveless top. Is she carrying a camera? I wonder what great pictures she has in there!
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