Monday, May 25, 2009

Adventureland & Fantasyland, September 1959

From 1959, here are two nice images from stereo slides.

First up is this shot of the Jungle Cruise loading dock from back in the days when the launches still had their striped canopies (not canapés). Guess all the kids were already back in school, because it looks pretty peaceful; the line is just not that crazy. I like the way they use those funky bamboo fish traps as crowd barriers!


If dad had been born thirty years later, he could have auditioned for the role of Kramer on "Seinfeld". The ladies are workin' their cat's eye glasses for all they are worth. The Pirate Ship behind them looks like it is sitting in a swimming pool, no wonder it was eventually remodeled (beautiful) into the scenic cove that many of us remember!

11 comments:

Chiana said...

Nice ones! What a great perspective shot of the JC dock, where it's so lightly populated I'm almost expecting they'll start loading them dock goods on the next boat. Great dock design, "simple" and effective.

Loose the shades on the ladies only and I'd almost swear I'd seen that family there more recently looking exactly like that... and yup, the Skull Rock redesign was a profound improvement.

Matterhorn1959 said...

He is going to be bummed in about 35 years to realize he folded the gate flyer and other paper items in his pocket.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Ditto what Matterhorn said! Also, that sure does look like a 50's swimming pool, I love that there is NO fence at all! Thanks!

TokyoMagic! said...

Major, this is the second photo (second that I've noticed anyway) that you've posted showing the actual underside of those Fantasyland umbrellas. I'm fascintated by the fact that there was an actual print/pattern under there. I can see Mickey in this one. The other photo you posted had a completely different pattern. I wonder if any remnants of those fabrics still exist?

Katella Gate said...

Does anybody know if the Scull Rock setting was always intended to be part of the area, but was dropped because of the usual pre-opening time/money issue?

Nancy said...

nice pictures today (as always)

a really lovely picture of the Jungle Cruise...a bit overcast but that helps keep the sun off ya ;)


love the metal stroller and yes, what about all of those wonderful souveniers that ppl never even saved, just threw in the trash after their visit? :( cant even imagine that...i have trouble getting rid of things that i have a bunch of!

like how we can see the some detail on the tuna boat as well. i so wish that it was still there

Zanuck said...

Great JC picture-Twitter worthy. Does it look like the unloader/skipper is dressed like Harry Belafonte? Is this a jungle boat, or a banana boat?

Chiana said...

Daaaaaaaaay-O. Say DaAa-O. Daylight come a me wan' go Cruise...

Zanuck said...

Got a question from pauljbarriejr:Wait... Isn't that photo from WDW?! I don't recall DisneyLANDs dock ever being CURVED like that...

The Viewliner Limited said...

Awesome Jungle Cruise pic. The family is cool too!

Major Pepperidge said...

That is definitely the Disneyland JC dock, Zanuck! You'll find other photos of it (on my blog and elsewhere).

Katella Gate, all I know is that I have seen no early artwork showing Skull Rock at all, so I can only assume that it was dreamt up later, when Walt had the money to make the area prettier.