A Fine Pair From March 1957
This first photo of the Jungle Cruise dock is very nice, and it yields some nice details if you look closely. Like the guys up in the observation tower! That must have been a nice job. Way to the right, next to the "Exit" sign, you can see a handy postcard rack in case you are overcome with the need to write home after your journey through the jungle. There are also plenty of fire extinguishers handy in case you need to hit a hippo over the head with something heavy.
And here's another detail... a Dumbo attraction poster. And to the left of that is a rare Red Wagon Inn poster (trust me!).
I love early views of the Autopia. This one is a partially-obscured view, kind of like when you were at that Cub's game and were stuck behind the column. Looks like some of those original orange trees are in the background. 
8 comments:
Why yes... a drive in Orange County should have one motoring past orange trees should it not? Now it's some nice, some not nice and lots of boring cityscape, so I suppose we could just be glad
But I'll tell ya: the one ride in Disneyland that could've expanded into a DCA attraction is the Autopia. Let the kids motor their mini cars by mini-tourist-ish Californian scenes. Could've pulled all kinds of sponsors and organizations into promoting it as the modern motoring, cleaned, greener freeways or whatever. Puzzlingly if predictably, like promoting transit ideas for the "state on the move" the Eisner-era Disney did not do so (neither is the Iger).
Speaking of opportunities, novel cards and ecards of one "braving" the Original Jungle Cruise - esp. now its a culturally ingrained classic - sounds like a natural opportunity for extra merch $ that could be fun for folks too...
Anyway! 'nuff chat. I have an urge for an orange...
...shoulda read: "so I suppose we could just be glad that they stopped with upgrading from their economically expedient scrubby orange tree "landscaping" and didn't keep changing it to reflect the city eh?"
Rail-less Autopia--I wish I could have experienced that. Isn't it great the way Disneyland started out with Walt and crew trusting the human race to navigate the course without causing mayhem?
Original orange trees....what a thought.
Thank you, I paused and thought and i smiled.
The docks went straight to my desktops group.
You know, when I am at a Cubs game sitting behind a pole I think about how I have a great front row seat of history. This 95 year old pole was built by real craftsmen, fashioned from real steel, the steel that built the city!
That sentiment only lasts until about the middle of the 1st inning, and then that big old pole is just a pain in my neck!
Autopia looks so free and open without the center rails. That would have been fun!
I have to trust your trained eye on the posters, I can barely make out dumbo.
Nic pics Major, thanks.
JG
In the first photo of Jungle Cruise. Some comments about those two large phoenix palm trees. From things I read and heard, those two large palm trees were original to the orange groves before Disneyland was built. Adventure Land is the site where the Ron Dominguez family farm and house once stood. Now I am not sure if those two palms are in the same place where they originally stood or if they were uprooted and moved. In interviews with Ron Dominguez, his father and mother's house/orange groves stood where the Jungle Cruise and Adventure Land is today.
Chiana, you are right, and Autopia would have worked great at DCA! I have to admit that I would love a "Route 66" themed version, but then that's what Carsland is supposed to be, I guess.
I never had the opportunity to ride the trackless Autopia unfortunately. And yeah, I wish they had saved some of those old original orange trees just BECAUSE.
I love Wrigley Field, Andrew!
JG, my eye is not only trained, it is bionic.
OC Native, I think I've read something similar about those phoenix palms, maybe in "The E-Ticket"? It is cool that they are original equipment.
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