Tuesday, January 11, 2011

New Orleans Square, September 1969

The Imagineers have designed a lot of great stuff over the years - to put it mildly. But I think that New Orleans Square is still one of the masterpieces. I'm not even talking about "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "The Haunted Mansion"; I'm referring to the winding streets, the wrought iron, the bricks and wood and balconies and windows and doors that all add up to more than the sum of the parts.

In this 1969 view you can get a feel for the details that enrich but don't overwhelm. Perhaps Disneyland's limited real estate was a blessing in disguise in this case; New Orleans Square is a surprisingly intimate experience.


Here's a look into the Court of Angels. This lovely little courtyard that seems to have no purpose (as far as guests are concerned) other than the fact that it looks great. That staircase (tastefully roped off to prevent hippies from going up) surely leads to some secret cast member facility. If anybody knows for sure, please share!

16 comments:

Sam Towler said...

Cast entrance to Club 33, stock room, and New Orleans Entertainment talent dressing/break rooms. :)

Anonymous said...

sam dont lie, it leads to walt disney's secret nuclear silo, a cold war remnant now used to house bread bowls

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

The door at the top of the stairs is locked or at least it was when I tried it (the little rope was gone that day).

Yendorb said...

You only think those are bread bowls... That's what they want you to think.

The Blue Parrot said...

At one time, this was to have been the main entrance to an intimate jazz club that was to have been located above the French Market. Too bad that never came to pass...

Major Pepperidge said...

Sam, thank you for the info about the secret door!

VDT, you checked that door but still haven't gone up to the Skyway chalet? ;-)

Blue Parrot, this is the first time I've heard about the "intimate jazz club"; thanks for that neat detail!

Anonymous said...

I had always thought it was a fire exit for Club 33.

Connie Moreno said...

No one ever pays attention to those balconies...I can't tell you how often I've stood up there, staring down, trying to get someone's attention just so that I could grin and nod "Yes! Yes, I am at Club 33!"

LOL...

Davelandweb and I are supposed to plan a visit to the Skyway chalet. But shhhh, it's a secret.

Anonymous said...

Just quietly count your blessings Connie.

Chiana_Chat said...

Walt saved his best for last! At least that's MHO - New Orleans Square is my favorite area of the park! :)

Thanks for the snaps Maj. :)

Major Pepperidge said...

Connie, I still remember being a kid and looking up at one of the balconies and seeing a lady up there. I'm not even sure it was where Club 33 is, but it suprised me!

Chiana, obviously you are sophisticated and intelligent!

JG said...

NOS is the best part of Disneyland. Hard to believe there is so much packed into so little space.

All the lessons learned on Main Street, put to use with experience.

VDT, I also rattled that doorknob, long ago. How long has Club 33 been there?

Thanks Major, a piece of my past, again. Bless you.

JG

Chiana_Chat said...

Oh you're right Maj - and jazzy! ;-)

Chuck said...

I thought I read somewhere that the staircase in the Court of Angels was originally intended to be the entrance to Walt's apartment above POTC.

Anonymous said...

That entrance is actually a bit of a way from where the Dream Suite (the would be Walt's apartment above POTC)ends. Even as a cast member, going through that door at the top seemed magical. It is indeed the Cast Entrance to Club 33, an area that can enter the stock room, just across the bridge from the kitchen, and the dressing rooms are just a little bit away from it. NOS has such American beauty

Anonymous said...

I'm heartbroken over the loss of the Court of Angels to Club 33 expansion. The privatization of the park is disturbing, and I believe a rejection of the core values Walt Disney established --chief among them providing the general public with a first-class experience where no detail is too small, nor quality too good for guests to have. Seems like all the beautiful, quiet spaces are all disappearing. Shameful. I know Walt wanted better than this for everyone, not just the rich. The company would do better to create a new place rather than pillage what is already established.