Random Pix
I have three unrelated random images for you today!
First up is this nice shot of one of the park exits, circa January 1960. I love that a train is waiting at Main Street Station (beneath a vivid blue sky), and that we can see many wonderful attraction posters lining the wall in front of the Mickey Mouse portrait (which is hidden by those trees). Speaking of Mickey, the mouse himself makes a cameo appearance!
From March 1959 we get a glimpse right up the center of Main Street USA - in the middle of the "wishbone" between the tracks of the Horse Drawn Streetcar. A Surrey and the Fire Truck are headed in our direction, I hope they don't run over the officer walking to the left. Main Street looks so gloriously uncrowded!
This last one is relatively recent - July 1986. Does 27 years ago count as recent? This nice lady's name is Rosemary, and she was at the park as part of a KRLA (channel 5 in Los Angeles) private party. Rosemary is excited to meet one of the original Country Bears - I think this one is Liver Lips McGrowl. I'm trying to ID the location, but there's not much to go on... it's probably somewhere over in Critter Country.
9 comments:
'Liver Lips' McGraw I tink, in Bear Country, you mean :-)
Yep I'm still used to thinking of it as Bear Country, the name Critter Country bore before Disney renamed and rethemed it in tandem with building Splash Mountain. All based on characters from a classic Disney film. You know, the one Disney itself finds inappropriate for us to see.
Anyway, back to before the insanity. Comfortable crowds politely keeping generally to the sidewalks on Main Street unless walking across. Navy brass on our left? Boy I'd enjoy going into the Penny Arcade to see something like, oh I dunno, maybe a Penny Arcade?
Main gate: those terrific attraction posters just inside! :)
Yep! That's Liver Lips McGrowl in Bear Country. I was thinking the background might be the Hungry Bear Restaurant counter area, but it's too dark to tell.
Also, because the photo is dated July 1986, I first thought it might be the newly opened Big Thunder Ranch which opened the month before. Nowadays if the Country Bear characters do make an appearance it's usually at Big Thunder Ranch.
Nice outside-the-park view of the main gate's east side exit. Nice update today. Thanks!
I believe Channel 5 TV station here in Los Angeles has always been KTLA. KRLA was/is a radio station.
Wasn't 1987 just yesterday? Counts as recent in my book!
Country Bears were not out this Summer up at Big Thunder Jamboree (the Ranch next door is where they serve BarBQue). Instead we had Woody, Jessie and Bullseye all Summer. Sure hope they bring back the Bears for the Fall season which starts this Friday.
Chiana, I had the feeling I was treading on thin ice when I wrote "Critter Country", but was too lazy to check when the name changed. I did look up Liver Lips, and the source I read said that his last name was ""McGrowl", even though I had always thought it was "McGraw". And of course I mentioned those posters!
K. Martinez, thanks as always for the additional info!
Irene, you are right of course - I don't know whether "KRLA" was a typo or just a brain aneurism (since I wrote the post two weeks ago).
Irene -
I remember seeing the Country Bear costumed characters in Summer 2012 walking in and around Big Thunder Ranch area but I didn't stay to watch the actual show at the Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree. It's too bad they weren't there again in Summer 2013.
I do think the Bears make very cool costumed characters and wish they'd utilize them in the Park more. As for the actual Country Bear Jamboree attraction, I wasn't that big a fan of the show. I just loved the characters.
I believe that Rosemary and Lips are in Bear Country. Behind them and the greenery we can see the queue for the Country Bear Jamboree. To their left would be the train tressle, the CBJ queue entrance and beyond that, the ramp to the Hungry Bear Restaurant. To their right, the exit for CBJ, the Mile Long Bar and the Wilderness Outpost (?) store. Behind our photographer stood the building housing the Bear Country restrooms.
OK, now I can't get Big Al's rendition of "Blood on the Saddle" out of my mind.
Chiana; Sorry to correct, but that guy is Air Force.
March 1, 1959
Went to meet Jenny on Main Street just like we planned. Waited for hours. I thought maybe she'd come up to meet me on the surrey or the fire truck, but no dice. If there was a boat that came up Main Street, you can bet she'd come up in that. Jenny likes sailors, you see. That's probably where she is now, back in Fantasyland meeting Donald Duck. I always tell her, "Don't forget the orange sauce!" but she doesn't think it's very funny. Girls got no sense of humor. What could be taking so long? Maybe she stopped to get a churro or some silk flowers or have her picture drawn or something. When she gets here, we'll go in the Penny Arcade, and... say, isn't that Jenny headed for the Penny Arcade now? With that Navy man in the dress blues? Well, I'll show that girl! I'll cut her right out of the frame and she won't even be in my picture! It'll be like she wasn't even here! It's just me and the surrey and the fire truck and the Penny Arcade and the sailor. JENNY!
January 15, 1960
Waiting for Jenny to pick me up at the exit just like we planned. No point in both of us schlepping all the way out to the parking lot, she said. Sure, we had that big fight last year, but things have been OK lately. Mickey Mouse himself even said goodbye to us on our way out the gate. I'm glad it wasn't Donald Duck. Jenny likes sailors, you see. I don't tell the orange sauce joke anymore; that's kid stuff. When she picks me up we'll head for home, stop for burgers on the way, and I'll ask her to the big Valentine's Masquerade Dance. Maybe I'll go as Cary Grant in Operation Petticoat. Jenny loved that movie. Jenny likes sailors, you see. Too bad she's not here to see that whole carload of them going by. Hey, isn't that Jenny's car? Yeah, that's the "LUV4EVER" bumper sticker I gave her for her birthday at Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House. JENNY!
July 4, 1986.
Bear Country... shit; I'm still only in Bear Country... Every time I think I'm gonna wake up back on the Jungle Cruise. I figured the best way to get over Jenny was to jump in the deep end. Jenny liked sailors, you see. No, I didn't join the Navy. They wouldn't take me on account of my flat knees and my drinking problem. I was up to three Dole Whip floats a day by then. So, I joined up at Disneyland and got into a boat every time I could. I told jokes about robot elephant in-laws, I sent people off to get the earworm of their lives, heck, I even played that bastard Donald Duck until I thought my brains had turned to orange sauce. I was about to quack up when they stuffed me into the Liver Lips suit for some private shindig. And then, of all the roped-off hay wagons, in all the theme parks, in all the world, SHE walks into mine. Oh, I know it's not Jenny. It's that nice Rosemary from the teevee. Jenny would never give the time if day to a landlocked Appalachian bear. But she has a pretty smile, and looks so nice in that floral print, and has really good taste in summer accessories. It just makes your cares go away to spend a few minutes with a nice lady. Makes you almost forget… about… JENNY!
K. Martinez, doesn't it seem odd that they still have the Country Bears walking around even though the attraction is long-gone?
RemainSeatedPlease, oof, Big Al's "Blood On The Saddle" is not a song I would want stuck in my noggin!
CoxPilot, the blue uniform would have fooled me too - my dad's Navy uniform was white, khaki, or blue depending on the occasion.
Melissa, I am always amazed at the inspiration you glean from these (mundane?) pictures. JENNY!
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