Three "Meh's" and One Gem - Monorail, October 1962
Today's post starts out with a whimper, but stick with it - it's worth the wait!
In October 1962, somebody snapped four pictures from inside a speeding Monorail. Unfortunately, three of them display varying degrees of blurriness. But I think they're still good enough to post.
I'll start with this nice-ish view looking toward Main Street Station, complete with a train, the Mickey flower portrait, and about $30,000 worth of attraction posters.
If only this was sharper! I love these views of the parking lot; there's the little tram in the distance. If you look really carefully, you can even make out tiny blobs that are Skyway buckets.
Now for a different angle on the parking lot - it must have been a busy day at Disneyland. A special guest appearance by the blue Monorail is always welcome.
AH, finally! Fourth time's the charm, or something like that. I love this picture because it is an unusual view full of juicy "you are there" goodness.
10 comments:
Major-
Unusual view, indeed-! About the only thing missing are the Mermaids-!
Thanks, Major.
I think I can see Tom Hanks in front of the Mickey floral in that first pic.
The second photo (blurry parking lot image) is the classic slide that your Uncle Ron shows with his Ektagraphic Carousel Projector in the basement - using a bedsheet hung on the wall as a screen - and says "if you look really hard right here...there's our car!"
Major, I wish I had been on that vacation with him.
Thanks for the photos!
Bill in Denver
I literally gasped at that fourth picture. And I mean "literally" in the literal sense. I've never seen Disneyland from that angle before; it's like a little garden of earthly delights all spread out for my personal delectation and amusement, with the water sparking in the sun and the tracks winding around like ribbons. That's a real gem of a shot.
And obviously, the parking lot was crowded that day because of the special guest appearance by the Blue Monorail and his little friend the Skyway Bucket Blob.
What a cool early view from the Monorail just before entering the park. This is the way we used to enter Disneyland when we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. I thought it was a more dramatic entrance than entering through the Main Gate. Not as dramatic anymore though since views from the monorail are limited with all the tree growth and several attractions are now gone removing the kinetic energy from this part of the park.
I love the fourth photo! Three or four different levels of Monorail tracks, swirling gracefully around Tomorrowland's hopeful vision of 1986. Even without the PeopleMover, there's still a feeling of progressive layers, like a cake...or an ogre.
I'm sorry - am I allowed to reference non-Disney animation on this blog?
I have those same scenes burned into my memory, although from a very different era: the first time I took my daughters to Disneyland, in 2001. Months before we went, I had really hyped it up, explained what we'd see, showed them pictures and videos, and told how when we get there we would ride the monorail in and pass by the front gates and circle Tomorrowland before we stop. When we finally made it to the resort and got on the monorail at the Downtown Disney station, they pretty much glued their little faces to the windows looking out at the glorious park, finally seeing with their own eyes the things they'd only seen in pictures and heard about from their dad.
That fourth pic with the Matterhorn, lagoon and monorail tracks is pure, unadulterated joy. Great photos today!
NICE! :)
There's something about those parking lot shots. I like 'em. Maybe it's all those vintage cars.
Thufer would be so happy, the Parking Lot and the original Gray Submarines, all in one post.
I miss Thufer.
Thank you, Major. This really takes me back.
JG
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