Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Fantasyland, April 1987

Back in 1987, lucky guests might wander through Sleeping Beauty Castle and find this pointy-hatted brass band playing in the courtyard. They are so tired of people yelling out requests for their favorite medieval hits. "Whoo! Play 'The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea!' WHOO!". "No, play 'The Braes o' Yarrow!". "Me lady wants to hear 'Riddles Wisely Expounded'!". Imagine how bad they'd be if booze was served.


Over at the Mad Tea Party, Stephen Spielberg sits waiting for his thrilling ride in a teacup. He sure loves those caps from aircraft carriers. Overhead, we see the Skyway (this is kind of an unusual angle), and those paper lanterns that were added in 1983. They actually look like they are made of some sort of paper in this photo, albeit very faded. Nowadays they are more colorful and look to be made of cast resin or something. Seeing them at night is one of my favorite sights!


13 comments:

  1. Oh man, the color-! Outstanding.

    Make that 'Steven' Spielberg's doppelgänger, but with a more pronounced proboscis, who appears as if to be swallowed-up by his teacup.

    Thanks, Major.

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  2. Thou dust love a brass band playing whilst the skybuckets pass overhead. Oh, skyway! Thou art truly missed. sob, hic. sob.

    Thanks for the pics. Skyway starts year 9!

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  3. That band was called the Make Believe Brass and they made their debut at the park when the New Fantasyland opened. In fact, I have a picture of them on opening day in May of 1983. They would also accompany Merlin in the Sword in the Stone ceremonies.

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  4. Nice! New Fantasyland when it was still new. I remember those pastel colored lanterns before the vines overtook the top of the Mad Tea Party.

    The chimneys from the "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" Tudor façade in the backdrop remind me of the days when "smoke" actually came out of those chimneys. I wonder why and when they discontinued that.

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  5. One of the few things I really thought they improved upon was Fantasyland, with the tudor makeover from the old Medieval fair look. And the paving. Very nice.

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  6. Pointy hats make a great place to stash your trumpet mutes. And your drinks.

    Of course, there's another way for the band to get their drinks on stage.

    "Why, Mr. Entertainment Manager, I'm shocked! Of course she's not serving us drinks; she's a fully qualified member of the band! Haven't you ever heard of the MUUG Synthesizer? It's practically indispensable when we play 'At the Hops' or 'Taps.'"

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  7. Certainly not something you see every day.....velvet pointy hats! They should have sold those at the hat shop :)

    In photo number two, what is that "vehicle" for lack of a better word seen thru the trees just beneath the farthest-right lantern...Peoplemover?

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  8. Anonymous2:38 PM

    I'm not sure what made the (earworm alert!) lady in red hurl (2nd photo) because that is as fine a scene as can be; an angle I don't think I've seen in person or in photo.

    DZ

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  9. Nanook, I always call him "Steve-o" when I call him on the phone.

    Alonzo, you forgot to use the word "prithee".

    TokyoMagic!, thanks for the info!

    K. Martinez, wow, I didn't know that the chimneys ever smoked. I'm sure it was discontinued because of money. (Was it white "smoke", aka steam?)

    Tom, it really was an improvement, though I miss the stuff that was lost.

    Melissa, I wear a pointy hat because I have a pointy head.

    Nancy, they probably DID sell those at the hat shop! And I don't know what that thing is in the background, it's too indistinct. I'll have to dig out a map and see what's in that general direction.

    DZ, some people just can't handle those spinning rides. Lucky for me they don't make me hurl!

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  10. Dean Finder9:47 PM

    I think Spielberg picks up those Navy hats at Tom Clancy's yard sales.

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  11. Nancy, That object is in the direction of the King Arthur Carrousel, but the color seems off for it.

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  12. How do you do it??? How? You come up with the craziest things to say about the photos and you always make me laugh like a maniac!

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