Friday, September 11, 2015

Beautiful Tomorrowland, September 1971

I love this first photo of the Mark III Monorail sitting at the station, while a turquoise Peoplemover train slowly trundles by; Santa Fe was still sponsoring things in '71 - now that I think about it, I wonder why they didn't insist on having their logo on the Peoplemover? I know that calling it a "train" might be stretching things, but still.

The park really looks lovely from this angle, with plenty of landscaping, making Tomorrowland look like a place you want to be, instead of sterile and bleak.


Here's another beauty! A climber is on the Matterhorn, Skyway buckets pass overhead, and we get more Monorail and Peoplemover goodness. I sure would love to step into this September, 1971 photo and explore!



14 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

These images certainly can inspire one to want to 'hop on into' all the Tomorrowland goodness on-display. And the lack of crowds, doesn't hurt, either.

Thanks, Major.

Scott Lane said...

Hmm...pretty sure Goodyear would've had a thing or two to say abut Santa Fe's logo being on the PM.

And, yeah!, what Nanook said. Where's Bert the Chimney-sweep/Sidewalk Artist when ya need him?

Alonzo P Hawk said...

These are couple of gems today Major. Well done! The first is retrofabulous.

I did however forget about the great Seagull migration of 71' that made the Matterhorn look so white with...well you know.

Thanks for posting.

Monica said...

I love these photos!

I get to go to Disneyland in December...I'm SO excited, but it WOULD be fun to step into these pictures and see what was going on back then.

Debbie V. said...

Love that 1970's floppy leather cowboy hat at the bottom of the pic.

K. Martinez said...

The Mark III monorails were my favorite. Nice wide windows in which you could actually see the people inside the monorails as the trains glided by. Seeing people transported in the moving vehicles added a dimension to that kinetic energy. The Mark III's were like a beautiful classic car even in their days of operation.

In the second image I love the simplicity of the support structures all white and smooth, allowing the beauty and color of the transport vehicles to stand out giving Tomorrowland much of its color. It was after all the transportation systems that were the showcase for this "World on the Move". Awesome pics today! Thanks, Major.

Melissa said...

It looks like the Monorail and the Peoplemover are having a race. And it also looks like a bit of a tortoise-and-hare affair.

Love the crossing lines of the Skyway line and Monorail/Peoplemover tracks in the second shot. Make it look epic.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, just don’t hop into the first photo, which will leave you 40 feet in the air!

Kenneth Lane, I’m sure Goodyear would not have approved, but then again, Alweg and Santa Fe each had their logos on the Monorails. My guess is that Santa Fe probably was not interested in the slow moving Peoplemover.

Alonzo, it could be seagulls; or, as I have mentioned before, I have seen crows landing on the Matterhorn (usually around sundown), totally spoiling any forced perspective!

Monica, you will have a great time in December! But if I had a choice, somehow, of going to the park now, or going to see it as it was in 1970, I would choose 1970 in a heartbeat.

Debbie V., you are really focusing on the small details!

K. Martinez, it seems pretty clear that large windows were a primary concern in the design of the Mark II Monorails. Tomorrowland achieved some kind of perfection at about that time, it was exciting, fun, and still felt futuristic.

Melissa, the Monorail looks like it is going fast even at a standstill, while the lovable Peoplemover is - well, cute!

Unknown said...

Wow, wow, wow! Such delicious colors! And if anybody was wondering where exactly the Tomorrowland pylon for the Skyway was located the second picture pretty much nails it. I'll be at the park in a week or so; maybe I'll lay a wreath of flowers at that site... sniff.

And K. Martinez I share your love for the Mk. III's. It's partly because sighting Monorail Green was such a rare event but you've also summed up with your remark their gorgeous lines. Plus they had that triple-bubbled bubble! What's not adore?!

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy to have worked in the Park in the 70s...and those times felt special even then.
KS

TokyoMagic! said...

In that first pic, the two ladies in the first car of the PeopleMover seem to be looking at us. One of them even looks like she is pointing at us.

In the second pic, it looks like there is a white or gray Skyway gondola up there on the cable, but I know it's really a yellow one being washed out by the bright sun. Or am I actually just color blind?

D Ticket said...

Those really are beautiful.

Major Pepperidge said...

Patrick Devlin, I didn’t know that the location of the Tomorrowland Skyway pylon was something people wondered about! Then again, there is no minutiae too small for true Disneyland nuts.

KS, from everything I’ve heard, you lucked out and worked at the park during the last “golden era”.

TokyoMagic!, it sure does look like a white Skyway bucket, but that can’t be. I even think some of the “stone” parts of the Matterhorn look strangely washed out. Both of today’s slides were somewhat faded or over-exposed; nevertheless, you’d think that the bucket would look yellow.

D Ticket, I’m glad you enjoyed these!

Nancy said...

The Peoplemover is just so cute, reminds me of a small puppy who thinks he is the same as the big dog he is running alongside of lol! :-)