Frontierland, August 1970
Here are two Instamatic slides from 1970 - these are not from the fabled collection given to me by "Mr. X". They're just ordinary old photos!
Here's a pretty shot of the Mark Twain, heading toward the load/unload dock. Cascade Peak can just be seen behind it. Look at how lush the trees are! That one tree on Tom Sawyer Island (is it an oak?) is sticking out so far that it appears as if the steamboat is going to scrape against it, and ruin the paint job from Earl Scheib.
Now we're aboard the Mark Twain, looking back toward parts of New Orleans Square (there's the "Pirates" building with Old Glory on top), Frontierland, including part of Aunt Jemima's Kitchen, which closed that very year to become the Magnolia Tree Terrace (briefly). And right in the middle is Adventureland, including the Swiss Family Treehouse.
7 comments:
Major-
Let me just 'pop' into these images so I can stretch my elbows. Ahhh - now I feel better.
Thanks, Major.
The second images is great! I love the contrasts and abrupt transitions between Adventureland, New Orleans Square and Frontierland. That's something that happens at Disneyland but no so much at WDW's Magic Kingdom. It's precisely those abrupt changes and juxtapositions that I love about Disneyland. A towering tropical tree house right next door to a port building and overlooking a frontier river. It heightens the fantasy aspect of Disneyland. At least for me it does. Thanks, Major.
I miss THAT New Orleans Square! No bridge in front of Pirates of the Caribbean. No terracing. No nonsense.
Ha, ha....Earl Scheib! "I'll paint any steamboat, any color, for only sixty-nine ninety-fiiiiiiive! Riiiiiiight!"
I realize that this riverfront couldn't handle today's crowds or Fantasmic! audiences, but, like TokyoMagic!, I still miss it dearly. Thanks for taking us back, Major!
Happy Sunday to all!
That second pic shows the Pirates of the Caribbean facade before it was jacked up 8 feet higher to accommodate the new bridge and entrance. At least I think that's what happened. It's hard to reconcile these old views with the current layout.
I also remember some early material referring to "Old New Orleans Square". I might (might?!) be getting senile...
Nanook, glad to have been of service! I will send you a chiropractic bill shortly.
K. Martinez, I agree with you about those transitions - I think that the blog “Passport 2 Dreams” has written about them at both parks. The Matterhorn has always been pointed out as an out-of-place item in Tomorrowland, but nobody cares! It looks great anyway.
TokyoMagic!, me too. Earl Scheib, the man with the most melodious voice in commercials!
Chuck, it’s funny, yesterday on FaceBook, at least one person said that the crowds are so bad that they were not going to renew their APs. And one of our fellow bloggers just said that to me as well!
Patrick Devlin, actually they lowered all of the rest of Disneyland, but I understand the confusion. As for “Old New Orleans Square”, it would not surprise me if that was used in early promotional materials.
Patrick D. and Major, the copyright 1962 guidebook I have does indeed reference "Old New Orleans Square" as a "coming attraction" at the back.
Man, these photos bring back memories of a quieter, more genteel Disneyland.
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