Friday, June 24, 2016

The Matterhorn and Skull Rock, May 1962

When I can, I like to try to post something a little better than usual on Fridays. I'm not sure if today's offerings qualify, but they're still pretty nice.

I love this view of Fantasyland, circa 1962. The vivid colors really pop! That blue sky, those reds, those yellows. There is nothing like a clear sunny day at Disneyland. Even the hues of the Skyway buckets are very pleasing. 


How about those crowds? It looks pretty busy. The tented snack bar is doing gangbusters. Whatever that means. I am somewhat surprised that not a single souvenir hat is visible! How can this be? How could they resist the giant ostrich feathers, the mouse ears, the Civil War kepis, the Tyrolean hats?

It's hard to miss the bright yellow Monorail passing in the background....


Meanwhile, things don't change much over at Skull Rock and the Pirate Ship lagoon. Until 1982, that is. Somehow this feature still looks kind of new (with the plants and palm trees still appearing a bit scraggly), even though it debuted in 1960. As I've said over and over, I miss this lovely feature a lot.


17 comments:

walterworld said...

Wow! That's a great shot of Skull Rock and the Chicken of The Sea Mermaid.

And the Skyway...

Thanks Major



Nanook said...

Major-

These images are pretty wonderful offerings. Folks dining at Fan 2 had their choice of both Coke & Pepsi. Mmmmm... let's mix 'em together - or not-!

And Skull Rock is looking quite stunning with all those waterfalls just doing their thing. Along with Nature's Wonderland, Skull Rock has gotta be the most-missed defunct attraction at Disneyland.

Thanks, Major.

Unknown said...

Lovely color. And rock-work. And waterfalls. You can't have too many waterfalls...

K. Martinez said...

I have to say the first pic strikes an emotional chord with me and probably one of the best I've seen in a long time here on GDB. It's a total gem. I love the whimsical architecture with the tournament tent style structures and round Skyway buckets, all topped off by the majestic Matterhorn. I want to go there.

I've dined at Fan 2 quite a bit back in the day. If it wasn't Tomorrowland Terrace then it was Character Foods (Fan 2) that I picked. I always had to be near the Matterhorn when munching on my Disney named burger. Super-extra wonderful photo today. Thanks, Major.

Nanook, I've dined at Fan 2 dozens of times and honestly don't remember the Coke & Pepsi choices. I'm sure as an adult I would've paid more attention to that. I do remember the sandwiches/burgers were named after the current Disney animated features though because when Robin Hood was released they had sandwiches/burgers that were named the "Robin Hood", the "Friar Tuck" and "Maid Marion". I believe that's why it was called "Character Foods" in the 1970's.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Great photos today Major. It looks like the COTS Mermaid is actually Knighting skull rock "The Duke of Drool". (sorry Miles Copperthwaite)

Love the new scans (from the new scanner). The colors really pop.

DrGoat said...

Likewise. Great shots. I remember that food spot with fondness too.
Didn't know it by Fan2, but brings back good memories. That
Gal in the center by the trash can is loaded up and ready to chow
down. I can almost smell it.

Tom said...

My sincere hope is that Disneyland makes good on realizing what is shown in the concept artwork for the new Star Wars Land-imposed Rivers Of America. All those waterfalls and rock work... it might begin to make up for the loss of Cascade Peak and Skull Rock.

Because Skull Rock was awesome. That whole pirate ship area was awesome. That second photo here is proof of that.

Nanook said...

@ Ken-

I certainly wouldn't swear that Coke and Pepsi could be had at Fantasia 1 & 2, but am fairly certain those two locations did offer both. And maybe a couple of other locations, too.

K. Martinez said...

@Nanook, I'm sure they probably did sell both. I just noticed Disneyland's naming convention for regular food more than what beverage was available unless it was Carnation Milk. It was those Moonburgers, Jupiter Dogs and Robin Hood burgers that stuck in my mind.

Dr. Goat, "Fan 1" and "Fan 2" are insider names used by those who worked at Disneyland. The official name in the INA Disneyland Guides was "Character Foods" or "Character Food Stands" of which there were two. I've always thought of them as "Character Foods" because that is what I remember them being called during my visits in the 60'd and 70's and the food items were named after Disney characters.

Major Pepperidge said...

walterworld, I had hoped that folks would enjoy these!

Nanook, mixing Coke and Pepsi is an abomination, according to the Bible. I don’t know if you ever look at any of the various Disneyland pages on Facebook, but I’ve seen people post photos of Skull Rock and ask “Was this at Disneyland?!”.

Patrick Devlin, I agree, you CAN’T have too many waterfalls!

K. Martinez, I’m glad today’s photos were extra special for you. There are a few of my pix that show up on Facebook regularly, and those seem to often be the good Fantasyland images; I wonder if this one will be added to the mix? ;-) I have no specific memories of Fan 2, unfortunately. It was probably just one of many (MANY) things that I strolled past without a thought.

Alonzo, either she is knighting him, or helping him scratch an itch.

DrGoat, I’ve been told that “Fan 1” and “Fan 2” were cast member appellations. Only nerds know that kind of info! On Disneyland maps, they are just called snack bars.

Tom, I do hope they put in all of those waterfalls, but they will be way off in a corner that will only be visible from certain rides instead of centrally located like Skull Rock was. Still, it will be better than NO waterfalls.

Nanook, some say that combining Coke and Pepsi results in hallucinations and vertigo. Please, kids, don’t do it!

K. Martinez, something about your comment reminded me, when I was a kid, I would drink milk with everything. Now the thought of milk with a hamburger sounds kind of yucky. I’m curious to look at my older INA guides to see if those snack bars were called “Character Foods” all the way back. Unfortunately they are all at my mom’s house in a box!

Major Pepperidge said...

OK, I just looked, the 1965 INA guide just calls Fan 2 the "Fantasyland Snack Stand" (the other one is a souvenir stand). By '68 they were both called "Character Food Stands", though the name might have changed earlier - I only had access to two INA guides!

K. Martinez said...

Major, Yes, I've seen it called "Fantasyland Snack Stand" in earlier guides too, but so young in the early to mid-60's, I don't personally remember that name. Mostly the "Character Foods" name stuck in my head from my visits and I do remember those experiences well.

TokyoMagic! said...

These are both beeeeeautiful! That first scan is so crisp and clear, we can see the individual rivets on the roof panels of the restaurant. By the way, in the early days, wasn't that roof made of canvas or similar material? Does anyone know when they switched it out to metal?

Anonymous said...

Splendid pics today, Major. Memories of well-loved places.

I only recall the snack bars being called Character Foods. Must have gotten that from the maps and guide books. I used to have a huge fold-out map with those designations.

I don't recall ever eating at either one, maybe a cold drink or something like that. Lunch with the family was always at the Pirate Ship grotto and later on my own, sometimes at Tomorrowland Terrace for a ham sandwich and that red drink.

I never heard Fan 1 or 2 until the internet brought me to GDB.

BTW, I really like the zoomed image. Brings up fine detail that's hard to see in the big pic; trash cans, checkerboard stool seats, ketchup and mustard dispensers, orange juice dispenser, sign board (far left), Santa Fe logo on the monorail, and what looks like rivets in the roof of the snack bar.

I've often wondered what those roofs were made of, fabric doesn't seem likely and the wide range of seamless composites that Toon Town is made of weren't invented yet. Based on those rivets, it may have been a sheet metal roof. I know it's silly to wonder about, but I can't help it.

JG

Anonymous said...

@tokyo, LOL simulpost on tin roofs.

JG

Major Pepperidge said...

K. Martinez, I feel like I must have been an exceptionally unobservant child/teenager; the restaurants were just a place to eat, I didn’t think about them at all once I had my food in my greasy little hands!

TokyoMagic! I was under the impression that those snack bar tents were always metal, but I honestly don’t really know for sure. Time to look for very early photos!

JG, for some reason, I only remember eating in Tomorrowland; I have to believe that we ate elsewhere, but as I said to K. Martinez, food was not something that I was concerned with. Mom and dad paid for it (or maybe my grandparents did), I ate it, and then it was back to the rides. I love the details that are visible in the closeup, little things that bring the scene to life.

Monkey Cage Kurt said...

Someone mentioned concept art for the Rivers Of America rock work, so I had to look it up. Man! It looks almost EXACTLY how I designed it in my head, with the falls and trestles and whatnot. Good design always follows function I guess.

These are particularly nice photos Major. Very teleporting. Thank you!