Merlins & Carrousel
It's another one of those Sunday posts... you know the kind I mean! May cause nausea, tinnitus, drooling, upset stomach, and a whole host of other side effects.
Here's a photo of Merlin's Magic Shop, dated October, 1963. That's 54 years ago, kids. Located right near Sleeping Beauty Castle, this shop was not done in the early Fantasyland "Medieval Faire" style, with painted flats. Instead, it looks like it escaped from a backlot "Old Europe" street. Doctor Caligari would be right at home here!
This next too-dark photo is from October, 1970 (47 years ago! Math is fun, except when it isn't). The horsies are all sorts of colors. Brown! Tan! Ecru! Taupe! By 1975, it was decided (somewhat dubiously) that everyone secretly wanted to ride a white horse. My theory is that, by making them all white, they sped up loading because kids would no longer hold out for a specific horse. Some children love taupe, you'd be surprised. But maybe I'm too cynical.
8 comments:
Major-
Taupe: Every child's dream color-!
I had heard the same story about the 'all-white horses' and quicker load times. Decisions... decisions... Frankly, if The Park was truly interested in quickening load times, they would simply bloody all the horses, thus rendering them too gruesome to attract any riders. Hey - NO lines-! (Mothers - shield thy children's eyes-)
Thanks, Major.
Taupe! Tan! Ecru! The colors of teacher's teeth! (Remember that Colgate commercial from the 1990's?)
Nanook, SO morbid! I love it!
Nanook, I always got a kick out of the fact that my dad apparently didn’t know how to say “ecru”, so he pronounced it “Er-koo”. I think your idea about the carrousel has real merit, and can think of all kinds of smells and sensations that would keep riders away. How about a wet saddle? What if the ride smelled really bad? Come on, Imagineers, these ideas are being give to you for FREE!
TokyoMagic!, I don’t remember that commercial, but I’ll bet it’s on YouTube.
Major, you were right, I found it on YouTube. And here's it is. (My favorite part is when the one kid stands up and says "Ecru!")
1990's Colgate Commercial
Eh, honestly, the only good thing about the Disney carousels is the soundtrack, with many popular Disney songs performed by old-timey pipe organ. Sometimes it amazes me what they can manage to perform as a carousel song, including Prince Ali and Hakuna Matata. Check out the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Z9ITbz_GU&list=PLoBMZ8RdxJEu3ox2WFhu6n68HaUgUyp_w
@ TM!-
The bane of every American: Dull teeth. (That - and spotted glassware). Thankfully, the brain trust on Madison Avenue is busy 24/7 cooking-up permanent solutions for life's depressing moments - such as Colgate Sensation Whitening Toothpaste or Cascade-!
The first time I ran across the word “ecru,” it was in one of the “All-of-a-Kind Family” books. Henny spills tea on Ella's new white dress, and they dye the whole dress ecru so the tea stains won't show. In my head I pronounced it “ee-crew.”
Take away the half-timbered gables, and Merlin's shop looks a lot like our local Unitarian Church.
Ha Ha! Someone took a picture of a horse butt.
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
PS Or is it horse's rear end... or is that what my father is becoming (according to mom when she was angry at him).
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