Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Two From June 1962

I have two nice photos from Tomorrowland (or is one from Fantasyland?) today... nothing spectacular, but they're perfectly respectable. 

You get two - TWO - Monorails for the price of one here (with the bubble dome of a second example barely visible to the right). The windows are open on the red train - I would be tempted to stick my arm out the window and wave it up and down, "surfing" the wind. But that would be breaking the rules, and Honorary Gorillas like me always follow the rules. 


So... was this photo taken in Fantasyland? Or maybe even Main Street? I guess the Matterhorn was still a part of Tomorrowland back in '62, and you've got the House of the Future. I'm so confused. Life, she is funny, no?


9 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

What - no mermaids-? The monorail is a fine substitute, however. You posted a similar view of the Matterhorn back in November. The shot was taken on 'the extension', which I've also heard referred to as 'the Matterhorn extension'. [Former, &/or current] CM's please chime-in. The walkway heading-off to the left, just revealing the corner of the bench, ends up at the foot of the SBC drawbridge, where the future compass points were embedded in the ground.

Thanks, Major.

Melissa said...

Respectable? Well, shoot. If this blog is going respectable I'd better go put some pants on.

Melissa said...

Man, that first picture is postcard perfect! That's a great spot to photograph the Monorail; you’ve got loads of the winding track, the loading ramp to break up all the horizontal lines, and if your timing’s right it looks like the oncoming train is going to take off into space before your eyes.

In the future, every house will have a genuine simulated Swiss mountain in the backyard! Check the three kids arranged by height like the chimes on a xylophone.

Anonymous said...

The parade route refers to that road as "Matterhorn Road".

JG said...

Guide books showing the Matterhorn as part of Tomorrowland used to confuse me. Many years later, I learned from the blogs that the Matterhorn, Submarines and Monorail were all built as one big project which was considered a Tomorrowland extension, so that confusion is kind of cleared up.

At some point, I know the guidebooks "moved" the Matterhorn back to Fantasyland, which is where it was "meant" to be, I'm sure. This relocation occurred at night, with several very large furniture dollies.

I remember as a high-schooler admiring the construction coordination of the monorail track pillars with the submarine route and especially with the bobsled tracks on the west side queue. It makes sense when you know they were all built at once.

http://davelandweb.com/matterhorn/images/60s/KTPBKYC_6_61_N12R.jpg

@Anonymous #1, I have also seen this street in the second pic called "Matterhorn Avenue" on some older maps. Either one seems appropriate. Google now just calls it "parade route". How dull.

@Nanook, this photo explains the "extension" term >>

http://davelandweb.com/matterhorn/images/50s/KTPBK_12_56_N06B2.jpg

Major, these are post-card worthy in my opinion. Thank you so much.

JG

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, nope, no mermaids this time, but I just looked at some nice mermaid views in a box that I probably won’t scan for many months. But… it’s something to look forward to! I feel like the spot where that couple is walking is sort of a “no man’s land” - not quite Main Street, not quite Fantasyland. A little further on, you won’t be exactly in Tomorrowland!

Melissa, no need to wear pants… I never do!

Melissa #2, I like photo #1, but I guess I have become too picky. I want sunshine and bright blue skies, ideally. BUT… you make some great points. I like that those xylophone kids are holding hands, it’s cute.

Anon, I guess that makes sense!

JG, the Matterhorn definitely does not belong in Tomorrowland; the quaint Swiss load area is pure “Fantasyland”. Thank goodness all of those attractions (Subs, Monorail, Matterhorn) were all built at once - I don’t think it would have been possible to shoehorn in any one of them after the fact, at least not in the beautiful way they were integrated. I’m glad you liked these!

walterworld said...

Nice timing catching the bobsled as it crossed the bridge!

Melissa said...

Passport to Dreams Old and New has a great article (or maybe a series?) about transitional areas between lands in the Magic Kingdom. In Florida, they had more space to work with, and tried to ease the guests from one aesthetic to another.

Anonymous said...

As much as I have a preference (if not bias) Towards the WDW Mark monorail trains, I have to say that these retro models really give me a nostalgic feeling for a time when I wasn't even alive. Really have to love that aluminum. Looks almost like a big metal toy.