Sunday, June 24, 2018

Storybook Land, April 1969

How about some super boring photos of the back of a kid's head? And Storybook Land? If that is your thing, then you are in luck. If not, please tune in tomorrow, I promise it will be better.

The Practical Pig was no fun, but he sure built a fine home out of sturdy bricks. Look at that nice little tree to the right - it was shrinkified by an early version of the Mighty Microscope. I like details such as the split rail fence (neatly whitewashed), and the little stone pathway.


These charming French medieval homes are part of Cinderella's village. Everything's just a little crooked or wavy, which shows that they were built by genuine peasants. They will soon be demolished to make way for a 22-story mixed-use building - luxury condos, with expensive shops on the lower level.


13 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

It's hard not to love all the incredible craftsmanship and detail that was (is) a part of Storybook Land - I mean Story Book Land - as it was known in 1969. It's just all so beautiful and charming. In this day and age, it's really amazing it's still there-!

Thanks, Major.

Chuck said...

Heed, MOVE!!!

JC Shannon said...

One of my all time favs. I love the whole concept, floating down a canal as opposed to a walk thru. I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes in to building something this cool. Somehow I think some glass and steel multiuse monstrosity just wouldn't fit in. Thanks major for the great snaps.

Melissa said...

The imperfections and crooked bits are what really sell it. Anyone can plop a dollhouse on a riverbank, but this is real artistry.

K. Martinez said...

One of the things I love about Storybook Land is its similarity to the original "treehouse" attraction Swiss Family Treehouse in which the characters are absent allowing the guest to use their imagination.

Thanks, Major.

Patrick Devlin said...

I would have killed for models like these in the yard when I was growing up. I'm sure we dug a channel or two through my mom's planting beds and then got busy with the hose. Great shots, Maj.

stu29573 said...

Actually the village is being razed so they can build The Princess Pagodas! Disney's newest 25,000 unit luxury suite resort! ....also, most of Fantasyland is doomed too...

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I looked in a 1957 “Holiday” magazine, and it is referred to as “Storybook Land”. Or do you just mean the way it is represented on the living sign out front?

Chuck, you must really love that movie!

Jonathan, there’s just something about a little boat ride. Perhaps a walk-thru would have worked, but I love the slow, smooth pace of the canal boats.

Melissa, I agree!

K. Martinez, I never thought about it, but you are very right. I like to imagine myself at a mere four inches tall (Jiminy Cricket size) strolling through Geppetto’s Village.

Patrick Devlin, I used to build little models of houses out of cereal boxes. My mom actually saved one of them, and I still think it looks OK! The outside is painted, but when you look in the windows you can see the cereal box graphics.

stu29573, don’t even joke about such a thing!

TokyoMagic! said...

It's interesting that as late as 1969, there was dirt showing on the banks of Storybook Land (first pic) and even a dead tree in the foreground. Well, I guess that kid's head is in the foreground, but the dead tree is in between his head and Practical Pigs house.

Major, that second pic is actually of Pinocchio's Village. It's the very first building guests encounter on the right side of the boat after exiting from Monstro's esophagus. Now that's got me wondering something. Why doesn't Monstro have a uvula?

Nanook said...

Major-

Yes, I'm referring to the floral signage, which for some reason seemed to 'change its stripes' over time. (Maybe it's time I think about changing the layout of my name. Let's see..)

Melissa said...

"Why doesn't Monstro have a uvula?"

He lost it in a freak gargling accident.

Major Pepperidge said...

TokyoMagic!, I presume that the canal banks are now covered in cement? Thanks for the correction, I guess I'm not used to seeing the village from that angle.

Nanook, don't ever change!

Melissa, I thought that the missing uvula was the result of Monstro's old sword-swallowing act.

TokyoMagic! said...

Major, the cement doesn't go up that high. It's just that the ground covering is more lush and comes all the way down to the cement borders. I'm just surprised to see that bare spot in that one pic.

Melissa and Major, my mom actually lost her uvula in a surgical mishap when she was a child. A surgeon was removing her tonsils and he "slipped" and accidentally cut off her uvula with the scalpel!