Four More From 1997-ish.
What's sweeter than the harmonies from a barbershop quartet? The beauty of Frontierland, circa 1997 (give or take a year). Photos courtesy of Mr. X, who took them himself.
This first one is my favorite of the bunch, and I think you can see why. For one thing, it's just a lovely photo. But it also shows Cascade Peak, still looking wonderful, even though it appears that the upper falls are not working (a common circumstance in the last years of the peak's existence). X wishes that the trees near Cascade Peak had been trimmed or removed to maintain the illusion that it was larger, but it's hard to be too mad at big, beautiful trees.
Here's another pretty photo showing the entrance to Frontierland. I sure don't remember those little teepees ever being there; I believe that there were similar teepees in roughly the same locations in the earliest days of the entrance area.
Next is this shot looking back at the Friendly Indian Village, with the Storyteller shaman scene. I've been trying to determine when that scene was added, and so far all I can say for certain is that it shows up on souvenir maps from 1995. Does anybody know? Of course the entire area was changed in 2017, and now the shaman is atop a rocky promontory on Tom Sawyer Island.
And one final photo is nothing too exciting, though it's got Cascade Peak, so it gets extra points for that!
11 comments:
I don't know for sure, but I think I remember the storyteller being there on my wife's first visit in December of 1993; I'm positive it was there by October of 1994.
Those teepees were prominent in concept art for the Frontierland entrance, but by the time the Park opened to the public, they had been eliminated from the plan as seen in this 18 July, 1955 photo. This is the only photographic evidence I've ever seen that there were ever any in that position. I like the gesture, even if they're a little small.
Looks like river freight traffic was low that day. Is the shack at the old Fishing Pier still there?
I agree with Mr. X about the trees dwarfing Cascade Peak. Supposedly Walt Disney said that "trees have no scale" but then why did he have the tree plantings on the Matterhorn structure get smaller as they were planted higher up the mountain. To create the illusion of proper scale. Then he had the miniature (bonsai) trees planted in Storybook Land. So much for "trees have no scale".
I remember those teepee's at the front of the entrance in the 1990's. I never cared for the overall effect it had on the entrance. Thanks, Major.
Chuck, I’m willing to pin the date of “1993” on the addition of the Storyteller, based on your recollection! I know that early concept art showed teepees at the entrance to Frontierland, but I could have sworn that I’ve seen early-ish photos of the entrance with teepees as well. However, I did a Google search, and nothing supported my “memories”, so maybe my brain turned the concept art into a photo. Or I am confusing photos from the 90's with photos from the 50's. Somebody who has been to the park more recently than me will have to chime in about the fishing shack!
K. Martinez, yeah, the “trees have no scale” is an odd thing for Walt to say. They have “scale” on Main Street, and overwhelm the buildings if they get too big! And the places you mentioned (the Matterhorn especially) are good examples too. Walt liked big beautiful trees, and so do I, but not in all situations.
Great photo of Cascade Peak. It has so much to look at with the canoe and the broken down engine adding to the ambiance. I'm sure a closeup of the pony tailed youngster in yellow will show she has her tongue out with the effort to dig her paddle into the water.
I don't remember the tepees either. Maybe due to the anticipation of looking at Pendleton shirts. (Huh, my computer says Pendleton is spelled Pantaloon).
I will call no.4 'Barrel, with Box'.
All great photos today. My thanks to you and Mr X.
dz
What a beautiful day in the park. I especially like the Cascade Peak photo. Check out the red hat on the woman in pic 2. Not everyone can pull off that look. I know the last photo has no one or nothing in it, but I love the fact that the photographer saw the beauty of the shot anyhow. Frontierland and Tomorrowland are my favorite photo subjects and park themes. Thanks for these beauties Major.
Major, I love big beautiful trees and they work great in Adventureland, on the Jungle Cruise, in the back wilderness areas of Rivers of America as well as provide great backdrops for Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, but when they cover up beautiful architecture like the Pirates of the Caribbean building and Main Street architecture it's a bit much.
Another thing is that for trees to maintain healthy growth and grow properly and safely within a public area they need to be majorly trimmed and altered from time to time. My parents had huge trees on their property and every few years they hired a tree surgeon to detect weak spots, possible dangers of major branches breaking off and the general overall health of their trees.
I wonder if Disney hires or has a tree surgeon on hand at the park to regularly check up on and maintain the trees at Disneyland and DCA? I remember a while back a couple large trees came crashing down in Frontierland. That is not a good thing.
Ken, if they have a tree surgeon, does that also mean they have a tree anesthetist? I'd hate to think of them going into surgery without at least a local anesthetic.
@Chuck, trees have a limb(ic) system that prevents them feeling pain while being pruned.
I think I have seen other pictures, probably on Daveland, of the entry teepees, but not sure. I'm here to agree with 1994 for the storytelling shaman, but could have been earlier.
Thank you Major and Mr. X.
JG
David Zacher, when my friend said that he had photos from the 1990’s, I thought, “Eh, not that excited” (because I’m a jerk!), but they turned out to be pretty neat. Ha ha, Pendleton = Pantaloon, thanks computer. The photo of the barrel and the box is possibly one of the greatest works of art from the 20th century.
Jonathan, you aren’t kidding about that red hat. Most of my red hats are only 2/3 that size. My friend loved Frontierland more than anything, which is why he wanted to document it in photos. There’s more to come!
K. Martinez, I would hope that Disneyland has some knowledgeable tree people working for them, and not just any dummies who know how to work a saw. There’s an art to removing branches. Remember when they announced that the jungle was officially its own ecosystem, or something like that? I am skeptical, but it makes for a good story I guess. At the Disney studio they have some old trees, and they’ve attached wires to certain branches so if they break loose, they won’t fall on a passing animator. In theory, anyway.
Chuck, most tree surgeries are done on an out-patient basis, with only local anesthetic.
JG, “limbic system”, ha ha! I’ve looked for old photos of teepees in front of Frontierland’s entrance, and am convinced that I imagined the whole thing.
I believe the storyteller was added in 1992. The river was drained and had a major rehab, then re-opened for Fantasmic! in 1992 with several scenes added (the eagle nest by the burning cabin, the story teller, and I think the wrecked mine train was added at this time).
Less sure on the exact date of this, but my memory says the teepees were added to the Frontierland entrance, around 1995 when they modified the Adventureland entrance for the opening of Indiana Jones (they made a little side area for the line). This was also the year Pocahontas was released and the Davy Crockett arcade became the Spirit of Pocahontas store. Although the studio went to great lengths to ensure that we did not see incorrect stereotypes, as the tribe Pocahontas was from did not use tepees, these appeared at the entrance to Frontierland, presumably to represent another tribe from the prairie (not the Powhattans from the east coast)
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