Back when Tony Baxter was still working at WDI, he said that they were trying to figure out a way to get guests back up in the air again, after the removal of the Skyway back in 1994. So far it seems that nobody has come up with a workable idea (though Walt Disney World has its new "Skyliner" that will start operating this autumn).
Anyway, here's a nice aerial view of Fantasyland, with fun details like the Carrousel, the Fantasyland Theatre (showing "Pecos Bill" and "Rugged Bear"), a sliver of the Snow White façade, and the distant spaceship-like Anaheim Convention Center.
This is from the same lot as the first one, but might have been taken on a different day, or just a different time of day. This one's nice and sunny and clear. It's a familiar view of the old Sub lagoon, along with the Monorail track (no Monorail) and the Autopia track (no cars!). There's the Howard Johnson's hotel in the upper right.
Major-
ReplyDeleteTwo beauties today. We even get a glimpse of the Welch's Grape Juice Bar. Delicious.
Thanks, Major.
Not only can we see the Howard Johnson's Hotel tower, but we can also see the orange roof of the Howard Johnson's Restaurant (through the trees) and the tall vintage Howard Johnson's sign out on Harbor Blvd. I never patronized the restaurant when it was Howard Johnson's, but I ate there quite a bit in the nineties, after it became a Bob's Big Boy.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the Skyway sure gave some remarkable views, but did it break the "illusion" when you could see nearby landmarks such as these?
ReplyDeleteOh man, thanks a million for adding my blog to your list, Major! I just realized now, but it sure means a lot to me!
ReplyDeleteHoward Johnson's (No Howard!)
ReplyDeleteSorry, just seemed like it fit. That sub lagoon is just plain darn pretty. I guess the need to keep it so clean for visability has the nice side effect of making it shine like a diamond! Nice pics today!
ReplyDeleteFun pictures, thanks Major! I especially love the 2nd one. Feels like the start of a wonderful Disney day!
Andrew, btw, you do a fantastic job on your Bayern Kurve Blog! I think you're really a wise 50-year old that's pretending to be a kid. ;) I don't know many young folks that are as ambitious as you are - keep up the good work! (And you're learning from the best!)
Sue
I too, love the Sub Lagoon. As a kid, The Submarine Voyage was a must ride and one of my absolute favorites. Looking at the lagoon from anywhere is a beautiful sight. The first pic is a little smoggy, but has a lot going on. Andrew, great blog, keep 'em comin' my friend. Thanks Major.
ReplyDeleteExcellent shots of familiar scenes.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the Convention Center Arena off in the distance reminds me when I thought it would be cool to skateboard down that odd ramp in the roof.
A great photo of the Howard Johnson motel (or is it a hotel when it is multi-story?. What are the rules on lodging nomenclature?). The architect was William Pereira, who is perhaps better known for the design of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.
The Anaheim hotel is embracing it's mid-century roots and has several programs and events scheduled around the architecture of the '60's, including tours.
I rode the submarine for the first time in about 40 years on my last solo trip. So many memories, in spite of the wretched Nemo overlay. So much chutzpah to create that ride, I can just imagine the design meetings. Pumps, water purification, emergency exiting, motor drive for the subs, interior and exterior lighting, my head spins. Who else but Disney would create something like this? I've ridden in tourist mini-subs before, but they didn't create an entire private ocean to ride around in... boggling.
Agree, Andrew's blog is excellent work. I'm fascinated by the carnival rides, even if I didn't ride many other than at Disneyland. Andrew, thanks for sharing your photos and commentary, and contributing here.
Thank you Major and everyone.
JG
Looking at the Sub Lagoon I couldn't help but notice... No WED Way Peoplmover track either. Great photos today!
ReplyDeleteAlways your pal,
Amazon Belle
Major - Also in the first photo is the brand-new Administration Building!
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ReplyDeleteAndrew: To answer your "did it break the illusion?" question, as I kid I never noticed anything but Disneyland, while on the skyway or the monorail, etc. My eyes were glued to everything Disney - as there was so much to oogle over and get excited with anticipation about. With everything zooming about IN Disneyland, my eyes weren't drawn to the "outside." It may have been different for adults, but I doubt it. Disneyland brings (brought) out the kid in everyone! (I'll ask my dad, Lou, your question, to get his past-adult-perspective, and get back to you.)
It's fun, now, to look at the pictures and slides, to see what I was missing outside of the park.
Sue
Stu nailed it - that Lagoon does shine like a diamond. Both pictures are great, but the second one has just a little more oomph than the first. I love watching the monorail track wind through the trees, the works of man and nature making perfect visual foils for each other.
ReplyDeleteNanook, ice cold grape juice would hit the spot right now!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, how weird; even though the Howard Johnson’s hotel is still there, the restaurant is now a Bob’s Big Boy?
Penna. Andrew, I don’t remember ever feeling like anything was ruined by being up in the air like that; in fact, it was fun to see some of the “behind the scenes” stuff that would have normally been hidden.
Penna. Andrew, my pleasure!
stu29573, is that a “Blazing Saddles” reference? I’ve always thought that the lagoon was such a wonderful part of Tomorrowland; if they ever do remove the subs, I’m going to miss the lagoon even more than the ride.
Lou and Sue, I was going to suggest that Andrew start blogging about the Kardashians, but now that I’ve read your comment, I guess it’s better that he keep on doing what he’s doing.
Jonathan, the Submarine Voyage was one of the rides that we had to do twice, once during the day, and again at night. Although we were trapped on a sub when the fireworks were going one time, that was torture.
JG, were you a skateboarder?? I was never that cool. I would assume that the Howard Johnson’s is an actual hotel; and yes, William Pereira was a hugely influential architect, especially in California. All of the elements that you mentioned (as part of the “chutzpah”) are probably the very reasons that this ride might go away someday, especially now that Lassetter is no longer cheerleading for his old favorites.
Matthew, oh yeah, that’s weird. No Peoplemover, no Autopia. Wonder what was going on?
Jason, oh man, you’re right, there it is, way in the distance. Good eye!
Lou and Sue, I think our brains “self edit” in situations like that. We look where we want to look, and avoid the other stuff. I’m sure the spinning teacup ride attracted a lot of attention, as did the Pirate Ship/
Melissa, the way those Imagineers skillfully included trees and plants in their designs really makes Disneyland so special. There are plenty of amusement parks that feel like it’s all asphalt and cement, with hardly a green plant in sight.
No Major, I was never a skateboarder. No sidewalks where I lived. But if I had been one, that roof would have been a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI remember enjoying looking out at the world beyond the berm from the high rides, seeing relationships to the Disney landmarks inside. I don't think I ever believed I was in another world inside the berm, always knew it was an illusion. Somehow, that was part of the fun.
JG
Thanks for the compliments and for taking a look at my blog, Lou and Sue, JC Shannon, and JG! I'm more than happy to contribute, and I'm even happier of how kind everyone is... and how they don't even mind what's really just some random kid's thoughts. :)
ReplyDeleteSue, I'd love to hear what your dad has to say about the "illusion" of being in the park.
And Major Pepperidge, dagnabbit (cause that's what 50-years-olds say, as Sue said), how in the WORLD could you tell what the post I wrote for tomorrow was going to be about?!
HEY, BRUSH FIRE! just beyond the trees that are on Disney's property line - near top, middle of picture. I wonder what that really is? Maybe I need to get a better computer.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I'll get back to you later tonight or tomorrow - when I get a chance to visit with my dad. (He LOVES to talk about Disneyland!)
And, Andrew, "dagnabbit" was probably what Major's GRANDFATHER would say. But good try! :)
Sue
Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute, Sue! I'm 50, and I use "dagnabbit" all the time. And "cornsarn it," and "guldarn," and "daggummit," and "rackin'frackin'." Land sakes, woman!
ReplyDeleteNot sure where I picked that up. I'm sure it had nothing to do with watching an hour and a half of Looney Tunes every Saturday and a half hour of The Beverly Hillbillies weekdays for more than a decade...
JG, I lived in Huntington Beach at the beginning of the skateboard crazy and had friends who were really into them, but I was fine with my cool Schwinn bicycle.
ReplyDeletePenna. Andrew, somehow I knew what you were going to post tomorrow without even knowing it right this moment!
Lou and Sue, you’re seeing the bright orange roof of the Howard Johnson’s restaurant! That’s the one that TokyoMagic! said eventually became a Bob’s Big Boy.
Chuck, “dagnabbit”, “by cracky”, “tarnation”, “jumpin’ jehoshaphat”, … there are some phrases that can never be replaced and will live forever. I probably learned “dagnabbit” from a Warner Bros. cartoon about hillbillies.
....how weird; even though the Howard Johnson’s hotel is still there, the restaurant is now a Bob’s Big Boy?
ReplyDeleteMajor, the Bob's Big Boy was there for a while. However, when the 5 fwy was being widened in the late nineties, the Harbor Blvd overpass was lengthened to go over the wider freeway. It was also built higher than the older overpass. So in order to accommodate the higher bridge, Harbor Blvd. had to start sloping upwards, sooner. That raised the street up above the height of the restaurant's roof, so basically, the restaurant was now hidden in a hole, next to the road. I can't remember if Bob's was already gone by then or if it closed because of the lack of business after the redo of the street. I do remember that building remaining there with nothing in it for a while, until it was finally torn down and the parking lot for the hotel extended into that space. I'm guessing that nobody wanted to lease a restaurant, which was only a few yards from the street, but couldn't be seen!
ReplyDeleteYep, Major, now I see what that is. Thank you! Speaking of Howard Johnson's, do you remember those milk chocolate suckers they used to sell, with pictures on them? They were neatly displayed in those "tree" stands, by the cash register?
Sue
TokyoMagic!, poor Bob's Big Boy. How are you supposed to get your double-decker and chocolate shake (with the extra part of the shake served in the metal container)? It ain't right, I tells ya. I went to the Bob's in Toluca Lake a few years ago, it was fun. Brought my niece and nephew before we took a tour of Warner Studios. Thanks for all the info about Bob's and the freeway!
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, I don't have very vivid memories of the inside of Howard Johnson's restaurants. I liked the fried clams! And orange sherbet. I don't remember milk chocolate suckers at all!
Lou & Sue, totally forgot about that. Never had one, though - I was into the fried clams and the chocolate milk that came out of a cup with a cow head on top.
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ReplyDeleteAndrew, tonight I got a chance to ask my dad your question. He was 27 years old the first time he went to Disneyland - in 1956. Though he didn't know how I answered your question (earlier in this post), his answer was similar to mine. He responded, "I never remembered looking outside of Disneyland because everything I wanted to see was IN the park." :) Major was right, our brains "self edit." Disneyland truly was magical.
Sue
ReplyDeleteChuck, I just saw your response . . . I don't remember the cow head cups - what a riot!! :)
Sue
Thanks for asking your dad for me, Sue! And our brains do "self-edit!" I'll take a picture of something, look at it later, and think, "Was that really there?" I guess the magic of Disneyland just always draws your complete attention!
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