It's time for more fun photos from the Dream Team - Irene, Bruce, and James! All of today's photos feature signage from around Adventureland, where most (if not all?) attractions were closed during the construction of the Indiana Jones Adventure, which opened on March 3, 1995.
This first one is my favorite, informing guests that the Jungle Cruise was temporarily suspended (notice placed there by the Adventureland River Authority). This sign included a fun painting with elephants cleaning and inspecting boats, while the explorer from the "Lost Safari" (and two of his bearers) confers with some hard-hatted gorillas carrying blueprints.
I am assuming that one of the paths through Adventureland was completely blocked by this massive wall (no humans could have built it without alien help!). The sign suggests another path, but it might be a trick. I have trust issues.
Here's another sign informing guests that the Jungle Cruise was closed. I'm glad to know that he has left his collection of shrunken heads nearby; buy one and hang it from your rear-view mirror. Maybe spray it with Old Spice, it might smell a bit funky.
And finally, in case people have not gotten the message yet, here's one more sign to let people know when all of their favorite jungle attractions would be up and running again. Hard to believe this was 25 years ago!
THANK YOU, Irene, Bruce, and James!
I love those signs, and the added extras on the wall in the 1st picture. Mike C., do you now have any of those in your possession??
ReplyDeleteThanks Irene, Major and the Dream Team!
The first image showing the Jungle Cruise rehab sign is actually about 2 decades older than 1995.many of those older 4’x8’ rehab signs were used over and over with dates changed and other alterations. Neat to see this one still in use in the 90’s. The humans in the sign are supposed to be members of the trapped safari .... but they also resemble some of the people on the SUNKIST I PRESUME sign. Great collection of images today.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have any of those signs but I do have original sign painters art guides for Swiss Family Treehouse rehab billboards and one for Adventureland Bazaar .... that humorously depicts a battered Bazaar with a note saying “that’s the last time we tell an elephant to just charge it!” I miss the imagination and creativity of those old rehab billboards.
ReplyDeleteMike, you can’t help but laugh when you see those great signs! As a result, you no longer are aggravated that the attraction is down. We need humor added to roadway signs...maybe that would reduce some road rage??
ReplyDeleteIt would be bad enough that the attraction was unavailable, but after traveling thousands of miles, not being able to buy a rubber shrunken head would be beyond the pale! Do love the signs. I have a Donald duck Wet Paint sign stashed away somewhere.
ReplyDeleteLou & Sue, My sister told me that on one of our '57 or '58 trips, Mr. Toad was down for the day, and evidently I went into a depressive state for a while. I assume I perked up soon after.
Thanks Major, and Mike for the story.
@ MIKE COZART-
ReplyDeleteI thought there was something kinda 'retro looking' about that first sign - even for 1995. Thanks for the info.
And thanks to the Dream Team.
Lou and Sue, I’ll bet those “extras” are from Oceanic Arts in Whittier.
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, interesting that these signs were repurposed from an earlier rehab. I mention the Lost Safari in my text! The “white hunter” definitely looks the same as the one on the “Sunkist I Presume” sign.
Mike Cozart, I think that you should clear out all that clutter and send it to me! I will take it off your hands for free. That’s the kind of guy I am.
Lou and Sue, maybe a little humor on traffic signs would be in order. Maybe for the electronic signs on the freeway? Except that I’m always amazed at how traffic slows down around those signs, like people need more time to read the two sentences.
DrGoat, I’m sure you would still have been able to buy a rubber shrunken head! The Bazaar across the way probably had a plentiful supply. Now you have to decide if you want one with black hair or white hair! I always liked the white hair because it was unexpected. Now I really want one again. OK, now we need to see your “wet paint” sign! Only if it’s not hidden away too seriously, of course. Funny how Mr. Toad being down made such an impression on you, I remember being very upset that the Disneyland Railroad was down, maybe in the 70s.
Nanook, I wonder who used to design and paint those humorous signs? They probably did the ones around the Rivers of America and the Sub Lagoon when those were “101” as well.
I really love the humor on these signs - such creative people! :) I'm glad to hear the back story on some of these. Speaking of Jungle Cruise - I was really looking forward to the new movie. Who knows when we will see it now. My thought is - just put it on Disney + and DVD and get it over with. I finally have the DVD of the new Call of the Wild (got it for free on loan from the library) and am looking forward to watching it in the next couple of days.
ReplyDeleteThese signs are fun. Takes me back to the opening of Indiana Jones, one of our first visits with our kids when they were small.
ReplyDeleteAlso, one of the last times I looked forward to a Disneyland remodeling.
Thanks Major and the Dream Team, also Mike Cozart for the ever-fascinating back story.
JG
Irene, I appreciate that they take the time to make construction walls nice to look at! I wonder if they still have those signs in storage so that they can alter them and use them for some future project? Yeah, I don't know if I need to see the Jungle Cruise movie on a large screen. I'm gonna wait to see what kind of reviews it gets, for sure.
ReplyDeleteJG, I think I'm like you, since pre-Indy I haven't looked forward to new stuff opening that much. Not like the old days anyway. I still remember my first time on Indy, and waiting in that long, long line, but it was so well designed that I didn't even mind.
MAJOR: the large hand painted 4’x8’ rehab billboards have not been used since the very late 1990’s. Disneyland saved two that I’m aware off :a 1985 SUBMARINE VOYAGE rehab ( showing mermaids , fish ,turtles And a octopus decorating and cleaning the very short lived yellow, white and blue color scheme Subs. Also 1978 MATTERHORN BOBSLEDS rehab sign created original for NEW 1978 additions that had been
ReplyDeletePainted over to be re-used as a seasonal rehab sign was saved. Thus is the famous one with a Donald and nephews dressed as swiss mountain climbers and Nana from Peter Pan as a mountain rescue Dog tracking the footprints of the Abominable Snow monster. Both these signs were on display in the Disneyland Paint Shops before the buildings were torn down for Star Wars Ville .
While the Disneyland Sign Shop still does hand silkscreening and hand painting on some signs , all rehab signs are digitally printed on equipment added about 2011. WDI will sometimes use this advanced equipment to digitally print things for other parks as well - like all the control and operational panels for Mystic Manor in Hong Kong for example.
Mike Cozart, are you aware of any photos of the Subs with the yellow, white, and blue color scheme? Also, did you ever hear the rumor that the Subs were painted other colors as well? I am almost certain I read that on some forum, but it was either erroneous or a lie, I’m guessing! I’ve seen some of the signs you mentioned, and they have a “look” to them, as if created by a single artist, or at least an art director with a particular vision. While I totally understand the efficiency of creating and printing signs digitally, I miss the hand-painted artistry of the past.
ReplyDeleteI’ve seen them on line and in publications before . The Disneyland subs have had 6 color schemes .
ReplyDeleteThe all gray , gray and navy blue (below the water line ) in the mid 80’s was the pale yellow ,white with orange and pale yellow , white and blue. These didn’t last very long as they didn’t look very good. Then came the National Geographic yellow, orange and black. And now the NEMO blue and yellow.
I suspect that following the release of the Jungle Cruise movie, some of the more offensive segments of the ride will be replaced. I can see The Rock taking the place of the natives.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally the current NEMO submarine colors are taken from the color of THE FLYING SUB from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
ReplyDeleteI sent MAJOR some images of the two 1985 sub colors schemes as well as the rehab billboard gesturing the same.
ReplyDelete