Thursday, January 20, 2022

Frontierland, April 1959

I have a pair of nice views of Frontierland from 1959 to share with you today. '59 was a pivotal year in the park's history, though Frontierland was not where the big changes were happening, so it all looks very peaceful.

I believe that the pony-tailed girl is standing at the "mainland" landing for the raft to Tom Sawyer Island... it looks like the raft across the water is just in the process or scooting up to the dock to unload a full compliment of guests. The wait shouldn't be too long though. I love seeing the bit of shore to the left, still undeveloped at "wild".


It sure seems as if a large portion of those guests are of the kid variety! Parents are probably hoping that the children and teens will run around and burn off some of that excess energy. In the meantime, adults can take a leisurely stroll, or even climb Castle Rock if they are in the mood.


The old grist mill was always a wonderfully picturesque feature on the south end of TSI, and the turning waterwheel added some kinetic movement and the pleasant sound of splashing water. 

20 comments:

JB said...

First pic- OMG! Those killer ducks are heading straight for the raft full of people! It's like a scene out of Jaws. The rafters are totally unaware of the danger coming toward them. I can't look. Pretty scene though.

In the zoomed-in pic- it looks like at least one of the kids has spotted the swarm of ducks quickly approaching: "Look Mommy! Those duckies have big nasty sharp teeth!" Mom: "Don't be silly, dear. Ducks don't have teeth." Out of the mouths of babes. Oh, the humanity!

Last pic- Well, it looks like most of the rafters made it ashore before the duck ruckus took place. The guy in the middle has a big pamphlet sticking out of his shirt pocket. Lots of writing on it. Anybody know what it is?
That's a nice close-up of the waterwheel. I don't think we've seen any others quite like it here.

Thanks for today's rustic images, Major.

"Lou and Sue" said...

Hahaha, JB! I will never look at ducks the same way again. Swans, either.

I bet our Major will instantly recognize that pamphlet. And he probably owns one.

Nice day on the river, thank you, Major!

TokyoMagic! said...

Is there somebody dressed in blue, walking in the water trough leading to the mill's waterwheel?

And is that just a random rock, out in the water in front of the mill? Or is it the nose of an escaped hippo from the Jungle Cruise?

Chuck said...

I miss the Old Mill, but I think its closure and eventual removal were inevitable. It was built on an island where there was exactly one farm, and the master of that property wasn’t exactly the most industrious guy, always laying around in the sun and moving as little as possible. I think it was an economic inevitability.

JB, this image gives me nightmares. I think that may have been her little brother.

Andrew said...

I wonder when the last time was where the rafts were that crowded every day. Unless they still are? I remember we pretty much had the island to ourself at Magic Kingdom in summer 2018. WDW has an Old Mill and a windmill, plus a hidden Goofy in the caves.

Bu said...

Before I drone on...what was being raked gangster style in shag carpeting in Chicago? Inquiring minds want to know :)

DrGoat said...

Andrew, the rafts are probably still crowded, but everyone is looking down at their phone and not up at the scenery.
JB, those ducks are probably relatives of a certain other duck who has a notorious temper, so those kids are in for it. That is an uncommon view of the Old Mill. Those white shades on that woman have come back in style, unfortunately.
Bu, your query has me stumped....lately not an unusual occurrence in my life.
Thanks for the great pics Major. If those photos were taken in July, there might be a 9 year old me on that doomed raft.

Nanook said...

@ JB-
That's merely a TSI brochure. LOOK HERE.

"Lou and Sue" said...

Bu, here’s the true answer to yesterday’s question...

The last family member (of a mobster family) leaving the house, on the way out, would quickly rake the carpeting, ensuring easy visibility of any mobster activity in that house while the family was away. (Assuming the intruder didn’t carry his own rake.). I have no idea what those families did, once shag carpet went out of style. Vacuum the carpet??

Melissa said...

The half-a-fella (suddenly, he's not half the man he used to be) with Ms. Ponytail in #1 looks like he might be wearing a souvenir Tyrolean hat, but it's hard to tell without the plumage.

Lady exiting the Old Mill is an absolute fashion icon. She could have stepped off a magazine cover. She'll probably be a bit rumpled by the end of the day, though.

As always, best I can say about ducks is, at least they're not geese.

Nanook said...

@ Melissa-
"...he's not half the man he used to be". That's exactly what I [stage whispered] to those within earshot of me when Bishop was impaled by the queen in Aliens. I expected more laughter from my fellow moviegoers. Clearly, you weren't in the that audience.

JG said...

@Tokyo, that floating thing is a keg, used as a buoy marker so the canoes stay in the channel. KS has xplained these.

Love these Major.

JG

Bu said...

Thanks for the mobster info....very helpful for my next "job". Popcorn + ducks...wow...that's an image I will never get out of my head "my eyes! my eyes!". I thought it was so sweet to give little maps out of Tom Sawyer Island. I have one...somewhere....at some point I have to find the "somewhere". That raft is about to list...which was the best part of Tom Sawyer Island! People shrieking thinking that the raft was sinking and the ride operator moving to higher ground (the railings) non-plussed. Balance out the raft people...we are not on a track..I like white sunglasses. She is very Mrs. Walt Disney. But of course, isn't. What a lovely place to visit before Yippies, Pirates, Fanplastic, and "them" ruining everything. Things were very authentic in the day. Seeing the "wild" of Anaheim in the background is also very calming. The news feed presently on my phone generally includes "FIGHT BREAKS OUT IN PETER PAN RIDE"...or "DISGRUNTLED CUSTOMER GOES BESERK OVER POPCORN BOWL" ....or some nonsense like that. Doesn't sound like there is any semblance of serenity over in the Magic Kingdom called Disneyland (that was in Jack Wagner voice.)

Major Pepperidge said...

JB, instead of the Jaws theme, they should play the slow sound of ducks quacking. If that doesn’t strike terror into a viewer’s heart, I don’t know what will. I’ve heard a saying about hen’s teeth, so there must be duck’s teeth. Tyrannosaurus dux. Another duck ruckus? I had no idea that they were so common, maybe it happened more, pre-1970? Gosh, it is making crazy that I can’t quite tell what that brochure is! Give me some time to look into it. I have an idea, but I need to make sure.

Lou and Sue, who knew that waterfowl were so…foul? When I take my mom for evening walks, we go right past a duck pond. I’ll be sweating bullets next time.

TokyoMagic!, it does kind of look like there’s a person wearing a blue jacket up on that trough, would it be possible for an especially nosy kid to make his way up there? If so, he is my hero. I think that “random rock” might be a wooden piling that is mostly submerged. Maybe?

Chuck, now that you put it that way, I’m GLAD that they tore down the old mill, and that they evicted that farmer. He was dead anyway, why should he get the place all to himself? I say let’s build a 7-11 on the island and be done with it.

Andrew, I feel like I’ve been on some pretty crowded rafts, but I don’t know if they were THAT crowded. Lucky you visiting WDW’s version when it was so empty, that’s the best way. Amazing that it was as recent as 2018. A hidden Goofy??

Bu, er, “gangster style”?? Do you have to wear a pinstriped suit and a white hat?

DrGoat, why would I look at anything else when I have my phone? It gives me everything! When I go to see a live concert, I hold my phone over my head and watch the performance on the little screen instead of right in front of me. The woman in white looks pretty elegant to me, in a June Cleaver sort of way!

Nanook, well good grief. I didn’t think it was a TSI map because it looks so big. Maybe the man is kind of small?? Anyway, you win a cigar.

Lou and Sue, wow, this all sounds like something out of a movie. I love the idea of raking the carpeting, it’s kind of ridiculous, but kind of brilliant. I would walk around on stilts to really confuse whoever came along next.

Melissa, why am I having trouble seeing the Tyrolean hat?? I agree, that woman looks pretty spiffy, from the cover of Vogue, in a photo taken by Irving Penn.

Nanook, that joke is worthy of the Jungle Cruise, except that the Jungle Cruise doesn’t have any androids that have been ripped in half by an alien. Give it time, though!

JG, ah, a KEG, of course! Thanks JG.

Bu, they must have given out millions of those Tom Sawyer Island maps, there is no shortage of them on eBay. I don’t know why some people think they can get $75 for one when all you have to do is wait and look for an identical copy for $15. I forget if it has been mentioned here, but thanks to TokyoMagic! and some others, we know that there are at least 10 variations of the maps (pre-Pirates Lair). I finally got all 10 a while ago. I think it’s so crazy that they would load the rafts until it almost got swamped, seems like it wouldn’t be worth the complaints. Hey, I got into that fight on the Peter Pan ride for a good reason!

Melissa said...

Maj, Tyrolean hat identification is pretty far down on the list of my special skills, so if you don;t see it I'm probably imagining it.

Bu, that Figment popcorn bucket *is* pretty sweet! Then again, it's one of those things that's so cute Disney really didn't need to create an artificial scarcity to sell as many as they liked.

Bu said...

$15 for my free map? I'm flummoxed. "Sold." In fact, send me just postage and an envelope (what did we call that back then...a "SASE") and I will send it to whoever for nothing. One less thing to go into my Egyptian tomb when that time comes. Figment is causing meltdowns and riots? Isn't figment now an official "figment". Where is that stuffed figment I had...probably with the TSI map and the rest of the crap...uh..."Loot"...and my pinstriped double breasted suit.

Melissa said...

Figment is still (barely) present in EPCOT, but he's not half the dragon he used to be. He's gotten a publicity bump lately from his in-ride animatronic being dressed in a Christmas sweater for "the season." I think they're cashing in on GenX nostalgia, but it seems to be working out for them.

(I have a little magnetic plush Figment stuck to my bedside lamp.)

JB said...

Sue, I feel kinda guilty whenever I (we) talk about killer swans and ducks (geese, plants, etc.). They're such peaceable creatures (especially the plants). Yeah, they can come at you at times (but not the plants), but what are they gonna do? Grab hold of your pantleg? Then what? All they've got is tiny ridges on their bills and their mouths aren't big enough to actually wrap around your leg, even if you have bare legs. I guess it's just the absurdity of it that makes me want to keep it going with it. I luvs me some absurdity (as you probably guessed). Probably the main reason why, after discovering GDB, I read all the way through the blog. (I keep typing "blob" by mistake... WHY?)

Tokyo, it sure looks like a guy in blue. I zoomed in 400% to take a look; still can't tell for sure. But he he's walking away from us with his left hand raised for balance. His right hand is out in front of him. And he just might be wearing a military-type white hat, like an old-style policeman's hat, only white. (not sure about the hat though)

Chuck, he's even too lazy to fix the holes in his shirts!
Hahaha! I really LOLed at that Daveland image (and your comment).

Nanook, thanks! I figured it was probably some sort of guide for the Island. (It seems awfully wordy!)

Bu, nonono! Don't give your TSI map away. Your Egyptian after-life self won't be able to find its way around the Island!

Major Pepperidge said...

Melissa, I would say it’s much more likely that I’M not seeing the Tyrolean hat. Maybe I suffer from “Tyrolean Hat Blindness”? I’m glad I am not tempted by the various popcorn buckets that have been sold recently - some of them are very appealing, but good grief, where would I store those fragile, clunky things??

Bu, sure your map was free - 40+ years ago! Paper ephemera was usually thrown away, or glued into albums, so an example surviving in good shape is already a thing to admire. Hmmm, now I’m planning my own Egyptian tomb, with a deadly curse to anyone who dares to enter it without permission.

Melissa, didn’t Billy Barty do the original voice for Figment? I’m not familiar with any EPCOT characters, but having Billy Barty instantly makes Figment go to the top of the list.

JB, no need to feel guilty, we all know that the swan and duck roasting (no pun intended!) is all in good fun. Plus, they can’t read. OR CAN THEY? I’ve actually never been attacked by a duck or swan, but there are plenty of videos out there showing people running in terror. Heck, I’ve seen people getting attacked by chickens too, and nobody says a peep about those mean birds. I sometimes refer to my blog as a “blob”, so why shouldn’t you? Typing fingers sometimes want to do their own thing. My fingers always want to add an extra “e” to “remember” (“rememeber”). No idea why.

Melissa said...

Yes, the late, great Billy Barty was the original voice of Figment. When they had to record new lines for the most recent version, they brought in Muppet performer Dave Goelz (Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Travelling Matt Fraggle, et al.)