Nice Fantasyland, April 1959
Ya gotta love the old, original Fantasyland. YA GOTTA! And these 1959 photos show it when it was about as classic as you can get.
This April day was busy, but not too busy. It was juuuust right. Everyone's wearing their excellent 1959 fashions; the funny thing is that I don't think anyone would look twice at them if they wore those same clothes in 2022. "What is this, Dapper Day?". Señor Toad's Wild Ride is calling to me, tempting me with the fluorescent-painted plywood flats and chaotic sound and movement that says "Disneyland dark ride" to me (though of course those have all been improved and updated over the decades).
Notice the crane in the upper left, probably used in the last stages of construction for either the Matterhorn or the Submarine Voyage, to open in just two months.
"Snow White and Her Adventures", well golly, I don't think I was ever aware that the ride went by that name. Her adventures weren't officially "scary" yet, even though there was the Haunted Forest, the Witch's Dungeon, and a giant plate of steamed Swiss chard, which was later removed for being too scary and disgusting. The mustachioed fellow (with million-dollar sideburns) closest to us is channeling his inner child by wearing his U.S. Cavalry hat - and probably singing the Davy Crockett theme softly to himself.
21 comments:
Major-
How's about Snow White and Her Adventures Thru Inner Space-? You can kill two birds with one stone that way. (I'm all about economy).
Thanks, Major.
I really do love the original facades of the Fantasyland dark rides, each with their own central shield at the ride entrance. There's echos of this style still in Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland's Fantasylands. Always loved that medieval fair look for Fantasyland.
The guy in the second pic appears to be enjoying a chocolate coated ice cream bar while the woman he's with is destroying that beautiful Disneyland bag. Thanks Major.
Numero uno: The kid in the foreground has his red shirt fashionably half-untucked. And his white belt matches his white collar; très chic!
Is that a lawnmower to the left? Looks kinda odd for a stroller, and I don't see any kid in it.
It looks like the upper part of Señor Toad's facade is made of canvas. I don't remember noticing that before.
Numero dos: Swiss chard is OK if it's quickly stir-fried and mixed with a ton of other stuff, but steamed? Imagine how scary that would be to a kid whose diet consists of french fries and Twinkies! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
Cavalry guy is something of an enigma. I mean, who has sideburns like that in 1959? Well, here where I grew up, 1959 was Oregon's Centennial and lots of guys grew pioneer beards, etc. So maybe he's an Oregonian. He looks more like a model for one of the pirates in POTC.
The lady to his left, in the cool shades, is petting her invisible Pushmi-Pullyu.
And again with the canvas facade! I thought they were always plywood or metal.
Thanks, Major.
- Jealous Boy (another conversation heart expression)
The guy in the Calvary hat looks ahead of his time, by about 10 years. Wasn't that "mutton chop" look a little more popular in the late sixties and early seventies?
And that lady who's mangling her Disneyland bag, is describing to her boyfriend, what her solo trip on the Snow White ride was like. "And then the Witch raised one arm like this and went "BOO!", and I swear...I peed myself a little, right there on the spot."
By the looks of him, Cavalry Hat Guy is more likely singing "King of the River (Mike Fink's Song)" than "The Ballad of Davy Crockett."
I think Mangled Bag Gal and Cavalry Hat Guy are also eating ice cream bars. And the kid to their right (our left) in the blue and red shirt and sweet jean cuffs has something in his pocket. The color pattern isn't right for a ticket book, but maybe it's some sort of gate handout. Or possibly a racing form, which makes sense since he's right next to the carrousel.
Nanook, that is a very apt attraction name. The first version of the Snow White ride could be seen as the adventures recurring in her unconscious, as she lies in her poison apple-induced death swoon. Unlike we riders, Snow didn't visit the Dwarfs' mine, or the Queen's dungeons, but could have formed an idea of those locations through suggestion and inference. Conceptually, SWA#1 may have been the most sophisticated amusement park ride yet devised, however humble its plywood and plaster means. Now, it's just a rushed, abrupt retelling of the movie story.
Major, there is something about fashion circa 1960; none of the people in these photos would look too out of place in 2022. If these picture folk were wearing clothes from 60 years previous, we would assume they worked on Main Street.
@Nanook Snow White and Her Adventures Thru Inner Space. Why did my brain start spinning? I'm hearing the Paul Frees narration in Adriana Caselotti voice.
I'm shrinking (I'm shrinking) too the size of atoms
I'm shrinking (I'm shrinking) so small
La la la la laaa ........
I love 1959 Fantasyland photos ALMOST as much as 1959 Tomorrowland photos.
I remember not liking the Snow White ride because it was so scary. Of course I didn't ride it after the chard was removed so maybe it would have been ok.
One telltale sign that the crowd is 50s instead of present day - even though the fashions are similar the men all have their shirts tucked in. Yeah, we're all about comfort these days. :)
I love Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! If you think about it, that two film package was a monument to creepy craziness! It is completely fitting that Mr. Toad ends up dancing with devils in the dark ride. It fits the feel of the original movie perfectly...without retelling a bit of the story! That's when Imagineers were REAL Imagineers!
The best thing about these old facades is that you can't tell if they are canvas or plywood, and they opened on time and on budget. Great Success.
I want to think that crane is lifting pieces of the precast concrete monorail beam into place. I just read about an elevated rapid transit train in Hawaii where the construction is delayed because the concrete beam track is the wrong size to fit the train wheels (made by a different vendor). Smart of Disney to keep all the design work in-house. I'm guessing Honolulu will change the trains and not replace miles of concrete track.
There is a hip-roof trash can located in just the right spot to receive the ice cream bar sticks from our enthusiastic snackers. Even though it says "Waste Paper", not "Waste Ice Cream Bar Sticks", it's probably fine to put them in there. Nowadays, you need a guide book to tell you which trash to put in which recycle bin.
Now I notice that the hip roof can is one of the old original plain green cans with a fancy top. I wonder several things:
1. Was the fancy top conceived to keep people from setting trash on the otherwise flat top of the standard cans?
2. Was the fancy top the first effort at theming the cans? We have seen the plain green cans up through 1957-58 and they don't appear in later pics, except here with the fancy roofs.
3. Was the fancy top made by the Imagineers or a buy-out item? Was it abandoned for the themed paint jobs eventually used everywhere else? Eventually these must have been phased out, but I haven't been able to bracket a date when that occurred.
Major, I prepare Swiss Chard with plenty of olive oil, which makes it easier to scrape into the trash.
Actually, the best thing about Swiss Chard is that it is so aggressively neutral.
Chuck, always bet on the white horse.
JG
Nanook, I would gladly go on an attraction with that title. Just imagine!!
K.Martinez, I feel the same way about the old Fantasyland. I was wondering if they’d ever updated the Fantasyland façades at WDW, but your comment helped answer that question. As I’ve said before, they did a beautiful job with the 1983 Fantasyland upgrades… I’m just sad about the things we lost (you know what they are!). And YES, I noticed the woman ruining her shopping bag too!
JB, boys are not good about keeping their shirts tucked in, much to every mother’s chagrin. I need to wear more white belts, as well as white shoes. That stroller DOES sort of look like a lawnmower! In the early days the façades of Fantasyland did incorporate actual canvas, but I think that a lot of it was eventually replaced with wood, or maybe even metal. I’ve never cared for Swiss Chard, but acknowledge that my mom probably didn’t do the best job of preparing it. A lot of times I discovered that I actually liked some vegetables when I made them myself. You’re right about sideburns guy, he definitely looks unique for those days. Good for him! I like the way that lady is waving her hand around so enthusiastically, I’d love to know what she was talking about.
TokyoMagic!, in 10 years that man would be playing backup guitar for Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I actually did wonder if that lady was talking about a ride that she and her husband had just been on!
Chuck, I might have heard that Mike Fink tune before, but if so, it has been fossilized in the back of my brain! I think that the item in that boy’s pocket IS a ticket book, I believe that the color patterns have changed over the years. You can almost make out the bold “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” letters (there was no “E” ticket until a few months later, of course).
Stefano, maybe that poisoned apple caused all kinds of trippy hallucinations. You make an interesting point about Snow White never visiting the Queen’s dungeons (though maybe she had to clean those?) or the Dwarf’s mines, since in those days the rider was supposed to “BE Snow White” - the explanation as to why guests didn’t see her in the ride. I haven’t seen the latest update of the Snow White ride, I hope they didn’t take ALL of the “scary” out of it. It’s kind of amazing that clothing from 1959 would still look OK today, though it is likely that not as many women and girls would be wearing dresses. Even so, nobody would bat an eye!
MRaymond, whoa, I hope you aren’t driving your car with your brain a-spinning. Paul Frees should have just done Snow White’s voice (including singing) for that attraction. No complaints from me! Maybe Snow White could have infected the Wicked Queen with a cold, the way Merlin did to Madam Mim in “The Sword in the Stone”.
Grant, I was one of those kids who wanted rides to be scary - even though they scared me! We loved “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine and were die-hard monster fans. Once they removed the Swiss chard I was much more able to handle the frights. I admit that I am not a “tucked in shirt” guy most of the time, including right now.
Stu29573, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is definitely crazy, which is the best thing about it. So manic! And of course we all go to Hell, they would never do that today. “Alice” is pretty trippy too I suppose, or it used to be (again, haven’t seen the latest iteration).
JG, yes, considering that they were so strapped for time and money, they did a pretty great job with the old Fantasyland. You could be right about the crane lifting a beam into place; impossible to say of course. Unbelievable about that elevated rapid transit in Hawaii, how does that happen? I forget, do they even have recycling cans around the park today? I’m sure that most people don’t even pay attention and throw anything and everything in those. I don’t think the fancy cans were there for the reason you suggested, since the rest of the park had mostly flat-topped cans. I think Frontierland had log-themed cans, but maybe not in the earliest days. And I can only assume that the fancy cans were an off the shelf item, probably custom painted in the sign/paint shop. Ha ha, I like your Swiss chard “recipe”!! I didn’t think it was neutral when I was a kid, I just did not care for it. Haven’t had it since.
@ JG-
"Now I notice that the hip roof can is one of the old original plain green cans with a fancy top. I wonder several things:" Definitely questions for the ages-!
Major, maybe this is the version you heard (featuring, I believe, Thurl Ravenscroft).
A great memory is driving down the road in the minivan and hearing my oldest, who was probably 7, suddenly belt out that tune from the back seat in the deepest voice he could muster.
They taking that tournament TENT look seriously. Its all fabric! Gotta love the Bruce Bushman designs all over, but a stiff breeze could blow this place to ribbons.
Between cool mom and Mr. Muttenchops Disneyland is already home to happy hipsters! These folks know how to have fun full time.
MS
Tokyo, yes indeed, mutton chops didn't become a thing till the time frame you mentioned.
Nyuk, nyuk. Tokyo said "peed", nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
Chuck, I just assumed it was a ticket book in his pocket, but you seem to know your racing forms sooo...
JG, that's one of my (many) pet peeves, trash bins for this and trash bins for that. Often, I don't know which one to use and end up just putting everything into the same bin.
JG, you wonder too many things. (I'm also guilty of that.)
Excellent use of both, olive oil and chard!
Honestly, seeing here where it all went wrong…
“Snow White AND Her Adventures” ??
People were pissed, sorry, confused, since they did not actually see Ms. White, just her adventures.
Miss Leading.
;-)
The tent-top Fantasyland model is my favorite Disney trash can. Such a small touch but so effective. Lots of great vintage people today. Mrs. Bagmangler has a sort of Elizabeth Taylor thing going on with the hairdo and glamorous sunglasses.
Mom always grew Swiss chard when we were kids; we ate it boiled like spinach. It was a bit bitterer, but not bad.
Nanook, my totally uneducated theory is that the fancy tops were probably an option for customers, though most just wanted the basic design. It seems to make sense, doesn’t it?
Chuck, that sure sounds like Thurl to me! I love him, but can’t say that his impressive voice improves the song much, in my opinion. The Davy Crockett theme is a banger, though! Too bad you don’t have a recording of your seven year-old singing in his deepest voice!
MS, I wonder how long those fabric awnings lasted in the California weather? Direct sun isn’t good for most things, especially cloth. We know that they repainted (and presumably replaced) the cloth sometime in the early ‘80s, if the originals lasted 25 years, they got their money’s worth!
JB, don’t encourage TokyoMagic!, or he’ll use naughty language all the time. I’m pretty sure that’s a ticket book! I actually have at least one unused 1959 ticket book, I should dig it out and see if the color sequence matches the one in that kid’s pocket. I’ll bet I would like Swiss chard in a nice stir fry with some spices!
Miss Leading (?!), I guess it should be “Snow White OR Her Adventures”? ;-)
Melissa, I can’t decide which type of Disneyland trash can is my favorite… I do love the various designs that were used in Fantasyland from the late 1960s through (I believe) at least the 1980s. They made a pin set featuring the trash cans, I saw them at a Disney outlet store, and still wish I’d bought them.
Melissa, I think my mom must have boiled it like spinach too. But I liked mom’s creamed spinach! With a little lemon and garlic, it was pretty good.
No real evidence, but Mr. Muttonchops sure resembles actor Henry Calvin from Zorro.
https://www.jeuxetcompagnie.fr/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Henry-Calvin.jpg
Cheers MS
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