River Belle Terrace Dining, 1978
Just one week ago, I shared three photos (courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor) featuring the outdoor dining area near the River Belle Terrace. Today I'm going to share the remaining three from that batch.
I'm sure some of these diners got their meals from the Oaks Tavern and the Wheelhouse, both nearby. And judging by the crowd, you were lucky to find an empty table. It appears to be late in the afternoon, but these photos are from December (according to the original file names), so the sun was on its way down by 1:00 PM.
We can see some of Chuck's "Winnie the Pooh" umbrellas. I wonder how many people walked past this dining area and thought, "Maybe it won't be so busy in Tomorrowland"? Guess what, it will be just as busy! Head over to the Hungry Bear, that's your best bet.
Oh man, the line is way out to HERE? The funny thing is, even a busy day like this is nothing compared to my last trip to the park, when it was so busy that my friend and I finally gave up on the idea of making our way all the way over to the Haunted Mansion. No fun.
Thanks as always to the Mysterious Benefactor!
36 comments:
It IS crowded! Even the Mark Twain is able to hide in that crowd, last photo.
Chuck’s Winnie the Pooh umbrellas??
Are they anything like TokyoMagic’s Kanga & Roo galoshes??
Neat atmosphere in the first photo. I like how the sun is shining through the umbrellas.
In #2- there are two yellow balloons in the upper left corner. They are either floating away, or are stuck in that balloon-eating tree. Don't look, Charlie Brown!
And what the heck is that black thing in the tree to the right? A decomposing balloon? A smudge on the slide? The unfortunate remains of a duck-ruckus? One of the 999 ghosts?
The photo has a nice U-R-There feel.
In #3- Nothing in the trees here. Wow, we'll never get a table... and my Pooh Burger is getting cold... Actually, I don't think I wanna eat something called a Pooh Burger after all. Major, can you lead us to that Hungry Bear restaurant you mentioned?
Sue, I can't remember the exact reference but it's those orange and yellow umbrellas; sorta Pooh-like. Kanga and Roo galoshes??? Now you've got ME stumped!
Thanks, Major, and the Mysterious Benefactor. (Maybe someday we'll get to know who he/she is?)
2nd photo, near the middle—see the man in the peach sweater with teal collar—what is that thing to his right, on the ground??
Sue, could it be a shopping bag? A boom-box? A suitcase? An inter-dimensional teleporter? I'm stumped (again).
So a couple of observations; while there are plenty of people seated at tables and standing around ....I don’t see people eating anything. There are also no trays on any of the tables. I see a person drinking from a cup and there is a man picking up one of those orange and blue cardboard Disneyland beverage trays - they must have had coffees because the center compartment appears to be filled with 1/2 & 1/2. A few tables have the maple syrup bottles left on the table. I think this is some time after breakfast but before lunch? There appears to be two guests carrying trays away from the Wheel House .... milkshakes before lunch? Or maybe a Huck Finn Freeze ....?? The long line I think is one of the reservation return lines for the Golden Horseshoe Revue. Depending on your return time you would be placed in a line going down the boardwalk towards Pendleton or on the other side past the Frontierland Camera Shop and the Stage Door Cafe.
I’ve mentioned this before but if you ever wanted to try a HUCK FINN FREEZE - SPACE MIST PUNCH - OR A JUNGLE JULEP ( they are the same drink) Disneyland is again offering the Jungle Julep ........ sold at Bengal BBQ. It’s rather sweet ( gin would make it perfect) but drinking it sends you directly back to Disneyland 1978!!!! It’s basically chipped ice, granulated sugar and carbonated fruit punch mixed together.
I’ll admit ... I’ve had to have one (most) of my Disneyland visits since 2021. I’ve even gotten some friends “addicted” to them. As we sip the Jungle Julep and being to transport back to Disneyland 1978, i wonder if modern Disneyland guests see us de-materialize. Unfortunately the time travel to 1978 Disneyland quickly reverses if your drink runs out or if you reach for your camera phone......
BTW tonite on METV was a CANNON episode that features the WED 1401 Flower Street office building during the opening 7 minutes. It’s being used as a successful cosmetic company which as iv’e mentioned before that WED structure was built as Studio Girl Cosmetics before Disney moved in in 1965. Supposedly during the first few years Imagineers smelled perfume everywhere within the building.
CANNON episode 18. ( 02-07-1973)
Sue, TokyoMagic’s Kanga & Roo galoshes? Even I'm forgetting that one. Were those to go with my "Fudgie The Whale" raincoat, and my "They Ruin Everything" umbrella?
I wonder if that item on the ground (photo #2) is some sort of ashtray stand? Or maybe it's a tiki that someone stole from Adventureland?
Thank you, Mysterious Benefactor and Major!
Sue & JB, I don’t remember the exact comment either and don’t have time to track it down right now, but those red-and-yellow umbrellas a few tables back into the second picture reminded me of the bear with very little brain. I vaguely remember somebody else commenting that it reminded them of ketchup and mustard.
I think that thing on the ground next to the guy in the sweater combo that reminds me of Orange Bird is a souvenir in a box of some sort, possibly a doll (although it looks an awful lot like some sort of decorative cinder block). Pretty sure it’s not an ExinWest set of some kind or Mike would have alerted on it immediately. :-)
Mike, good to know that Space Mist/Huck Finn Freeze/Jungle Julep is back. Now I can finally find out what this drink you’ve all raved about tasted like. And it’ll only cost me about $790, assuming my cousin will let me crash at his place in Huntington Beach. That’s a bargain in anyone’s book!
And I need to start tuning in to MeTV. I loved Bill Conrad in Gunsmoke (the original radio version).
Is that Marvin Kaplan on the far right, of photo #3? Was he taking a break from eating at Mel's Diner? Was he hoping to get another Disney gig, after he finished shampooing the carpets in Freaky Friday?
Sorry, make that the far left of photo #3, for Marvin Kaplan. And is Ruth Buzzi sitting at the same table, just out of view? And does she know that they NEVER made a Ruth Buzzi paper doll?
That thing on the ground below the “peach sweater” man is a Disneyland LARGE cardboard food/beverage tray laying on end.you can see the 4 holes to insert the cups and the center section of the tray could hold creamers , ketchup packets , coffee stirres , napkins Etc.
Then I was right - not an ExinWest set!
My first thought was, "Man, we're never gonna get a seat!" My second thought was, "The Designated Hitter rule ruined baseball."
I can remember my grandfather getting us reservations to the Golden Horseshoe, and later getting my own reservations at The Diamond Horseshoe. It was a BIG deal to get them as soon as you got there in the morning! I still think the abandoned (for all theatrical purposes) theaters are very sad. No want from Disney ever asks me, though. In fact I'm pretty sure I was the subject of a "do not communicate with" memo. That must be it! Why are you all staring at me???
Mike, I see it, now that you've described it. I have one of the cardboard holders just like that, but from 1980 with the park's 25th Birthday graphics on it. I still need to photograph it. I did photograph one of the four "25th" wax cups that I had saved to go with the carrier, and posted that photo some years back. I hope those people saved that carrier, and didn't just toss it in the trash!
Chuck..... I can see EXINWEST packaging a mile away! As expensive as it was at Disneyland ( example high end toy stores and Santas Village sold the EXINWEST accessory sets “townspeople” , “Freight Wagon”, “Town Buggy” for 6.95 in the late 70’s early 80’s . Disneyland sold the same sets for $9.95!! But people bought them! They were always out of the Fire Wagon and Covered cavalry wagon. But 9.99 is a bargain Today as a sealed example of either of those sets run about $700 - $1000.00 now!
Tokyo : One time Dave Smith did a presentation on Disneyland restaurants - I think in 1995. Anyway he said that a castmember who started in the 50’s would go around the whole park a few times a year and collect samples of all handouts , promo items and sponsor giveaways AND samples of all versions of paper plates , cups. Food trays , straw wrappers , etc. the person retired in 1985 and gave the entire collection to the archives and they could not believe how complete it was!
I saved several of the food trays and cups as well.... some got damaged a bit trying to protect them through a whole day at Disneyland and some are in great condition. I remember often going up to a counter and asking if I could have a tray or cup .... and most of the time the CM was super friendly and nice and handed then to me. But once in awhile you’d get a sour puss who was probably angry they missed last nites episide of The Love Boat and say “no, we need those .... etc etc” ir “ well those are for guests who have purchased food or a drink” then I’d brush back my feathered hair and say “ Oh man! What a gip!! My parents just paid 11.00 for my unlimited attraction Disneyland MKC passport, and I can’t get a 3” tall waxed paper cup!?? .. then I’d storm away and act like I slipped on a spilled Huck Finn Freeze and fall to the ground feigning whiplash and grab my neck and cry out “ attraction posters!!....”
Ok so maybe part of that never happened.
The lighting and composition of these shots immediately put me in mind of Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luncheon_of_the_Boating_Party
What a crowd! I’ll come back here later. If everybody’s here, maybe the Pirates line is shorter…
I see a few of the “yellow X” trash cans and one “Log Cabin” pattern. Disney never lets you get far from “Waste Paper” or “Push”.
I used to save the clear brittle plastic cups that NOS Mint Juleps came in, but they never seemed to last the year till the next trip. I remember having iced tea in them under our giant backyard tree on the farm.
JG
I saved the little plastic shot glass they serve Aquavit in at the Norway pavilion at EPCOT. It's just a plain little container, but it brings back happy memories. This was years ago when the pavilions were still mostly staffed by people from the host countries. I got the drink right before the nighttime show, and as soon as the girl served me she dashed out of the shop. When I got outside there was a big group of young people in their traditional costumes with their arms wrapped around each other, swaying to the music of the show. It was one of the sweetest things I had seen in a long time, like a vision of it's a small world come to life.
JG, were those similar to the brittle clear plastic cups with airline logos on them like you used to get flying coach on United, American, and TWA 9and probably other airlines, but I never flew any others as a kid)? I saved one once, and it lasted maybe two additional drinks before cracking.
Lou and Sue, I think those ARE Chuck’s Winnie the Pooh umbrellas, though you’d think there would need to be a touch of red.
Lou and Sue… a reference so deep that I don’t even get it!
JB, funny about those balloons. I think I have heard that balloon sellers had to account for every one of their balloons, I wonder what happened when one or two of them escaped? That black thing must be something that was on the original slide. I’ve certainly had to spend more time cleaning up dirty slides than I’d like to admit. “Pooh Burger”, a grilled patty smothered in hunny? Sounds gross!
Lou and Sue, NO IDEA!
JB, I choose to believe that it is a boom box. I love to share my music with the world, whether they want it or not.
Mike Cozart, I think if I look closely I do see a few people shoving food into their mouths, but it would take too long to try to describe where they are, and I’m lazy. You sure gleaned a lot more from these photos than I ever did! Besides the fact that it appears to be afternoon, this looks like a peak lunch crowd to me. Does breakfast ever get this busy at Disneyland? Maybe it does. Milkshakes before lunch, YES. I would want to try a Huck Finn Freeze, do they deliver? I want to go right back to Disneyland 1978, please. I can’t think of time travel without remembering the sequences from the movie “The Time Machine”.
Mike Cozart, wow, those TV crews really went everywhere! I guess Glendale isn’t that far from some of those Burbank studios, though. Or from Universal, too. Still, fun that you saw the WED building.
TokyoMagic!, so I’m not the only one who doesn’t remember the Kanga and Roo galoshes! As much as I stare that that thing in photo #2, I can make no sense of it.
Chuck, it’s hard to not think of McDonald’s when you see red and yellow stripes. Well, for me, anyway. An Orange Bird souvenir is as good a guess as any, I thought it might be a Faberge Easter egg. And I believe that you are worth a $790 Huck Finn Freeze, TREAT YO’ SELF! I used to listen to the radio version of “Gunsmoke”, those were great shows.
TokyoMagic!, I don’t know who Marvin Kaplan is, so… maybe?
TokyoMagic!, OK I just Googled Marvin. Yes, that is him in that photo ;-) Maybe the Ruth Buzzi doll was too erotic and it was removed.
Mike Cozart, AHA! Finally it makes sense!
Chuck, unless they did an ExinWest set that looked like a cardboard serving tray?
Stu29573, what was your THIRD thought? That’s the one that really matters. I hope it involved delicious Hostess cupcakes. I like the thought that the Golden Horseshoe Revue was such a hot ticket item back in the day - I sure wish I’d seen the original show with that wonderful cast.
TokyoMagic!, yes, it’s funny, once you know what it is, you can’t unsee it. How do you store your cardboard holders? Do they fold flat? I had a wax cup from the 1970s, but it got crushed in my closet, and I cried.
Mike Cozart, why spend $6.95 when you can spend $9.95? That’s my philosophy, anyway. Live like you are a Rockefeller. Wow, I can’t help thinking of how much all of that restaurant ephemera would be worth today. I guess it’s nice that it went to the Archives, but it would have been nice if the company had given a bit of dough to the collector. I never asked for an extra food tray or cup, but I once asked an employee for an extra ticket envelope (pink and blue, with Tinker Bell on it), and the cast member couldn’t have been nicer. “If it will make you happy!”, I remember her saying. And it did. I like your scenario, especially the part about brushing back your feathered hair. Very cinematic!
Melissa, I see what you mean, with that dappled sunlight!
JG, it’s true, if everyone’s eating, then they won’t be in line. Hurry! You have to have plenty of trash cans near the dining areas. It’s one of Einstein’s laws. Did the plastic cups have any graphics on them that showed that they were from Disneyland?
Melissa, that’s just the sort of thing that I might have saved too. I still have a box full of weird junk that I held on to from my first trip to Europe, a million years ago. It’s fun to look at all these years later. I like your sweet memory of the group of people swaying to the music!
Chuck, yeah, those things were not designed to last. I remember trying to save one in the magazine pouch (with the elastic edge), and the elastic was strong enough to break the cup.
Major: I have two small clear plastic cups and both are getting little splits in them from age. One has a frosted scroll design and reads “Golden Horseshoe” the other has a frosted image of the Mark Twain Riverboat that reads “Mark Twain”. I used to have one that said “Cafe Orleans” but it developed multiple cracks down its sides and I tossed it. I’ve seen other types of these cups with the frosted images on them for Riverbelle Terrace , New Orleans Square , and a Tiki Room Dole ( which is suppose to be pretty rare) also I’ve seen a few variations of the Mark Twain cup - these were from when mint juleps were served on the boat itself. Several years ago the Van Eaton Gallery sold a thin metal sign from the Mark Twain claiming that it was a opening day attraction ticket price sign.... but it was actually the sign that hung in front on the mirrored back bar on the Mark Twain’s second deck level and it was the mint julep drink price .... not the attraction ticket price. The sign was designed in 1958 so it could not have been there on opening day. I have an identical sign from the late 60’s but it’s on a thin painted Masonite type panel . The price oval has been painted out - to presumably have a higher price painted in ... but it never was and the sign shop probably decided to just replace the whole sign.
To my understanding Mint Juleps stopped being served on the Mark Twain for the same season they stopped giving out Tom Sawyer Island maps out; they got tired of fishing plastic cups and maps out of the Rivers of America!
I have a question: has anyone out there ever seen a souvenir Tom Sawyer’s Island map from Walt Disney World?? A friend and I have had a friendly disagreement about this. He thinks they did exist ... I have a feeling they do not. WDW’s Tom Sawyer Island opened with 4 large map sign panels posted on the main land and on the island .... I think these were used rather than hand held maps. And considering I’ve never seen a WDW Tom Sawyer Island fold out map - ever! But then you never know .....
Mike, I'd never thought about it before, but I think you're right about the maps. I don't recall ever getting an island map at the MK, even in 1979. And I'm not finding any examples on the interwebs.
Chuck, yeah, I remember the ketchup and mustard part of the discussion, too. Maybe those red & yellow tables are reserved for Amazing Race contestants. ;-)
Mike, ahh! A cup holder tray. Thanks for clearing that up! It makes sense now. I was having panic attacks trying to figure it out.
Melissa, I've seen that painting... on TV.
Major, after reconsidering, I think that black thing is a fruit bat. No doubt attracted by the Huck Finn Freeze/Space Mist Punch/Jungle Juleps in the area.
Hostess Cupcakes: they used to be good, with tasty frosting. Now... the frosting is like flavorless clay. TRE!
Mike, I have three of those clear plastic souvenir cups. One is from DL and has the Castle "etched" into it. One is from Knott's and has Whittles and his donkey, Brutus, "etched" into it. And the third one is from Japanese Village and Deer Park. That one just has the graphics printed on the clear plastic. (I'm going to include that one in a post on Japanese Village, later in the year!)
I remember seeing that someone on ebay was selling the clear plastic cups, with the Videopolis logo on them. They weren't very expensive and I was tempted, but I passed on them.
Major, the cardboard cup holder does fold down, flat. I think it's the only one I have, but I do have a lot of the wax cups. I store the cups stacked, so they kind of help support one another so they don't get crushed.
Mike, I used to just save the cups that I drank out of, but then I discovered that the Tomorrowland Terrace had a cup dispenser, next to a water facet (to the left of the windows). I guess this was so people could get their own cups of water, without having to ask the clerks at the counter. At some point (in the eighties, I think), they stopped having cups out for the public to help themselves and they welded a round metal disc over the hole where the dispenser used to be. The last time I checked, that sealed-up hole was still there, next to the water fountain.
Major, I made the Ruth Buzzi reference, because she played Marvin Kaplan's wife in an episode of "Alice," and because they were both in "Freaky Friday," AND because I still wish that they had made a Ruth Buzzi paper doll! ;-)
I hope Sue chimes in about the Kanga and Roo Galoshes!
I found the discussion on the Winnie-the-Pooh/Ketchup & Mustard umbrellas on the November 8th, 2021 episode of Gorillas Don’t Blog (appearing on most CBS stations).
Chuck, good timing, as I'm about to explain my earlier comments. Will be right back...
My silly comment about "Chuck's Winnie the Pooh Umbrellas" made me (and I had hoped - others) picture Chuck with the following: THIS and THESE. I did already know about the Disneyland umbrellas, but was 'teasing' Chuck, and then decided to also pull-in TokyoMagic - as if he has Kanga and Roo (from Winnie the Pooh) galoshes. The more I try to explain this, the "stupider" I sound, so I'm going to stop now.
:oP
Late to the party, but as to MIke's question regarding TSI maps at WDW, I went to the Magic KIngdom numerous times between 1973 and 1979 and was fairly obsessed with Tom Sawyer Island. As a child, park maps were a particular obsession of mine and were exactly the sort of ephemera which I saved (and, for the most part, still have). If a map of TSI had existed in the early days (and was disseminated at all widely) I’m quite certain I would have one. As soon as I started seeing images of the early Disneyland TSI maps online when park fans began colonizing the internet more than twenty years ago now, I was disappointed that WDW had never produced similar maps.
Sue, if it makes you feel any better, I knew exactly where you were going with the “Kanga and Roo” galoshes. I think that was my second smile of the day when I read that this morning (the first was the Major remembering the umbrellas in the first place).
Pegleg Pete, thanks for the TSI map confirmation. Don't worry about showing up late for the party - we're just glad you're here. And...can you give us a hand cleaning up? Just throw the cups away - they're disposables, and they don't have any Disneyland or airline logos on them anyway.
Mike Cozart, I have never seen plastic cups with those designs on them! But then again, I don’t usually look for something like that, because they are so fragile and require decent storage. That’s why I like paper items! And even those take up a surprising amount of room. I’m not terribly surprised that Van Eaton made an error with that sign, I’ve seen all too many bad attributions. “Rare parking ticket!”, meanwhile I have a stack of about 30 of them, all acquired by accident. I’m sure you are right about the plastic cups winding up in the river, some probably as a result of wind, but probably too many just dropped in by lazy slobs. Interesting, I am not sure about Tom Sawyer Island maps from WDW! They were such a popular souvenir at Disneyland, I’m surprised that they didn’t make them for Florida too.
Chuck, that’s crazy! I have one from TokyoDisneyland, so they did make them for at least one other park.
JB, red and yellow tables… the Amazing Race… whu? All of the best art can be viewed on TV. If it ain’t on TV, I don’t need it. Is the bat a “fruit bat”, or is it a “giant vampire bat” like in “Temple of Doom”? I used to love Hostess cupcakes, but probably haven’t had one since I was a teenager.
TokyoMagic!, I’m sure that each plastic cup was hand-etched by a Czech artisan. It took years of skill. Whittles’ donkey is named “Brutus”?? Now THAT’S some grade A trivia for you. Japanese Deer Park, I miss that place. As for wax cups, I put the two that survived in a tupperware thingy, wish I’d done that with the oldest one. I’m amazed that the park EVER supplied cups for people, that makes zero dollars. In fact, they are losing money! No wonder they welded the hold shut. You don’t ever need to explain Ruth Buzzi references to me, I love her.
Chuck, THERE IT IS!
Lou and Sue, explain yourself! ;-)
Lou and Sue, now I am picturing Chuck walking around with a Pooh umbrella and galoshes on a rainy day in the Midwest. He’d get looks, that’s for sure!
Pegleg Pete, even though I’ve never been to WDW, I would probably have acquired a Magic Kingdom TSI map as well, if they existed. I’m like you, I love park maps, I used to pore over the little ones in the INA guidebooks, and of course the big souvenir “fun maps” were the best. It really is strange that they never bothered, it would have looked neat since there are actually two islands joined by the suspension bridge.
Chuck, I guess you are going to have to replace your Donkey Kong umbrella and galoshes with Kanga and Roo. You HAVE to! Poor Pegleg Pete, put to work right away! I’d help, but I just had my hair done.
Had no interspace this morning, so joining late...I saw the photos on my phone...they communicated one idea to me: ANXIETY. That is "officially" 4th of July, Christmas Day style crowds...looking into the distance over by the Pirates and NOS...I had to look away. I enjoyed all the comments however, and used to be a big paper collector until I either sold or gave things away. My favorite was the frozen banana wrapper with Mickey holding a banana inside of an ice cube. I think it was 4 color. The bananas had different packaging when I was in ODV after that. Speaking of: if you lost a balloon or two during a balloon shift, you were very much responsible for them. They all had to be accounted for. You would just be "short" and too many "shorts" make you "short" out of a job. There is a special way to hold balloons, so it is almost impossible for that to happen randomly in my experience. Generally, it was the guests who let them loose, and they had to pay for another. We had a special loop knot that we could attach it to kids arms and it was adjustable and easy to take off if need be. I am very randomly related (not by family) to Ruth Buzzi. We "lived" next to each other on the Academy Players directory. I often wondered if she looked at herself...and me next to her...and said "I wonder who that guy is?" Possibly. I had no contact with her whatsoever. I stood next to Joanne Worley and Arte Johnson at different points in my life...that is as close to Ruth Buzzi as I have every got. It's interesting that they used the WED building as an establishing shot for Cannon. There had to have been some connection, as the cosmetics reference was so random. It seems like a cosmetics factory should be more Brady Bunch "Bebe Gallini" than a random building on Flower St. in Glendale. I remember the building had the maquette of Sam from America Sings in the lobby in a glass case. I think that was the only reference to figure out where you were. Maybe the former WED guys can correct me on that. I will say that the lobby smelled like Disneyland...or rather the Admin building at Disneyland. It was the first thing I noticed when I walked in. When I was 17 I think (but out of High Schoo for a whilel) I applied at WED for "anything". So I sat in the lobby and filled out my application. I still have my rejection letter. Perhaps another paper collector on here wants that. Time to purge again. I'm sure my doctors will have something to say about me keeping a rejection letter for about 45 years. (It was the stationery of course...)
Major, yes the old plastic julep cups had an etched design of SBC and a sort of Greek-Key pattern around the upper rim and the base. No colors, just a different "etched" texture in the clear plastic. I don't recall any NOS or other graphics, and I don't know if they were used at other fountains in the Park. I only got them from the Mint Julep Bar.
They were flexible but brittle, and if you pressed on them too hard they would split vertically down from the rim. They were a precious connection to the Park for as long as they lasted, and had to be replaced yearly. Seems like a good candidate for a retro souvenir today, especially if there are fans willing to spend $25 for a drink cup.
JG
Melissa, I saved the drink stirrer from a drink at the Mexico pavilion, with the classic EPCOT Center logo at the top. It added a bit of fun to my glass. Sadly, it disappeared over time. But as I struggle to keep piles of stuff from overtaking me, I guess it's for the best.
You're right about those College Program castmembers. They really do love the place. I was there for the last season of the Illuminations fireworks show a few years ago standing near some CPs, commiserating with them on the demise of the show. I never met anyone else more upset about that show than those CPs.
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