"Walt Disney's Disneyland" Part Six
Like the title of today's blog post says, I'm going to share PART SIX of JG's scans of his copy of "Walt Disney's Disneyland". Go back to the last five Tuesdays to see the previous parts, if you haven't been keeping up. I'm not angry, just dizzy.
Marty Sklar is hyping the wonders of Tomorrowland, but in this case, a picture is worth 1,000 words. I love this colorful image of the Tomorrowland Terrace, probably taken on a peak summer evening as hundreds of kids groove to one of the rock bands performing onstage. My guess is that it is The Mustangs.
A stegosaur and an allosaur sing an upbeat duet, probably "I Got You Babe", while volcanoes erupt all around them. Very romantic!
More text, this time covering the Peoplemover, Adventure Thru Inner Space, and Flight to the Moon. All long-gone by now (tears are streaming down my face as I type this). I love the porthole view from the Submarine Voyage.
What a beautiful shot of the Columbia as it sails the Rivers of America, chased by an angry canoe (you can just tell that it's angry). Love the dramatic sky. And hey, is that bit of steel framing to the left from the construction of the Matterhorn??
Marty is still writing about Tomorrowland, but I guess they ran out of good photos of that land, so we're back to looking at Storybook Land, with Geppetto's Village in the foreground. Yes, the village belongs to Geppetto, and he rules it with a wooden fist.
I have no idea what this photo shows, it must be something that wasn't at Disneyland for very long, and everyone has forgotten about it. Maybe that's one of those flying saucers I've heard about?
Let's read about Audio Animatronics and the Carousel of Progress, while enjoying a beautiful (and very cropped) photo of the Mine Train as it crosses the rickety trestle bridge. I'll bet the photographer dressed like a bear so as not to confuse the guests aboard the train.
I've said it before, but the Grand Canyon Diorama is still one of my favorite things at Disneyland; there's just something about it. I guess I've always loved a good diorama (give me a natural history museum anytime), and this one is hard to beat.
And finally, here's a gorgeous photo of the yellow Monorail zooming over the Submarine lagoon. Notice that Mickey Mouse is riding in the nose cone! Do you think that they lit the Matterhorn with additional spotlights for the purposes of this picture? This same image appeared on a postcard, and I believe it was used on the cover of an issue of "Vacationland" magazine as well. It might have also appeared in National Geographic.
Just one more part to go! THANKS to JG for these great scans.
24 comments:
Major-
"Yes, the village belongs to Geppetto, and he rules it with a wooden fist". Oh, major... Yuck, yuck. Some very lovely, if not also very familiar images.
Thanks to JG for sharing these images.
#1: Funny how the pink and blue colors look exciting and nice here, but on the Castle they look over-the-top.
#2: Hmm, which one is Sonny, and which one is Cher? My guess is that the T-Rex is Cher; she was always a bit taller than Sonny (I think). Plus she seemed to have the dominant personality.
That really IS a nice picture of the Columbia. Perfect exposure with saturated colors. Good thing there are no ducks around; The guests in the "angry" canoe would be easy pickin's.
Geppetto may rule his village with a wooden fist but I wouldn't worry too much about it, since he's only about an inch high. Yoda got it wrong, size does matter!
Yep, Major; that's a flying saucer all right. You can tell by all the lights encircling the craft and by the two alien antennae jutting upward toward space.
In the Mine Train photo, I would sooner think that the photographer dressed like a beaver than a bear, Major. Note the proximity to the beaver dam. And I'm sure a six foot tall beaver (with a camera) would blend right in.
Thanks again, JG and Major, for these Disneyland scans. This batch was extra nice!
That must be the framework for the Matterhorn, in that Columbia shot. The Moonliner rocket is also visible in that photo.
Right after the dinos finished singing "I Got You Babe," they went into their special rendition of "I Feel The Earth Move."
Thank you, JG and Major!
In addition the the Matterhorn’s endoskeleton, you can also see the top spire of Sleeping Beauty barely making a dent in the first photo just underneath the American flag. JB already mentioned the Moonliner.
That mystery photo of the thing that isn’t there anymore is of the Mark Twain while they still served mint juleps onboard. There’s really nothing else of historical interest in that picture.
Based on where it is on the track, that’s actually the tail cone of the Monorail. Odd that in a land that looks forward to where we are going, Mickey is looking back to where he’s been. I guess that happens to all of us as we reach a certain age. No tail lights on the fins, so that’s a Mark III.
Those two dinosaurs have been at odds with each other since 1964 and locked in mortal combat at Disneyland since 1966. They are sort of like musicians that are popular for a few songs for a short period that are forever identified with that era, even though everything around them has changed. Since the dinosaurs’ debut, Disneyland landmarks, attractions, and even entire lands have come and gone while they have been continually engaged in their lethal dance to the death. So much has changed around them, and yet for these two…the beat goes on.
Aaaaand exit, stage left…before the rotten fruit start flying.
Make that “…top spire of Sleeping Beauty Castle…”. Despite her giant stature in the Disney Pantheon of Princesses, Sleeping Beauty was nowhere near that tall.
I never thought of the dinosaurs as Sonny and Cher. Hall and Oates maybe?
I know there was a duet called that, but that’s where my “musical” knowledge ends.
I’m gonna be contrary and say the mountain framing is Cascade Peak, not the Matterhorn, based on the location in the River. The construction must have gone quickly because it’s finished up in time for the Mark Twain shot a couple pages later.
I’m going to dust off my bear suit now.
Cheers everyone, hope you enjoy. I’m looking forward to all your comments.
JG
Thanks JG. A great finish to the series. And lots of Sonny and Cher shtick. Throw in a Snagglepuss from Chuck and there you go. No rotten fruit around but how about an ashtray.
Those kids dancing in the first pic just don't know what their in for later in life. Something like pic #2 if I'm not mistaken.
Geppetto may only be and inch, but he's and angry inch...and the tallest one in the village.
Thanks Major and thanks again to JG for sharing.
Pic 1 is great! What's really great is the band has a horn section! That's a lot of mouths to feed in a band, but the sound is almost worth only getting 50 bucks a gig...almost...
If those dinos are fighting to the death, they're not very good at it. They'll probably just die of old age...or a princess makeover.
The subs rocked. Enough said.
An angry canoe can strip an tall ship down to its spars in under a minute. It's horrible and awesome to watch. Then the ducks finish off the people.
I wish they would replace all those tiny buildings with 3D video screrns. Then you could give the riders lazers to blast aliens along the way. Now Disney can't do that because I'll sue for stealing my idea. Take that, Disney Scum!
Weird. That picture is completely blank...
They should have kept the track to Natures Wonderland and used them for the Rocket Rods. What could go wrong?
I really got nothing for the last two, so feel free to write your own.
Thanks again, JG!
That's video "screens."
Stupid tiny keyboard...
Wow - I really messed up my photo numbering in my first post. I was looking at the third photo when I typed "first photo."
JG, I thought that the framing was Cascade Peak at first, too, but started to question my thinking after I noticed barrels on the landing just to the right of the Columbia. I then compared sightlines and triangulated the location of known landmarks with the always useful 1960 aerial at Yesterland and came to the conclusion that that really is the Matterhorn. Cascade Peak's location is directly behind the camera.
That said, Cascade Peak's rapid construction is a documented fact, having been built by Amish farmers in a one-day "mountain raising."
And I apologize for not thanking you earlier. I'll apologize later for not thanking you now.
Sorry - Cascade Peak is out of frame to the left of the camera in the third shot.
Chuck, put. the coffee. down.
Lol!
That Columbia shot has always been my favorite photo in this book. The color, the composition, sky full of clouds, everything about it is beautiful. Thanks JB! Have been enjoying this book you're sharing with us.
As for the T-Rex and stegosaurus, I was thinking more Patsy and Edina.
@ Chuck-
"Cascade Peak is out of frame to the left of the camera in the third shot". Technically, I suppose so...
Nanook, if you go to Geppetto’s Village, you have to live by Geppetto’s rules. And if he asks you to do him a favor, you’d better do it!
JB, somehow the colors don’t bother me as much when it is achieved by lighting at night. Cher was definitely taller than Sonny, I used to watch their variety show. If you ever see clips of it today, it’s pretty terrible, though she looks great. I’ve seen plenty of flying saucers in my day, so I was pretty sure of that one photo. They follow me everywhere I go and tell me bad things! I think the Mine Train photographer wore a bear suit over his beaver suit, because you can’t be too careful.
TokyoMagic!, yes, I pointed out the Matterhorn construction in my text! Now I want to see those dinosaurs stomping in time to that Carol King song.
Chuck, I guess you have to be a real Disneyland nerd to recognize the Mark Twain. I’m not there yet! Because I’m too cool you see. When I woke up at 3 AM and looked at my blog, I noticed that the Monorail photo showed the tail cone (or whatever the nomenclature is), but was too lazy to fix it. You got very poetic about those dinosaurs! But you also made good points, things have sure changed since they were added to the Disneyland RR. Sure, the dinos now have stripes, but at least they don’t have feathers. That would be too much, even if it is accurate. I need my dinosaurs to be bald, and you can quote me on that.
Chuck, I figured that when Aurora was having a good hair day, maybe she really was that tall.
JG, hey, I like Hall and Oates too. My mom had a “best of” album that she played all the time. I considered Cascade Peak for that photo, but the framing looks more “Matterhorn-ish” to me, and I’m sure you’ve seen those photos that juxtapose Sleeping Beauty Castle with the Matterhorn. I could be wrong though!
DrGoat, “a Snagglepuss from Chuck”? What am I missing? Did Chuck do a Snagglepuss impression? Does he like to exit, stage left? You’re right, those happy dancing kids are unaware of the Blade Runner hellscape that will be coming soon! “Geppetto and the Angry Inch”, I think I saw that movie. Great songs.
Stu29573, I’ve often wondered how bands divide up the money. For instance, in the Foo Fighters, does Dave Grohl get 50%, and the rest is divvied up amongst the other band members? I should call him and ask, he loves it when people ask about stuff like that. I don’t think the subs rocked at all, they were quite stable. (Admit it, you set that one up, how could I resist?). And I hope that Disneyland is ALL video screens someday, people love to look at projections and not AA figures or believable environments. I hope they raise the price of admission a lot too. Maybe the Rocket Rods would have actually worked if they’d run it on train tracks. All you need to say for the last two photos is that I am your personal hero.
Stu29573, I like “screrns”, to be honest.
Chuck, it’s OK, it wasn’t that hard to follow along! See my comment to JG, I do think that the steel framing is for the Matterhorn. For one thing, the shape is more along the lines of the Matterhorn. And I’m not sure much steel was used for Cascade Peak. It had a lot of wood, which was part of the problem.
Chuck, never be sorry!
Stu29573, I appreciate Chuck’s enthusiasm.
K. Martinez, that really is one of the nicest Columbia photos, for the very reasons you stated. I have too many pix that have it sort of backlit so it looks dark and unfriendly. WHO are Patsy and Edina??
Nanook, ha ha, yes, he’s not wrong!
Good grief! I appear to be moving faster than the speed of thought today. And I'm drinking decaf, too!
And I think the subs actually did rock - during the volcanic eruption. Can somebody confirm my memory? I am no longer trusting it today.
Time to check my pants to see if I remembered to put them on...
Major,
Chuck did aaaaand exit, stage left in his first comment.
Faster than the speed of thought, possibly no pants...you're not using the hellgramite Method to stop drinking or becoming a Scientologist are you? I definitely remember the subs rocking (I think) and a rumbling sound during the underwater earthquake.
DrGoat, I had no idea the Hellgramite Method could be used to stop becoming a Scientologist. I learn so much on this blog. And thanks for almost confirming my memories. :-)
Gepetto may rule with a wooden fist, but darn it, at least the toy trains run on time.
Chuck,
At least you're not saddled with a Tingler, like I am occasionally.
Man, I'm getting credit for all sorts of things I didn't do today! Thanks Chuck. Thanks Ken. ;-)
Major, I also have a hard time thinking of dinos with feathers. It may be accurate, but geez! Dinosaurs went from cool, fearsome beasts to oversized chickens... 'Tain't right! I bet that's why they became extinct; they died of embarrassment.
Chuck & DrGoat- It has been a while, but as I recall, there was no actual rocking of the sub. That being said, with the visuals & the audio, it would not take much (especially with a younger person's imagination) for it to seem like the submarine is rocking as well...;)
Thanks JG & the Major for the photos & text today.
-DW
A Tingler? Just scream! Scream for your life!
If the sub's a-rockin'
Don't come knockin',
At least until
It's finished dockin'.
I finally got the chance to read all of today’s post and comments. Tons of fun!
”When I woke up at 3 AM and looked at my blog...”
Major, it’s comforting to know you check up on us throughout the night. Like a good dad.
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