More Frontierland Scans
Let's take a look at more scans from the Mysterious Benefactor, shall we? As usual, all of these are from Frontierland. I had to skip a bunch of extremely dark scans of the Columbia, but they were very similar to examples that we've already seen. Still, I don't like to skip stuff.
This one is interesting because it shows one of the "hoodoos" from the Big Thunder Mountain Railway while it was still under construction. Notice the unpainted gunite (?) at the bottom edges. They're almost done though! Which would probably date this photo to perhaps July or August of 1979, since the ride debuted at Disneyland on September 2nd of that year.
Well, maybe I was wrong about the previous photo, the next two are supposedly from "5-1979", and the big hoodoo looks just the same. I would not be surprised if the listed date isn't strictly correct. Anyway, we see a line of hungry guests waiting at a cart in the pre-churro era (1979 P.C.). How about "carne frijoles"? They just scooped it directly into your hands, which is why you had to pay first.
You could also get a nice apple empanada, which sounds darn tasty. Wash it all down with a cup of water right from the river. Full of healthful minerals, and maybe some parasites too. I love the little cart, which looks like it could be right out of a high school play about food vendors looking for love (with music by the guys who did "Hair").
And here's one final scan - you can see one spar of the Columbia, which means you are getting your full money's worth. Guests are walking up the steps and ramp, but they have all left their 200-pound bales of cotton behind. I hate when that happens. Cotton was used for currency, and you could also make a funny Santa beard out of it. Say, what's the deal with that mysterious trap door in the lower right? Is it the entrance to Walt's other apartment?
Many thanks to the Mysterious Benefactor!
22 comments:
Major-
That food cart is so darling, with its 'flower theme' and 'fiesta ball trim' on the canopy. Although, a crisis has occurred between the time the two shots were taken: They've run out of napkins-! Bon appétit.
Thanks to the MB-!
#1: Are those buildings the recycled remnants of Rainbow Ridge?
#2: Looks like 69¢ for a hot burrito. Nowadays it's probably closer to $10.00. The burrito guy's shirt closely matches the canopy on the cart. I wonder if that bit of costuming was intentional?
#3: I can't tell if that woman in blue (on the right) is wearing some kind of hat, or if she just has really big hair.
#4: Major, the trap door is an example of "outdoor plumbing", that was talked about yesterday. This particular privy lacks privacy. I'd keep looking, no matter how urgent my need.
Nanook is correct: no napkins!
Thanks MB and Major.
This period of time was when I was really becoming obsessed with Disneyland …. I was beginning to understand it’s past but was super excited about its future : Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ….. I had been taking about it since I was 5 years old and now I was watching it actually get constructed!! And then coming soon was Discovery Bay and Dumbo Circus!!
I remember getting the apple burritos from that cart a few times. I don’t remember the first time I had a churro … but I have a Disneyland Picture Digest book I purchased in 1980 at The Storybook Store …. The funny thing is I bought it and didn’t realize it was a special import book and was all in Japanese …. But it’s mostly all photos - of everything!!! I bought it right away when I saw that it showed interiors of Disneyland Showcase and some of the Discovery Bay concept art. ANYWAY , there is a picture of a cart selling churros … so they must have been available at Disneyland by 1980.
Ok …… you know I’m gonna bring it up ; I wonder how many guests purchased EXINWEST from the Davy Crockett Arcade the day these pictures were taken?
Thanks Major and MB!!
Y
I wonder if the Rivers of America were drained, when the two cart pics were taken. In the distance, it looks like there are some low, moveable construction barriers. And it looks like there is a car parked on the other side of the barriers, or maybe even in the river (third pic...above the head of the kid with the tank top).
Thank you, Major and M.B.!
The first photo is gorgeous. Look at those clouds! And is there another picture that so aptly proves the old adage that “trees have no scale?”
That trapdoor in the last image was for the Sam Clemens audio-animatronic that would rise up, tell witty stories, and sing to guests waiting to load. Most people don’t remember it because it never worked very well and was rarely operating, possibly because it was never installed…or even built, leaving the space available for JB’s description.
JB, yes, those buildings were salvaged from Rainbow Ridge and reused thanks to Tony Baxter’s advocacy, replacing a geyser scene planned as a backdrop to the load area. Not all of the buildings were saved. My understanding is that they were all or mostly rebuilt during the 2012 rehab.
TM!, that may be Matt Foley’s new home. You know, after the van got repossessed.
Like Mike, Big Thunder was a humungous deal for me when it opened...although I wasn't an employee for the opening, I was shortly thereafter. I did attend an opening week or opening month "press" preview of Big Thunder...but it was more for high school paper editors...and basically it was get free tickets, get a press kit (which actually was pretty comprehensive) and write a story. I don't have remnants of any of those things- (which included B and W shots of the ride, Frontierland, the model, etc. etc), but me and my journalism nerd friends (it is a type) had fun riding Big Thunder a few times. We might have even been in there before the park actually opened...trying to remember....I remember it was a little chilly and kind of damp. The burrito cart was run by Frontierland Foods- not Outdoor Vending. The position of the trash can is very intentional, as it was SOP so people didn't get close to the cash. And yes, back in that day: cash only, one employee, and they were handling food and cash at the same time. Totally normal. Churros did not come around until at least 1982. When I left ODV there were still the same offerings: Popcorn, Ice Cream Bar, Ice Cream Sandwich, Frozen Banana Balloons. After my departure there were vendors on bikes selling disco necklaces during parades, churros, bottles of overpriced Coke products...etc. etc. etc. I'm glad I was part of a simpler time. The prices in my 2 or so years in ODV also did not change at all. All products were .50 except for a Frozen Banana which was .60. Made it easy to add up totals (no cash register) and give change (no calculators). Imagine...we all had to THINK back then. Which was actually easy....if someone buys 7 things...and two of them are bananas...multiple .50 x 7, then add 10 cents for each banana. Guests were soooo impressed by our ability to quickly multiply/add/ and give change...very very quickly. I'm sure now there are QR codes, and receipts, and Apple Pay and more complex ridiculous-ness. Those kids hovering around the back of the burrito cart would have made turned me into a venerable madman. Where they are standing is strictly verboten, and those people would have not been treated nicely by me. To this DAY I cannot tolerate people standing directly behind me, looming as those two kids are. If a supervisor came by and people were standing in that area you were in TRRRUUUBLLLLEEEEE....guests grabbing cash and running during a busy day when you could be easily distracted was a real thing. NOW I'm understanding where this mental disorder came from! (40 years later.) Thanks Dr's Major and X!
Something in me wants to think the trapdoor holds refueling supply equipment for the boats...but don't quote me on that.
Perhaps oddly, I like the bottom picture the best. It has a real "You are here and something cool is about to happen" feel to it! I like the flags as well as the big wooden dock. The trap door is actually animitronic exploding duck storage. I'll tell you more later.
Ah, cotton (the other white meat).
Great photos from MB. That pic of the hoodoo just jumps right out at you.
And those boys look like they were the original Stand by Me boys, on vacation. I do like the last photo too. They seem genuinely interested in the vendor, but they're probably casing the joint.
Ate one churro around 2010, but none since then. They're popular around Tucson. A side business for the Sonoran Hotdog vendors. Had French Toast sticks for breakfast from the Tomorrowland food place in 95. They were better.
Thanks for these stellar pics, Mysterious B. Thanks Major.
Come for the pictures, stay for the comments.
Yes, Major, that is gunite, spray-applied concrete, sometimes called “shotcrete”.
Building fake rocks is a lot like building a swimming pool, except inside out. Rebar is bent over a steel substructure, then concrete sprayed to fill out the shape, which is then hand-sculpted and tinted to match the rock you want.
I had one big project for an outdoor theater with a vast array of fake rocks, although not on Big Thunder scale. It was a lot of fun. The set designer and the rock sculptors would collaborate in the field with the little model I built, making changes in real time to make sure sight lines were clear and backstage areas masked.
I’m with Steve on the re-fueling explanation. There have to be some underground tanks somewhere. Are they filled by tanker trucks or a long pipeline? There really isn’t any backstage place to hide them.
Thanks Major, MB and everyone.
JG
Nanook, you can see that the big wooden wheels are merely decorative - not much of a surprise there, I guess. That family will all of the young boys took all of the napkins in the dispenser!
JB, my understanding is that they did reuse some of the pieces of the old Rainbow Ridge, but I’ve never been sure I totally believe it. They tell us a lot of things! Yes, 69 cents for a burrito seems so cheap, but in 1979 it was probably considered pricey. It sure looks like that woman is wearing a hat but… that “hat” has a part in it!
Mike Cozart, I was excited for Big Thunder as well, not really thinking about the fact that we were losing “Nature’s Wonderland” in the bargain. I was at that age when a roller coaster was WAY more desirable than a slow train ride. I was such a fool! Wow, I’ve never heard of the Disneyland Picture Digest book, neat that it had interiors of Disneyland Showcase and those Discovery Bay concept art pieces. I truly wonder how many Exinwest sets they sold at Disneyland, since (as you have said) they were pretty expensive at the time.
TokyoMagic!, I can’t tell for sure if the Rivers of America was (were?) drained or not; the construction barriers might have just been along the shore. Big Thunder wouldn’t have required the river to be drained, would it?
Chuck, maybe Walt meant that trees have no scales.You know, like snakes, or fish. He knew a thing or two about animals, thanks to his True Life Adventures. Now that you mention it, I remember reading all about that Sam Clemens AA figure. They just reused the old Hatbox Ghost, so Sam looked a little worse for wear. I would have assumed that the original Rainbow Ridge buildings would have had dry rot, insect damage, and other typical issues. That’s why I’ve always been skeptical of the stories that some of the buildings were saved. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just build new ones that looked like the old ones? Maybe not.
Bu, I wish I could remember when I first rode BigThunder, but I think it wasn’t for a few years after it opened. I did like the theming, and the queue was well done. “Frontierland Foods”, I had no idea such a thing existed. Was there a “Tomorrowland Foods” and a “Fantasyland Foods” (etcetera) as well? I’m sure that the folks operating the cash registers got really good at doing simple math in their heads, quickly. Since I have grown to rely on calculators since school (a LONG time ago), my math skills are pretty bad. Not that I was ever good at math. I noticed those boys sitting closely behind the CM, it’s kind of weird. But what could he do? Tell they to move? I’ll bet that was verboten. Still, of all the places they could hang out, why would they want to be right there?
Steve DeGaetano, that’s a great theory, it makes sense!
Stu29573, you can like the bottom picture the best, I won’t stop you! Now I wish there were animatronic exploding ducks throughout the park.
DrGoat, I’m sure that vendor thought, “If I put this trash can right here between the fence and that little, low rock divider, nobody will try to squeeze back here!”. The best laid plans. I do like a good churro, though I feel like I’ve had some stale ones in the past. The last one I had was at Magic Mountain, of all places.
JG, yes, I’ve heard of shotcrete too. It’s interesting to consider that the art of making fake rocks and cliffs was probably developed at the movie studios, probably going back to the silent days. Of course they got better and better at it as time wore on. I’ll bet it’s harder to make believable rocks than people think; look at the Calico Mine Train exterior at Knott’s. It’s lovable, but the rock work is not the best.
Major, I believe that the original buildings were reused, although I'm sure they had to be repaired in some places. I remember Mike Cozart telling us a few years ago about how they sat backstage behind Casey, Jr. while Big Thunder was under construction. I'll have to see if I can find his comments. But even the Disney folks told us in the 2012-13 refurb that the buildings were going to be recreated to the original designs with new materials and would only be reusing some details, windows, and doors.
Here it is: https://gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/1961-rainbow-ridge.html
Chuck, thanks for the Rainbow Ridge verification. And the trapdoor privy verification. ;-)
Bu, we rely on you to inform us on details like the positioning of the trashcan. We're all becoming experts!
Stu, oh boy! Can't wait to hear more about the animatronic exploding ducks! I take it that the real ducks, the ones responsible for missing guests, don't explode? At least, not unaided.
I dunno, Major. Monkey puzzle trees look pretty scaly.
Chuck, thanks for the additional info and link.
Chuck, I had to look up "Matt Foley"!
Maybe those kids knew that cast member? Maybe one or both of them are his younger brother, and he signed them into the park that day? Maybe that is why they are being so gosh darn familiar with him. I worked carts at Knott's and if that was happening to me, I'd say something.....politely, but I'd say something!
Chuck, thank you! And thanks for taking the time to find the link to Mike Cozart’s comment, that must have taken a while. I’m sure you can understand my distrust of pretty much ANY story that Disney likes to tell us - they’ve fibbed so many times. Did you see the latest story about the removal of two “diseased” trees outside of “Pirates”? I swear I would bet money that those trees are not diseased, they just wanted them gone, and made it sound like they had no choice. The poor dears!
JB, so funny, when I saw your comment about us becoming experts, I recalled something a high school teacher used to say. An “X” is an unknown, and a “spurt” is a drip under pressure, so an “expert” is an unknown drip under pressure. Thanks, Doctor Shotlif (the teacher)! I’ve never seen a monkey puzzle tree, I figured they were furry.
OR, maybe those two boys are hanging around, hoping to be offered a "floor burrito."
Major, "unknown drip under pressure" pretty much describes all of us GDBers.
Tokyo!, Ha! Well, better a floor burrito than an ABC burrito (Already Been Chewed).
I’m not really sure what the reason for the two trees in the pirate’s entry courtyard … but anything with roots close to a structure is never a good thing over time. I know that a major project going on right now in New Orleans Square involves the electrical main line. Over the years so many updates and changes and put a major strain on it …. Fantasmic support and show equipment , extra lighting , the doubling of kitchen facilities etc. so it’s being upgraded. Also back in the 1990’s the Treehouse was removed from the Adventureland main electrical line and added to the New Orleans Square main electrical. During its rehab it’s being upgraded and being added BACK to the Adventureland line. I just finished a month long project with WDI regarding New Orleans Square and I know there’s a good deal of “chess” move projects that have to be taken care of before anything — if green lighted- can proceed.
Yes … currently none of the Thunder Ridge /Rainbow Ridge structures are from the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s. They did a pretty good job of the rebuild but some got a little heavy in their trim details. Many of the town buildings added in the 60’s when Rainbow Ridge was expanded were constructed with a material called HARBORITE - a marine plywood ( the cores anyhow) but the rest were finished like a actual structure. The current rebuilds are made from composite materials and plastic. They should last a very long time. Thank god they didn’t get lazy and reconstruct them with sculpted concrete like so many Disney park “wood” structure are done these days - tacky!!
Major : someone is currently selling one of those Disneyland 25th pictorial books printed in Japan. (They have the date wrong) it’s very rare , but it’s 495.00!!!! It a small book but all the pages feature mass amounts of pictures … from the parking lot to even a small section in the Disney studios backlot and the announcement of Tokyo Disneyland . It shows popcorn wagons , signs , plates of food and real obscure stuff.
Tokyo Disneyland 1983 Opening Love Mickey Series #1 Disneyland 25th Signed
( sorry I can’t get a link to the eBay page)
@Mike thanks for the info re electrical upgrades. This explains some of the work in NOS being billed as access upgrades etc. also, I have suspected West Side electrical was overstressed for a long time since there are frequent shutdowns usually coinciding with peak demands.
Also explains the long downtime on the Swiss tree since PG&E has engineering lead times in double digit months for primary and transformer work, multiply by the the supply amperage required and add copper shortages, it all makes sense.
I have seen many projects recently delayed extensively due to PG&E engineering and supply delays. I’m not sure they are the serving utility for the Park, but I can’t imagine their problems are unique to them and must be shared by other utility providers.
“Harborite”. (in Obi-Wan Kenobi voice) “Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time…”
Used that on an outdoor stage platform design so long, long ago in a career far away. Good product.
I’m pretty sure I heard the Floor Burritos open for the Exploding Ducks back in the 60’s, but if you remember it, you weren’t really there…
JG
JG, The Floor Burritos....ha, ha!
JB, yes I would rather have a floor burrito than an ABC burrito.
I should have explained....but it sounds like you did get the gist of what a "floor burrito" would be, without an explanation. When I was in high school, a friend of mine worked at Colonel Sanders' (KFC for you young whippersnappers). She said that they used to take the chicken that had accidentally fallen on the floor, and set it aside. They would have people come by almost daily, and ask if they had any "floor chicken," and they would give it to them, free of charge. At least it was going somewhere and benefiting someone, rather than just being thrown in the trash. I bet they don't do that today.
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