Today will be the first of several blog posts featuring photos contributed by GDB reader Ken S. ("KS" in the comments), who spent some happy years as a Disneyland cast member. Along with the photos, Ken was kind enough to include some commentary, which will make up the bulk of the text here. As you can see, both photos feature Keelboat crews. Here's Ken:
First I never worked the Keelboats, so not much I can add to the stories of those who have. How one was selected to be trained on a particular attraction probably had a lot to do about timing and need, with a dash of political pull. But having "permanent" status vs those who were "seasonals", it was always prudent to cross train the ride operators on a number of attractions of which I worked most on the Westside over time... or as we called it then Adventure/Frontierland. One of those fond attractions were the Canoes, which was an all-male attraction at the time. Back then, we never gave it a thought, that's just the way it was.
A fraternity of male college students and local area teachers who could work when school was out. One can imagine a lot of testosterone, hi-jinks, paddle contests. Splashing one another with that river water, (had showers in the locker room!) chasing mud hens, racing alongside the Columbia. It could be a genuine workout if one desired. In fact, one CM not pictured could paddle, with some help from his steering partner, a full canoe on his own around the river. He PULLED you along.
These two particular pictures were taken one August afternoon in 1974 when the River went "101" for 2 hours. The switch for access to and from Fowler's Harbor got stuck in the "open" position after the Columbia was moved and divers needed to come to correct the situation. So what were we to do? Well. Instead of standing around, many of us took off with camera in hand and commandeered the Gullywhumper which was tethered on the dock outside the main canoe dock. With two Keel boats in the fleet, only one could be tied up at its assigned location next to the rafts. When the second boat was not in use, it would be tied up adjacent to the canoe dock. What could be better than a few group pictures? And here's two of them.
Yours truly is in the second shot, hatless and below the first line of the guys, looking away from the camera, and holding onto the rail. Unlike today's management, ours was raised within the park under Disney's guidance. They understood that a little fun was something to be tolerated...provided it was wholesome. Did we get into trouble here? No, not at all, We understood that there was a line not to be crossed though that line got pushed and pulled now and then. It shows the fun and love we had working together...we were a team of hardworking paddlers and were proud of it. With social media, I am in contact with many of them today. We all had successful careers...from an airline pilot, to first responders, business executives, a medical researcher at a prestigious institution, a starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, and even one who made Disney a career, we had character...and we WERE characters.
THANK YOU to Ken! It's so much fun to read his thoughts and memories, it sure sounds like a wonderful time. Be sure to stay tuned for more photos from him!
Major-
ReplyDeleteLove hearing these personal memories. No wonder so many former CM's have such fond memories of working at The Happiest Place On Earth.
All I can say is, with those high kicks, the Rockettes had better 'watch their back'-!
Thanks to Ken and The Major.
It makes me happy just looking at these fun photos with fun guys. Characters, indeed! Obviously, you had to have a certain kind of character/personality (and physical strength) to man the canoes and keel boats. I guess the same thing would apply to all the CMs in all the Park's various positions. You had to fit the part, more or less.
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked, but I'm guessing that people probably won't see photos like this very often on the interwebs; Disneyland CMs having fun, not in character. So I feel privileged that Ken S. has shared these with us here on GDB. Thank you, Ken.
I'm not gonna ask what the guys are doing in the first photo, but I would like an explanation anyway. Doing the Can-Can?
In the second photo, don't they feed these guys? They're so hungry they're gnawing on that push pole, or whatever it's called. Somebody throw these guys a turkey leg! Or even a churro! In a match-up between these guys and the Animatronic Exploding Ducks, who would win? I think the guys would; they're ravenous beasts! (I wonder what an AED tastes like?)
Ken, I always enjoy your stories and insights from your time as a Disney CM. It's an experience most of us mere mortals will never have.
And thanks, Major, for GDB.
Great pics and a great story to go with them. And what a great time to be there it must've been.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ken for sharing your story and looking forward to more from you.
Were the guys in the first pic, recreating a moment from a Nair commercial? ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like there is a kid (maybe two) standing on teeter totter rock, in that second pic.
I love seeing employee pics like this. This had to have been just the perfect time to work at the park. Thank you for sharing these with us, Ken. I am also hoping that there are more to come!
Make that the third pic, for the view of teeter totter rock!
ReplyDeleteIn these photos, you can see the lengths that Disneyland went to to provide authenticity, right down to the historically accurate name tags and synthetic fur caps.
ReplyDeleteI love photos like these. They remind me of camp staff photos, or lighthearted military unit group shots. They tend to show the camaraderie and level of organizational morale. It saddens me to hear that current management might not approve of something like this.
Thanks for sharing, Ken!
Thanks Ken for the memories of your time on the West Side! The canoe guys were a breed of their own, and I agree a mixture of testosterone and hi-jinx. I think perhaps all of these guys were gone before I came on board...I vaguely remember faces here- but it looks like the craziness and the irreverence did not change over the next few years. With all employees I agree, there was a "line" between "fun" and "official horseplay"...which all had to do with safety. I can say that I crossed that line MANY times in my time in ODV. Supervisors usually turned a blind eye to high-jinx as former "on the line" employees they experienced all of the same things. Things today I am sure are very very very different- as they are with everything. I wasn't burly enough (in mind, spirit or body) to be remotely considered to work on Canoes. Even the smaller guys were like mighty mouses. The ability to row around the island with a canoe full of lazy guests is impressive. I saw it happen all of the time, I also saw guys yelling (very nicely and with a good sense of sport) at guests to participate in the "interactive" attraction. I did run a mean Canoe Team during summers. Although the 5m wakeup call was a bit brutal, it was always a lot of fun. I made it to the semi finals one year when I finally DID get a bit burly and cherry picked my team members and had talented rear paddlers. The other years it was fun and games with squealing and screaming, and invariably we would run into the island which was an immediate disqualification. After the "playing to win" year, I retired my paddle. I still have one of my team shirts from that year- wish I had saved the others although they would fit me like a wet suit now. My boss Larry would tell many stories about his time on the canoes with much fondness, and with all departments at the Park, the fraternal spirit was very strong- since the Canoes had the athleticism angle I think (from my perspective anyway) that the "family" was a bit stronger than other departments. Thanks for the photos and memories this morning.
ReplyDeleteThese personal memories and photos are priceless. Neat to have a look inside the going's on in different groups of cast members. Usually took one of Mike Fink's keelboats instead of the canoe. Did the canoes a couple of times way back then and we all decided it was the keelboats from then on.
ReplyDeleteThanks KS, really special photos. A little envious of any cast member's memories since most of us didn't get to have the experience of working in the park.
Thanks Major, more would be good.
Ken, thank you for sharing these. It’s a shame that this behavior would be frowned on now, reminds me of scout camp hijinks.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said, these stories are special since you had the job(s) we all wanted to have.
I can’t confirm that I recognize you, but those were my peak years to visit, so if you were working on any West side attraction, I’m going to say we met that way for a moment.
I hope you have a speedy recovery. Looking forward to more pics!
JG
These look like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteStrangely, I think many work places have lost their senses of humor and "family." I'm in education at an elementary school. This is year 30. There was a time when elementary schools were real "families." There was cutting up and lookibg out for each other. Now...not really. I could go on and on about my theories (and being a counselor, I have a few) but let's just say that a simpler time is usually a better time, even adjusting for fond memories.
Oh, that was Stu29573.
ReplyDeleteStupid phone...
Nanook, I know, this looks like a dream job for most of us. What, no cubicles? And ducks!
ReplyDeleteJB, it is interesting, as you said, a certain kind of person is cut out for a job like the canoes and keelboats, although… I’d assume that the shy retiring type would probably not want one of those positions anyway! “Backstage Disneyland” and some other employee magazines sometimes showed employees being goofy and having fun, but you’re right, for the most part the public only sees sterilized photos of smiling princesses and vendors. I think those guys are doing the Can’t Can’t. And that isn’t a “push pole”, it’s the world’s largest churro.
K. Martinez, imagine having a job like that, as opposed to working in a hardware store (or whatever). Not that there’s anything wrong with working in a hardware store!
TokyoMagic!, I wonder how many people even remember what “Nair” was (I assume it doesn’t exist anymore)? I see two, or maybe even three people on Teeter Totter Rock. And there are MORE photos from Ken to come.
TokyoMagic!, yes, I see it!
Chuck, after Davy Crockett killed him a b’ar, he vowed to only wear synthetic fur. You can hardly tell the difference! Today, all happiness and fun is forbidden by park management, and after three strikes, the employee will have to wear a character costume for hours during the hottest parts of the day.
Bu, I often wonder about those very physical jobs at Disneyland; manning the Skyway sounds like it was pretty arduous as well. Hey, get a free workout every day, and get paid for it! You can guarantee that getting a group of young men together is going to result in some misbehaving, though it sounds like most of it was not too egregious. I think it’s smart for management to recognize when fun is just fun, resulting in an esprit de corps, but of course they have to look out for anything over the top. I’ve always wondered if the canoe guys chided some guests for not helping. Come on! You signed up for this! How do you run into the island if you don’t mean too?? Too bad you didn’t save your team shirts, but I get it, you can’t save everything. Old clothes are the easiest to part with.
DrGoat, at least you experienced the Keelboats, something I never did. Who could imagine that they would go away? I really should do the canoes before they are removed (it almost seems inevitable). Glad you enjoyed these!
JG, it seems like “posing for silly photos” would be WAY down on the list of infractions, but I suppose they didn’t want guests to see anything that wasn’t strictly approved. If only we could prove that you and KS met way back when!
Stu29573, the “family” thing is funny, because I’ll bet Disney pushes that concept among its employees, while treating them like naughty children instead of nice people who sometimes get a little silly. I can’t speak to how schools are now versus when I was a kid, but my niece and nephew went to nice schools in San Luis Obispo, it felt like the teachers and administration really cared about the kids, which was great.
Thanks for the comments folks. These are very special photographs for me personally. We were paddlers and not essentially 'high-steppers'. Love your comments regarding that 'Rockette' lineup.
ReplyDeleteI think many of us knew even then what a special job we had as a CM. It's kept us together all these years.
Bu...We had a line we used to remind the guests that 'If you don't paddle for us, then we will paddle you!" BTW...the Larry you mention you had as a supervisor, would that have been Larry Nunez? I have my first canoe T shirt somewhere here...1969 from Hill Brothers. We were "Hills Angels" And yes, the Skyway guys also could make it quite a workout by "throwing" the empty buckets around from unload to load position. LOL
After reading my memoir...I'll give a shout out to the strongest paddler I met, Willie Porter. RIP
KS
Anonymous, I totally agree with your sentiments. It was a simpler time and much more fun growing up in the 50s-60s. Sure, there were things going on in the country and world that truly sucked, but on a local level, it was a great time to grow up, in my opinion. I'm adjusting my fond memories all the time.
ReplyDeleteKS, I bet your memoir is a great read.
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ReplyDeleteKS,
ReplyDeleteThe more I look at your photos, the bigger my smile gets. What a wonderful part of your life. I don't remember the pink shirts. They must have had a reason, right? Did Mike Fink like Pink or was it just to add some color on that great trip across the River. We went to the park 3 times or more in '74. I was living in LA from '72 to '75. We might have rubbed elbows 'cause we rode the Gullywhumper every trip.
Dr Goat....for no reason that I can think of. They were comfortable to work in and the color was never a concern...nor did we get a.comment on it. If we did rub shoulders it a could have been on a number of attractions...just not the Keel boats...or Rafts...or Mansion. Those were good times! KS
ReplyDeleteWOW! What great photos and stories! Thank you for sharing, Ken S.
ReplyDeleteAnd, thank you, too, Major.
Remember in America and Europe throughout the 1700’s,1800’s and into the early 20th century Pink and Red were generally considered a male color … and blue a female color. By world war 2 this flipped. Red, pink and linen were the most typical mens shirt colors during the 1800’s….. so a Riverman having a pink shirt would have been quite common place .
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are so happy and fun! They brought me a huge grin and that wistful "wish we could go back there" feeling. Love these. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI always saw the pink shirts as a faded red, probably formerly the old cliche of red underwear. I remember the Mine Train CMs wore a red shirt that was similar. Never thought a thing about it otherwise.
ReplyDeleteJG