Two Random
I have two pretty OK photos for you on this Sunday... so it is NOT a "Snoozer Sunday", for a change!
First up is this unusual view (from March, 1962) presumably taken from a speeding monorail as the guest looked out toward the blurry border between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. You can see the Sub Lagoon, and even the waterfall entrance/exit to the dark ride portion of the Submarine Voyage. Right in the foreground is the striped roof over the Fantasyland Autopia queue. Not super exciting, but as I said, it's unusual, and that makes it OK in my book.
Next is this pretty photo of Sleeping Beauty Castle, from March, 1981. It's so lovely, with all of that lush greenery and the colorful flowers. Not quite "POSTCARD WORTHY" perhaps, but pretty darn close to it!
20 comments:
Major-
That castle is lovely. And it looks like that splash of color is from a bunch of Snapdragons. And say... a working drawbridge-!!
Thanks, Major.
#1: Well, it may not be 'pretty', but I'll grant you that it IS unusual. I don't think we've seen the Sub Lagoon from this angle and height before. Is that a tree sticking up above the other trees to the right of center? It looks unusually round and lacey; almost like a dish antenna.
#2: Oh my, this one is beautiful! I'm keeping this one. I suppose the only thing that makes it not-quite- postcard-worthy is that too much of the top of the Castle is missing. But enough of it is there, so maybe it doesn't matter. Besides, there are all the other nice things: The flowers(!) and greenery, the perfect exposure and sharp focus, and the subtle colors on the Castle. No Dent, but we get a nice view of The Stain.
Nanook, it seems appropriate that there would be 'dragons' lurking near the castle.
Thanks for the un-snoozy Sunday, Major.
Also, Andrew has published another excellent post on his Bayern Kurve Blog. This time, Frontierland!
Snapdragons and killer swans. Apropos.
Thanks, Major.
—Sue
JB, you beat me!
—Sue
Love the Autopia pic precisely because it is unusual. Pretty is nice, but unusual always wins me. Bonus is telephone poles and powerlines in the backdrop. Thanks, Major.
Immediately thought “J. Nartubez is going to love this one” when I saw the futility infrastructure in the first photo. Happy to see I was not wrong.
Was going to say something about The Dent and The Stain, but thanks to the sharp-eyed Gorilla Observer Corps, there is no Ned.
Thanks, Major! Happy Sunday, all!
[exasperated sigh]
Make that “utility infrastructure” and “there is no need.” Although there is no Ned, either; the guy going under the portcullis is named “Phil.”
If the Castle picture isn't postcardworthy, it's at the very least guidebookworthy. Back when the castle still looked like a real castle. *sigh*
I absolutely love the composition of the first picture, with the roof's straight, colorful stripes in the foreground against the curved, monochrome stripes of the Monorail track in the background.
The Dent and Stain would be a good name for an English pub. Oi, mate, wanna get a couple o' pints at the ol' Dent an' Stain? We'll get proper pissed an' talk like Dick van Dyke!
I need to go catch up on Andrew's Disneyland posts.
No 1 is interesting in that there are no people, ride vehicles or trash cans visible. I looked and looked, did I miss anything?
zach
Major, these are definitely interesting views.
Photo 1, it was a good design decision making that roof striped. Would never have occurred to me. Zach, you’re right, if someone had said yesterday there would be a Disneyland photo in the center of the Park with no people, ride vehicles or trash cans, who would have believed it?
That border is quite porous, mass migrations in both directions across that line, especially since the Matterhorn moved to Fantasyland.
Photo 2, we can’t see the Dent, but we know it’s there. Melissa, see you at the D & S! I’ll have my usual.
Chuck, I am pretty sure that Ned installs and maintains futility infrastructure. I was looking for Howard Johnson’s too, but no avail.
I noticed yesterdays motel was close to Pigeon Forge TN, Home of Forged Pigeons, an early component of Futility Infrastructure.
Thanks Major, these will keep me going today!
JG
Wait! We spoke too soon, there is a bullet top trash can and an ash urn in photo 1, lower right, under the Autopia canopy.
“Missed it by that much!” (Indicates small gap between fingers).
JG
@ JB-
I found that "round and lacy" object... It's in HERE somewhere-!
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/beyond-the-berm-gardenwalk-reborn.jpg
Nanook, I have to admit, I was wondering what those flowers are!
JB, I see that weird tree, but somehow think that it really is just a tree. Maybe newly-planted, which is why it looks unusual? I’m OK with the top of the castle being cut off, since I have so many other photos of it! And dang, those flowers look nice.
Sue, if you throw a snapdragon at a swan it will neutralize it for up to 10 seconds, it’s a scientific fact.
Sue, JB is pretty sneaky.
K. Martinez, you and I are on the same wavelength! Ha ha, I forgot about your love of telephone lines! :-)
Chuck, “futility infrastructure”, POW! That’ll show those guys! It’s like that joke in MASH, “Military intelligence, a contradiction of terms”. Oh, that Hawkeye. The Dent and the Stain, two of Marvel’s worst superheroes.
Chuck, Ned would like to have a word with you. He wants to know how you knew that his brother Phil was beneath the portcullis.
Melissa, you know how those ancient Greek sculptures were actually brightly painted in ye olden days? Well it turns out that medieval castles were painted pink. FOR REALS. Now don’t you feel guilty? That first photo is yet another example of how much they jammed into a relatively small space. “Oi, mistah! You me dad?”. That’s from something, but I have no idea what.
zach, uh oh, you zoomed too zoomily, there is a trashcan in the lower right (with a domed top)! Maybe a sand-filled ash tray too.
JG, it does seem pretty weird that there are NO Autopia vehicles, or Motor Boats, or nothin’. Guess it was a slow day. It’s possible that the dent only showed up on the solstice, or on leap years, or on Jerry Lewis’ birthday. In 1962 there was no HoJo’s next to Disneyland! Pigeon Forge is definitely a tourist destination. I was thinking maybe Knoxville. But you are probably right.
JG, yes, I saw that one too! And the ash tray!
Nanook, funny how I love that tangle of old motel signs now.
Major-
Perhaps THIS is what you were thinking about...
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oy-mista-you-me-dad-doll
Nanook, THAT’S IT!!
I feel fortunate that I have seen the Castle drawbridge raised and lowered a few times during “Fantasyland 83”…after I said “Fantasyland is closed” 8 zillion times. Were the mechanics actually taken out? They worked REALLY hard to get that up and running for the reopening. I love snap dragons, and they look lovely here. What they have done to the castle is blasphemous…sorry Kim. I am hoping that during the restoration in 2055 that people will have got their marbles back…just in time for the defrosting. The Fantasyland Autopia roof always seemed to mystify me…it was like let’s put an Autopia in the Gaza Strip…I get it. People love it. I’m not particularly a fan, but in Disneyland 2055 I would like Midget Autopia back, with that cute little barn you smash out of. I particularly enjoy snoozers. I would like to order up a snoozer week ‘23…all snoozers all the time all week collect them all! Thanks Major.
Sue, "JB, you beat me!"- I DID?!?! What did I beat you with? I hope it didn't hurt too bad.
K. Martinez, "telephone poles and powerlines"- Wasn't that one of the Carpenters hit songs?
Chuck, I like it when you resurrect "J. Nartubez" from time to time. A GDB classic!
Melissa, YES! "The Dent and Stain" definitely sounds like an English pub name.
Nanook, are you sure it's there? It looks like there might be something round just to the left of the Anaheim Inn sign, but...
Major, I think it MUST be a tree. But it sure looks weird.
Bu, I’m surprised that you’ve seen the drawbridge raised and lowered multiple times. I think the official story is that it was only raised twice, but we know it was done more than that. I believe that yes, the mechanism has been removed. Wonder why? My guess is that the castle will continue to get gaudier and more colorful, that seems to be the trend. I don’t see things getting more tasteful! The Midget Autopia is something I never experienced, and the cars were so little that I’m not sure an adult could fit inside. There are definite levels of snoozers, some are OK (like today’s), while others are real junk!
JB, that Carpenter’s song was written by Paul Williams, right after he played an orangutang in a Planet of the Apes movie. “J. Nartubez”, if I didn’t type it myself I wouldn’t have believed it.
The official story about the drawbridge is officially "yes"...twice...for the GP : General public. Once on opening day, and the other for the press opening/ribbon cutting. But, nothing was done without rehearsals, and if my memory serves me right, they did it for an employee preview thing....I remember seeing the opening "show" twice..the second time it was a bit less "showy" (I think sans some daytime fireworks which were rare back then) and not as much as it was for the press....but with the drawbridge thing. It was actually kind of hard to see from front and center where I was...we were directly square to the Castle and directly in front as most of us were ushers/host(ess) for the Disney family, execs, etc. etc. All I could really think at the time was "thank God I don't have to say "and Fantasyland is closed" ever again!" Although seeing the drawbridge move may have been "historic", and never to be seen again, I'm sorry to say it was a bit anticlimactic...the did have doves fly out- I think...and lots of blaring music...but it was all overshadowed by the giant Maleficent, which was a surprise to us all.
I nominate the "Dent and Stain" as the official GDB watering hole.
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