Swiss Family Treehouse, October 1981
It's time for more scans from our friends Lou and Sue! You know 'em, you love 'em. Today we'll be visiting the Swiss Family Treehouse and Tapas Bar.
Lou captured a photo of these signs, which I guess were entirely hand-painted? Beautifully done. I need the one that says "Swiss Family Treehouse" for my conservatory, where it will compliment my collection of rare tropical plants from around the world. Meanwhile, I love the sign for ticket book holders - by June of 1982 (a mere eight months later), ticket books were eliminated. I'm admiring the faux wood grain on that turnstile.
Did you know that some treehouses had exits? This one did! It's kept the Robinsons from bumping into each other at night (you could always tell when that happened because it sounded like two coconuts bonking together). I truly loved the multiple levels of the treehouse, accessible by stairs that had been salvaged from their shipwreck. A single stroller sits, looking so lonesome.
In my opinion, that huge tree is a real work of art, not to mention an amazing piece of engineering. It is entirely convincing as a real living tree, even up close. It's interesting to me the way that bits of New Orleans Square are apparent here, from the diamond-shaped lamp to the right, and the trash can, which would be right at home outside the Haunted Mansion.
MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue!
25 comments:
Major-
Let's hear it for great, hand painted signs-! These are lovely.
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
I never realized that children under seven were supposed to be accompanied by an adult. I always used to send my 3 year-old twins up there all by themselves.
I don't think I've ever noticed the ivy growing up the trunk of the tree. I like it!
Thank you Lou, Sue and the Major, too!
TM! Have you been keeping something from us??
Sue
TM! Have you been keeping something from us??
Sue...nothing, really. Except for the twins. ;-)
While Major is admiring the turnstile, I'm admiring that wrought iron fence that the Robinsons constructed around their arboreal abode. Undoubtedly made from harpoons salvaged from their ship. Lots n' lots of harpoons. Hey, if they can salvage a 400 pound organ, what's a few dozen harpoons?
A red flower bud is opening up on that shrub behind the fence. Either that, or a verrry tiny Mickey balloon popped itself on those harpoon barbs.
In the "Exit" photo, this family isn't taking any chances missing anything photogenic at Disneyland; Dad has a camera, Junior has a camera, and Mom has a camera. Looks like Dad is instructing Junior on how to use the camera. They should ask Lou Perry, he's standing right there! And he takes great pictures! I don't think I've seen that particular color, and design, of trashcan before; sort of a blue-ish lavender.
In the last photo, as Major points out, that trashcan appears to be Haunted Mansion themed. The "Waste Paper" text is in the HM font. The boy in the red pants has one of those Sunkist orange popsicles (or whatever it is) like the ones we saw a couple of days ago.
Thanks to Sue and her dad and to Major.
Major : you are seeing bits of New Orleans Square because Lou is standing in New Orleans Square - the NOQ area trash can and streetlight just happen to be in the foreground of Lou’s Treehouse shot.
Incidentally it is impossible for the Swiss Family to see New Orleans Square and the people of New Orleans can never see a Swiss wrecked families treehouse …. Only deep lush bayou forest beyond . The treehouse and New Orleans Square is separated by thousands of miles and and about a quarter of a Century….
The Swiss family’s ship THE SWALLOW ( sometimes called THE TITUS) was enroute to the colonies of New Zealand and its cargo was laden with supplies for the Robinson family and their ranch as well as other families and businesses … and in 1835 wrought iron fencing would be all the rage for a customs house , a elegant hotel or a fine magistrate’s house - these could possibly have been the intended recipient of the spiked fencing.
I agree that the Treehouse is a work of art! There is so much detail in this project, and it was one of my favorite "rides" like the Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough is too. Never a line for either. There are stories surrounding building the tree and the tree at Anaheim Founders Park up the road a bit. Both are very impressive trees, and both have much historic value. The founders tree has it's own story, and it's Disneyland connections. Look it up. Swiss Family Robinson was/is one my favorite movies ever, so to see it disappear into Tarzan Land was a wee disappointing, although the bones are still there. I'm interested to see the "inspired by" Tree (coming soon). I'm sure they will have a grand opening celebration with John's daughter Hayley onsite to cut the ribbon. I'm trying to think is there is someone else connected to TWO Disneyland attractions, but I think James MacArthur wins with the Matterhorn AND the Tree House...if "Kidnapped" served as any inspiration to Pirates, then there is three.....possibly four, as he was married to Joyce Bullifant, who was in The Happiest Millionaire who's telephone box is still in Club 33. Perhaps that is a stretch. His mom was also in Candleshoe, The "Herbies" and the ever popular "One of my Dinosaurs is missing" which COULD have inspired Primeval World on the DLRR. Stranger things have happened. If you zoom into the photo you can see that even the turnstile is themed to wood and bamboo...I could have spent hours in this treehouse looking at every spot, if there wasn't another guest directly behind me pushing me forward. It's the same thing in Sleeping Beauty..."I want to look at this scene for 20 minutes! Please play through!".... In the TG Speil we were, and did say "The Tree is covered with leaves and blossoms". There was a number indicated, but I forget it. My first day University TG had told the group that there were no blossoms left on the tree because in one bad storm they all blew off and were never put back again. As a Tour Guide we thought "can we change this in the spiel? There are no blossoms..." "NOPE" the spell is the speil and must be recited verbatim. Who knows what the real story is, but at the time I thought..."the tree never had blossoms...why did they put pink blossoms all over it?" The fact is that the Saman tree does have very sweet pink blossoms: fuzzy like bottle brush flowers. In Adventureland, and near the treehouse, there are other pink blossom bearing trees. I got the most botanical questions about this tree: the Silk Floss, or Floss Silk, or Ceiba Speciosa Tree. It has a green spiny trunk and when in bloom it is quite spectacular. The blooms then turn into these pods with wads of silky cotton...hence the name Silk Floss- not for the blossoms but for the fruit it bears. Guests also wanted to know about the Jacaranda Tree also very spectacular in it's purple bloom, and the Paper Birch trees...all very striking and unusual. The guests DID think the Swiss Family Tree was real. I got a lot of questions about Disneyland Flora, which is why when they yank something out I get kind of nutty about it. All that is missing in these photos is Earl standing there at the entrance with his little cap miraculously balanced on his head. I do have a photo of that somewhere....Thanks to Lou and Sue for the photos of this amazing 60 year old tree house that despite it's new residents, will always belong to the Robinson's!
Excellent documentary pics, it’s as if Lou had a premonition that a future generation of ungrateful clods, who, unworthy of their inheritance and thoughtless of their posterity, would butcher the tree house.
I’m enjoying the first rate example of knots and lashings in the first photo, “two wraps, two fraps” as we taught in Scouting. Also the rare Philippine Mahogany turnstiles, each carved from a single log by captive Malay pirates. And a fine specimen of a fire extinguisher too. I can’t tell if the update tag is current.
The exit turnstile is made from a capstan from the Titus, probably from the bow anchor. This one just spins, no counting involved. Keeps miscreants from entering the wrong way.
JB, the tree house stands on that vague shimmering boundary between NOS and the trackless jungle, as Mike has described, so those trash cans exist in both times and both places, always in no time and no place, only this time and this place. Apologies, got carried away there for a minute. Hat tip to T. S. Eliot.
Thanks Lou, Sue & Major!
JG
I can remember walking through this with my grandfather on our 1973 trip! He was very mechanically inclined and was very impressed with Walt's running water system. Much later I explored Disney World's version and although it was neat, it didn't feel the same. It was missing my grandfather, I guess.
Again, that was stu29573...
I'm really enjoying the sign for ticket holders... it strikes me today how much visiting DL had elements of playing a board game. Look at all those well-defined instructions on that sign! Ohh, let me see how I do *this* turn!
Also, reading both those signs... someone gets to be the Treehouse Operator (!)
These are magnificentorisimus!
I miss the Treehouse and look forward to seeing its latest refurbishment as well.
JG, "two wraps and two fraps." That's an awfully big lunch and way too much caffeine and sugar for me. Must be a West Coast Scouting tradition.
Thanks again, Lue & Sou!
TM! - If the twins are 3 1/2, they add up to 7, which is good enough for accounting work.
JG - I'd put a counter on the exit turnstile, to make sure the counts match and be certain no one was abducted by pirates (or aliens) during their tour.
Nanook, I wonder if hand-painted signs are a thing of the past at the park? Or if some are still made for certain occasions?
TokyoMagic!, you sent Barry and Terry up there all by themselves?? I didn’t notice the ivy until you pointed it out, it does add a touch of realism. The tree is fake, but the ivy is genuine!
Sue, I don’t think he’s mentioned his years as a ninja.
TokyoMagic!, that was more of an oversight, you would have mentioned the twins before I’m sure!
JB, you can’t have too many harpoons. How many of us have had to learn this lesson the hard way? I always loved the idea of building a home from the bits and pieces of a salvaged ship, and the way the Imagineers realized it in the park. In the third photo, just to the left of the street lamp, you can see the head of a pirate, mounted on a stake. The Robinson family was not to be messed with! Very nice that that one family is fully armed with cameras. I did have a Kodak Instamatic when I was a kid, and remember taking it to the park once, but the only photos I really recall taking were of the empty sub lagoon at night, and of course they did not turn out at all. The kid with the red pants must have just come from “Sunkist, I Presume”!
Mike Cozart, yes, I knew that we were seeing actual bits of New Orleans Square, it just seems funny to see those two differing styles so close to each other. Of course that happens all over Disneyland, but somehow the lush jungle environment of the Treehouse really contrasts with the “civilized” street lamp and trashcan! I used to reread “Swiss Family Robinson” regularly when I was a kid, it was one of my favorite adventure stories, but… it’s been decades now! Maybe I need to download it from Project Gutenberg and read it again.
Bu, it’s funny how some of the least technological attractions wind up being favorites, at least in our memories. Tom Sawyer Island, for example. The Castle walk-thru. I feel like I was always surrounded by other guests when I visited the Treehouse, but maybe I’m just thinking of my family stomping up and down the steps. My dad would get impatient with us as we stared at the water wheels from the heights of the tree, and would always have to tell us to move it. I wish I could have visited it as an adult, on a slow day when I could really just soak in the view. The Tarzan treehouse was not terrible, but neither was it especially good. It was just sort of there. I don’t remember ANYBODY saying, “Wow, that was neat!” (or words to that effect). You just did it, and then went to a fun attraction. Some of those attraction ties to James MacArthur are pretty dubious! “One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing”?? Jeez, who even remembers that movie? Bu does! Kathryn Beaumont does the voices of Alice and Wendy, so she’s represented in two attractions. Notice that the exit turnstile looks like a ship’s capstan, pretty clever. The attraction poster for the SFT shows the tree covered in pink blossoms, I always wondered about that. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a photo of the tree with blossoms, but maybe I have? Those Floss Silk trees are cool, I always enjoy seeing them. I was helping a friend at an outdoor art show once, and the park had Floss Silk trees, people complained because they’d get scratched by the wicked thorns. Jacarandas are amazing too, there are streets in SoCal that turn a beautiful purple from the thousands of dropped petals. It looks surreal.
JG, I do kind of wonder if Lou took photos for the very purpose of making a record of things that he knew might vanish at some point? Or did he just think the subject matter was cool? Why not BOTH? “Two wraps, two fraps”? JG, I don’t appreciate that sort of language here on GDB. Think of the children. Hey, you notice the capstan too, does that mean I owe you money? Look at you getting all poetic, and yet you never used the word “daffodil”, which is the most poetic word of all.
Anonymous, that water system really was incredible! I think that even kids like me would observe how everything worked and walk away impressed. Imagine being way up high in your bed late and night. Want a drink of water? No problem! It’s just steps away, instead of all the way at the bottom of the tree. And I totally get missing your grandpa.
Anonymous, if that was really Stu29573, what is the capital of South Dakota?
LTL, interesting idea, using the tickets was sort of like an element of board games. And when you run out? Game’s over! Well, except that you can buy more tickets. I know that they’ve concocted in-park games for locals to play, though I have never done them myself. I think they are more alongs the lines of “scavenger hunt” ideas, looking for certain landmarks and hidden details.
Major, Ha! I see that pirate-head-on-a-stake. So gruesome! I'm shocked, SHOCKED that Disney would include such a macabre element in their Park. Skulls on stakes is one thing, but severed heads? That's "Walking Dead" territory.
@Dean Finder, yes, need to make sure the counts balanced.
I think that KS has posted that the CM gatekeeper took a final tour of the tree after the gates closed to be sure no guests remained behind. That would be a hoot, spending the night in the treehouse.
Chuck, I know you know what I mean, but for the others, here is a description of lashings with fraps.
https://www.animatedknots.com/diagonal-lashing-knot#:~:text=Frapping%20Turns%3A%20The%20turns%20surrounding,makes%20the%20Lashing%20more%20secure.
Major, I will take care not to use excessive poetry in the future.
Anonymous (Stu) My Dad and Uncle stood for what seemed like an hour studying that water wheel and the piping. I really remember that trip, it was the only visit to Disneyland that my Uncle made, and I remember showing him around my favorite place. The whole waterwheel thing was like a bonus, I don't recall it in either the movie or the book, maybe just something cool thought up for the Park attraction.
JG
MAJOR: Disneyland still hand paints many signs … in fact sometimes there’s enough work to bring in as many as three retired signshop artists to help catch up on projects . Traditional sign painting in the real world has become very popular … while expensive business like the uniqueness and quality that is missing in lots of digital “overnight” sign shops.
I never got to see this version of the SFT, but I've always been fascinated with the East Coast model. It's like walking into a dollhouse.
I walked into a doll house once. I had to help the owner pick up all the pieces.
About two miles north of Disneyland is a place called THE DOLL HOUSE …. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with Disneyland or the Swiss Family Tree House ….. and nothing to do with dolls or dollhouses …..
Mike, make that The Doll Hut. I know, because that's where I took the twins to get their noses pierced. They were only ten and a half at the time, but as DeanFinder pointed out, their combined ages made them twenty-one, so it all worked out okay.
And Major, it's Berry (not Barry) and Terry. I named him Berry because when he was born, he looked just like Walter Knott.
Sorry I got here too late. But the truth is that yes...sometimes...someone DID sleep in the treehouse at night. Especially when the canoe race practice was early the next day!! KS
I’m glad I stopped back...I love all the fun comments....
KS—you did???
Sue
Hi Sue! ME?? I don't recall.... LOL. But no not me. I am aware of others though who did. Crazy times! KS
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