The Columbia, 1996
Today I have some photos taken by my friend Mr. X... back in ye olden days of 1996. It's hard to believe that '96 was 27 years ago, but I checked it with my UNIVAC computer and the punch cards don't lie. Mr. X loves Frontierland, and he obviously loves the Columbia, because he took four very nice pix of the mighty sailing vessel as it squished its way around the Rivers of America.
Here it comes, on the run, with a burger on a bun, and a dab of coleslaw on the side... (anybody? anybody?). Sorry, I digressed before I even "gressed". The Columbia was painted Pumpkin Pie Orange, which happens to look mighty nice against a green forest and a blue sky. That meese has never seen such a color in his life!
Somehow I picture Mr. X dressed like Arte Johnson's "Wolfgang" in "Laugh-In", peeking up from behind some bushes. "Very interesting...". Two canoes chase the Columbia to the tune of "Yackety Sax". To our left, Cascade Peak still stands, though that mine train is a victim of a landslide.
I wonder what the Columbia looks like from Tom Sawyer Island? Pretty much the same, as it turns out. But that's a good thing. A wooden fence lines the island pathways now, because people walked into the river like lemmings.
And here's one last pretty view of the Columbia as it heads north along the river. Notice the Keelboat (partially obscured) to the left... a year later the Keelboats would close forever after the Gullywhumper tipped over due to gremlin activity.
THANK YOU, Mr. X!
9 comments:
Major-
Boy do these images look wonderful. It all seems so right.
Thanks to Mr. X.
Oh your taste we will tickle with a cold dill pickle, and all of our potatoes are French fried, fried, fried. Yes, I think I can see Betty and Wilma on the deck of the Columbia, in that first pic. And those trees in the background of that first pic were all butchered, just because Bob Iger wanted Star Wars Land to be "BIGGER." Sad.
On the far left of that last pic, hiding in the reeds, we can see the heads of a couple guests, riding in a Splash Mountain log.
Thank you for the Columbia pics, Major and Mr. X!
"Here it comes, on the run, with a burger on a bun." Hey, I remember that!... sort of.... vaguely. Was it from The Flintstones? I seem to remember Wilma and Betty were involved. Or maybe it was something different. Edit: Yay, TM! confirms that it was indeed The Flintstones!
Wow, the Columbia is packed to the gills! There must have been a strong current in the River on this day; the Ship is scooting right along even with her sails furled.
Photo #2 looks especially nice with the Ship framed by those out-of-focus foreground branches.
"people walked into the river like lemmings." Major, how does one walk like a lemming? Maybe they walked like an Egyptian lemming!
That CM, dressed in white, is walking on top of the heads of the passengers. He looks pretty skinny, so he probably didn't weigh much.
In #4, I guess that's a rustic wooden bench on the path to the right. It looks like a barbeque.... Or a four-legged animal-shaped piñata.
Wonderful shots. Mr. X., and thanks, Major.
I remember "Make your hobby hubby, keep your hubby happy, when he's a little chubby, he's a happy pappy...with Rockenschpeel!" The Flintstones: Still relevant! Also, there was something about buying 2 tons of parsley to throw away and Fred baffled. As as kid I thought about it, and thought....well...why ARE the restaurants buying parsley to throw away? So I ate it after that. Flintstones...LIFE CHANGING. I still eat parsley, I think it's yummy and good for pappy happy tummy. That being said: the Columbia! We haven't seen enough of this ship, and in 1996 Disneyland I was probably still a memory there, albeit a weak one. Much changed in the 90's that I unfortunately, or fortunately missed...but the Columbia seems to have persevered...and at full capacity at that! It is a very relaxing ride, and different from the Mark Twain. I can't say I miss the bits of the river that were TRE'd due to the Space stuff, and I'm glad that entity is not entirely visible in these parts. I don't need to see Chubasco along side the Native American village recreation waving or whatever he does... I like seeing the Canoe guy standing up as they follow the Columbia: looks like the same costume from 1990. I got into a canoe once and the whole thing kind of tipped severely, with a kid screaming a bit..."oh toughen up! Looks like you won't be paddling much, softie!" The little pathways alongside Tom Sawyer Island are so lovely, it would be nice just to open the island all the way around with the path continuing. There are still some really nice and quiet shady spots on the Island to enjoy. I wouldn't mind going over to the Island with a sketch book and sit for hours....but they need Fort Wilderness to bring back Popcorn and Ice Cream and Cokes. (Note: Ft. Wilderness was not a vending location.) Don't know how they missed this commercial enterprise, and now that I've said it...let the bubble makers begin! Thanks Mr. X for the morning dose!
These are just lovely. Just what I needed.
Thanks Major and Mr. X.
JG
I think that Pumpkin Pie Orange might be more accurately called "Yellow Ochre."
Great photos today!
Over Independence Day weekend revisited "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates". The featured keelboats were very utilitarian, looking like floating storage bins. There was one boat closer to the Disneyland design. It was brightly painted and trimmed, with shutters on the windows, and clearly intended for polite passenger trade. The pirates got to it first so there were no survivors or cargo aboard when Davy and Mike found it. Disney missed a bet by not having guests propel the keelboats with poles, with Mike Fink yelling abuse at them and bellowing his "King of the River" song.
The pirates occupied a cave, announced by the words "CAVE INN" painted on nearby rock. The idea was that they'd save themselves some trouble by luring passing rivermen ashore into a trap (a couple of pirates yelled enticements in unpersuasive female voices). Think Magic Kingdom included a token version of the Cave Inn, with recorded pirates carousing within.
For the 4th revisited "Birth of the Swamp Fox", an early "Disneyland" hour starring Leslie Neilson. A shame they haven't released complete runs of such series-within-the-series as Swamp Fox, Elfago Baca, Gallagher, and Killroy. The Disney Treasures tin includes just the first three episodes of Swamp Fox, ending darkly as Marion grimly resolves to avenge a killing.
The DITZLER /PPG color used on the Columbia was called “Cheddar Cheese” …. The same color was used on early 1979 Big Thunder Mountain signage . The Columbia (Disney)builders were matching a historic color shipbuilders called “American Gold” and “Yankee Gold” but the actual color is really speculative with naval historians and known to have been a yellow …. Created with sulfur.
Cheddar cheese?! Mike, are you serious?
Mr. X, these are beauties—especially the first one...postcard perfect.
Thanks, Mr. X and Major.
—Sue
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