Frontierland Frolics
It's time for another selection of scans, courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor! From a massive archive of Frontierland images that he graciously shared with me to share with you.
We'll start with this photo of the old fishing dock on Tom Sawyer Island - I believe this is also the location of the restrooms (the only restrooms on the island??). Some of the trees have taken on fall colors - not terribly common in California.
Here's a lovely view of the Old Mill, enveloped by vines - it's not kudzu, but we can pretend. In the distance is Big Thunder Mountain - even today part of my brain thinks of that ride as "new" - never mind that it is 46 years old.
There is nothing more terrifying than a Graveyard Duck. There was actually a deleted scene from The Exorcist that was deemed to be WAY too scary. Why? Graveyard Duck (and pea soup).
The ancestors of Spanky and Alfalfa had a thriving sign-painting business, and made a small fortune, specializing in signs for secret clubhouses (Were girls allowed? What do you think??). Here is an example of their more mature work, when they figured out the right direction for the letter "S".
Here's an unusual angle, from the embankment above the Old Mill, where a sluice channeled water to the big water wheel. As far as I am aware, guests were not supposed to be up there, but I'm not 100% certain.
Oh no! A Graveyard Duck is on top of the men's room! As you know, GDs can only be killed with a silver bullet, or a stake of white oak. I left both of those things in the car!
MANY THANKS to the Mysterious Benefactor.
11 comments:
In the first photo, those red leaves on the trees look a little strange to me; too artistic, too perfect. Are they real? Are they even leaves at all? Maybe they're blossoms? Maybe I'm just so used to seeing "Disney magic" that I can't accept the real thing when it's right in front of me!
The Old Mill pic is sure lush and green!
Oh gawd... In addition to AEDs and Killer Swans, now we have to beware the Graveyard Ducks! Although, I'm not exactly sure what we're supposed to be afraid of. I mean, they don't blow up like AEDs, or skeletonize a human body in 32 seconds like the Killer Swans. In fact, this duck looks kinda cute and stately. Maybe others can enlighten me on the dangers of Graveyard Ducks.
We can't see all of that sign, but it says, "Wilder Things To Smuggle Into The Park Besides Susie Qs and Ding Dongs". I don't know what those wilder things would be... whole fried chickens? I suppose you could wear a pizza on your head and pretend it's a sun hat?
We have seen a couple of GDB photos where guests were walking around up above the Old Mill, near the sluice. Not sure if they were in this exact spot.
Major, Graveyard Ducks can't die because... They're already dead! Just hope that it doesn't leap down from its perch and rip your heart from your chest! STILL BEATING!
These shots are a bit different than the ones we usually see from the Mysterious Benefactor. Thank you, MB. And thank you, Major. Fun commentary today (as usual).
There were also bathrooms located inside Fort Wilderness. Some time after Fort Wilderness' closure, they built bathrooms just outside the eastern wall of the fort.
For a very short time after River Country opened at WDW, they let Disneyland guests slide down that sluice on TSI, and there wasn't even an upcharge for doing it. ;-)
......Big Thunder Mountain - even today part of my brain thinks of that ride as "new" - never mind that it is 46 years old
Major, that reminds me of something that a "friend of a friend" said to one of her coworkers. She told her coworker, "I don't care if you have been here 12 years, you will always be a new employee to me!" Kind of a b*tchy remark, if you ask me. But I will always think of Big Thunder, Splash Mt., Star Tours, etc., as "new" attractions.
Thank you, Major and M.B.!
Here we have photographic evidence that if left in direct sunlight long enough on a mill roof, antlers will sprout ivy. This is irrefutable proof of Aristotle’s Theory of Spontaneous Generation. Francesco Redi can go pound sand.
Thanks for the disturbing mental image of a mallard rotating their head 360 ° and spitting pea soup. I’ll be hanging garlic and wolvesbane on my headboard tonight.
”But I will always think of Big Thunder, Splash Mt., Star Tours, etc., as "new attractions.”. So true. Heck - half of the time I forget the Parking Lot isn’t there anymore.
Thanks, MB and Major!
Heck - half of the time I forget the Parking Lot isn’t there anymore.
Chuck, I still think of DCA as "that church carnival that they set up in the Disneyland parking lot"!
These are fun and unusual views. A great shot of the Mill with the hoodoos in the background. That jagged sign would earn a lawsuit today.
I may vaguely remember being up by that sluice, I know there was a trail part of the way up, but maybe not all the way to the photo location. Also, those “fall color” trees are still there, visible in some recent videos by the Fresh Baked guy.
Thanks Major and MB, I’m feeling very benefacted now.
JG
I had to look up wolfsbane to see if I wanted to plant it in my yard: "no". 1gm of the plant can kill you almost immediately. I moved on... My 2nd favorite restroom in the Park: the Tom Sawyer Island fishing pier. The reason why I liked it (can you "like" a restroom?) is that it had a window and natural light came in. Whereas, every other restroom in the park has no natural light (perhaps there are a few with some transoms (?), and can appear cold and stark: which honestly: they don't need to be. Airport restrooms throughout the world, which have millions of visitors are able to keep up with technology, be clean: some more than others, and the more modern of airports have actually quite glamourous spaces, with marble, and great lighting. I understand Disneyland doesn't want mirrors because "people will take more time"....but honestly, it is so very disconcerting to not have a mirror in front of you while washing hands. I don't get it. The Mill on the island looks rather "well coiffed"....not overly styled, but definitely has been plantscaped. I'm happy to enjoy it in photos now that the flaming dragon has forever returned. People love it, so who am I? I also think of rides like Big Thunder as "new" and please don't remind that it's 46 years ago....when I read that my initial thought was "it can't be"...or as we say in Mayberry: "It Aunt Bea". Now we have to watch out for a new breed of duck? I think it's the strollers that we really need to watch out for. And why couldn't the grist mill be moved to another point on the Island? or the Fort re-opened? Don't you guys have like loads of cash? I read something this morning about some guy hoarding the latest popcorn bucket for a resale business, with hundreds of comments talking about "it's not right! That money should go to Disney!" (I had to read it twice.) All I can say is "huh?". Put my popcorn in a cardboard box please. Thanks MB and Major!
JB, you make a good point, those might be Fire Monarchs, butterflies that breathe fire and say f-words. The Old Mill used Miracle Gro! Not much is known about Graveyard Ducks, as they are elusive. But woe to any who finds themselves within 10 feet of one, that’s all I can say. Susie Qs! I used to love those, in fact they were my favorite Hostess snack cake. Lots of cream filling. I couldn’t remember if we’d ever seen guests up on that hillside, but I’ll take your word that we have! It is possible that Graveyard Ducks are undead, I have never gotten close enough to determine if that is true.
TokyoMagic!, there was another feature that Disneyland offered: going to the bathroom in a fort. How often would anybody get to do that? Talk about dreams and wishes! I would pay at least $25 to slide along that sluice, and am sad that I can’t do it. There is something real about the idea of a ride (or a person) being “new” no matter how long they’ve been there. I guess it’s like I still think of my niece as a kid even though she’s 25.
Chuck, I thought you were going to say that Old Mills would sprout antlers with proper conditions. Don’t worry, mallards can rotate their heads 360º, but then they quickly spin back, which is funny and not scary. The Parking Lot isn’t there anymore? What happened?
TokyoMagic!, “church carnival”, ha ha!
JG, I hope to someday sue Disney due to a sign injury. Nothing too serious of course, but it has to look good too. They’ve got lots of dough. If there is a thing with water in it, people will throw coins into it - I wonder if that sluice had pennies and nickels? The Fresh Baked guy seems very nice, but man, he cranks out more videos than I can watch.
Bu, I don’t know much about wolfsbane, except that I do wish I had some in case of - you know - werewolves. “The way you walked was thorny though no fault of your own, but as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end. Now you will have peace for eternity”. Yes I had to look that up for the whole thing. A bathroom with only natural light? What about when the sun sets? Is it like “going” in a cave? If only bars and clubs were able to keep their bathrooms as clean as airports do. I’d avoid walking on the floor if I could. I’m sure there is something to the idea that mirrors would slow down the turnover of people in the bathrooms - I’m not sure I even noticed that they didn’t have any. I’m not vain, even though that song is about me! How do they trim that ivy on the Old Mill - the stuff up high? Maybe they have special equipment designed for the moon landings. The flaming dragon returned? Really? I hadn’t heard. Boo. Graveyard Ducks aren’t new, they just haven’t been discussed here. I figured you’d all heard about them in the National Enquirer, the Paper of Record. Good point about the Old Mill being moved, that would have been nice. I really do dislike that huge stage structure, it’s so BIG and ugly. But Fantasmic was so popular (or is, I guess). Hey, I collect odd stuff, if somebody wants a pile of popcorn buckets, good for them. Hopefully they aren’t buying the things that I DO want.
For this tail-end boomer It's a Small World After All is a new attraction. Not just because I remember Uncle Walt narrating it at the World's Fair, but because it still looks modern compared to the rest of Fantasyland -- which went from stylized 50s to matching the styles of vintage classics.
Major, "butterflies that breathe fire and say f-words". f-words like: Flower? Float? Flutter? They sound like pleasant insects to me (except for the breathing fire part... and even that sounds cool!)
^ JB, ha! I think f-words like in bad words, JB.
Words like Fantasmic; "Fantasyland is closed"; Faulty dragon wiring; Fenced-off for remodeling, etc.
I love the Graveyard Duck pictures!
Thanks, MB and MP, for some fun Frontierland images.
Glad you're back, MP.
DBenson, I know what you mean, IASW has that awesome mid-century look that has not become dated. Mary Blair knew what was up!
JB, those are definitely f-words!
Lou and Sue, maybe I should have said “four letter words”? Since I can’t just write the actual words out! I had fun on my secret trip, but I’m glad to be back.
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