A Pair From January, 1974
Welcome to January, 1974. As you can see, it was a particularly brutal winter in SoCal, with temperatures dropping into the low 50s. Stores couldn't keep light cardigans in stock! Some say that people even wore hats on occasion, if you can believe it. (Looking at Jason's Disneyland Almanac, I see that the very lowest daytime temps were around 55º, with some days approaching 80º!).
I've seen more than a few photos that are similar to the one below, but my gosh, what a beautiful sight! That sky is a deep cobalt blue, setting off the Saturn V rocket on the Rocket Jets and the Peoplemover station/load area. I'm not sure I would be able to deal with the crowds, my enochlophobia would have kicked in. Along the Speedramp up to the Peoplemover, we can see some of those lozenge-shaped displays that contained charming diorama (with limited movement) for Goodyear products.
I feel guilty saying that this next one is kind of a step down from the first, but we've seen so many pictures of the Matterhorn. SO MANY. I guess it's like seeing a bunch of pictures of your grandparents; you feel like you've seen 'em all, but you still love them.
20 comments:
Major-
My teeth are chattering just thinking of those "low temps"-! But it's worth it for such a beautiful scene.
Thanks, Major.
That first one is a beauty!
I see 6 trash cans and 7 stroller parking spaces. And only one stroller! Now, they have stroller parking lots.
Thanks, Major.
Brrrr! I got all shivery just looking at that first photo. I had to wrap myself in a quilted blanket just to finish reading your commentary!
Dang you, I had to look up "enochlophobia"; even though I assumed it was a fear of crowds.
Pretty pretty picture!!! Of course I'm saving it. And yes, where is everybody? Perhaps this is right after opening for the day? We can see that diorama closest to us just enough that someone might be able to ID it. Five trashcans, I think.
The snow on the Matterhorn looks particularly snowy in this lighting. In fact, the whole mountain looks really nice here. I don't see any Bobsleds, but we can see the top of the little Alpine Garden souvenir stand on the left. The Skyway pylon is all white and gold, like it's part of the iasw facade.
Sue, 6 trashcans? Is that one of 'em way in the background on the left?
Really nice photos today, Major. Thanks.
Yes, JB, I do think so—and I counted it.
Major, I think we have gradually gotten closer and closer to those Goodyear advertising pods, over the years. I really hope that you eventually come across close-ups of some or all of them!
The Carousel of Progress would have already closed by this point, but I can't tell if they had already started painting out the exterior COP mural or not.....but the America Sings mural isn't complete yet.
The waterfalls are turned off on the Matterhorn, and Fudgie had "left the building" by this point in time. Maybe January was "renovation time" for the Matterhorn. Imagine going to the park and having both the Carousel of Progress AND the Matterhorn closed. I wouldn't be able to stand it.
Thanks for the pair from 1974, Major!
The first image: GLORIOUS!!! Those GO, GO Goodyear animated pods were designed by Disney animator and imagineer T. Hee. ( as we’re the similar animated vignettes over at Adventure Thru Inner Space’s “Miracles From Molecules” exit displays. The mechanic’s of the vignettes for both attraction displays were done by Imagineer Natsume … who also created the silver Tomorrowland entry fin panels AND the accompanying abstract ceramic fountains. What is interesting is that in 1974 a few of those Goodyear animated pods were updated …. The Goodyear Double Eagle “tire within a tire “ removed the slightly sexist slogan “when there’s no man around … Goodyear should be” and changed its message to the Goodyear wide track tire. The beach surfing vignette change to a desert off-roading scene - the surfboards sticking up in the sand … were replaced with cactus and the beach woody replaced with a jeep and 70’s van ( complete with a CB antenna) and the slogan “swingers Go Go Goodyear” updated with “Off Roaders Go Go Goodyear!” With all the brochures , booklets and complimentary postcards issued by the sponsors on New Tomorrowland…. Why didn’t Goodyear ever issue anything ??
TOKYO MAGIC is right : it appears the AMERICA SINGS upper mural is complete but the lower part is still in progress ……the America Sings mural has a name “The Swinging Concert” off have the designer’s name escapes me.
Some of the oldest memories I have of Disneyland is the PeopleMover and those Go Go Goodyear animated pods!
Mike, those Goodyear pods are among some of my oldest DL memories, too!
I just noticed that there is a trash can in front of the entrance turnstile. But there are people going up the Speedramp. What gives? Did they sometimes move the entrance and the ticket-taker over to the north side of the entrance and exit area, and we just can't see them because of that PeopleMover support column?
I think the trash cans are actually just to the two turnstiles- not blocking them. I have a small turnstile sign from the PeopleMover that is double sided - a later version than the shape of the one in the image here and one side reads “ please proceed up the ramp to the PeopleMover platform and present a D Coupon to the host “ …. So I assume on slow days the lower level entry was not maned.
The backside of the sign reads “we are unable to operate right now - please check back with us later today “
They could have used this sign :
“Please remain inside your PeopleMover car … or the PeopleMover will twist your legs off, placing you in shock then dragging you across Goodyear rubber tires until you are completely dead. GO GO GOODYEAR!!
Mike, you forgot to add this line to your updated sign, "Oh, yeah....and happy graduation, to you!"
Go Go Goodyear....I also loved the charming animated dioramas and have very strong memories about them. I especially remember the surfboard and was there a tractor scene? With smiley faced corn stalks. I didn't know that T Hee designed these, but it makes sense as they were "in the style" of T Hee. Everything looks so bright and shiny and new in this photo. The elevator to the Jets is painted all white which I think adds to this white and bright landscape. I think they added red and perhaps black elements to the elevator at some point. I remember these days in January where it was chilly and so very few people in the park. Given the position of the sun in this photo it could have been mid day, and still so very empty. It makes sense that they would go down to one person on the top deck of the PeopleMover. January was the time of very limited working hours, and some weeks as a "casual seasonal" I would not work at all. 7 spots for strollers: well: that has changed. No waterfall on the Matterhorn means "Rehab", as no waterfalls would have been "bad show" if it was operating. In January/Feb you would have the most popular attractions in rehab: Matterhorn, Pirates, Mansion...usually on different weeks. They did these "E Ticket" attractions pretty quickly so that guests would not be disappointed. "The Matterhorn is closed and we drove all the way from Pacoima"...yes, these are true stories. It's interesting the perspective that guests had in terms of distance: "We came all the way from France" might have well been Pacoima: as the guests reacted the same. Same thing on the phones: "why did you put me on hold?! I AM CALLING LONG DISTANCE!" then you'd find out that long distance for them was Newport Beach. All true stories. Buckets and PeopleMovers...a perfect post. Thanks Major.
Beautiful perfect Rocket Jets picture. Lots of trash cans, few strollers, jets in the air, PeopleMover moving people, just wonderful.
Like the mark twain, I’ll take any picture of the Matterhorn. After the Castle, it’s the symbol of Disneyland.
SoCal winters are brutal enough without 80 degree temps, I don’t know how folks stand it there.
Thanks Major, these are the real thing.
JG
@ Bu-
There was definitely a 'tractor' vignette - I'm certain MIKE can elaborate on that one.
Anonymous, the freezing temperatures are the reason nobody lives in SoCal anymore.
Lou and Sue, it truly is crazy to see the amount of real estate they need to contain the stroller parking for various rides nowadays. Do you really see six trashcans? I only see 4.
JB, if you’re going to wrap yourself in a blanket, why not make it a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles blanket? Warm AND stylish. Knowing the names of various phobias can come in handy, as you have just discovered. It’s so odd to see the park so empty on such a gorgeous day, I guess people had other things to do back then. During the Eisner era, there was talk of sculpting a sort of Mt. Rushmore with the faces of various Muppets on the Matterhorn. What a terrible idea! Cooler heads prevailed.
Lou and Sue, when I have more time, I’ll look for all six.
TokyoMagic!, I would love to have some good pix of those Goodyear dioramas! In fact, I asked a knowledgeable person who I was sure would have some photos, but he didn’t, I think he said that even the Goodyear company denied having any. It still kills me that we lost the Carousel of Progress after such a short time. And as I have said many times, I just never warmed to “America Sings”, though I know it is beloved to many. Based on the low attendance, January did seem like a good time to perform some maintenance.
Mike Cozart, thanks for describing some of the Goodyear pod scenes - the only one I remember is the landing gear of a jet hitting the tarmac (which rolled beneath the tires), and then took off again, endlessly. I thought it was so clever. It really does seem amazing that Goodyear did not produce any sort of postcards or other paper ephemera, since so many other ride sponsors did (Monsanto, for instance - there’s lots of Monsanto/Disneyland stuff). While I saw the Carousel of Progress several times, I think I only saw “America Sings” once. I remember my dad laughing at the little weasel that said, “Pop goes the weasel!”. In my memory I was already thinking that was corny.
TokyoMagic!, good observation on the turnstile, I have no idea if they moved things around!
Mike Cozart, so did they sometimes take tickets at the bottom of the ramp? It just seems to make sense to take the tickets at the top, but I guess it depended on the crowds. Is your turnstile sign printed on metal? Considering how benign the Peoplemover appears, most people would never suspect that it was the source of two fatalities.
TokyoMagic!, I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I was at the park on that particular Grad Nite, though I had no idea that somebody had died until the next day.
Bu, considering how legendary T. Hee is, I’m surprised that I don’t know more about what he did during his time as an Imagineer. I think he also taught at Cal Arts. I once missed out on owning an item that belonged to him, a rare Disney Studio piece that I have regretted passing on ever since. To this day I don’t know why I didn’t try harder to get it. Tomorrowland really does look spotlessly clean here, the paint looks fresh, they were still doing a great job of maintaining the park. I don’t think cold weather would keep people away. Well, it would keep *some* people away, but I went there not too long ago, in the pouring rain, and was shocked at the line of people already waiting to go through the turnstiles. I can understand being disappointed at finding one’s favorite ride closed for rehab. I think about the folks who drove to the park back in the days when Disneyland was closed Mondays and Tuesdays, maybe even from hundreds of miles away. What an unpleasant shock that must have been! Hopefully they went to Knott’s, just a few miles away, and salvaged the day.
JG, I was just looking at some pictures of Nara Dreamland in Japan, and their castle, subs, monorail, and Matterhorn-style mountain are like a Bizarro Disneyland!
Anonymous, I can almost imagine something with a tractor, though it is based on nothing!
DREAMY DAYS.
Beautiful sky, NO body around, AND functioning attractions in their full glory.
I’m grateful to see these modes again.
MS
Awhile back on GDB on a related post I described all 10 ( 12 technically) of the Goodyear Vignette Pods .. unfortunately I don’t have time today , but there was a Farm Tractor & Golf cart vignette ( “Goodyear Foam Rubber Keeps You Sitting Pretty “) and a Construction Dump Truck filled with dirt and a boy on a tricycle pulling a wagon of dirt vignette ( “BIG MOVERS Go Go Goodyear!”) and Major : you are remembering “HI-FLYERS Go Go Goodyear! …. A jet plane with passengers in the windows , lowers its landing gear at the same time a bird (I think it’s a stork) flying along side the plane lowers its legs and it has wheels rather than feet!.
T. Hee also designed hundreds of Alien and Robot characters for the Space Mountain shooting gallery that was planed for New Tomorrowland phase 2 “Tomorrowland’68” when that didn’t happen the space themed character were going to be reused in a Omni-Mover shooting gallery ride- thru attraction above America Sings ( known as THE UFO SHOW on working drawings) evolved into a Omni-mover shooting gallery attraction called THE K. A BOOME GUNPOWDER WORKS for a 1976 expanded Frontierland … Tony Baxter later “borrowed” T. HEE’s concept and slightly te-themed for DISCOVERY BAY as THE FIREWORKS FACTORY in the China Town section of Discovery Bay.
It seems incredible that will all of the pictures of minor elements all over the park, even in the pre-digital-era, there are none of those Goodyear dioramas.
Mike Cozart, I was thinking that perhaps we’d talked about all of the Goodyear pods before, but… you know… I can’t remember everything! Do you think there’s any chance that the Archives would have some sort of photo record of the scenes? I realized that (from what I’ve read), gaining access to the archives is like trying to get into Fort Knox. Which I sort of get, but it also probably prevents a lot of honest research from people who aren’t writing a “Disney approved” book or article. Thanks for the info about T. Hee, a Tomorrowland-themed shooting gallery sounds like a lot of fun! The concept (with the Omnimovers) sounds a little bit like the Buzz Lightyear attraction - another one that people love, but I did it once and have no real desire to do it again.
Dean Finder, I AGREE. There has to be something out there!
Mitsuo Natsume seems to be the forgotten Imagineer all over again, as even the internet knows nearly nothing…while we still thrill to his 1960’s designs today.
MS
WDI has the fabrication drawings in documents control - but they are in obsolete files and can only be viewed if you have an active project number … art collections has the full-size art mock ups by T-Hee that were used as color guides for the pod vignette fabrication. I’m sure graphics has documentation somewhere as well as the slide library. There is known film test footage of the animation cycles for the Inner Space T. Hee vignettes - so I would suspect there would be the same for the Goodyear versions . The sign pods were “to be returned to Goodyear” after removal … but that doesn’t appear to have happened. If they survived ( it’s unlikely) as they have yet to appear I’m sure Goodyear would have various forms of documentation from approval meetings and art work sign-offs … but Goodyear archives doesn’t have the items labeled beyond general PeopleMover -Disney and it appears to be mostly just legal papers and sponsorship contracts - but the stuff if in deep storage and not likely to be accessible to anyone of non-importance.
I have a good deal of Disney- Goodyear agreement paperwork in my collection including some discussions on the name as well
As some bomb shell Info I will share one day after some imagineers are no longer with us - it’s a long story .
I too am very surprised that for how popular those Goodyear vignette pods were that more people didn’t take pictures of them …. Or they did and people seeing them don’t know what they are … at the same time they may have been difficult to photograph- as most were only visible from a moving SPEEDRAMP … going up or down … but a few were on the ground level planters with seating around them … so there’s that. Likely it’s just a case of people then just didn’t photograph stuff like that at Disneyland- just parades , the castle and the mark Twain .
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