I have two nicer-than-usual scans for you on this fabulous Friday! Starting with a look at the Douglas Moonliner. This might even meet the criteria to be a "postcard-worthy" scene; there is no higher honor. A single blue Skyway gondolas is partly hidden behind the rocket, and the Tomorrowland terminal for the Skyway is back to the right. Divorced from context, the large angled shape to the right (part of the Rocket to the Moon building) is kind of startling. Love the telephone booth in the left foreground!
Next, also from August of '63, is this photo of a zooming Monorail - zooming so fast that the camera's shutter couldn't capture it without a little bit of motion blur! It's in the western(ish) part of the parking lot, near the fence that separated the real world from the world of fantasy.
I'm sure you noticed the mounds of dirt, along with some pickup trucks and what might be some sort of earth-mover. Massive changes were underway in Frontierland, including the earliest construction of the Haunted Mansion, the removal of the Plantation House, and changes to the Indian Village. Of course some of those changes eventually became part of New Orleans Square.
Major-
ReplyDeleteYes, that just might be 'postcard-worthy'-! As for the Monorail/parking lot image, hiding in the back on the left is the Disneyland Hotel tram.
Thanks, Major.
I agree, it's a nicer-than-nice picture, with the bright sunlight and blue sky. But it strikes me as odd that the Douglas Moonliner always looks a bit stubbier than the TWA Moonliner; a little thicker around the middle and not quite as tall. WHY IS THAT!! Just an optical illusion? Something about the vertical stripes, or the colors? That "angled shape to the right" is part of a Martian pyramid.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I don't remember ever seeing a Disneyland two-toned Monorail before; yellow and blue? And white? (I guess that makes it 3-toned) When did that happen? And for how long? Somehow it looks less futuristic to me. Or is this another optical illusion, like the Douglas Moonliner? Maybe this is the Red Monorail. ;-) Those huge mounds of dirt really do look strange. Also, impressive!
Nice photos, Major. Even if they leave me a bit befuddled.
JB, the "fins" on the Monorail trains were always white. And the part that looks bluish, is just the "silvery" metallic panels.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice pair from August of 1963, Major!
Tomorrowland still looks 1950's snazzy in '63. It's interesting to see how low Skyway goes...and it stayed low through Tomorrowland '67....with the Peoplemover moving along high above it. Go over there today and you will see how high the Peoplemover track is. Although Peoplemover is retired, I suppose I like to see the track still...what an embarrassment really to them...if it wasn't so "focal" they could get away with it...but it basically follows you around the entire land. "Medusa" there on the right looks a little harried...with a baby and a 6 year old...that looks like a lot. The Monorail from the parking lot is always an exciting thing to see. I can hear it in my mind: the "whoosh"....attraction posters in lovely frames...I even enjoy the mountains of mud....but I'm confused about mud mountain and it's placement...it seems like where that is would be by Jungle Cruise....and the hippo pond....and it does seem to come at a time that Jungle went through it's first "re-imagining" by adding the Marc Davis scenes- I think there was an aerial view on GDB that showed the Jungle a jumble....could these be the reasons for piles of dirt ALONG WITH...Plantation House, et al.....but '63 seems a wee early to really blow up that area...or would it be? Deserves some forensics. Or was that '62? I went down a rabbit hole and wound up looking at a photo of a "big head" character from "Knotts Beary Tales"....where was I? Oh yes....thanks Major! TGIF! P.S. I had a very lucid and strange dream that the old Police Station (TG Lounge, etc.) on Main St. was torn down....and all that was left was a freshly poured concrete slab...behind it was very visible backstage areas...I went into City Hall with simply and dryly "uh...you tore down the Police Station?"....one of the employees said with a smile and glee "I'm excited to see what is coming!?" Me: "YOU JUST TORE DOWN A HISTORICAL MONUMENT!!!"....as a twirled around and headed out the door with a flourish....then couldn't find my car in the multi story urban style parking lot....which I think was the 5th and Mission parking lot in SF. Dreams....
ReplyDeleteYep, silver reflective panels can take on odd hues. There are some photos showing the Santa Fe Railway's famous diesel "Warbonnet" paint scheme, in red and silver, with the silver sides looking black.
ReplyDeleteThe Monorail Gold pic is nice. While waiting to get inside Disneyland, I used to love seeing the monorails glide by the entrance building the excitement of what's to come inside the park. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteThe Moonliner pic is high quality, no doubt. The glass and aluminum phone booth must have been “modern enough” to not require further theming. We can see R2-D2’s grandfather waiting patiently for someone to waste some waste.
ReplyDeleteI wish we could have a picture of the park side view from the monorail, we could see the source of all that dirt. Are they digging the Pirates cave already? That had to be quite a hole. That ride still boggles my mind with its scope and inventiveness.
Thanks Major and happy Friday everyone!
JG
Nanook, yes, that is definitely the Hotel Tram back there, hiding!
ReplyDeleteJB, I don’t know if I ever thought that the Douglas paint scheme made the Moonliner look stubbier, but I do think it is somehow less iconic (if that is the word). The TWA just looked so good. The Monorail is yellow with steel panels, presumably those panels are reflecting the blue sky, though it is darker than one might expect.
TokyoMagic!, hey, we said pretty much the same thing! I wish that Monorail had a vinyl wrap with lots of airbrushed Disney characters on it.
Bu, yes, the old Skyway was pretty low at the ends, but what really amazes me is how low the Peoplemover track got in some places… to the point where it seemed as if an athletic person could have jumped up and swatted it. It also went quite high, too, which is one of the things I loved about the Anaheim Peoplemover. I feel like I would miss the track if they tore it out, but I agree, it is a constant reminder of a big misstep (to put it politely). I do believe that a large chunk of the Jungle Cruise was torn up while that Frontierland/NOS construction was happening, I was just looking at an aerial shot and observed that the JC was closed. I don’t remember having any photos showing the jungle in a mess, but then again I can’t remember ALL of my photos. Funny about your dream, obviously you are worried about the next loss of a classic attraction or feature at the park - as am I!
Steve DeGaetano, I gotta say, red and black (with yellow?) sounds pretty cool!
K. Martinez, yes, seeing both the Monorail pass by and seeing the Disneyland RR (and hearing both the bell and the whistle) were thrilling to me as a kid!
JG, R2-D2’s grandfather didn’t say much, but he didn’t need to. As I said to Bu, I have at least one aerial shot that gives a pretty good idea of the extent of the massive construction project that was on the west side of the park, it is pretty astonishing. Maybe 1/4 of the park was being redone!