Snoozles™
Here we go - two more Snoozles™ for you to glance at before you go to church, or IHOP, or wherever.
I'm generally very happy to find a photo of the Flying Saucers attraction (this one is from November of 1961), but not when they are blurry and too-blue. Admittedly, it was early evening (notice the lights on in the background), and everything took on the cooler colors of the night. As in most photos of the Saucers, there is hardly any line for this ride.
When I previewed this early 1960s photo of Skull Rock on my light table, I thought it looked particularly pretty, with the last rosy rays of sun giving this natural formation a warm glow against a slightly violet sky, but wouldn't you know it - it's blurry. Bummer.
9 comments:
Major-
As guests are constantly having to battle against the forces of gravity and a 'cushion' of air in attempts to maintain [or simply get] the saucer to move, the body angles always strike me as some odd variations of Yoga poses. What a grand idea had it worked well.
Thanks, Major.
If that beefy guy in the foreground bumps into the wimpy kid behind him... the kid, and his Saucer sre gonna shoot off into outer space! A matter of mass and momentum. Except for the slight blur, I like this photo. I don't thing we've seen any other (almost) nighttime pics of the Saucers.
It really is too bad that Skully (and his drool) is out of focus; this would've been a keeper for sure. Golden hour lighting. And Casey Jr. in the background. The blur isn't so bad that we can't still enjoy the scene though.
Maybe these shoulda gone into you Blurzle folder, Major. Still nice, and or, interesting anyway. Thanks.
I’ve heard many stories from Imagineers of the period and guests who rode THE FLYING SAUCERS regarding the noise , hum and vibrations the vertical jets below the flight deck caused …. But I wonder if the machinery caused the surrounding load rings and arena arm to vibrate and shake too??
I have some Disneyland backstage photos from 1969/1970 taken by the Disneyland staff shop to document existing Disneyland molds being used for Walt Disney world …. In the background can be seen some FLYING SAUCERS sitting around on their sides …. Amazing they were at least some still in existence - the attraction was slated to return as part of TOMORROWLAND ‘68 …. The phase two of new Tomorrowland…. And the opening of SPACE ADVENTURE ( space mountain) …. Maybe they planed on using the same FLYING SAUCER ride vehicles. Whatever the reason for the “saucers” still being backstage by 1970 is unknown …. But to many people who have investigated them … they were likely purged and tossed many many years ago as there appears to be no paper trail for them in storage . But ….. maybe one or two exist in an Orange County garage or shed ….waiting to be discovered….
If the Flying Saucers were anything like Luigi's Flying Tires, then it must've been boring as heck. Great visual idea, but actual experience dull.
The Skull Rock image has excellent composition taken down some notches its blurriness. Thank, Major.
In the Skull Rock pic, we can see a blurry tail end of Casey Jr., as he "travels a scenic route!"
Thanks for the Snoozles, Major. I will review them again later this morning, as I eat my Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N' Fruity breakfast.
I’m enjoying the Flying Saucer pic, always new details to discover, for example, the lighting. Those pole fixtures resemble the ones we see on the submarine wharf at some point. I’m curious as to the timing, could they be the same ones, dismantled from the saucers and relocated?
The saucers were a fine concept but engineering couldn’t carry it through. A valiant effort though. I don’t recall any loud noises from my saucer ride, but it’s been 60 years and memories get blurry, much like this picture.
I’ll take ANY pic of Skull Rock, whose memories are a bit misty in my mind as well. I’m looking at this photo with my glasses off, so it’s blurry anyway. Thanks Major, this shot of nostalgia was what I needed today.
JG
The Saucers did have some noise with all the air vents, but it seemed to be more backstage where the blowers and compressors were. I remember a few vents would stick in the open position or would be flapping. I recall the loading platform to be solid and stable. Considering the norms of today, loading and unloading off the saucers wouldn't pass legal muster. One had to walk onto the nearest saucers to get over to the outer ones to load. Nothing more than foot and eye coordination onto skid strips on the Saucers themselves. KS.
@ JG-
"... always new details to discover, for example, the lighting. Those pole fixtures resemble the ones we see on the submarine wharf at some point".
I believe that's an optical illusion created by the relative darkness and the angle of the shot. Those surface mount lights are attached to the underside of the overhang, and the 'poles' are actually supporting the overhang.
I suspect THESE are the fixtures you are thinking of.
Nanook, everybody exited the Flying Saucers ride with “washboard abs”!
JB, I do not like bumper cars, so that has always been an issue when I see the Flying Saucers at Disneyland. I guess some people think it is fun to crash into people (or be crashed into), but not me! Also… I just scanned a night shot of somebody on the Saucers! I was so sure that the Skully photo would be nice, it was quite a bummer to zoom in and find it blurry. But you’re right, it’s not a total loss.
Mike Cozart, imagine if there was still an existing Flying Saucer vehicle today! What would that sell for in a big auction? $100K? A lot more? And it’s not just the value, I wish there was one just for display in the park, or at the Walt Disney Family Museum, or someplace where the public could enjoy it. It IS pretty amazing that there were still a few laying around in 1970(ish), it reminds me of somebody leaving a comment on this blog years ago saying that at least one of the Viewliners survived backstage for years after it closed. I’ve never heard another word confirming whether that was true or not. I did not know that the Saucers was so loud or vibrate-y, if so that would be a real problem.
K. Martinez, I remember the first time I saw video of Luigi’s Flying Tires… they moved so slowly! A turtle would laugh at them. From what I’ve seen, the Saucers zipped around quite a bit faster - if the rider could make them move at all.
TokyoMagic!, whoever came up with the “Rooty Tooty Fresh ’N Fruity” name should get a Nobel Prize.
JG, I’ll have to look at old photos of the Submarine area to see if I can spot any lights that look like the ones in photo #1. At first I thought they were identical to “street lights” from the old Autopia, but those were not as long. Hmmm! I wish I could hear a recording on the Saucers ride, did a big fan noise start when they began to hover? I do love Skull Rock, no matter how many pictures I have of it!
KS, thank you for your memories of the Saucers and the sound the ride made! You often see (even in today’s photo) a few of the round vents stuck in the “open” position. I never rode Luigi’s Flying Tires, I wonder what the load/unload protocol was, since it had (presumably) the same holes on the ground as the Saucers did?
Nanook, awesome!
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