It's that time again - SNOOZLE SUNDAY! This first scan is from July, 1962. It's not too dark, and is in focus, so it has that going for it. It's just kind of an odd image - one that somebody aboard the Skyway took as they neared the Matterhorn. Is it just me, or is the water actually dyed a pale greenish-blue? In fact it looks like the water has colored the "rocks". Maybe they put a Ty-D-Bol tablet in the alpine stream, I hope the little man in the boat was OK. For some reason I'm fascinated by the molded in "pots" where stunted trees are planted. They are fed a diet of beer and junk food to keep them small, because (I hate to tell you) TREES HAVE SCALE.
Next, from 1970s is this not-so-bad photo of a family of Triceratops, as seen in the wonderful "Primeval World" diorama. Little Tricerapups are hatching out of their eggs, and they are doing a pretty embarrassing job of it if you ask me. No wonder they went extinct. Still, they are cute, and I wish I had a pet baby Triceratops. When it got too big, I'd release it into the sewers. I've always liked the smiles on the faces of the parents, and the "querking" noise that the babies make.
Well, the water certainly looks blueish in this image. I suppose we'll never know if it really is dyed or just a trick of the camera. Nowadays, they probably use Saran wrap for the waterfalls. (Saran is Spock's uncle.)
ReplyDeleteThe Triceratops pic is a little out of focus but still quite good; perfect exposure. Little known fact: Triceratops didn't go extinct. They just got smaller over the last 65 million years. Today we call them Horny Toads.
Not sure these are Snoozles. Maybe Snoozle-ish. Either way, I'm glad you posted them, Major. Thanks.
I wonder if that green staining came from copper pipes feeding the waterfalls? The same thing happened to The Stain when they replaced the original iron drain pipe with a copper one - it went from orange to green (and then to a fake piece of ivy, but that’s a different story).
ReplyDeleteOr maybe it’s some sort of algae. Note that there is the same sort of green discoloration underneath one of the potted pines. I remember they had a problem (and maybe still do) with the polar bears turning a greenish hue at both the San Diego and LA Zoos. They had signs up next to the exhibits explaining it was caused by algae and was harmless to the bears.
The tricerati photo reminds me of one that was on the 1970s version of the “This Is Disneyland” souvenir foldout photo mailer. Check out THIS LINK and scroll through the photos to see part of the image I am taking about (sorry - it was the best example I could find).
Thanks, Major. I’m in agreement with JB - not quite Snoozles, but maybe Snoozle-adjacent. Still happy to see them.
I agree with Chuck...Snoozle adjacent. I'm not sure I've ever seen the Matterhorn captured in photos like that...you may be right...trees have scale, but you have to convince the big "WD" not me, as he is the one who said it..."allegedly". I can hear the waterfalls through the photo, and it was always nice to hear as you got closer to the excitement of the "E Ticket" ride that was imminent. Also, when they added the blasting AC when the Yeti was first introduced...sometimes you got a small breeze of "cold"...or perhaps it was my imagination? I do have a celebrity story about being in line at the Matterhorn, where the (literally) super-star, and her somewhat normal boyfriend...and the kids in tow...the kids wanted to go to the front of the line, and despite who this person was, they didn't even attempt to force their way into an "exit clearance" situation. The boyfriend said to the kids, "guys, this is Disneyland, and everyone is important here, and we all wait in lines just like everybody else."...which I thought was kind of nice, keeping it real for everyone. Onto baby dino's....which as a kid calmed me down a bit with all the other scary things in that "tunnel of doom"....I find the scene very "Marc Davis" in feel, adding a bit of "alternate reality" to the severe landscape of the Primeval World. I've been a bit absent, doing a lot of writing outside of this realm...it's good to be back! Thanks Major for the SAPS...."Snoozle Adjacent Photo Sunday".
ReplyDeleteSnoozle Adjacent sure, definitely Nostril Adjacent. Looking at the Matterhorn I can hear the wind and the Monorail horn.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major.
Zach
Ah, the wind and the monorail horn… two more of my Top Five Disneyland Sounds.
ReplyDeleteI’m inclined to agree with Chuck that some of that green tint might be due to plumbing, but the green stains near the planters might be due to fertilizer. The book on Disneyland landscaping says these planters’ soil was mostly sawdust, which doesn’t seem very nutritious for the trees. I think the fertilizer mix used now is mostly Yeti dung which would probably leave a green stain.
Also agreeing that the anthropic dinos have a Marc Davis feel to them. They might be the only joke in the whole grim cavalcade of the Primeval World. I’ll have to ride again to be sure since there is no fossil evidence.
These may be a bit blurry, but they are not snoozy, not to the GDB stalwarts. Thanks Major!
JG
JB, I don’t recall another photo of the Matterhorn waterfalls in which they look slightly tinted, so it’s either that something is up with this picture, or they really did add food coloring (from those little squeeze bottles you can buy at the store). I would love it if Star Trek named a Vulcan “Saran”! I saw a horny toad a few years ago (the only one I’ve ever seen in the wild), I had no idea it was a dinosaur.
ReplyDeleteChuck, anything is possible - somehow I would be surprised if they used copper pipes for the Matterhorn waterfalls (I’m thinking galvanized), but you can’t find that kind of information on the internet, which is why I want the internet to be banned. Now that you mention it, I do remember that the polar bears at the LA Zoo were green. They need to bleach those bears! I didn’t pay $19 to come to a zoo with GREEN bears. What is this, Russia? Love the link to the postcard mailer (I call them “foldouts”, but English is my fourth language). Some studious person has listed all of the variations of the foldout with the pink cover, there are a LOT of them! I’m glad you like these Snoozles.
Bu, I’ve been wondering where you went. Probably playing pickleball, like all the cool kids, that was my theory. But here you are. I will be having a seance at the Magic Castle to try to contact Walt, and tell him what they are doing to his park, I hope he doesn’t flip the table. I do love the sound of waterfalls, it would be a good one for helping me to sleep. I guess I need to live next to a waterfall? I didn’t remember that they had cold air blasting when we saw the Yeti, but it’s a good idea. Wow, now I want to know who this celebrity was! Probably Snookie. If they were truly a super-star, you’d think that being in line with normals might be uncomfortable. You know how people love to stare and can’t be chill. I went to a restaurant, and Susan Sarandon was at the table behind me, and the other people at my table were losing their minds. “Be cool, babies!”, I said, but they wouldn’t listen. So embarrassing. The dino scene is definitely very Marc Davis. Are you writing a memoir? I sci-fi epic? A biography of Chester A. Arthur? I’m glad you to have you back!
zach, yes, the wind, the Monorail horn, and the sound of the Yeti’s roar every ten seconds or so!
JG, hmmm, I would have to sit down and think about what my “Top Five” Disneyland sounds are. The DLRR bell and whistle (does that count as one?); the Mark Twain whistle. The Monorail horn. And now, let’s add the waterfalls. What else?? I used to love hearing “When You Wish Upon a Star” when you walked through the Castle, but they don’t seem to do that anymore. Hmmm, interesting thought about fertilizer. But then again, all thoughts about fertilizer are interesting! I agree, sawdust seems to not be ideal, but what do I know. Maybe it helps keep the saplings growing slowly, just like trees on real mountains that have soil that is not that nutritious. You’re right, I can’t think of any other humor added to the Primeval World diorama, they should add a Jerry Lewis caveman animatronic. Big buck teeth and round horn-rim glasses. Pay me, Disney.
Chuck, in the link, the tricerati are looking lovingly at baby Mickey, hatching in the flower bed below.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Bu. We missed your lengthy ramblings. ;-D
JG, now that you mention it, I think I've seen Yeti-Gro at some big-box stores lately.
Major, Saran was Sarek's brother. He was the black sehlat of the family. They don't talk about Saran.
Looking forward to seeing that buck-toothed, horn-rim glasses-wearing Jerry Lewis animatronic! SO COOL!!!
I'm not sure if they're saran wrap, but Disney did make some fake waterfalls for the floating islands in the Avatar land that use a belt with fake water to scale the waterfall from the highest rocks to the middle ones for forced perspective with the real waterfalls at ground level.
ReplyDeleteGreen polar bears -- cool!
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about Triceratopses, today. Thank you.
My Top Five Disneyland Sounds:
5. "No lines now at Jolly Holiday Bakery" [for Matterhorn macaroons]. And, "Yes, we still have some left."
4. "No wait for the Haunted Mansion now."
3. "Park reservations are available today."
2. "Yes, we have seating available now at the Blue Bayou."
1. "Tonight's showing of Fantasmic has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Thanks, Major.