Some Castle Thingy, December, 1962
I know, I know, another photo of the Castle?! That's just how it goes on a Disneyland photo blog. There will be more. But at least this one is pretty, with the colors popping in the afternoon sun. The blue sky helps; the slide is date-stamped "December, 1962" but there's no sign of Christmas decor, so it might have been a month or so earlier. Still, folks are dressed for cooler weather.
"Geppetto's Work Shop"? Where the heck was that? I even looked at a vintage map to see if such a place was listed. Nope! The stonework hints at being part of the Castle. This was decades before there was a Pinocchion dark ride. I'm baffled! But I know you guys will know.
23 comments:
Was Geppetto's Workshop, the space that eventually became the Arribas Brothers' Glass Blowers Shop?
Oh, Geppetto's looks like it might have been in the back of the Tinkerbell Toy Shop. Here is the current door and signage that match. Today, it is the backdoor to the "Turn Your Kid Into A Princess For BIG Bucks" shop:
Bibbide Bobbidi Boutique's Back Door
Like you said, a view of the Castle we've seen many times. But, also like you said, better than most! For one thing, the entire Castle is in view. And it has crisp focus. And we can see just a smidgen of The dent. Or perhaps it's a smackerel... more of a slight discoloration, really. We can also see a smidgen/smackerel of a Skyway bucket at the right edge of the Dent tower. It looks to be aqua in color. Could that be a Killer Swan to the left of the trashcan? It looks like the man in the gray flannel suit has it tucked under his arm.
Yep, Tokyo! got the signage correct, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique". I would much rather look around in Geppetto's Workshop. I'm sure there were all sorts of fun and interesting things in there, as opposed to the 'spoiled princess' shop.
The Castle pic has everything going for it, and the Geppetto sign was a minor mystery. Thanks, Major.
Major-
That's [another] beautiful shot of the SBC in its perfect, 'native state'. (No tinkering need be made).
I do believe TM! answered your question, Major. At first I thought it was on the outside of the castle, on the pathway heading towards [the then] Carnation Gardens - the archway to the right on TM!'s link; but no - it's the rear doorway to the TInkerbell Toy Shop.
Thanks, Major (and TM!)
Ah the castle before the Disney clan captured it and put their crest above the door!
The man and the woman to the right are really checking out that killer swan.
DAVE: "Do you think you can get it in your handbag, Nancy?"
ALICE, (confused at being called Nancy): "Maybe, but I'd hate for it to kill us on the way home."
DAVE: "Oh, YOU!"
BOTH: "HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,"
THE SWAN: "ARRRRRRGCK!"
(All bow then exit left)
Geppetto's Shop was in Italy, I believe.
As Castle pictures go, this one is very nice indeed. No sign of either The Dent or The Stain, but I’m happy with it anyway.
I know I’ve seen that Geppetto sign before but can’t place it. I’m happy to agree with the location noted by TM. I typically didn’t go in that shop often as the toys were bulky and expensive. My souvenirs tended to come from the smaller stands and ran to things like books, pin back buttons, pencils, and maps. I still have the maps, but the other things have mostly vanished. I kept most of the books though.
Thanks for the puzzle today, Major.
JG
Geppetto's Wok Shop: For the finest in Chinese-Italian kitchenware!
Geppetto's Worm Shop: Live bait for fishing off the Frontierland dock!
Geppetto's Wonk Shop: Gifts for the nerd in all of us!
Geppetto's Word Shop: It's supercalifragilisticexpialexpensive!
Geppetto's Pork Shop: You wanna the Italian sausage? We gotta the Italian sausage!
Geppetto's Worse Shop: We sell all the broken merchandise from all the other shops!
Geppetto's Werk Shop: The alternate title for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Some of those kids come out looking like tiny drag queens!
Geppetto's Fork Shop: All dinglehoppers, all the time!
Geppetto's Wookie Shop: Aaargh Waaagh Baarg!
P.S. Stu's swan sketch made coffee come out my nose. In a good way.
@ Melissa-
I will never think of Fantasyland the same way ever again-!
TokyoMagic!, I have no idea!
TokyoMagic!, I think you could be right. I think it’s weird that they would call that service “Turn Your Kid Into A Princess For BIG Bucks”, but I’m sure they know what they are doing.
JB, I feel like I’m willing the dent into existence. I know it’s really there, but it isn’t showing up very well in that late-afternoon sunlight! “Smackerel”, that’s a new one, for me anyway. I like it. Wait, did Pooh use it in the books? Now I’m thinking it sounds familiar. That might be a swan near that trashcan, it certainly looks like a swan’s butt anyway. Typical swan, always so rude. They should have a “Geppetto’s Work Shop” full of dangerous power tools, with plenty of things on the floor to trip on. Hard facts!
Nanook, I think it’s interesting that our photographer was so enchanted by that “Geppetto’s Work Shop” sign that he actually used a precious frame of film to preserve it forever.
Stu29573, you have clearly spent a lot of time around swans, that’s exactly noise that they make. Sounds like Nancy has quite a handbag, but some women want to have everything they need with them at all times. “Geppetto’s Shop was in Italy”, D’OH.
JG, you know what that castle needs? More color. LOTS of it. There’s a sale on paint at Home Depot. I have to wonder what sort of things they would have in a shop that was (presumably) dedicated just to toys, I’ll bet there was some good stuff! The only nicer toys I ever got from Disneyland (like one of those odd metal Nautilus toys) is if we went with my grandparents, who spoiled us. My dad had no problem saying “NO”!
Melissa, call Josh D’Amaro and tell him your “Geppetto’s Worm Shop” idea RIGHT NOW! He likes money (and laying employees off), and guests like buying worms, I know this because every gas station in Minnesota sells them! 5.8 million Minnesotans can’t be wrong.
Melissa, I hope you weren’t wearing all-white like I always do.
Nanook, just when you think there are no new ideas, Melissa pops out nine of them!
I’ve seen that sign before in documentation - but was never 100% sure where it was located within the castle complex . There’s similar signs at the same time that say “ Geppetto’s arts & crafts “ over a decade before 1983 New Fantasyland. Interestingly there were some very beautiful signs and props designed for the New Fantasyland … with full fabrication drawings … but their scope exceeded the projects budget . There was a Peter Pan column plinth and statue …- great Stomboli’s Puppet Wagon ( not the oversized merch cart that’s there today) the Mad Tea Party was suppose to have a beautiful topiary entrance hedge … and Geppetto’s was to have a animated toy like marquee. I’m surprised these details were not added later as time and money permitted . Rather they were just folded up and quietly filed away ….
RIP to Peter Cullen, the voice of Eeyore.
Mike, do you remember if the proposed Peter Pan statue was anything like the famous one in Hyde Park, kind of like a lot of the Little Mermaid art evokes the sculpture in Copenhagen? I seem to remember getting pictures of my sister and me with that statue, but my memory isn't the best these days. Unlike the Cape Cod pictures and the childhood Florida pictures, though, I know right where all the London pictures are and can look for it the next time I have a free fortnight.
I always thought they should put a fancy opera dei pupi theater in the Italy pavilion at EPCOT, but all the actual cultural stuff seems to have either been shot down in the concept stage or not lasted into the current millennium. It could have been a Pinocchio-themed marionette show! But would the drunk parents and sunstroked kids have sat still through it? Without making "poopy" jokes? (shrugs in puppet) Thank you for attending my Bitter, Jaded Ted Talk.
Melissa, I hope you weren’t wearing all-white like I always do.
I seriously stopped wearing white when I started drinking coffee. I promise every comments section isn't going to turn into The Endless Parade of Melissa's Favorite Children's Books, but I'm flashing back to the scene in Sydney Taylor's All-Of-A-Kind-Family series, where one sister spills tea on the other sister's white dress, so they dye the whole dress in tea to hide the stains.
Mike Cozart, huh I wonder what an “arts and crafts” store would sell at Disneyland? I can’t even imagine! It’s a shame that so many beautiful signs were designed or conceived, only to never realize them. I know that budgets are not to be ignored, but a sign will be there for many years, sometimes decades. Oh well, this is why I’m not running a mega corporation. Well, that and 1000 other reasons. Maybe with AI (which largely sucks), we can create a “Disneyland that might have been” that we can walk through virtually, with so many things that never made it. Or how about seeing Thunder Mesa Mountain, with everything that was supposed to be there!
Dean Finder, aw jeez, what the heck??
Melissa, ohh-la-la! I guess someone’s been to Copenhagen! Yes, I’m jealous. I always thought that Little Mermaid statue was neat. But too racy, they need to put clothes on her. You’re welcome for that great idea. I love the idea of a classic European puppet show in EPCOT, but that seems like the kind of thing they would axe right away. It requires skilled performers, would be (presumably) free, and might cause “traffic jams”. But I do think it would add a lot of character to the place. Yes, Disney would have to add some fart jokes, or worse, it’s what they do. I used to get so annoyed at their animated films when they would add that juvenile stuff. Even if it’s for kids, you don’t have to go there. I don’t drink coffee or tea, so I can wear white with no problems!
Melissa, I LOVE your list of potential DL shops!
Major, I believe the "Arts and Crafts" shop that Mike was talking about was a part of the glass blower's shop. Here's a map from Spring 1975 showing the two shop locations, which were really in one shop space. I'm assuming that is how the Tinkerbell Toy Shop and Geppetto's Workshop were laid out....just in one space.
Arts and Crafts shop in Fantasyland
And here is the New Fantasyland artwork, showing the Peter Pan column and statue out in front of the attraction's facade. The original artwork for Pinocchio's Daring Journey showed Can Can dancers above the entrance, but you have to squint to see it in the scan. And while you're squinting, you might be able to see that topiary arch entrance for Alice in Wonderland, which Mike also mentioned. It also looks like the ride operator's booth for the Mad Tea Party was originally planned to be in the shape of a tea pot, instead of the March Hare's house.
New Fantasyland Artwork
Thanks for sharing that artwork, TM! The Peter Pan statue is indeed reminiscent of its London cousin, and some of the rejected Alice stuff is delightful.
Melissa, here's a better scan of just the "Alice" area artwork. You can see the Cheshire Cat sitting on a mushroom, over on the far right. I've always wondered if that was going to be just a statue, or if it was going to be animatronic to some degree. Of course, if Disney did it today, it would be one of those belching, spitting, and gas-passing animatronics that the people in charge love so much now.
Alice Area Artwork
Ooh, it's even nicer "up close!" Both the mushroom cat and the acrobatic playing card guys feel like they might have inspired some of the static and limited-motion figures in the Alice's Curious Labyrinth attraction at Disneyland Paris. (If the Cheshire Cat passed gas, it would probably be the same stuff as the smoke in the Snooty Caterpillar's pipe!)
Tokyo : the new fantasyland artwork shows the Mad Tea Party Teapot ticket booth … that too was designed with fabrication drawings …. But was not built as during the land’s redesign tickets were discontinued. Looking closer at the unbuilt Stromboli’s Puppet wagon … it too was to be an area ticket booth … so that explains probably why that wasn’t built. The Mad Tea Party entry hedge was much more elaborate than what’s shown in those concept renderings : it featured a much more substantial heart shaped hedge with the March hare and mad hatter - “tea” continuously poured from the hatters tea pot into the cup of the March hare - with guests walking under tea pour.
Those beautiful - well published renderings displayed at Disneyland , in Disney News , in publicity and press kits featured artwork not created by WED/WDI but rather a LOS ANGELES architectural illustration studio . WDI was so busy with EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland they outsourced those presentation paintings. WDI has them all still and most of them were made available at the Disney Gallery’s Disneyland 50th exhibit “print on demand” .
By-the-way : many of the famous EPCOT CENTER presentation renderings - especially for World Showcase were also done outside of WED/WDI by professional
Architectural rendering studios.
Mike, that is so strange that they were planning to have a ticket booth specifically for the Mad Tea Party, when they had already stopped using Alice's mushroom, Storybook Land's lighthouse, and Casey Jr.'s train station as ticket booths, many years earlier!
Tokyo : I don’t think it was specifically for the Mad Tea Party … but as an Alice area ticket booth . Yes - the mushroom booth had long been outdated and no longer met any requirements to have people in them - like the storybook lighthouse - it didn’t meet any worker /safety standards: mainly too small . The Stromboli wagon was to be an area ticket booth for that side of the park . The small world area ticket booth was converted to a Kodak film & info booth. So during the document phase ticket booths became obsolete.
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