Two From January 1974

Here are two scenes from Disneyland from the first month of 1974. The old Fantasyland Skyway chalet was yet another example of the creativity and artistry of the Imagineers. This could have been completely utilitarian, and it would have been fine, but... what if it looked like a charming Swiss chalet? With carved beams, homey flower boxes, and folksy painted details? Here we see it as two guests walk down the steps to ground level; a turquoise gondola (empty!) is entering the station, but otherwise there are not many signs of activity. It looks great surrounded by those beautiful trees, though I admit that they do obscure the chalet to a degree.

Over in Adventureland, you'll find Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Before the main show, guests are treated to a pre-show in the outside courtyard, which includes a variety of tiki idols who represent things like the sea, the wind, the Earth, and so on. Before us is Pele, who tells us: I am Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes. Some say I torment poor Ngendi, the earth balancer, for when my violent temper rises, the earth trembles at its foundation!

 

Snoozles™

It's a SNOOZLE SUNDAY, and that means it is time to unload a few "meh" pictures. Starting with this example from 1967 (I think). We're off to the side of the Tomorrowland Terrace stage, and even a bit behind it, so our view is not ideal. But I guess I can confidently state that I don't have another view quite like this one in my collection, so that's something! Some cute gals with pigtails, yellow tops and short orange skirts are rocking out. I'd bet that they are The New Descendants, which is an odd name that I like.

Next is this photo that I believe is from the 1970s - it was oddly faded, and my attempts at color-correction were not entirely successful. But it's good enough! We're aboard a Storybook Land Canal Boat, either we have just completed our journey through the land of Stories, or we are just about to depart. That cave is the entrance to "Never Never Land", where guests never go. We can just see part of the It's a Small World facade, as well as that colorful souvenir stand that really doesn't seem to fit in to that area (in my opinion).

Miniature Railroads

Everybody loves a train! Except for that lady that is always getting tied to the tracks, and I guess you can't blame her for her negative bias. Miniature railroads have been popular attractions at many zoos as parks around the country, and they still are. 

This first slide is dated "August, 1971" and features a locomotive - the Mini-Train - at Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas. Notice that this train is the Cyrus K. Holliday. I've heard that name someplace before! Makes sense, since Cyrus was the founder of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The mini-train has been an integral part of the sights and sounds of Gage Park for over 45 years. Follow a mile-long scenic course through the heart of the park, as the engineer enlightens you on the history of Gage Park. The locomotive below is diesel-powered, but Gage Park replaced the diesel locos with electric versions from Chance Amusement in 2023.

Next is this nice photo of the "Zooliner" at the Portland Zoo. a miniature version of the General Motors "Aerotrain" (which was not a success, but boy did it look cool). The Zooliner is a 5/8-scale replica of the diesel-powered Aerotrain, which is famous for its unusual shape that was influenced by automobile designs of the period when it was built, considered futuristic at the time. The Zooliner was built in 1958... It first carried passengers in June 1958. The Zooliner is powered by a 165 horsepower (123 kW) diesel engine with hydraulic transmission, which is WP&ZRy locomotive No. 2. The brakes are pneumatic, the same as on its full-size namesake. The train includes four or five streamlined passenger coaches pulled by matching locomotive No. 2. The rearmost car was rebuilt in late 2005 to resemble a dome car, in connection with installation of a larger and more powerful wheelchair lift.  Track gauge is 30 inches, 2'-6".

And finally, another photo I threw in because why the heck not? It shows a mysterious miniature locomotive, location unknown, though the slide mount is labeled "Zoo train, June 1963". Beyond that, I got nothin'.  

Two Beauties

Here's two more selections from a nice batch of 1950s color transparencies. We'll start with this great shot of a woman posing next to an Omnibus, clutching her souvenir guidebook. "My precioussss!" she said, getting weird looks from those around her. Speaking of souvenir guidebooks, I could see a photo like this being used in a guidebook. Is the rest of her family on the upper level ("omni-balcony")? Perhaps there is no relation. The hard-working driver can be seen heading back toward the driver's seat, possibly holding a cigarette. 

This next must have been from a year or so later (I believe that the first one is from 1956), since it shows the House of the Future, looking (and smelling) brand-new, in fact the pond has not been filled with Moon water yet, and the shrubs have that "just planted" look. It's a pretty sweet picture! The HotF opened on June 12, 1957, bringing tears of joy to wood-hating Americans everywhere. Notice that the Skyway is still gliding over Holiday Hill.  

More New Orleans Square, August 1983

It's time for more great photos from New Orleans Square, circa August 1983, taken by Lou Perry and shared with us by his daughter, Sue B. When NOS debuted, it was a stunning example of the Imagineer's skill and artistry - and it still impresses today.

This first one is an echo of a photo that we saw in part one (I'd link to it, but as I write this it hasn't published yet), showing some mystery restaurant. In the previous Lou and Sue NOS post, I postulated that this could be the "Royal Street Veranda", though it might also be the "Grunt and Chew". 

Speaking of Royal Street, there's one of the iconic lampposts. "Iconic? Major, what the he** are you talking about??". Yes, for years lamps like that one were used as a sort of graphic representation for NOS. I have no idea if there are lights like this in the real New Orleans.

Two guests stroll toward "Le Gourmet" (which is French for "The Lizard", I believe), where you can find all sorts of kitchenware - the finest available! Do you need a corkscrew made of rhodium? Or a frying pan carved from a nickel-iron meteorite? They have both, but you can only buy one of them. To the left is the entrance to the Blue Bayou restaurant, where all the food is blue. You get used to it.

Lou took only a single photo inside "Pirates of the Caribbean", but it turned out pretty good! It's one of the early scenes (before all of the animatronics) in those moody caverns full of skeletons. This particular pirate died doing what he loved - sitting on a pile of gold.

Just a few years later, the exterior of "Pirates of the Caribbean" changed drastically to accommodate the long lines that could form on a busy day - you know, the whole bridge thing. I like seeing it in its original non-bridgey form, 

THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!

Casey Jones Junior, 1956

Here are two more scans from some oversized (120 format) transparencies - both featuring Casey Jones Junior as he pulled the colorful circus train through Storybook Land. I've always loved the way Casey looks just like his cartoon counterpart. The driver sees us taking his picture, and is frankly sick of the paparazzi. "Don't they understand that I am a person, with feelings and needs like the shmucks I look down upon?". He's a work in progress.

A second photo reveals that the canal (for the Storybook Land Canal Boats) is empty for some reason - a worker of some sort is partly obscured by a fence pole to the right. Could this be from the early days before all of the charming miniature vignettes were added to Storybook Land? After two months of operation, the Canal Boats closed while Storybook Land was constructed and the muddy banks were landscaped with miniature plants, including a bonsai tree planted by Walt Disney himself. It seems very possible!

Hey, why not zoom in, since these large-format transparencies are high-quality? We can see the fearsome Wild Animals, both wearing pink dresses. 

Main Street Views, June 1962

Main Street! It's like other streets, only better - you don't want to go to Maple Street, that place is for losers. And you are WINNERS! Today's photographer sure liked Main Street, and took quite a few photos - I'll share two of them today (both from June, 1962).

First, a typical shot looking north toward Sleeping Beauty Castle, with a Surrey heading to Town Square, and a Streetcar going in the opposite direction. In the distance we can just see the Motorized Firetruck, too! The man to the right is rockin' the shorts and knee-length black socks, a look that I am just about ready to adopt for myself.  

Those Dans sure are dapper! I guess their bicycle built for four was in the shop, so they had to resort to a pair of tandem bicycles. Embarrassing, if you ask me, but they are putting on brave faces in spite of their humiliation. That fire hydrant is just right out there, bright red and ready to help extinguish any blaze that might occur nearby. 

*******************

Days ago I received a comment at THIS POST, the one that had the photo of a man that I surmised might be Day Sechler. Happily, the comment was from one of his relatives! Here's the comment: Hello everyone! The man in the plaid jacket is indeed Marion “Day” Sechler. He was one of the very first employees of Disneyland. He is my Great Uncle on my father’s side. He retired to Northern California after a long career. — Sara (Sechler) Lewis. Thank you Sara, it's so cool to confirm that we have a rare sighting of your Great Uncle!

Two Skyway Views, 1950s

I have a pair of extra-nice photos taken from the Skyway, probably from around the time when it was brand-new (it opened on June 23, 1956). It's only natural that guests would be inspired to snap lots of pictures from their gondola - how often did anyone get to see the world from 80-ish feet up? (If you happen to know how high up the Skyway actually went, let me know!). 

So, here we are, late in the afternoon on what feels like a post-Summer day (just a hunch). Monstro the Whale is down below, and he's so mad that he's spouting.  It looks like he's chomping down on the little lighthouse, doesn't he know how much cholesterol those things have? In the foreground, the crown of the "Fan 1" goes by, just far enough that we can't stick our gum to it.

Next is this interesting view looking down on the Mad Tea Party. There are a few (very few) guests in teacups, and we see about the same number of NASA cast members milling around, maybe they are looking for loose change. To the left, a mysterious hatch is open! I had no idea such a thing even existed. It probably leads down to Walt's Other Apartment. Nobody would ever expect to find him there. Posters for the Mickey Mouse Club 3D Jamboree can be seen at the upper edge of the photo, and there's that fun little ticket/souvenir booth in the upper right. 

*****************

On Friday, two readers expressed an interest in a plaque that is applied to a lamp post in Town Square. Once our electricity was restored, I decided to see if I could decipher what that plaque said. Here's a closeup, with a tiny bit of Photoshop sharpening applied.

I actually can read all but one key word! It says:

MF'D

BY

XXXXXXXX

IRON

WORKS

LOS

ANGELES

CALIF

If you can figure out what the mystery word is, please let me know! I imagine that I see it starting with "CON", but it's really hard to tell.

Snoozles™

I have some nap-inducing scans for you on this Sunday; starting with this one from August, 1961. It's not really such a bad photo, Charlie Brown. There's a snake in that tree, and some crocodiles in the water (guarding that temple that you can just see), all business as usual in the jungle. 

Next is this snoozley picture from November 28, 1973, featuring those steps (where do they lead?) in the Court of Angels; "Angels" meaning rich people who are members of Club 33. And gosh, they really are little angels, aren't they?

 

More Silver Dollar City, August 1970

Today I'm sharing the last five scans from Silver Dollar City, near Branson, MO. Be sure to see the first part - I'd link to it, but as I am composing this second part, the first part has not published yet. Time is a flat circle, whatever that means. Below is another photo of the Flooded Mine attraction, which looks like something they put extra effort into. Notice the train station in the distance - more on that in a sec.

Instead of the standard Western-town gunfight, Silver Dollar City switched things up by having a battle between two strapping ladies. "Kirk was better, you yellow-haired devil!". "Why, you musta drunk too much rotgut, you sidewinder. Picard is better!".

Here's one of the trains from the Frisco Silver Dollar Steam Train. Wikipedia sez: The railroad opened on May 27, 1962, making it the oldest operating ride at Silver Dollar City. It is themed after American railways in the 1800s, more recently and specifically off the Frisco. The ride includes an 1800s themed train depot, a water tower, a trestle overpass bridge, a train wreck scene, a staged train robbery, a tunnel, a rectangular shaped roundhouse and an at-grade railroad crossing. It consists of a total of seven steam locomotives, with four of them in operating condition as of 2023. The railroad is 1.52 miles long.

Oh boy, a stagecoach ride! It appears as if there was a bit of railing to help keep guests from falling off, which is mighty neighborly (but no fun). Again from Wikipedia: In the early years of the park, an authentic stagecoach took guests on a bumpy ride around the perimeter of the town square pulled by sturdy draft horses. It was removed five years after the park opened. I wonder if their stagecoaches ever fell over or collapsed? Or exploded?

Hmmm, those don't look like "sturdy draft horses" to me, in fact they look like mules. Mangy mules, too! Sure, they're flavorful, but they're still mules. I wonder if they would launch three or four coaches at once, since we are eating a coach's dust in the previous image, and serving up some filth in this one?

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Silver Dollar City!