Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Big River

Here are two views of the Rivers of America. The first one is from an unusual vantage point...I have many pictures looking at Fowler's Harbor, but this might be the only one taken from it. We're looking over at Tom Sawyer Island, and the proud Columbia (packed with people) can be seen in the distance.

Incidentally, a friend of mine thinks this slide is backwards. Looks right to me, but I've been wrong before! Let me know, and I'll flip it around!


Here we are, a few years later, with a raft ferrying folks to the island. Who would have imaged that Tom Sawyer Island would ever be the site of so much new construction?


WELL OK...most folks seem to agree (and some don't!) that the first slide is backwards, so here is the image, flopped. Me not know, me confused! I'll have to dig up a map and see how the Columbia could look like it's heading counter-clockwise...

12 comments:

Matterhorn1959 said...

I vote that the top image is correctly orientated. Nice views. Notice one of the keelboats on the lower right hand side, you can see the top deck.

Anonymous said...

The slide is backwards, The cave should be to the right of the rocks.

Tom

Anonymous said...

The top slide is backwards, no doubt about it. We are looking north, not south. Cave should be on the right as stated above.

Anonymous said...

The slide can't be backwards. The Columbia travels clockwise, like the Mark, the Keel Boats and the Canoes. Being on the other side of the island, if we are at Fowler's Harbor, the sails would be facing the other way if it were backwards.

Anonymous said...

The slide is backwards - and the Columbia is traveling clockwise, like always. It's a tricky view because the river on the other side of the island makes a sharp jog at that point, making it appear that the Columbia is running in the wrong direction. It is not. Look at a clear aerial view of the Rivers of America - you will see how the river snakes at that point. It's an illusion. Hold a mirror up to the photo, you will see it's reversed. It's really very simple.

Hrundi V. Bakshi said...

I think there's a very good chance that the slide is upside down.

Anonymous said...

Oh good! Now we can compare the two shots! Here's another way to picture what is going on with the Columbia... Imagine you are watching the movement of the Columbia in real time. In the bottom photo (correct version) the Columbia is proceeding clockwise around the island heading in a southWESTern direction on the bend in the river. In about 15 seconds or so the front of the ship will be aiming DIRECTLY at us! In another 15 seconds or so the ship will then be heading in a southEASTerly direction as it finishes rounding the bend and heads for the final leg of its journey. At that point it will look exactly like you'd expect. Clockwise the whole time.

Unknown said...

It's backwards because Fowler's Harbor should be on the left at that point.

-John
http://www.thedisneyblog.com

William Kelley said...

Top one is flipped, bottom one is correct. It's pretty unusual because the Columbia appears to be going the wrong way, but for the hard turn it makes on the other side of TSI.

Here's another shot that should clear things up completely:

http://davelandweb.com/tomsawyerisland/images/RK_N01Lc.jpg

Matterhorn1959 said...

I pulled out an overhead photo and scanned it and posted it on my blog to show the correct orientation and the bottom one is correct.

Hrundi V. Bakshi said...

I STILL think that slide is upside down.

Look how the sky is UP in the top part of the picture and the water is at the BOTTOM!

That just doesn't make sense.

Oh wait . . . .

I just got word from my team of advisors that the sky WAS in fact UP back when the park was in it's early years. (Unlike today).

These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along. Move along.

Connie Moreno said...

ROTFLMAO!