WARNING! This slightly closer crop is pretty large, so for those of you who get your internet over a tightly-pulled string, it's going to take you a while!
Note the New Orleans Square area, basically a big hole in the ground and lots of steel beams. You also get a pretty good look at the backstage area behind Tomorrowland. There's the Flying Saucers, and the Rocket with the Douglas markings. But there's no "It's a Small World" yet, or a Peoplemover. Did all of that land north of the park belong to Disney at this time?
Major, this shot is awesome -- love the high resolution of the closer crop!! And IIRC yes, the acreage north of the berm was part of the original purchase.
ReplyDeletewhat a great shot. very nice and yes, i will spend hours looking at it.
ReplyDeleteWOW, this one is new to me, and its an unusual angle! Thanks, I love examining these with a might-microscope!
ReplyDeleteWow...
ReplyDeleteGreat shots!
I do love aerial shots...
Nice image. Really appreciate the mighty fine view of the original Monorail barn behind the berm. It looks like there might be bleachers set up in the parking lot to the west of that structure. Makes one wonder what they were used for.
ReplyDeleteIf you've got the negative for this, you just may have a one-of-a-kind image. We've not seen it. Very nice.
I think this image is closer to 1965. That "pit" is the structure for the "first" pirates building. I talked with Don Edgren, shortly before he passed on. He said that they finished the beam work for the original Pirates structure (which would be a walk-through) before Walt told them to tear it down and create the show building outside the berm for the boat version of Pirates. I'm pretty sure that this was 1965 when this happened. (It could be late 1964. It's definitely months after the World's Fair opened.) But from your scan, it does look like you got a great shot of the pirates building that never was.
ReplyDeleteAerial views rule. This one is tremendous. Fantastic details.
ReplyDeleteMore accurately, I should've said, "that pit INCLUDES the original pirates structure."
ReplyDeleteNow THAT is a nice shot!
ReplyDeleteGreat shot.
ReplyDeleteA portion of the North backstage area was leased for 100 years and was still not owned by Disney as recently as 1995 (it *may* have been purchased by Disney since then).
I agree that since there doesn't appear to be any construction outside the berm that that is probably the original basement for New Orleans Square. I wonder how much the basement configuration changed when Pirates became a boat ride? Were there always plans for the NO Main Kitchen, employee cafeteria and offices down there?
What a great pic. It looks like the train barn was still in the original location, and not yet under the monorails.
ReplyDeleteReally a great image.
What a neat find!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first shot I've ever seen with that particular Monorail shed. The original shed was located parallel to the railroad track right behind the fantasyland station.
Up until now I had always just assumed that there had only been that original shed and the new one built in 1966.
I wonder how long the shed in the picture lasted? Only a couple years I would imagine.
Niiiiiiiiiice! Really fabulous aerial. Can't wait to see what else is in your secret underground vault.
ReplyDeleteit never ceases to surprise me how big the parks look when you see a shot like this (especially EPCOT), but when im actually IN the park it never seems that big....
ReplyDeleteA-mazing!
ReplyDeleteHello again Major P. So, did you ever find out anything about this shot? It really is exceptional, very good resolution, and an awesome piece of history.
ReplyDeleteI am questioning the 64 date too. I was also thinking that was the inside berm portion of POC, as another of your readers pointed out. However, it does appear to predate the Primeval World expansion of the Grand Canyon diorama (circa 66ish???). Any new info at all? Have you done anything else with this photo?
Really nice find! Archival worthy for sure. I think you should repost it at some point.
Hi Kurt, no, I haven't even looked at this image since I posted it five years ago. I think that you might be right about the Primeval World detail - there isn't much to use for clues other than the Pirates construction. I'll just have to be satisfied with "1965-ish" (which seems to be the consensus).
ReplyDeleteThis is spring of 1963. After this was taken, land clearing began at the Pony Farm (today Circle-D Coral.) The Pope house was in its original location, and by August, was in its new location closer to the barn, where it remains today.
ReplyDeleteIt's a myth that the NOS basement was torn-out. The structure was retrofitted for the revised configuration. And yes, a New Orleans Main Kitchen was always part of the plan.
Thanks for the great info, Unknown.... my initial guess wasn't too far off!
ReplyDelete