Check out this beautiful poster celebrating "Nature's Wonderland", definitely one of my "most missed" attractions! The poster is rather scarce, you won't see too many of these around. The design features four scenes surrounded by a little chugging mine train and tracks. "Beaver Valley", "Olympic Elk", "Bear Country", and "Living Desert" harken back to Walt Disney's hugely popular series of "True Life Adventure" films. It's like getting four posters in one! If you look at this picture, you can see signs that were mounted on Main Street's lamp posts, each with one of the four vignettes seen on this poster.
It's hard to believe that the attraction has been gone since 1977; of course the folks who are old enough to have seen it in person tend to remember it vividly. And those who never experienced it, but have seen photos and film of it, wish that they had.
I miss Nature's Wonderland!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNature's Wonderland would actually be more timely in the current era and looks set to become ever more valuable as an attraction and Disney-fied message to kids (and everyone) to value our natural world. The original was a big, ambitious attraction for them then. I do have confidence that the imagineers could do a new version very successfully, mixing the good aspects of the original into a more richly done and paced experience. A new version and Big Thunder could benefit from co-habitating. One gives you the action and thrills, the other the heart and soul. I just know the folks at Disneyland are reading and are intrigued and thrilled by my proposal! hehe :p
ReplyDeleteOk I'll stop repeatin'. The poster: baby bear sez: "Lookit daddy is tagging the hood" and daddy sez "Where's mom been lettin' you wander kid? When you get my age you'll appreciate some bark on flea action yourself."
Thanks for the super poster and for the Main St. pic too :)
The train on the tracks encircling the vignettes really helps to set the anticipation of a ride on the attraction. The poster is a map to the attraction.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the top posters on my want list.
Awesome!!! How are you posting these? Do you have a GIANT Scanner? If these are snap shots, dang they're good! THANKS MAJOR!!! P.s. Never knew about the "vignettes" from this poster being used on the lamp posts - neat.
ReplyDeleteChiana, I totally agree with you - if only they had the space in Anaheim to build NW again!
ReplyDeletePatrick, I never thought of the poster as sort of a stylized map, but you are right.
And VDT, these are photos... and they are surprisingly hard to photograph! I have some more posters that I want to take pictures of, and am not looking forward to it. Even this one has some blurring and reflections, it was the best I could do.
this is awesome, and some great things said here that i hadnt thought about before....so many thanks for a favorite poster! :D
ReplyDeleteWell folks, I too believe that Frontierland lost an attraction which was a unique experience rather than a momentary 'thrill' ride. It took up a lot of space and was low capacity...something that won't cut the grade today. I was lucky enough to operate it occasionally before it closed.
ReplyDeleteMy sixties kid recollections filtered through 40+/- years:
ReplyDelete1.The caverns were filled with almost neon-like colored pools of "minerals" that cascaded into each other.
2.There were cactus (cacti?) that emulated human forms. (not sure if I actually saw this or just remember it from a gag illustration in some version of the park maps.)
3. The teetering rocks always drew gasps even though you could make out the mecahnical connections.
4. A subtle but effective mannipulation of the scale of the storefronts, akin to the upper floors on Main street.
Thanks for the poster.
They could build a new Nature's Wonderland in California Adventure....maybe next to Carsland. Maybe they should just recreate everything that they never should have removed from DL over at DCA....like Country Bear Jamboree (could go in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail spot), America The Beautiful (could go in the Millionaire or Muppet theaters) and Captain Hook's pirate ship with Skull Rock (don't know exactly where that would fit in best...but build it anyway!)
ReplyDeleteJim, your recollections are spot on, all of the things you mentioned were there.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, I have heard other people suggest a similar idea. It would be nice, but it would never happen unfortunately. I would love to see an updated "Adventure Thru Inner Space"!
You can always revisit the sights and sounds of the Mine Train Thruough Nature's Wonderland, circa 1974, by visiting Sorcerer's Workshop's tribute pae at:
ReplyDeletehttp://sorcerersworkshop.org/minetrain.shtml
Enjoy!
That site really brings back the memories. The best part of the operation was at night, when the trestle and desert scenes took on a different hue. And you felt miles away from the maddening crowds. I especially enjoyed timing the train just right to get the rear cars just close enough to the geysers when they were at their peak to give the guests a thrill and not get wet(and just fast enought not to derail). But on a hot day, all bets were off. The caverns were always a special treat.
ReplyDeleteYes, vividly. I love listening to the soundtrack that Disney released a few years ago. I can see every scene in my mind. Rainbow Caverns was my favorite part. Especially Rainbow Falls!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic - Yes. they need to build a "classic Disneyland" over at California Adventure...and they can start with Adventure Thru Inner Space!
I loved the Mine Train. It was a true adventure: Heading from Rainbow Ridge along the river past the waterfalls, across that huge wooden bridge then through the stone arch to see the Living Desert waiting for you with all its "dangers." The desert was its own mini adventure: Cacti, mudpots, geysers, dino bones, rattlesnakes, the tumbling rocks, then the scary mountain lion above the entry to Rainbow Caverns! And, of course, Rainbow Caverns was truly magical: The best use of black light ever. Returning to Rainbow Ridge, you really felt you'd been on a journey.
ReplyDeleteI love Big Thunder, but I remember the first time I rode it I was a bit disappointed that they hadn't worked more of the old ride's features into it. The pools you see on the first lift hill are pretty, but they ain't Rainbow Caverns!
Major and 210Frwy, how could I have forgotton Adventure Thru Inner Space....also one of my all time favorites that I will NEVER forgive them for removing! Yes, build a classic Disneyland across the way! DCA - Disneyland's Classic Adventures....they could keep the initials the same.
ReplyDeleteNature's Wonderland made a HUGE impression on me, the few times I was able to ride it. So much so, I did that "Fun Map" of the attraction for the "E" Ticket just for fun (yes, I had more free time in those days). I have the image of the bobcat atop the tottering cactus burned into my brain...
ReplyDeleteOh I think they just might be able to make a new & updated Nature's Wonderland there in Disneyland, and keep Big Thunder too. The way I see them, they don't have to be "one or the other" they can compliment each other instead and be better together than either alone. I think it's doable. It wouldn't be an exact replica, it would be a new version. The original spirit with a lot of differences, in a way I believe would fly today. But either the BBQ area or Critter Country would have to go.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing all the interest and enthusiasm in all these replies. :)
"I love Big Thunder, but I remember the first time I rode it I was a bit disappointed that they hadn't worked more of the old ride's features into it. The pools you see on the first lift hill are pretty, but they ain't Rainbow Caverns!"
ReplyDeleteBingo. To me the Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland was the Jungle Cruise of the West. It was an adventure, a classic Disneyland big-show attraction, and the Rainbow Caverns finale was awesome.
As nice as the queue and theming is on Big Thunder, it was a big disappointment to me when it turned out to be just a Space Mountain-style rollercoaster. Not that it's bad for what it is. But what it is doesn't measure up to the "only-in-Disneyland" experience of the Mine Train. To me, the feeling of being "transported ElseWhen" that was at the core of the Mine Train, and which is the hallmark of classic Disneyland attractions, was dumped in favor of generic speed-n'-thrills.
Having been to the Park a zillion times since '55, and always being excited by new attractions, BTMM was the first time I'd been disappointed. It was the first time that a new or replacement Disneyland attraction not only didn't exceed my expectations, but fell beneath them.
I was just old/young enough to remember riding this ride before it was taken away, and at the time fully believing the animals were alive and real. I still like to believe they were. :)
ReplyDeleteMany people have fond, fond memories of Nature's Wonderland. What are the things that made this ride so special? The little train? The 'journey' into the wilderness and back? The animals? Rainbow Caverns? Maybe it was just a magical mix of everything.