From Walt Disney's "Magic Skyway" (in the Ford pavilion), we get this great ride photo showing cavemen as they try to move that Woolly Mammoth on crude log rollers. Don't worry folks, he's just sleeping. When the "Primeval World" was added to Disneyland's Grand Canyon Diorama, the story goes that Walt Disney chose not to include the cave man scenes because they were too crude. My guess is that cost had more than a little to do with it as well; I sure wish those scenes had made the trip west!
No, that's not R2-D2, it's a full-scale model of Telstar - the first communications satellite to transmit television pictures, telephone calls, and fax signals, and those crazy voices that only I can hear. You would have seen this at the Bell Systems pavilion. "Telstar 1" and "Telstar 2" were virtually identical, and although they did not function for long, they are both still orbiting the earth.
There's the Hawaiian pavilion, which for some reason was located in the Fair's "Amusement Zone" rather than the "State and Federal" area. Maybe they just liked the location on the lake. Anyway, you can also see the Aloha Theater, where you could view color movies of Hawaii as well as live performances of Hawaiian songs and dances.
Hawaiian artisans work on handicrafts in a reproduction of an old-fashioned island village. I can only imagine how crushingly boring it must have been for these ladies. Since it was an overcast day, maybe that electrical cord was for a space heater. I sort of like the "all rattan" interior!
George Lucas obviously stole the idea for R2D2 from Telestar, who knew!
ReplyDeleteHey I hear those crazy voices too!
I wish the cave man scenes made it west too, I wonder what happened to them?
I agree that cost probably had more to do with the other Magic Skyway scenes not making the move to DL. I think I've read that Walt was hoping Ford would continue to sponsor it at DL the same way G.E. was going to continue sponsorship of COP. There is even an early Tomorrowland '67 drawing that shows the Ford logo at the entrance to Tomorrowland (on the right side where Inner Space and the Monsanto logo ended up going)
ReplyDeleteoh, oh...TokyoMagic where can we see that drawing? do i maybe have it in one of my books? i personally like the drawings most of all
ReplyDeletei think the Hawaiians belong next to the water..its only natural, after all! reminds me a bit of the Polynesian Resort but on a very petite scale
as for George Lucas, he is one imaginative guy who doesnt seem to miss much. i would love to meet him. i have trouble thinking of something new for dinner, much less the great ideas these creative types come up with lol!
thanks so much for more on the World's Fair, Major :-)
World of Motion, a GM sponsored attraction at EPCOT Center since (unnecessarily) replaced by Test Track, was a taste of the Disney/Ford "Magic Skyway" ride: a circular building with a section of the track high up in front lined by clear plexiglass just like the Magic Skyway and even a caveman scene reminiscent of this. I'm sorry you didn't get to ride it Maj, it was there for many years and I'm sure you would've enjoyed it. Wish it was still there.
ReplyDeleteTelstar - wow! That's cool I would've geeked on that display for sure.
i think i found that drawing in Designing Disney by John Hench. i thought i remembered seeing something like that, and now im sure ;)
ReplyDeletethat book is a personal favorite