Storybook Land, September 1963
Good ol' Storybook Land! What it lacks in thrills it more than makes up for in charm and craftsmanship. And of course there are two ways to enjoy it. You can ride in a canal boat, as seen below, as one boat is about to pass the "patchwork quilt" landscaping, with Toad Hall right next to it on the other side.
OR... you can ride on the Casey Junior Circus Train, caged like a wild animal! I always like passing over that stone bridge.
And, before there was a Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World, there was this mini version, towering above all of the pygmy-sized scenery!
10 comments:
these are lovely. something i was really looking forward to seeing at DL that we do not have in the Florida Project.
in the top image, there in the backstage area, it looks like the star from the Matterhorn ... dont know when that tradition was started exactly but it looks like it just the same
the last picture is so nice...pretty trees and a pretty little castle
Some how it just seems wrong to me to visit the Park and not take in this attraction.
Excellent photos of the best attraction in the park(s).
I love both of these little quiet rides, boats and trains. How can anyone not love it? This seems to have been part of the Disneyland concept from earliest sketches, but unlikely that anything this understated would ever be repeated.
That last photo looks like a telephoto, note the pirate flag and palm trees with spotlights, part of the Pirate Ship theming in the foreground. You could not get these elements into a photo from Casy or the boats since they are "behind" the berm that backs up the pirate ship.
A berm within a berm...makes SBL seem even more special.
JG
Anonymous hit the nail right on the head: Understated. There's a word rarely, if ever, used to describe anything at the Walt Disney Company these times; although it's something they should think about a get deal more.
I suppose we should be happy SBL remains intact continuing to provide joy for all.
Nancy, I see the thing you are talking about... it does look somewhat like the Matterhorn star. I'm not sure if it really IS the star, but it's possible in September that they were getting the star ready.
Thufer, I know what you mean, and I missed it the last time I went. It was a bummer!
Anonymous, I love the charming Storybook Land, but my guess is that the park is so lacking in space for new rides that they will only add bigger, faster, "D" or "E" ticket type rides.
Nanook, I know what you mean; we won't see an old school attraction like this any more. But as long as they truly try to make quality attractions that don't feel penny-pinched, I'll be reasonably happy!
Storybook Land fascinates me to no end, and I can't really figure out why. Perhaps it's the miniature detail of the whole thing -I made sure when I took photo's of it, I framed them to give the illusion they were full size (and that's hard to do, considering the boat is moving).
I grew up loving HO train sets, and I actually loved the models more than the train. I was never able to get them to look "real," but I've always appreciated the artist who can make these miniatures appear real, if you get my meaning.
As for the Castle, I always think of Monty Python and The Holy Grail. "Look, it's Camelot (or in this case, Cinderella's).
"We shall not go there, it's a silly place."
I think that IS the Matterhorn star in storage.
Mike - well that's pretty cool! Nancy wins the "Eagle Eye" award.
gee, thanks!
I'd like to thank the Academy...
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