I wonder who ever came up with the name "Chicken of the Sea"? It's pretty goofy. "Nobody wants to eat fish, but what if they think it's a chicken that lives in the ocean??" There's some kernel of genius there, I have to admit. Anyway, the company sponsored the Pirate Ship restaurant at Disneyland for many years, so they are OK with me. Hey look, pampas grass! A tall ornamental grass introduced from South America, with feathery flower head plumes. Tastes great too. (I made that last part up, please don't eat pampas grass).
The soft fuzzy focus of these two photos reminds me of how things look after spending too much time in a swimming pool.
Hey - who needs any sort of barrier surrounding the Chicken of the Sea Lagoon-? Not us folks back in 1960-! Evidently we were stout-hardy (okay, maybe svelte hardy) and a bit more self-reliant.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe sometimes, but we actually could look out for ourselves at one time.
Neat shots! The addition of Skull Rock certainly helped make the scene more atmospheric, though it's still a wonderful ship/eatery!
ReplyDeleteLove the 'brella-benches!
It's amazing how little real estate the Skull Rock / Grotto required, yet it added such a great backdrop to the old Fantasyland. It also secluded the center of Storybookland which seems far too exposed now.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the later & current crop of imagineers appreciate the value of non-revenue generating details in the park. The Swiss Family water wheel and Cascade Peak fall into this category. The 'sharp-pencil' guys have never understood it.
Little-known fact about Pampas grass: if left untended for several years, it will grow into a skull-shaped rock.
ReplyDeleteGraffer, “I forgot about the missing waterwheel at Tarzan’s Treehouse. Memories fading…
ReplyDeleteGreat pre-Skull Rock image! I love the Pampas grass.
Orange Co Native said.....
ReplyDeleteThe first photograph is interesting because it shows this area which is now the home of Dumbo. As I wrote before about a year ago, I think Disney is missing an opportunity by not taking down that stage area (Was it called Videopolis in the 80's?) to the side of Small World. Take the area, redo the pirate ship, skull rock, dark ride Peter Pan and maybe another dark ride along with it and thus opening up the current Peter Pan for a third dark ride.
Great idea!
ReplyDeleteNanook, I'm pretty sure that barriers have been added to everything because of litigious guests. "I fell in that water - there wasn't a fence or anything. I'm suing Disney for $5 million!".
ReplyDeleteRich T., I can't help wishing that there had been an attraction poster featuring Skull Rock.
Graffer, you are preachin' to the choir! ;-)
Chuck, that is definitely a fact that I didn't know!
K. Martinez, all those devices that moved water up into the treehouse were SO COOL. As a kid I wanted to look at them forever.
OC Native, it seems as if Disney is crazy about the idea of having a place for live shows of some kind, even though they barely use them. I sure would love to have a pirate ship and skull rock back.
If Tuna is Chicken of the Sea, then chicken must be
ReplyDeleteTuna of the Land - where's that product?
Smee, armadillo is Tuna of the Land, everyone knows that.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have my tuna (or armadillo) sandwich in Skull Rock Cove.
ReplyDeleteThanks Major.
JG
JG, isn't it funny that we long for such simple things from the past?
ReplyDelete