Sunday, December 02, 2012

Fantasyland, 12/30/1969

It's Sunday, and not only is it a day of rest, it is a day for me to post some images that might not be "A+" material. Not so many people look at my blog on Sunday's, fyi. Maybe it constitutes a sin.

The lovely Pirate Ship lagoon and scary Skull Rock make for an appealing (though often-seen) subject.    I can't help picturing a tiny King Kong climbing up the side of the Skull with an even tinier Ann Darrow in his clutches.


Teacups. Spinning and whirling and spinning and whirling. I have always loved the "teapot music" that is played for this attraction (I like "A Very Merry Unbirthday" too, of course), though it must drive the cast members koo-koo bananas.


12 comments:

Rich T. said...

What could be more restful than a stroll through Fantasyland? Major, these are both A+ pics to me! :)

TokyoMagic! said...

Yep, definitely A+ material here, Major. This is how I remember the Pirate Ship.....sans mermaid, although I didn't realize that she was already gone by 1969.

How cool would it have been if they had left Skull Rock and just let it "drool" into the pool of water below Dumbo? I mean, I would rather they had left BOTH Skull Rock AND the Pirate Ship, but somebody obviously thought Fantasyland would be better without them. Sad.

Nanook said...

I don't know, Major - these shots look awfully good to me. Thanks.

And as far as "walking leisurely thru Fantasyland" - don't try that at WDW, right about now. Even with the expansion almost fully open, it's still a very crowded land. Restful it ain't.

Anonymous said...

I love the Teacup photo with the low, late afternoon sun spilling across the attraction. It has that "good old days" feel to it. Thanks Major!

Bill in Denver

Debbie V. said...

I love how the teacup picture has a least three girls with long hair whirling out behind them because they are spinning so fast. This picture really captures that speed without being blurry.

I've been reading for some time that Skull Rock is gone. I remember it but I don't remember if it was a doorway to somewhere else or what? I went to Disneyland in 2009, but I don't remember what was in this location.

K. Martinez said...

TokyoMagic!, The mermaid was removed in 1969 when Chicken of the Sea dropped their sponsorship. From that point the restaurant’s name was changed from Chicken of the Sea Restaurant to Captain Hook's Galley.

Chuck said...

K. Martinez - You could still get tuna sandwiches there after the sponsorship drop, though, right? I see, to remember eating tuna sandwiches next to Skull Rock in '75 or '76.

Debbie V - the area that used to be Skull Rock and the patio is roughly the current location of Dumbo. If somebody could come up on the net and give us a more precise location, I'd appreciate it.

Major Pepperidge said...

Rich T, as long as you guys like 'em, that's all that matters!

TokyoMagic!, I will accept a B… "A+" is reserved for amazing stuff! I do miss the mermaid. I agree that having the skull drool into the Dumbo pool would have been cool, but maybe there just wasn't room for it; and with the pirate ship gone, Skull Rock would have felt out of place next to Dumbo.

Nanook, you are too kind! Yes, that crowd visible in the second pic is out of control! My enjoyment of Disneyland goes down when the attendance gets too high.

Bill, you are welcome!

Debbie V., I didn't notice it, but I like the detail of the girls' hair as well! Skull Rock was partially a way to get to and from the outdoor dining area behind the Pirate Ship, but mostly I think it was just there to look super cool.

K. Martinez, it's funny how attached we all get to those old sponsorships; not sure that happens these days.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Awesome pics, I love this blog, I need to review the last 60+ posts, got my coffee ready....

Snow White Archive said...

Really nice aerial shot of the Teacups. Interesting to see the long line, yet an empty teacup.

TokyoMagic! said...

K. Martinez, thanks for that info. Yes, I only remember it being Capt. Hook's Galley with no mermaid attached to the bow.

Chuck, I also seem to remember tuna sandwiches and tuna salad being available there after COTS pulled out, but I know they definitely sold clam chowder there and served it with those packets of little oyster crackers.

Nanook, I would love to see a trip report from you about WDW's New Fantasyland! How is the Snow White Mine Ride area coming along?

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Tokyo Magic,

That somebody who obviously thought it looked better without is Tony Baxter. The same guy who thought Frontierland looked better with a roller coaster than the painted desert and rainbow caverns.