Monday, August 12, 2013

Matterhorn, August 1965

Here's a nice shot of the Matterhorn, as seen from the queue for the Submarine Voyage. There's nothing that we haven't seen numerous times before, but sharp eyes can see a few mermaids. One of the subs is practically tailgating the other... what if the sub in front has to jam on his brakes? The square Skyway buckets must have been brand new in August of '65, and they look fantastic in their cheerful colors of red, yellow, and blue.


I love this picture, but somebody is about to lose a hand as their bobsled enters this orifice of the mighty Matterhorn. Keep your hands, legs, feet and arms inside the vehicle at all times, dummy!  Lucky for him, our hands grow back like the missing legs of a starfish. I'm sure that all of the tunnels have been considerably enlarged over the years to prevent injuries to thrill-seekers like that guy.  


12 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

I wouldn't worry too much about our self-injurious friend in the front seat, as the magical powers of (the almost) matching shirts, as seen by his younger brother-? seated at the rear, will protect them both from untoward accidents.

Now - what's with the 'backwards bow'-? being sported on that perfectly-coiffed hair, as seen on Sis or Mom-?? It really IS the 60's, isn't it-!

Chiana_Chat said...

Fortunately the Robertsled is just leaving the boarding area there in the 2nd pic, so he won't have to learn how to write with his left hand since it's going very slow. Also, that sled has no bumper at all...

That being the '60s, they put the lady in front of the man, even though it's a girl who is rather bigger than the little boy. He is going to be breathless by the time he reaches the top of the lift and it won't be from excitement hehe

Also fortunately I'd just swallowed so I didn't spit my drink at the idea of the sub slamming on its brakes! What happens when they try to peel out? Or does that explain the bubbles...

Chiana_Chat said...

Hm taking a 2nd look at the 2nd pic, it's obvious the arm reaching too far out of the vehicle is actually that of a lady! Probably mom, again as per the norm of seating ladies in front. Dad is also starting to reach, perhaps to pull her and her arm down before he has to buy a sewing machine.

Nancy said...

Lovely Skybuckets....my favorites :-)

That is one serious bow for sure!

Melissa said...

Wouldn’t it be awesome if they added "dummy!" to the end of all ride safety spiels? At least you'd know how many people were actually paying attention by the number of people who either laughed or got offended. And, of course, it'd be a natural fit for The Great Junkyard Adventure with Fred and Lamont Sanford. The guests would pile into Fred's red pickup truck to deliver a grand piano to a fancy house uptown, but then something goes terribly wrong: that lovable misfit Grady has replaced the trucks’ transmission with a broken toaster! Just as Fred is about to have The Big One, a giant animatronic figure of Aunt Esther reaches down and slaps the truck back onto the road with her purse.

Plaiddy McCheckerston is putting his hand in the air ‘cause he just don’t care. Not only is Mom making him wear the same shirt as his stupid kid brother – I mean, dressing like Dad is OK, ‘cause Dad’s pretty cool and stuff and junk – but she cut three inches off the bottom to make a matching hair bow for herself! It’s a good thing they didn’t bring the dumb cat, or she’d have cut the sleeves off to make him little matching cat booties or something. Boy, Mom, nice way to make a guy look like a total goof. What is it, the family tartan? We’re not even Scottish, Mom, not even a little bit! Remember how that one Scotch and soda made Dad throw up so hard on New Year’s Eve? I guess if my hand gets cut on this rock you’ll cut another three inches off my shirt for a tourniquet.

K. Martinez said...

The bobsled is most likely in stop mode. I've reached out like that when my bobsled was in that stop position just before being dispatched into the Mountain.

Is that loose gravel in the second pic? So interesting to study images of the Bobsled load area through the years. It's definitely changed.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, it is true that plaid is magical. It repels women! Maybe that bow was keeping a sensible pony tail in order.

Chiana, I wondered about the lack of bumpers myself. I think Bob Gurr might have written about how the bobsleds had parts that were designed to crumple, but I'm not 100 percent sure. I always thought that the design of the bobsleds, in which you had to sit in somebody's lap, was weird. Sometimes you wanted it, and sometimes you absolutely did NOT.

And you're right, that is a lady's arm. I am shocked!

Nancy, serious bows are required for a ride on the Matterhorn.

Melissa, it's so weird, this is the third time that "Sanford and Son" has come up in the last two weeks, and that's a show that I pretty much never think about! There is something in the air (besides that lady's arm). The only plaid I like is flannel on a cold day, preferably a nice dark green or stop-sign red.

K. Martinez, you could be right, although people can do stupid things on roller coasters.

Melissa said...

It may have been me who mentioned Sanford & Son before. There's just something about it that speaks to me on a deep emotional level.

CoxPilot said...

Don't you remember? The whole back end of the bobsleds, in those days, was a giant squishy bumper, and when it got bumped it would make a big sucking sound when re-inflating.

Major Pepperidge said...

Melissa, it is time to make more "Chico and the Man" references.

CoxPilot, aha, that's what I had read. Sad to say, I don't remember that big sucking sound. If only there was a recording of that!

Anonymous said...

i remember reaching up like that, trying to touch the mountain. Can't remember succeeding, but trying... every time.

Re: Sanford & Son. Funniest line, mixing 7-Up and Ripple to make "Cham-pipple". Inspired lunacy.

JG

Major Pepperidge said...

JG, you are lucky that you didn't have to spend the night in Disney jail!