Beautiful River, October 3 1956
The Rivers of America takes up a surprising percentage of the park, but it's worth it. I've switched my lunch habit of eating in crowded Tomorrowland to heading over to a far corner of the Hungry Bear, where I can sit in the shade and watch the ducks get ground up by the Mark Twain.
I love this first picture, with the river looking especially vast and blue. Everything is gleaming under a clear sky and bright sun. Usually I associate a sky like that with February or March, but this is from October. A raft is just casting off from Tom Sawyer Island, I hope they don't hit a snag along the way or get boarded by river pirates.
It appears that Tom Sawyer Island is much more popular with boys of all ages. I can't deny that I still want my own island full of secret caves, mysterious trails, a swaying suspension bridge, and all of that fun stuff!
This one would be super nice too, except for the slight blur. A Keelboat glides past the Swift Plantation House; in the background we get a view of that unusual bridge that went over the waterway separating Frontierland from Adventureland.
11 comments:
Pretty swell pictures ya got here, Major. Oh for the uncrowded, bucolic days of these "pre-Fantasmic", Rivers of America. My oh my.
Thanks, Major.
Love the photo of the bridge. Can't say I've ever noticed it before; I'd always assumed it was a low-slung affair like the entrance to Adventureland.
Great pics today, Major. The Hungry Bear is my favourite quiet spot in the park. Sitting there at dusk you can still imagine the Rivers of America as it was in its heyday – that is, if you ignore the CMs shuttling Fantasmic gear past on rafts.
Thanks for the pics. I don't remember seeing the river so blue. Took till the third photo before you see it's green mire.
The thought of Twain separated duck slurry made me verp. Thanks for that.
Wonderful shots today, Major!
I always wanted to live on Tom Sawyer Island when I was a kid. My plan was to hide overnight in one of the caves but somehow I never could work up the nerve to follow through. I'm sure Disneyland security would not have been amused!
I don't think I've ever seen such un-level benches like the ones on the pathway to the river bridge. Odd. Love the low early foliage and plantings. Are those the eucalyptus trees behind City Hall that I see in the background to the right? Beautiful views with lots to see today. Thanks, Major.
Wow wow wow what gems. I love everything about these. That is all.
Beautiful! Just beautiful. That first shot makes it look like all is right with the world, and always will be.
Never noticed that bridge near the Plantation House before... what was its point exactly?
@Tom - The bridge crossed over a channel that connected the Rivers of America with the Jungle Rivers of the World and provided access to the Plantation House and SF & DL Railroad in Frontierland. The channel was eventually covered (underground) and the bridge eliminated when Swiss Family Treehouse was added.
Nanook, it's amazing how much of a difference it makes when a photo was taken on a beautiful sunny day with blue skies, and not backlit; Some would-be-good pictures are taken down several notches due to bad lighting or weather.
Chuck, I am pretty sure I've posted at least a couple of photos of that bridge before, but it isn't something you see that often.
Pegleg Pete, I love the Hungry Bear as a place, though the food is nothing to get too excited about. It's not terrible, but not especially good either. I need to eat there at dusk someday.
Alonzo, mmmm, duck slurry. No need for teeth, just slurp it down with a straw!
K. Martinez, you're right, those benches are at a crazy angle! Uncomfortably so, I'd wager. I'm sure those eucalyptus trees are left over from when the place was a walnut/orange grove.
PsySocDisney, roger, over and out!
Tom, there used to be an open waterway that connected the Rivers of America to the Jungle Cruise river. So… a bridge was needed to cross over it. At some point they used a pipe instead and covered the canal over.
K. Martinez, ha ha, I guess I should have read the next comment before writing my reply! Your answer was much more informative.
I've heard the Hungry Bear is a good place to spot the occasional Disneyland feral cat.
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