Here's a nice, postcard-worthy shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle on a bustling July day. The Anaheim castle is much smaller than the Orlando version, but I still love it. It looks just right here.
Let's zoom in for a little bit of vintage people-watching!
I don't want the folks on the right side of the photo to feel left out.
This one, taken in front of the floral Mickey portrait, cracks me up; that kid doesn't need any fancy rides. All he cares about is that awesome drainage grate in the cement. Disneyland really is as awesome as everyone says it is!
There are a couple more people sitting on that wall in front of the moat in the exact same spot as the kids in yesterday's Castle pic. No wonder Disney removed the seats and added railings on top of the walls. I'm just wondering why they waited 59 years to do it!
ReplyDeleteI remember that overgrown castle ivy from my childhood visits. Yes, Cinderella may have married a more prosperous prince, but Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle is still the best in my opinion. For me Cinderella's Castle works from a distance, but not so great close up. That kid playing over the drainage grate has the right idea. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteJust walking out of frame on the far left is none other than Maryann, before she took that fateful three hour tour. Darn that Gilligan!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, just looking at them makes me feel queasy. Don't they know how much danger they are in?
ReplyDeleteK. Martinez, I love Sleeping Beauty Castle, in large part because it was the first; I wonder, if Walt had had the money, would he have made the Disneyland castle larger?
Tom, ah, Maryann, she was the cutest!
Grate stompin is F-U-N!! Now it's no kick the can fun but there is no line and you don't waste a ticket on it. Nice shot of the excursion cars as well. Thanks, major.
ReplyDeleteNicely, nicely, Major.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if anyone read my late comment from yesterday, but there is the castle in its late stage of ivy-ness. It couldn't have been much longer after this shot that the ivy was scraped off. I'm getting narrowed down on when exactly the deforestation of the Castle took place.
Alonzo, the kid reminds me of when I went to the zoo. We were standing in front of an endangered white rhino, and all the kids cared about were the chipmunks that were running around!
ReplyDeletePatrick, I did see your comment (sorry I didn't reply to it yesterday); I wonder if the ivy was actually causing damage to the faux stone of the castle? Or if somebody just decided they didn't like the way it looked? Incidentally, I did a quick look, and the ivy is still there as of 1985! I don't have enough photos from the 1980's to see when the ivy was removed.
There was still ivy on the castle as late as 1995 (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bananaphone5000/media/Gorillamydreams/Chuck_img524.jpg.html), although nowhere near as extensive as in today's photo. I wonder if it gets cut back periodically, then is allowed to grow until the castle starts looking like some sort of long-haired hippie freak and gets a "haircut."
ReplyDeleteThat kid in the foreground of the right picture is carrying a Polaroid Swinger camera.
ReplyDeleteWell there's goes my easy version of the ivy theory. :)
ReplyDeleteI pretty sure there's no ivy right now. I guess it's going to be a harder thing to do than I thought.
Whee!
Chuck, they must be pruning it back from time to time. I'm pretty sure (no, I'm not really sure of anything anymore) that it was cleared off around 1970. I'm going to the Park this week or next and will have to take some research shots. Yeah, that's the ticket! It's research!
ReplyDeletePatrick - you actually NEED a reason to visit?
ReplyDeleteChuck, wow I am surprised that the ivy was there as late as 1995. Amazing. I really did think that it had been removed long before that.
ReplyDeleteSunday Night, jeez, you can barely see it, and you can still tell? Impressive!
Patrick, the ivy theory has been puzzling great minds for centuries. O will be interested to hear about your research shots!
Chuck, with tickets at $100 now, I need a reason to visit.
Looking at the pictures from my visit last month, I see no ivy on the castle. Could be because of the Christmas decor?
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