Two Random Goodies
I had a couple of nice standalone slides - images that were not part of a larger lot. These are good enough for a Friday!
Like this great shot of Main Street Station from the parking lot, from a slide date-stamped "May 1958". Everyone's dressed for a cool day, and the clouds are a hint that this might have actually been March April. I'm always a little surprised at how well you can see things like the Bank of America, the Opera House, and City Hall from this distant vantage point. Presumably they are obscured by trees these days. Sure, I could look on Google, but that would involve effort. I hate effort!
Those original ticket booths look so teeny tiny. No room to swing a cat, that's for sure. There's no train at the station, so points are deducted, but I can recognize several attraction posters, which adds points right back. I can identify the Jungle Cruise and Skyway posters (near the "I" in the Disneyland sign), the Frontierland "tri-level" (under the first "N"), and the Autopia (under the "L").
What do I win?
Here's a neat photo of the Motor Boat Cruise, from May, 1960. The Monorail beam passes above us, and we can see little Fantasyland Station and the Disneyland Railroad pulling the yellow passenger cars. The boat to the left might contain a Grandpa and two little girls - looks like the older girl is "steering".
11 comments:
Two winning pics today, Major! Why don't they just bring back the Motor Boat Cruise? They could always call it the "Frozen Motor Boat Cruise" to increase interest and attendance.
Oh, wow! That Motor Boat Cruise pic is wonderful! Along with the monorail pylon and track it really makes it great. I kind of wished they brought back the attraction and base it on Goofy's animated short "Aquamania". Thanks, Major.
That first one reminds me a lot of the opening shot of the Disneyland TV series.
Hard to see it through the trees, but I'm positive that's the E.P. Ripley in the second photo. It normally pulled the Retlaw 1 passenger set at that time, and the dark cab and boiler jacket with dark red roof and headlamp are pretty distinctive. Here's a less-obstructed shot from the same era for reference.
Nice way to start a Friday, Major. Thanks!
Chuck, I concur that is the E.P. Ripley pulling Retlaw 1. I never realized the Motor Boat Cruise was so close to the railroad!
Well, Steve, the channel ran so close to the train tracks because of the incessant erosion of the monstrous current in the channel. Ooh, do I smell a conspiracy theory? Uncontrolled erosion closed the Motor Boat Cruise. Well, I might have made that all up, but you point out an interesting proximity, Steve.
Love that second picture. I'm still trying to figure out what the tall conical clown-hat looking thing is that appears to be resting on top of the Tomorrowland train station, or just behind it.
Anyway this is a great angle on a much-missed favorite. Thanks for sharing as always!
PS - I guess that's the Fantasyland train station, actually.
Major, I don't think that cat-swinging became part of the ticketing process until after the Alice In Wonderland ride opened, which was not until two months after the photo was made (assuming April 1958 as the photo date).
Popularity of the Cheshire Cat in that ride led to a nationwide upturn in cat-swinging that ultimately peaked in the "chow-chow-chow" commercials.
Great pictures today, enjoying the discontinuous narrative. Wait, if it is discontinuous, is it still a narrative? Thanks Major.
JG
Well, Tom the Fantasyland station always had a bit of a circus feel to it.
Major-
It's hard not to love all the "innocence" still greeting guests as seen in these shots, as both future expansions and crowds, would quash that feeling. In spite of being able to experience all that purity, I'm afraid it was lost on a kid more-interested in getting the full experience rather than being a human memory machine. Well, at least I was there 'back in the day'.
Thanks, Major.
TokyoMagic!, if only they could somehow do a mashup of “Pirates”, “Frozen”, and “Star Wars”.
K. Martinez, I knew about the “Freewayphobia” cartoons, but not “Aquamania”. I’m sure it’s on YouTube, maybe I need to check it out.
Chuck, I meant to mention the “Ripley”, but forgot…
Steve DeGaetano, it only appears close due to gravitational lensing.
Patrick Devlin, I suppose it was exciting (for about five seconds!) to have the train running along side a motor boat!
Tom, yes, that clown hat is Fantasyland Station!
JG, cat-swinging was popular back in the days of Mark Twain, and didn’t become popular again until “Happy Days” became such a hit. Who could forget Richie Cunningham, Ralph Malph, Potsie, and The Fonz, all twirling cats around - golly, what a show!
Patrick Devlin, I suppose the polka dots and stripes are evocative of clowns. Or something!
Nanook, most of the love is going to the Motor Boat Cruise photo, but I really love the first one. It’s interesting to consider that the current crowd problem is a fairly recent phenomenon - I think that less than 10 years ago you could still go to the park and enjoy a relaxing, pleasant day. It’s those darn APs!
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