I kind of love this nice view of the Jungle Cruise and the "Rivers of the World" as seen from way up in the canopy of the Swiss Family Treehouse! With the classic red leaves in the foreground, this one feels like it should be in 3-D. No such luck! Of course it's a little bit jarring to look down upon a wholly convincing tropical jungle, only to look up and see acres of parking lot.
One of my favorite details is the large carved head (with its enigmatic smile), slowly being obscured by the roots of a strangler fig. Ornate columns, a statue of Ganesh (the elephant-headed god) and a partially submerged statue (a Buddha?) hint at a once-thriving civilization.
Panning up just a bit, we can see down into the Sacred Elephant Bathing Pool, including the waterfall-loving pachyderm.
And, just to round things out, here's another Jungle Cruise photo, also from 1963 though from a different lot. It's a nice shot of a launch returning to civilization. Looking through the netting to the left, it appears that there are people where I don't expect to see them. What gives??
Major-
ReplyDeleteThere's little argument those shots from the Swiss Family Treehouse are pretty stunning. The overhead angle allows us to see the 'jungle' in a whole new light.
And those 'lookie-lou's' in the last image have returned to take Trader Sam up on his deal: 'Two of his heads for just one of yours...' Who can resist such a deal-? Certainly not those rubes-!
Thanks, Major.
Both shots are beautiful. I think those people in the last pic are actually "caught" in the netting and have gone unnoticed for days. Maybe even weeks.
ReplyDeleteWowie zowie!!! These are fantastic images! I've always loved this shot (first image) and it's very similar to a certain photo in the August 1963 issue of National Geographic. The juxtaposition of the parking lot and Adventureland jungle really adds to the image as well.
ReplyDeleteI still miss the old "Jungle Lookout" of the Swiss family Treehouse that was eliminated when Indiana Jones moved in. Thanks, Major.
Excellent photos today! New angles are always welcome.
ReplyDeleteI'm always a little surprised to see a shot of outside the park taken from inside the park. The magic must be preserved!
Maybe those people caught in the netting were dining at the Tahitian Terrace next door?
ReplyDeleteThey will be wrapped up in webbing by the giant jungle spiders and fed to the spider's young. Their skulls will be added to the pile in the war canoe out in the jungle.
Disneyland 1963 was a grim place.
JG
Tom - "We're gonna need a bigger berm."
ReplyDeleteJG - They've really toned down the "hard facts" over the years, haven't they?
@Chuck, yes, the bubblegum coloring of the castle was designed to take your mind off the fact that stray visitors and lost children are made into churros in Sleeping Beauty's secret bakery in the dungeon.
ReplyDeleteJG
Hi Major,
ReplyDeleteThe people where you don't expect to see them are standing on rocks that led to Boat Storage. It traveled along the back of the Tahitian Terrace and the Disney-dendron into a cave. The pathway was shared by both Tahitian Terrace performers and Jungle Cruise Skippers. The Standard Operating Procedure required that when the show was in progress we would have to access Boat Storage via Main Street U.S.A. (the gate next to Coke Corner and the Plaza Pavilion (Jolly Holiday)). Skippers were also forbid to spiel when approaching the dock during shows. Hope that helps!
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle