You know, I've been to a lot of veldts in my day. One just outside of Oxnard, another near Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and let us not forget the Chicago Veldt. But Disneyland's "African Veldt" is the best! It's easy to get to, there aren't many bugs, it smells OK, and you always see something interesting.
Zebras are well-known carrion eaters - they are waiting their turn! Sure, it's gruesome, but (as Elton John knows) it's the "circle of life".
Major-
ReplyDeleteThose animals do look real. (I think some of them just might be...)
Thanks, Major.
Things I often wonder about. Can a Zebra change his stripes? Do Giraffes get the worst sore throats? Which came first, the African Impala or the Chevy Impala? Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons? I think I may have too much time on my hands. Thanks Major for the cool scans.
ReplyDeleteI love The Veldt. And to think those poor parents didn't have a chance with their evil children.
ReplyDeleteNothing like waking up to pics of my favorite Disneyland attraction. This is a great pair and look like they were made for merging. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, it was the parents' fault, Ken. They should have bought them an xBox like all their friends. It's a shame, really - there wasn't even enough of them left to (Brad)bury.
The curl of the right-hand lion's tongue is just beautiful. You might not see little details like that from the boat, but WED didn't skimp on them.
ReplyDeleteCool shots of a great area. Is it my imagination or are the lions these days eating a little less. I liked the two lions having a tug-of-war with bone with the meat hanging from it. I don't recall seeing that lately.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget the other carrion-eaters at the right of the second pic: they may be wildebeests to you but it's gnus to me.
Nanook, the mechanical animals are cool and all, but I still wish they’d used hand puppets. With googly eyes.
ReplyDeleteJonathan, so many important questions. Why are we wasting money on things like space exploration when more pressing data needs to be gathered?!?
K. Martinez, ooooh, a Ray Bradbury reference! I feel so smart that I got it, hooray. Are you telling me you like the Jungle Cruise MORE than “Mulholland Madness”??
Chuck, when I read that story as a kid, all I wanted was a television that covered an entire wall. Someday….
Melissa, I’ve heard that Disney hired the best tongue sculptor in the world for that very detail! Walt knew that somebody out there would appreciate it.
Patrick Devlin, I wonder if that scene was lightened up due to complaints from faint-hearted parents? I only want to see jungle animals that eat a healthy vegan diet. When I first looked at the wildebeest to the right, it looked like it had back legs on both ends (due to the way one of them was turned).
ReplyDeleteWell, Patrick beat me to it with the "gnu" joke, so I've got nothing!
ReplyDeleteI can't spot a single leopard.
ReplyDeleteAww, those lions are watching over that sleeping zebra so he isn't disturbed.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics Major.
JG
Major, that's not a wildebeest - it's a pushmi-pullyu.
ReplyDeleteWhere have I been... I need to get out to the Gorillas Don't Blog a little more often. Commenting on Tuesday regarding Sunday's post. @Patrick Devlin, the African Veldt was "sanitized" during the 1976 rehab. It was at that time that they added a cave structure, similar to Walt Disney World. They lost probably one of the greatest show scenes in my opinion... due to it's size and the number of animated figures. They lost the "tug-o-war" lionesses, and another larger male lion that rose up behind a bush with another piece of zebra flesh in its mouth. You also notice in this scene that the male lion's head is down, as if eating, but then it would raise up and roar. Far more realistic then it standing over the Zebra with only head left and head right movements. Also disappearing were the two vultures on the ground and the jackals out in front of the kill. This scene can be viewed on Disneyland 10th Anniversary special on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. Modern viewers will find it on Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland U.S.A. (2001) and Walt Disney Treasures: Your Host, Walt Disney (2006).
ReplyDeleteAlthough a very grizzly scene it was far more realistic and gave a very real sense of danger. It also, then helped to the have the trapped safari gag coming right after it to lighten the mood.
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
PS Major if you ever read this... consider zooming in on those two lionesses as that is something we will never see again.