Beautiful Tomorrowland, August 1967
Today's beautiful photos were brought to us courtesy of Fun Dad, who was not afraid to use several rolls of film per visit to Disneyland. And today he took some excellent pictures of the New Tomorrowland when it really was new.
There it is - what a sight! Everything gleams in the brilliant sunshine, with a blue sky for the perfect accompaniment. Man oh man. How could you not be drawn toward the Rocket Jets up on that 3rd level platform? Empty Peoplemover trains sit on the tracks (they seem to have not been moving at this time). The corporate logos somehow don't seem crass to me - perhaps my judgement has been clouded by nostalgia. I love the bright flower beds, and even Old Glory looks great, high above it all.
Here's another beauty. If you'll notice, the Peoplemover trains are in the same position as they were in the previous photo - that's why I assume that they were sitting still). How could they have ever removed that ride? That has to rank among one of the most unfortunate decisions ever made at Disneyland.
In the background you can see folks coming down the ramp from the 2nd level of the Carousel of Progress building, the lucky ducks.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
PS, Here's more fuzzy hat goodness (the lady to the left) from 1967, posted back in 2011. It's a little different compared to the hat in Photo #1, but definitely in the same family.
23 comments:
Major-
It IS all bright and shiny and scrubbed clean-! What a sight. The only thing missing is a clear view of the fountains of the future. For a minute there, I thought the second gentleman on the left was being deliberately 'blacked-out' - as if he was a part of a Google Maps view. It was just the unfortunate position of the hanging flower basket. (Or perhaps he's a Russian spy...)
Thanks, Major.
What a beautiful Tomorrow it was!! That would be my luck: the day I time-travel back to Disneyland 1967 - the PeopleMover wouldn’t be operating!!
Great composition in both shots. The soft curves of white buildings against bright blue sky are so purty.
Yes, all bright and shiny and NEW! I can almost smell that "new paint" smell. The PeopleMover vehicles don't have any safety bars around them yet. And it also appears that the Goodyear lozenge-shaped advertising pods haven't been installed alongside the Speedramps.
Oh, and dig that furry "pith helmet" on the lady on the far right (first pic). How mod!
The corporate logos don't bother us because they just look right to us. It's probably a mixture of nostalgia and the fact that this is our own little World's Fair, and that just comes with the territory.
MIKE COZART, that appears to be my luck as well. This photo seems to provide photographic evidence of that eventuality, as the gentleman wearing the blue-grey shirt in the lower right-hand corner of the second photo is a dead ringer for me from behind, right down to the bald spot and the slight hunch from too many years in front of a computer. I promise to share the 25 rolls of Kodachrome I'll shoot with the Major when I get back. Anything in particular you guys want me to take pictures of while I'm there?
TokyoMagic: that lady’s wearing a “lampshade” hat - a more formal variation of the “straw-bucket /straw-basket” hat that was also popular during this period.
Wow! I just love the pictures today. That first picture is stunning not only for the subject and the colors but the people. This is right before the horrible decade of the 70's when fashion went to pot (haha). Regarding the hat. Very popular back then and her whole look is spot on. I had a hat like that :) I was 18 years old going on 19 in a few months and the world was my oyster. If I had a time machine, I would go back and apply for a job at Disneyland. One of my big disappointments that I didn't do that.
I've never had a problem with corporate sponsor logos or sponsors at theme parks. It's part of the history of Disneyland and the other theme parks. That however is now disappearing because corporations find their money best spent elsewhere to get their message across. It's the blatant ads that I don't care for like wrapping coaster train vehicles in ads for soda and candy bars like Six Flags did or still does. I find that tacky.
I'm amazed at how many photographers don't wait to catch the Rocket Jets in action before snapping the photos. The Rocket Jets whirling from high above is one of the peak visuals of Tomorrowland '67. Of course when these pics were taken, perhaps the Rocket Jets were down like the PeopleMover that day.
"How could they have ever removed that ride?" (PeopleMover)
That's how I feel about the Rocket Jets. How could they have thought putting it on the ground level was a good idea? More than half the thrill of the Rocket Jets was being way up high. Some very bad decisions were being made at that time and I believe still are being made.
One more thing. I miss those palm trees being at the entrance to Tomorrowland along with the gorgeous flowerbed designs. It was truly perfection. Thanks, Major.
Great pictures of the best land/era imho. Hats, hats everywhere. It must be the time when men and women's hats were still fashionable or the guy/gal at the Mod Hatter stand is working his mojo and selling like crazy. Fantastic Friday Fotos today. Thanks.
Great pics today. I really wish the powers that be would bring back the Peoplemover, the tracks are still there and people loved it. That variation of Tomorrowland was great. The perfect balance between color and futuristic white. Hats are difficult to pull off, even today anything other than a Ball cap requires a certain amount of swagger and confidence. Thanks Major for the beautimus scans.
That was the near perfect Tomorrowland. It was a great big beautiful tomorrow to look forward to. So much movement, color and, for me, just a buzz of excitement. Just beyond the entrance was the Flight to the Moon, ATIS, the Subs and Monorail, it was just overwhelming.
Thanks, Major
dz
I just noticed! The gentleman to the left in Pic #1 is using his just purchased Wrist Phone© developed by Bell Systems! What a TL that was. He may be calling Guest Services to complain about the People Mover.
Nanook, the blunked-out man is none other than Nikita Kruschev! He had just completed a diet and looked great.
Mike Cozart, it would be disappointing to find the Peoplemover non-operational, but I would still go there in a heartbeat.
Melissa, I agree, Fun Dad outdid himself on these! There are some other real beauties from the same batch, he was on a roll.
TokyoMagic!, imagine a time when the Imagineers had no idea that dummies would want to climb out of their Peoplemover cars! Good observation on the Goodyear moving signs, I wonder when they were installed?
TokyoMagic!, we’ve seen women wearing those in other photos, I wish I could find one and link to it.
Chuck, I think there might also be the cache that comes with a name like Bell or General Electric, from a time when they were involved in cutting-edge technology that would take us to the Moon (and beyond!). There’s nothing really wrong with FedEx or Honda, but they aren’t as sexy as those other companies in their heydays. If you are using 25 rolls of film, please be sure to take plenty of pictures of the castle. Maybe 24 rolls worth. Also take photos of the flower beds.
Mike Cozart, I added a photo from an old post showing another bucket/basket hat!
Irene, it’s true, the clothing in ’67 still looks pretty nice - bright colors and patterns, but not sloppy or ugly. I wonder, if my family had remained in Huntington Beach until I was an older teen, would I have worked at the park? As a kid it was all I wanted to do!
K. Martinez, stay tuned, because Mr. X always waited for the rockets to be flying before he took his pictures! There is at least one spectacular image, similar to the first one in today’s post, but it is a real “wow”. And yes, the thought of moving one of the most thrilling experiences (way up in the air) and bringing it down to ground level, blocking the entrance to Tomorrowland, is something I will never understand. Perhaps they didn’t want people to notice the abandoned Peoplemover tracks?
Alonzo, yes, at times it is amazing how many souvenir hats can be seen in a single photo. The hat stands must have been big money makers!
Jonathan, the story from Disney is that the tracks were stressed, cracked, and otherwise damaged by the Rocket Rods, and they would have to figure out some way to get guests down from the tracks in case of an emergency - both problems were deemed to be too expensive to deal with. I’m not sure I 100% buy it, but the word from on high is that the Peoplemover will never come back.
David Zacher, Tomorrowland was always my favorite land, for the same reasons you listed. Now that I’m older I appreciate Frontierland and Main Street more, but still - 1967 Tomorrowland is hard to top.
David Zacher, ha ha, it’s like Dick Tracy’s 2-way wrist radio. “I’m on my way!”.
67 Tomorrowland is the best Tomorrowland, and Fun Dad captures the essence right here.
I remember looking forward to the world being like this. My belief was reinforced by Main Street and Frontierland. The world used to be like those places, why wouldn't it be like Tomorrowland some day?
Sigh. Enjoying everyone's comments. A happy Friday to all, thank you Major.
JG
If the current PeopleMover tracks are indeed unusable, it doesn't seem like it would be unreasonable to build new ones. It's not like they can't afford it, and it would soak up some of the crowds.
I've heard rumors about when the company decides to get rid of an attraction, they let it go without maintenance for a while so that they can say it's closing because it's so run down.
Irene & Major P., I used to think that when I turned 65 I would use my pension to get a little place somewhere like Fullerton and try to get a job in the Disneyland costume department.
Come back from vacation and what do I see...I see the 'future' with the best T-land that has been. KS
JG, when I watch things like the films from either the 1939 or 1964 versions of General Motors’ “Futurama” rides (on YouTube), they both show the future as a place that one wants to be. Now we have a “Blade Runner” future to look forward to!
Melissa, to be honest, I wonder why they can’t just build a reinforced track or platform atop the current track? That way they wouldn’t have to build the thing from scratch, probably saving many millions, not to mention saving time. Not sure how to solve the problem of emergency exits, but that’s what they pay smart people for! That rumor is disheartening, but it would not surprise me these days. Maybe as recently as the 90’s I think I might have liked to work at Disneyland after age 65, but I doubt I’d like it these days.
KS, I’m glad that this was a nice way to be welcomed back!
Major, I missed your comment before I left. I only shot 17 rolls of the castle. I got another 4 of the train station and 3 of the Mark Twain, because I knew your collection could always use some more. You can thank me later.
The final roll I used up in the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. I must have spent two whole hours there, soaking up that amazing atmosphere that can never be experienced again. It was probably the highlight of my entire trip. I was going to bring you back a tuna burger, but somebody ate it. It may or may not have been me.
So, um...anybody know where I can get 25 rolls of Kodachrome developed?
That woman in the fuzzy hat is in the right place, Adventureland and at the Bazaar as well. Coicidence? I don't think so. She is hat rich and ready for an adventure. I wonder what she will do next. Perhaps a journey down the river.
Looking at photos such as this makes me wish that somebody somewhere would create a virtual reality experience where you could visit the theme parks as they existed through various times in the park's history. That way you could visit the park the way it used to be, see what it used to look like, and even experience a lot of the old rides and attractions that are no more. I'm sure there are plenty of tech-savy Disney fans who could pull off something like that.
@Magic Ears, Here's one who would jump on it!
They should have a Disney Rejects Land park, where they relocate older rides instead of tearing them down. I'd go!
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