Random 1998 Pix
Like the title says, these 1998-ish photos are pretty random!
When the new "New Tomorrowland" opened, the landscaping had lots of edible plants. The term "neo-agrarian" was tossed around. It looks like cabbages (?) were planted next to the odd rock formations that were added near the Astro Orbiter. It's nice to know that we'll have coleslaw and sauerkraut in the future. Small citrus trees are there as well, perhaps a callback to the origins of the park. I don't even know are these edible plants still there?
I confess that I am not entirely sure where this pretty cascade was located; I think that it's in Critter Country, over near those singing bears. I'm all for waterfalls in the park... the more, the better.
I suppose a photo of Sleeping Beauty Castle was bound to happen sooner or later. As you can see, the colors are still pretty subtle - the towers have a very pale pink hue, and the stones are three or four different shades, but it works because it isn't over the top. The odd gargoyle faces are something I've never noticed before, I wonder when those were added? We get a pretty nice view of the spire that is a copy of the one that was on Notre Dame cathedral.
18 comments:
As for that first pic, I just don't know what to say, that I haven't already said a gazillion times in the past!
Yes, the second pic is of the waterfall at the exit of Country Bear Jamboree. It's still there, near the exit tunnel of the Winnie the Poop ride, unless they decided they needed more paved over standing room for the opening of Wookie World.
Those gargoyle faces are actually the squirrel-shaped downspouts that Stefano mentioned in yesterday's comments!
That waterfall is between The Mile Long Bar and the original exit to The Country Bear Jamboree. The stream the falls leads to cut all the way through BEAR COUNTRY and into the Rivers of America. On some early landscaping blueprints the stream is called GRIZZLY CREEK ....but the waterfall seems to be nameless ( I suppose it would be called “Grizzly Falls”) in early concept drawings there were to be quite a few substantial waterfalls in Bear County - but as the design progressed the land was left only one............ until the late 1980’s!!
TOKYOMAGIC: this answer belongs to yesterday’s post but I can find no images past 1970 that show the Main Street Surreys - and technically the images could have been photographed in 1968/1969. The Surreys were used for special events and private parties in the 70’s as well.
In the 1990’s they were supposed to return for the early versions of Mickey’s Halloween Treat Party - but only the Main Street Hose and Chemical Wagon and a Hay Wagon were brought out. Sorry I don’t have and definitive answered.....maybe Jason S. has some info?
Mike, thanks for that info about the Surreys in Major's post from yesterday. I don't ever remember seeing the Surreys operating in the park, so that is how I guessed those dates.
Grizzly Creek, huh? Camp Snoopy at Knott's has a restaurant called "Grizzly Creek Lodge." Wasn't the original name of the Hungry Bear Restaurant, the "Golden Bear Lodge"? It sounds as if Knott's might have been "borrowing" a little bit there. Or maybe it was just coincidence? Does Grizzly Creek still run all the way down to the Rivers of America today, even though they recently built a huge concrete roadway between the Hungry Bear Restaurant and the river?
I don't think the "edible landscaping" is quite as obvious today as it was in the past. They probably had problems with people stealing cabbages to try and get a better return on their admission!
Fun fact! In this version of the future all food is free! It's all fun and games until Carrousel....
Thanks for the additional info, Mike! I finally found a reference (Wikipedia; not sure why I didn't check there first) that says the surreys were discontinued as an attraction in 1971. I remember them in parades (probably America On Parade) later in the '70s.
Nothing says a great big beautiful tomorrow like edible foliage. The waterfall pic is very cool, all those negative ions floating around. The Castle photo reminded me of the saying, if it ain't broke...
Thanks to Major P. for these great pics.
Pretty sure that's kale growing there by the citrus trees in that first shot. Not as exciting as cabbage but what the hey. It is technically edible, though I know of no person who actually enjoys it.
Head on over to Drop In Again for all your Agrifuture signage needs! http://dropinagain.blogspot.com
I spent a lot of time by that waterfall in 1998 studying for my AP tests.
I agree with Tom here, the plants in picture one are called "ornamental kale", it's a version of the much derided vegetable that is bred for color and fancy leaves. I think it is technically edible, although I never tried it.
https://www.thespruce.com/ornamental-cabbage-and-flowering-kale-1402853
I grew some in my garden one year just for fun. There is a wide range of color and leaf variations, mostly purple, pink and white. It thrives in the cool conditions of California winters, when other flowers are few and far between, so a good way to get color in the cold season.
Disney has used this plant in many other locations, the one I remember most is the Haunted Mansion garden, where the purple and green color scheme reflects that of the Mansion CM costumes.
I do remember remarking at the time on this planter with the edibles, there were other plants also besides kale but I don't remember what kinds. The ones in the photo between the orange trees look like onions about to bloom, and the low bushes in front have leaves resembling pomegranates, but are very small. The reddish new growth tips are characteristic. Those might be bonsai'd or just another plant altogether. Some of the tiny trees in Story Book Land are pomegranates, so I'm not ruling it out here. The ones in the lower left corner of the photo seem to have fruit hanging. Pomegranates are very ornamental trees, with bright red blossoms, and the red orb fruit, which is a nuisance to clean up if you don't want it, and hard to cook with, even if you do.
That is a nice little waterfall, I would not have been able to ID the location, thanks everyone for that. Waterfalls are great, cooling in summer and sound masking as well. I wish Disney would turn more of them back on. Put PV panels on the castle roof to power the Matterhorn pumps and on Main Street to drive Schweitzer Falls.
This is probably my favorite angle view of SBC, before the colorists went mad. Very nice photos today, thank you Major.
JG
Those are miniature pomegranates, here is a picture of one with fruit, much like the example in the lower left of today's photo.
https://www.bonsaiempire.com/tree-species/dwarf-pomegranate
Thanks everyone.
JG
Major-
Yes, ye olde Sleeping Beauty Castle does actually feel like one in this image; that, as opposed to something one might find in a deluxe edition of the Barbie Dream "castle". Or, as Kim herself described it... It’s as though the entire castle has been enchanted,” said Kim Irvine, art director for Walt Disney Imagineering, adding that the bolder colors more closely reflect the original hues of the building when it opened in 1955. Yes, Kim, it's the 'very definition' of the word "resemble", only if being taken to the extreme. Or, if that's not doing it for you, here she essentially is "hoisted with her own petard"... I personally think this is the best because it’s the first and it’s Walt’s castle and nobody can improve on it,” Irvine said, noting that other Disney parks also have castles". Yes Kim, nobody - not even you - and if necessary, I'll be happy to be the first person to drive that point home. Now go back and play in your doll house.
@ Tom-
Kale is actually a plot on the part of the makers of salad dressings, and the like, to increase sales.
Thanks, Major.
Those squirrel down-spouts were added when they redid the castle colors in the 1990's. I assume it's their early attempt at branding the castle with Sleeping Beauty characters on the exterior? Either way, I thought it was the beginning of the end for Sleeping Beauty Castle when they slapped the cheesy and cartoonish squirrels on the castle. Just call me Mr. Nitpicker.
My vote for best pic goes to the Bear Country/Critter Country waterfall. Thanks, Major.
TokyoMagic!, is the thing that you say over and over again, “Disneyland is getting better all the time!” ? That’s so you! Aw, poor Winnie the Poop, I don’t hate that ride. It’s sort of charming, I think. But… I know lots of people miss those Country Bears. Squirrel shaped downspouts, I’ll need to find a better photo than this one.
Mike Cozart, I had the feeling that the creek was over in that general area. It’s a little surprising that it hasn’t acquired a cute nickname over the years, from the cast members if nobody else. I believe that at least one surrey has been seen on display fairly recently, but it could just be a case of my brain misremembering.
TokyoMagic!, you never realized it, but all theme parks are “bear crazy”. Too many bear names? IMPOSSIBLE. I’m kind of surprised that Disneyland hasn’t used the names of any of its more famous bears, such as Bongo, Lumpjaw, or Humphrey.
Penna. Andrew, also, why buy a burger when you can just steal a free cabbage? So delicious!
stu29573, ha ha, my crystal is blinking red, I’m sure it’s just a glitch.
Chuck, thanks for that date, it sounds about right somehow, based on no research whatsoever on my part. Hey, I’ve been busy today! I just watched “America On Parade” on YouTube, but it was the WDW version so… no surreys that I recall).
Jonathan, why didn’t they plant hot dog trees? Now that’s a vegetable I can enjoy. I agree with the “if it ain’t broke” sentiment, and yet… it’s more broke than ever now.
Tom, KALE?? Now I am convinced that this was the real reason for the ultimate failure of Tomorrowland ’98!
Progressland, I will drop on over there when I’m done responding to all of the comments!
JG, until now I’d never heard of ornamental kale, so I learned something today. Don’t worry, it won’t stick, nothing ever does. My sister is always putting kale in things, and while I can eat it, I’m not that nuts about it. Which must mean that it is super good for you. Funny that they used it outside the Haunted Mansion. Ah, pomegranates, you’d think I would recognize those by now, I sure see enough of them. If these had those vivid pinky-red flowers I would have gotten it! They can’t put PV panels on the castle roof, people would see them from the Skyway! (Sad trombone noise…)
JG, pomegranates are plentiful around here, ornamental and otherwise. My mom has the ornamental variety in her backyard!
Nanook, I’ve heard people rationalize that Sleeping Beauty is a cartoon, therefore you can get as bold with the colors as you want. It just makes it feel cartoony! Not that I’m buying it. How anybody can say that the current hues resemble the 1955 castle is beyond me. It’s just not true!
K. Martinez, I suppose we should be grateful that the downspouts don’t look like Stitch.
Chuck, regarding your comment from today, about yesterdays post....one of the Surreys used to be out on display in the Big Thunder Ranch area (I wonder if it's part of an Ewok Photo Op now?). I don't remember a Surrey being in America On Parade, but I believe they used one in the 25th Anniversary Family Reunion Parade, in the "New Orleans Square" unit. Check out this post (the fourth photo down from the top): Disneyland's 25th Anniversary Parade
Mike and TokyoMagic: I have 1971 as the closing date for the Horse-Drawn Surreys, probably given to me by the Walt Disney Archives in the late 1990s. Or possibly from Disneyland: Inside Story. The last reference to it that I have recorded is from the 1968 Disneyland Dictionary.
TOKYOMAGIC and MAJOR and anyone else interested : correct TWO original Main Street Surreys were on display at Thunder Ranch for several years one blue with straw colored wheels and one black with red wheels .... they even still had their signs “surrey rides 10 cents” and a surrey was used in the Disneyland 25th Parade NOT America on Parade.
For decades after all the horse drawn wagon and carriage equipment built for disneyland was carefully stored backstage near the stables - until warehouse and storage building got torn down to gear up for changes for DCA - then the buggies , surreys, stagecoaches and other wagons were dumped out at Thunder Ranch and quickly began to rot!
Yeller is the only appropriate color for Surrey wheels.
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