Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Frontierland, 1998

Today I have three very nice slides from Mr. X, showing Frontierland the way it had looked for a very long time - of course some things had come and gone, but it still had that frontier feeling. 

You can tell that the guests aboard the Mark Twain are excited that the Disneyland Band is on board - my guess is that this happens several times a day, but it's still a special treat for those lucky enough to be there. 

Somehow I would expect to be able to see some of the massive Fantasmic! stage, but for some reason it's just lush green island.


I presume that this pic was taken from the Hungry Bear restaurant - it's a great view looking south. I like the Explorer Canoe crossing in front of us. The Columbia is moving in spite of the lack of sails - folks might have noticed the large, veiny craniums of the CMs, who move the boat with psychokinesis.


And oh yeah, Cascade Peak, practically hidden by the large trees. But I'm still glad it's there.


15 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

Veiny Craniums! That needs to be a band name!

Andrew said...

Wouldn't it be cool if there was a parade on the Rivers of America? Line up the Mark Twain, Columbia, rafts, canoes, and maybe even the Keel Boats and send them all down the water in a line. Heck, you could even stick some characters on them... but I guess that's getting too similar to Fantasmic.

MIKE COZART said...

Looks like the Disneyland Band is in their Summer Whites”.

TOKYO MAGIC : myself and a friend of mine for years used to hear things said and make band names like “CLEAR PLASTIC MEAT TRAYS” , “ FAT DUTCH PEOPLE” and “FULL-SIZE-BOY” are some I recall!

ANDREW: in the late 70’s early 80’s their WAS a parade on the Rivers of America called the “ THE ROCKIN’ ROLLING RIVER REVUE”

stu29573 said...

Ah, vintage TSI. Unfortunately the island would become overrun with rabid albino badgers, which necessitated the building of Fantasmic (RABs hate gaudy, over produced spectaculars). Some people say the badgers were better.

K. Martinez said...

The second pic with the Columbia and Davy Crockett Canoe is a beauty. Now even this scene is forever altered. Thanks, Mr. X and Major.

Stefano said...

Mr X recorded the river and banks at their best; the trees are just the right size and Cascade Peak is in its last year.

The second pic shows my favorite tree in Disneyland, that big pine on the left which curves out over the river like a bow. I would wait in the canoe line and imagine Tom and Huck jumping off the tree limb for a swim.

Major Pepperidge said...

TokyoMagic!, I can drum if you can shred on the guitar!

Penna. Andrew, I actually like the idea of a river parade (maybe lit up like the Main Street Electrical Parade), but (like Fantasmic!), the effect on Frontierland would probably be so negative. It’s too bad, because I’m sure such as parade could be really neat.

Mike Cozart, it seems like latter-day pix often show the Disneyland Band in their white uniforms. I know there’s red uniforms too, but most photos show the white ones. Fat Dutch People are doing a world tour as we speak! And wow, I did not know that there was ever a river parade at Disneyland!

stu29573, even the feral cats would be afraid of albino badgers. I think I would take badgers over Fantasmic!, but I know I’d be outvoted.

K. Martinez, one of the things Mr. X loves the most about his Frontierland pictures is the way they preserve the way the river (and trees) appeared before the removal of a bunch of trees (it drove him crazy because the “Mickey and Friends” parking structure could be seen from inside the park), and then Galaxy’s Edge and the rerouting of the river.

Stefano, I like that you had a favorite tree! I’m not sure I ever paid enough attention during my years of visiting the park. There were some that I know I thought were getting too big for their situation! Like the ones near Cascade Peak, that made the peak look too small. I always wanted to swim in the Rivers of America, though part of me wondered how nasty that water really was.

Anonymous said...

Wow, photo 2 is a fine shot. Taken from a spot where no legitimate guest could ever stand.

Major, please thank Mr. X especially for these historic shots. Much appreciated look into the past of my memory.

JG

Matthew said...

@ Mike Cozart... I never knew there was river parade either.

These photos were taken after my departure from he company. The Disneyland Band would come on board the ship; however, I remember it being a little more sporadic and not always planned. We had a special rope we had to put up to block off the chairs up front. Wait for passengers to exit. Bring on the band. Put up the rope and then give the boarding spiel. Once band and passengers were on board we would make our announcements and instead of using the taped spiel we would cast off bow line and start forward movement which was the cue for the band to start playing. They would play all around the river.

@ Stefano - I too think that is one of the best tress in the Park.: )

Always your pal,
Amazon Belle

PS - @ Mike Cozart - I love those band names and friends and I would do the same thing. "Drunks with Guns" was one of those band names.

MIKE COZART said...

Yes- the ROLLIN’ RIVER REVUE ( a friend of mine corrected me that “Rockin’” was left out of the final name ) was performed for just the Summer of 1981 and used the Tom Sawyer Rafts , Keel Boats , some specially built raft-floats and for the finale , the Mark Twain Riverboat.
All the “floats” featured a famous American song medley number often about or related to a River. At the end of the parade segment on a stationary stage on Tom Sawyer Island would be a guest performer for about 30 minutes like Pearl Bailey. None of this presentation was as destructive or intrusive as Fantasmic.

TokyoMagic! said...

Back in 2010, I posted a DL entertainment guide that lists the Rollin' River Revue with Pearl Bailey. I clearly remember seeing Pearl Bailey perform, but I don't remember the procession of watercraft. I've either forgotten about it or maybe we got there a little bit late for the performance. Oh, and the stage that was used back then, was nowhere near as obnoxious as what was eventually built there for Fantasmic. If anyone is interested, that 1981 summer entertainment guide can be seen here:

July 1981 DL Entertainment Guide

Major Pepperidge said...

JG, I thought that perhaps that second photo was taken from around the Hungry Bear restaurant, but I’m honestly not positive. Glad you liked these!

Matthew, with today’s “hip” Disneyland band, with their out-of-place dance moves and such, I wonder if they still play aboard the Mark Twain? Not many years ago the old band boarded just as you said, after the last guest left and before the next load. And they did announce that we’d be listening to the band instead of the usual pre-recorded spiel. SO… if that tree is one of the best ones, is it still there??

Mike Cozart, amazing, I don’t ever recall hearing about the “Rollin’ River Revue”. Sounds kind of wonderful! There are elements of Fantasmic that I like, but overall it leaves me cold. Clearly most people disagree.

TokyoMagic!, cool that you have that entertainment guide. I collect guides into the late 1970’s, but maybe the 80’s has some good ones worth having too! I think I have over 100 entertainment guides going back to the 60’s. Thanks for the link.

MIKE COZART said...

MAJOR : I emailed you some photos from the Rollin’ River Revue you can post if you’d like. I also have a counter standee advertising the ROLLIN ‘ RIVER REVUE .... but I need to find it. It also shows the character from AMERICA ON PARADE being used as well as a raft-float with Polynesian dancers on it neither of which were used in the actual show. It’s possible the advertising art was created before the show was finalized.

Major Pepperidge said...

Mike Cozart, I got the photos, and will definitely share them with some photos from the same batch as today's. I know the GDB regulars will be interested! Thanks so much for sharing.

Matthew said...

Major - I don't know if that tree is still there or not. It did have a metal support placed under it at one time. After one of the large pine trees at the Entrance to Frontierland fell... the lawyers and landscapers started removing trees that looked like they could fall... and that one... may have gotten the ax. Next visit I will take look and let you know.

Always your pal,