Sunday, November 24, 2019

Frontierland Snoozers, September 1966

Today's photos are the visual counterpart to a beautiful lullaby. Feeling... drowsy... eyelids so heavy... *SNORE*.

The old burning settler's cabin - I sure do miss seeing this striking tableau along the river. Don't get me started! The original problematic storyline was changed a number of times, but I've always assumed that the "sharp pencil boys" got rid of it because they didn't want to pay for all of that natural gas.


I once read that the flames were eliminated because the gas pipes were in bad shape. They couldn't afford to replace gas pipes?? I mean, they're literally just pipes. That whole story was obviously bogus. I told you not to get me started!


And next I present the finest photo of Fort Wilderness EVER SEEN. You're welcome.


13 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-
I never tire of seeing the 'ol Settler's Cabin a-Fire.

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

Hey, the arrow in the settler's chest looks odd. It's coming in at almost a 45 degree angle. Where was the person who shot the arrow? They must have been at a much higher position than the settler. Were they hiding in a very tall tree? Could they have been aboard the Mark Twain or Columbia? I smell a conspiracy.

Andrew said...

Now that Fort Wilderness isn't real wood, why don't they combine it with the cabin and light it on fire? It would be brilliant!

K. Martinez said...

"The original problematic storyline was changed a number of times".

Perhaps instead of changing the "problematic storyline" of the Burning Cabin scene, they could have put up a big sign with the words "WARNING: The Rivers of America attraction may contain outdated cultural depictions". ;-)

The Burning Cabin was always my favorite scene along the Rivers of America. It felt truly alive. Thanks, Major.

Chuck said...

Fort Wilderness looks so shy. Come on out, little fella - nobody's gonna hurt you. Well, at least not for another 37 years.

TM!, the assailant shot the arrow from a considerable distance, using a ballistic trajectory. They were actually standing next to the entrance to the Covered Wagon Show at Knott's.

(I'm so thirsty after writing that comment.)

Andrew, I'd happily just settle for them setting the current Fort Wilderness on fire. That thing is an abomination. Don't get me started.

Ken, it did feel truly alive. Well, all except the settler.

K. Martinez said...

Chuck, haven't you heard of the living dead?

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, that’s good, because I’m sure I have MANY more pictures of the burning cabin!

TokyoMagic!, i’ll bet the “angled feather mystery” goes ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! Some guy named Retlaw Yensid was seen holding a bow and arrow on the deck of the Mark Twain. Has there ever been an old-west Sherlock Holmes-type crime investigator? There must have been, but I can’t think of a name.

Andrew, I support your suggestion and would even pay real money to make it happen.

K. Martinez, YES! The spiel could have “The Captain” tell us (in the folksiest way possible) that “…things were a little different in the 1800’s. Now I ain’t sayin’ who was right or who was wrong, but some folks weren’t happy that other folks moved into their neighborhood, and I can’t say’s I blame ‘em”. Problem solved!

Chuck, you can alway coax shy forts out with a piece of hot dog. Works every time! Did the arrow-shooter use one of those old yew-wood bows that I’ve heard about? They could shoot an arrow up to 25 miles! (I might have my number wrong…). I dislike that weird Lincoln-log fort abomination so much, I really hoped that it would get some kind of upgrade when they did all of that river work for Star Wars Land. No such luck.

K. Martinez, I’d like to think that I am one of them.

Dean Finder said...

I heard the gas lines are fine, but the carbon credits for the fire are impossibly expensive.

I don't know why everyone's down on that picture of FW. It really makes you believe that you're not in the middle of a theme park.

"Lou and Sue" said...

Chuck, I love your comment about the Fort being shy! He (it) looks a little like Lucas the Spider (the cartoon character). :) Now I have to find a piece of hot dog . . .

Sue

Melissa said...

I nominate "Flintlock Holmes" as the official Wild West Detective.

Chuck said...

Yayyy, Melissa!!!

Nanook said...

@ Melissa-
As my mom would say - don't be so strange. (You know what she meant).

Anonymous said...

The settler's cabin was one of the best tableaux on the River, hands down.

"I see that Slim is wearing his new Arrow shirt..."

The 70's version with the Jimmy Carter Gas Crisis plastic fire was a joke.

Any photo of the old FW is welcome to me. I could even allow it to be off limits to civilians with a minor tweak in the story, but the current design appearance is just tacky.

JG