Snoozers From September 1966
I love Monstro the Whale, even if he hates everybody. He can't help it! Sailing a canal boat into his gaping, toothy mouth is one of those classic Disneyland experiences that has been around for almost 65 years. It's cool that you can see versions of M the W in early artwork, including one in which boats emerge from his mouth and shoot down his extended tongue.
See? I have to admit that a little thrill at the end of your journey through quaint storybook villages might be kind of fun.
Is Monstro present at any of the other Disney parks around the world?
NEXT! The most boring photo of the "It's a Small World" boats ever seen.
14 comments:
I don't get what's boring about the IASW photo. I love it! It provides a unique view and covers a bit of Disneyland territory usually not photographically recorded. Love this view from the train. It's the Monstro pic that is more common. Not boring, but still common.
Nice pics! Thanks, Major.
Never imagined I could ever say this: The park is less crowded today, than in these pictures!
That last picture really isn't boring . . . you have some pretty flowers, beautiful sunshine, crystal blue water and a very silly-looking topiary.
Thanks, Major!
Major-
"M the W". That sounds like the perfect moniker one might see tattooed on one of the Storybook Land hostesses-! And I have to agree with Ken on that IASW image: a very unusual angle, indeed.
Thanks, Major.
Looking at that early artwork for M the W, if Walt went with that version, I suppose the hostesses would have preferred to use a different "seating arrangement."
Just imagine if we had gotten a thrilling "shoot the chutes" version of Monstro, instead? I'm glad that we got the version that we did!
Disneyland Paris is the only other park with a Storybook Land, but they do not have Monstro. Instead, they have the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin. Tokyo DisneySea has a shop inside of a giant whale, but it isn't Monstro. However, the whale does open and close it's eyes!
Monstro may have an attitude problem, but he sure is a fixture in Fantasyland. He looks like he is losing his lunch in the concept drawing. Check out the jaunty chapeau the guy in the IASW boat is sporting. Why, it's a fashion statement, I tell ya. Thanks Major.
The Prince of Whales!
K. Martinez, maybe I’ve just looked at too many IASW pix! I’m glad that you like it though, really. I guess that it’s a nice view as seen from the DLRR. Yeah, that Monstro picture though, I must have posted 50 (or more) very much like it over the years.
Lou and Sue, all it took was an awful virus to fix Disneyland’s overcrowding! You are right, there are plenty of pretty flowers in photo #2 that I didn’t even notice.
Nanook, I like it, it’s as if Monstro was a crime boss. “You cross him, and he’ll eat you. HE’LL EAT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY!”.
Lou and Sue, notice the little dotted lines showing where the boats would go; were they going to be on a rail? It’s not hard to imagine a boat sliding down Monstro’s tongue and hitting one of the other boats. Maybe they would be in a sort of canal, like the “Pirates” boats?
TokyoMagic!, I love the version we have, but I don’t think it would have been terrible to have a little thrill at the end! I assume that once you went inside the Cave of Wonders, there was heaps of treasure sparkling on all sides? I like the shop inside the whale, it’s playful and fun.
Jonathan, you try eating a couple of ships and see how cheerful YOU feel afterwards! No wonder he’s grouchy. Why am I having trouble finding the jaunty chapeau??
Melissa, I believe that he has stepped down from his royal duties.
I wonder what that green thing is stretched across the patch of grass? Power cable? Watering hose?
Both of today's photos are dear to me.
I have loved Monstro and Storybook Land for at least 60 years. Major I have probably saved all 50 of those Monstro photos.
I remember our first ride on IASW also, great fun.
Thanks for these cheerful pics today.
JG
If you come out of Monstro's mouth, how would you go in? Maybe that's why they ditched the plan in that concept art.
Maybe you had to jump down through the blowhole.
"I've Danced with a Man Who's Danced with a Girl Who's Danced with the Prince of Wales"
كيف تقى نفسك من كورونا
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