More Views From The Peoplemover, November 1975
Today's photos demonstrate that not every photo taken from the Peoplemover is automatically a gem. But there are worse things to look at, right?
We've got an unremarkable view of the Matterhorn...
And an equally unremarkable view of the Sub Lagoon. Still, I applaud the photographer for taking too many photos instead of too few.
We're almost done with our journey, but before our train turns to head back to the station we get this glimpse of the entry to Tomorrowland, with the Plaza in the distance.
18 comments:
Silly Major, these are still really enjoyable scenes! I love the flowers in the last picture, especially. In that same picture, above the tree line, middle of the picture - is that the Disneyland Hotel peeking over the trees at us??
Thanks, Major, for another pretty day in Disneyland!
Major-
Hey - there're no waterfalls or water in the lagoon of the Matterhorn. Is that not unremarkable-?
Thanks, Major.
Third picture:
“As we exit the Circle-Vision theater you can see the heart of Disneyland : it’s the Plaza ; gateway to the theme-lands of the Magic Kingdom”
BJ Ward , PeopleMover narrator .
Photo bombing skyway buckets improve the scans immensely.
And the built-in benches among the flowers is a great touch. I'd take a nap but the two CMs would urge me along.
Thanks Major
Dz
Ok, I do like the "giant train layout" feel of the Matterhorn shot! The other two are fun as well, in an "I wonder what's coming next!" kind of way! Over all, B+.
Not sure what is unremarkable about today's images or why every photograph needs to be a "gem" to be worthy of our time. I think the first pic is pretty cool.
I love the Matterhorn image because it reminds me of my favorite seating area at the Tomorrowland Terrace. As close to the Matterhorn as possible. I loved dining and munching on my Moonburger and fries while watching the bobsleds full of riders racing down the tracks while the Skyway cabins passed through the heart of the Matterhorn. Great memories!
Thanks, Major.
I wholeheartedly agree with everyone. It's shots like these that bring out the wonderfulness of the stuff 'in between'. Even that middle pic of the lagoon and the skybucket is symbolic of our journey through life. Wafting through life in our little bucket, lucky if we have someone else aboard to share the ride with. Or you could jump overboard into the lagoon. Your choice.
Thanks for the narration Mike. Very cool!
They're all a winner Major. Thanks.
No bad pics in this lot, Major.
Looking at this spot now, the trees have really grown up.
I think the bobsleds might be shut down, along with the waterfalls. Seems like we commented about this on earlier slides from this lot. No "matter", it's good to see them all.
JG
The first pic is unremarkable, but it doesn't Matterhorn. The second is Sub par and because of the trees in the third, can it be called a palm print? Okay, I'll shut up now. The turquoise Skyway gondola makes it all worth it. Thanks Major.
Lou and Sue, there’s nothing wrong with these pix, they’re just not especially amazing! They’re “just fine”. And yes, that is the Disneyland Hotel!
Nanook, the lack of water is remarkable because it is the first signs that the mountain was infested with yetis. THIRSTY yetis.
Mike Cozart, nice! I have never heard the name B.J. Ward before, I guess I just assumed that the narrator was Jack Wagner. Obviously I didn’t put too much thought into it!
zach (no longer “dzacher”?), I am always happy to see the Skyway gondolas. In that second photo, notice the construction going on to the left, wonder what that was.
stu29573, I sometimes think that Walt considered his parks as the world’s biggest, most elaborate train layouts. Sure, the trains only went around most of the stuff, but then he would have smaller trains, like Casey Jr. or the Mine Train. Even the Peoplemover is a train.
K. Martinez, oh you know me, I want all photos to be the kind that make folks say “WOW!”. It’s more fun to be able to really dazzle the readers. But as I said to Lou and Sue, these are perfectly fine. The next batch from this lot has some “Wow-ers” though! Your description of sitting at the Tomorrowland Terrace and enjoying a Moonburger while watching the bobsleds makes me want to do that right now.
DrGoat, thanks! I am sure that most people who rode the Skyway found themselves looking at the things that they were supposed to be looking at, but if I could ride it today, I’d be concentrating on all the backstage stuff that is normally out of view. I’d be way too chicken to jump that far into water - even the 12 foot “high dive” at my school pool seemed too high.
JG, yes, the Matterhorn and Subs are both shut down, I suppose November was considered the “off season” after all. If they’re going to do maintenance, might as well do it when Summer is over, but before the Christmas rush.
Jonathan, you and Melissa need to team up! “Sub par”, ouch. If only the Golden Horseshoe needed writers today!
@JG - I believe you are correct about the Matterhorn being closed.
@Nanook - Not only is the glacier pond drained and waterfalls off, but if you look closely the E Ticket ride next door is closed too. The Subs are down for rehab. You can see both a diving buoy in the foreground. A sub with an open hatch just beyond the tree in the middle and a skiff hiding out next to those last three monorail pylons in the back right.
However, look at those amazing flowers and wide walkway welcoming you to... TOMORROWLAND!!! And look at that blue southern California November sky.
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
I see two CMs in Autopia outfits in the 3rd shot. Considering that they could have walked backstage closer to the attraction, I wonder where they were coming from. We weren't encouraged to be in costume milling though the Park, but it was generally overlooked back then. KS
Matthew, yes, if you go back and look at the other pix from this series (there were a lot of them!), the Matterhorn is definitely down for maintenance, as is the Submarine Voyage. I know they had to do regular maintenance, but it sure must have been disappointing to guests to not be able to enjoy those E-ticket attractions. Sure, there’s lots of other stuff to do… but those two rides were always on my “must do” list! It’s funny, I know that the original Submarine Voyage attraction was a little dated, but it captured my imagination. I think that if you see something like that as a kid, the feeling stays with you even though you can see more of the flaws as you get older.
KS, oh, good eye! I didn’t even notice the Autopia CMs, I love that detail. Now, like you, I am wondering what they were doing elsewhere in the park! Maybe they ate in the underground dining area in New Orleans Square.
Unremarkable view?! Did you not see that old dude in the red bell-bottoms with the gleaming white belt and shoes?!? Unremarkable view, my Aunt Fanny!
MAJOR; BJ WARD ( Betty Jane Ward ) did the Disneyland PeopleMover narration from 1981 till the attractions’s removal in 1995. Prior to that the narration was done by Jack Wagner from early 1974 - 1981. The narration was done by another gentleman from 1967-1973 and at the moment his name escapes me.... he was the main audio guy in the 1960’s and did voice overs for the ticket booths and most of the Tomorrowland attraction safety loads and even the morning Town Square announcements.
BJ WARD is almost every female voice heard in EPCOT’S Horizons, World of Motion, Space Ship Earth , American Adventure and is also the mother of the 1990’s ( current version) of The Carousel if Progress And the safety voice of It’s A Small World in English at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. And also some themed PA announcements over the TOMORROWLAND TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
Jack Wagoner was first hired to help with audio and some voiceovers for the opening ceremonies of Walt Disney World. Eventually he did the audio for the Florida fires works show and some announcents here and there- he was then brought on permanently to arrange back ground music for the parks in 1972 - and then became the “official voice of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
In the 1974-1981 PeopleMover Jack used his wife Maryalice to do the safety announcements heard overhead in the PeopleMover station.
Melissa, what is so remarkable about that outfit? I am basically wearing the exact same thing right now, only in lime green.
Mike Cozart, interesting, B.J. Ward came after Jack Wagner. And I feel bad that I assumed that B.J. was a man. I apologize, ladies. Hmm, I wonder if there is a record of the man who did so many spiels in the late ‘60s and into the ’70s? There is a B.J. Ward on IMDB, she’s done a TON of voiceover work! Quite the career. They do mention Horizons in 1983 and The American Adventure in 1982. Thank you for all of that great information!
I'm with K Martinez in seeking out good places to eat and watch the goings-on. One of my favorites in WDW is the patio area around the Flame Tree Barbeque restaurant in Animal Kingdom. I grab a table near the lagoon at the center of the park and get a postcard-worthy view of Expedition Everest (Florida's Matterhorn) as I enjoy my lunch al fresco.
@MIKE COZART - Holy smokes that is a lot of good information! Thank you.
@Major Pepperidge - Couldn't agree with you more about the subs capturing my imagination as a kid. The very fact that we cruised beneath the water and saw and learned things about fish and worlds we had only read about was truly amazing (even if a bit flawed when looking back)! And yes, two E-Ticket attraction down right next to each other... I bet every kid standing at the Ticket Booth was saying, "Oh man!"
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