As much as I love a good 35mm color slide, there is still something nostalgic and appealing about old photo prints, like today's snapshots from August of 1968.
This is a neat one featuring a steel band performing in the partial shade of a large tree. Those ringing, percussive sounds make me feel like I'm relaxing on a sandy beach with a cool beverage in a coconut! In the distance we can see the Tahitian Terrace - I thought it still had the sign indicating the Stouffer's sponsorship, but now I think the sign just says "Adventureland".
Now we're in nearby New Orleans Square, and the Strawhatters (I believe) are serenading guests from the second floor balcony of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" building. How cool! Do performers ever appear up there anymore?
And lastly, let's all enjoy this photo of the original Swiss Family Treehouse! I feel like I say the same things about it over and over (red leaves, Rube Goldberg waterworks), so this time I'll let the picture do the talking.
I hope you have enjoyed today's vintage snapshots!
Major-
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to figure out if that steel drum band has become the 'object' of that Kodak Picture Spot, or if they've simply hogged the proper vantage point while serenading guests...
Thanks, Major.
Babushka sighting in #1!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about this before, but I am now wondering if the Swiss Family Treehouse had a storage room, or any kind of room, on the inside of it's main trunk? It would be a good place for a break room or bathroom.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the Jungle Cruise had the drums over the entrance. (Upper right corner of the first pic.)
With the exception of special events -like Pirates 40th anniversary, I don’t think any musical performers have used the entry balcony- mainly because of the two entry stairs for the Royal Suite / Disney Gallery.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic - there is no human accessible space in the center of the Swiss Family Treehouse - there is a pump control back behind the kitchen for the stream in front. In 1973 the treehouse received an all new electrical system and its master control box was located behind the outdoor “map room/library” . I do not know if these controls were relocated or moved for the Tarzan Treehouse.
Right after the second picture was taken, the photographer turned around and shot a picture of the Mark Twain. ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's barely related, but here's a fun Daveland picture of the old Jungle Cruise entrance with the ingenious Treehouse construction in the background.
Nanook, I assume that the photographer wanted to capture a photo of the steel drum band, but maybe they just liked that tree!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, it took me a minute to find it!
TokyoMagic!, hmmm, that’s an interesting though. “I’m going to the bathroom inside a tree! Of course I used to just “go” from the upper branches when nobody was looking. You know those Robinson boys did the same thing - there were tigers down at ground level.
Mike Cozart, interesting; I have never seen another photo of the Strawhatters performing up on that balcony, perhaps it was a very short-lived thing. Maybe because the lines for the new “Pirates” ride were so long? Thank you for the info about the treehouse, as soon as TokyoMagic! asked the question, I thought, “I’ll bet Mike Cozart would know”.
Andrew, that is a good guess, but (astonishingly) I don't believe there are any photos of the Mark Twain in this batch! There is one of the Columbia, however. Thanks for the link to that Daveland photo, I've seen it before, but it is a real beauty.
ReplyDeleteLove these old snapshots too. Really like it when there is writing on them to identify the occasion. My parents used to write on the back.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering about the blue shirt, far right, in the first photo. Isn't that an employee checking things out?
Thanks M.
In my many fantasies of living in Disneyland, I think it would be a hoot to spend the night in the tree house once in awhile. I loved the movie when I was a kid. Great unusual pics today, thanks Major.
ReplyDeleteThese are some new takes on old favorites, Major. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteIf there wasn't a bathroom inside the Tree, there should have been. Major,your solution is appropriate for the rain forest. And yes, my first thought was also "Mike Cozart Would Know".
The old front of Pirates was nice, before the fancy balconies, stairs, and the spiral queue. The spiral is a brilliant solution to the crowd, but it is hard to appreciate the facade with the huge tree in the way. I don't ever recall seeing musicians up there, but they should do that more often.
The fellow in the blue shirt does look like a JC CM enjoying the calypso show. I don't remember this music in the Park either, but it seems appropriate.
Andrew, thanks for the link to the Daveland photo, Tokyo would appreciate that my Mom used to be afraid there were snakes in the thatch covering. Probably because Dad teased her that there were. Probably also why I never got a rubber snake from the Bazaar. Note the scaffolding in the Dave photo, is the Tree under construction or just being refurbished? Probably had to add new leaves every autumn.
@JC Shannon, we went back to watch the movie recently (on Disney+), it's still good. I kept thinking of Hawaii 5-0, and that Lucas stole the ending for re-use as the Battle of Endor.
JG
DrGoat, I also like it when there is writing on the back of a photo, sometimes the writer tries to be funny. I also like it when (in the case of Disneyland photos) the writer is incorrect, calling the Skyway “little air cars” and such!
ReplyDeleteJonathan, they should permanently close Tarzan’s Treehouse and turn it into a “Dream Suite” for VIPs! I’ve heard that they leave the sound effects for the Jungle Cruise going all night long, that might make things interesting when you want to sleep.
JG, I agree, the spiral stairs is a good way to deal with crowds for “Pirates”, but I sure don’t like the way they look very much. I wonder who came up with that as a solution? Seeing photos of the building when it had nothing in front of it almost looks weird now. “Something’s wrong!”.
Your mom’s fear of snakes in the thatch covering is funny. I had an aunt in Minnesota (the nicest person in the world) who was terrified of bats because she believed, for some reason, that they would land in her hair. ??? I’m certain that Daveland’s photo was taken during construction of the Treehouse, I only have one ”just OK” photo in which it is at a much earlier stage.
I have a vague memory of a staircase inside the tree in the 1970s Martin Mull Swiss Family Robinson TV series.
ReplyDeleteJG, that sounds so backwards since most trees add new leaves in the spring, but it makes sense after being subjected to bright SoCal summer sunshine.
Mike Cozart is The Man.
In that first shot, it does appear it is a JC CM. Likely in the 'Crowd Control' position of a rotation to ensure that guests can enter into the queue by keeping a 'lane' open from those blocking it watching the entertainment. It was a pretty congested space and traffic flow could get jammed up quick even back then. KS
ReplyDeleteMake that "...in the 1970s Martin Milner Swiss Family Robinson TV series."
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, I agree with Chuck that you are ‘The Man,’ but I now can’t get the picture of you in saloon feathers - out of my mind. Am giggling now!
ReplyDeleteSue
Chuck, I think I would really enjoy Martin Mull's version of Swiss Family Robinson. Run it right after Mary Hartman Mary Hartman.
ReplyDelete:-)
ReplyDeleteChuck, I have no memory of a Swiss Family Robinson TV series, was it one of those syndicated things that would air on channel 11?
ReplyDeleteKS, interesting, I thought it was just a guy who happened to be wearing a “tapa cloth” shirt - not beyond the realm of possibility. But… we are in Adventureland after all, so it probably is a cast member.
Chuck, oh, ha ha, I was trying to picture Martin Mull as the head of the Robinson household! “What strange casting!”.
Lou and Sue, poor Mike never dreamed that one photo of him with that feathered adornment would haunt him forever!
DrGoat, hopefully Fred Willard would have played at least one of the sons (if not all of them), and Louise Lasser could be “Mama”.
Chuck, I’d watch the heck out of that!
Major, Swiss Family Robinson was on ABC opposite The Wonderful World of Disney on NBC, so I'm sure a lot of us here didn't watch it. I only caught a few episodes because a friend was absolutely crazy about the show and either WWoD was showing something I'd already seen or I was trapped at his house.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that's not the first time I've made that name switch. Probably something subconscious. Now I'm imagining Martin Mull and Kent McCord in Adam-12.
The stairs leading up to the Pirates balcony was part of a two task project. It was created by imagineer Tony Baxter. It included the secondary Disney Gallery entrance - and the pirates bridge for crowd control.
ReplyDeleteWhile the The Royal Suite above Pirates for Walts new apartment was designed , it was never used as apartment, it was used. In the early 70’s it was INA INSURANCE’s vip lounge. After they left Disney the suite was used by the Tokyo Disneyland planning group ( they originally occupied the old Monsanto vip lounge but out grew it) knowing that the TDL group would be moving to another larger group combined as Disneyland International, WDI wanted to find a way to open the space to Disneyland guests. At this same time a new Disneyland preview center and a gallery combination was in development and that turned out to be the Royal Suite’s new occupant : The Disney Gallery.
At the same time the major guest traffic bottle neck in front of The Pirates of the Caribbean was being addressed. Do you all remember how bad it it used to be? The long entwined line of Pirates right in the middle of all the cross traffic of people leaving New Orleans Square and Bear Country and all the guests trying to enter those areas !! It was awful!!! And with Splash Mountain coming WDI knew it was gonna get worse . So the Pirates Guest bridge and que courtyard was developed to remove the pirate line from the guest traffic flow.
At the same time for fire safety the Gallery upstairs would be required to have two guest entry - exits . Technically the gallery/ Royal suite had three entrances already one the main entry from the Royal Courtyard and two smaller cast service entries. But another larger guests entry was legally required .
So tony Baxter came up with the two sweeping entry stairs for the gallery to be Combined with the traffic flow pirate bridge : and that is what has been there since 1987.
Personally I hated the stairs and how it make the pirate entry look clunky and overdone , but it was really the only way to get the second entry/exit for guests and comply with fire safety. Also it helped bring traffic into the gallery: who didn’t want to climb those stairs for the view and see what was up inside that pirate building!??
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go press my headband feathers.
Mike...Having worked Crowd Control on Pirates in the 70s I well remember the maze we would create in front of the facade to contain the line...that is after we opened the doors along the east side of the building which was the initial expansion for guests. I recall on very busy days adding ropes beyond the existing stanchions in front which would extend all the way into Adventureland..almost to the entry to the to the JC. KS
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