Sub Lagoon - Undated
Zoiks; today's photos are real snoozers. And they have weird color too - I couldn't do a thing about it. Remove the cyan cast to the whites, and it turned magenta. Remove the magenta and it looked too cyan. Add yellow and it looked... well, too yellow. I finally had to accept my failure and shame. Also, no Mattherhorn bobsleds are visible - the ultimate indignity.
Our Skyway gondola continues toward the Tomorrowland terminal behind us as the Nautilus continues through the lagoon before it dove to crushing depths in order to go beneath the polar ice cap. Hey, wait! There's a bobsled! All is saved - birds are singing, there is a rainbow in the sky, and random strangers wear smiles of deep contentment.
14 comments:
Well date wise these images would have to be sometime between 1959 and 1965. Judging from the guests garb .... I speculate it’s c. 1964. The skyway buckets are in the original 1956 shape , but some of the colors are the second series color schemes that rid the “outdated” metallic flake colors .... many of the colors from the repainted were later adapted on the new 1965 Fiberglas SKYWAY cabins.
In the first photo, you can see all the way through the mountain. That hole was put there to reduce drag, but it wasn't terribly effective; Tomorrowland continued to lag behind technological advances in the outside world. In a drastic effort to help Tomorrowland keep up, the Matterhorn was moved in its entirety to Fantasyland in the early '70s, but the project ultimately failed.
Mike, I'd never noticed that the original round buckets had changed paint schemes. I love it when I learn something new that's been right under my nose all along. Thanks!
I am loving these sub photos. The lagoon shimmers like a turquoise gem and whoo hoo, it's the Nautilus. As kids we always wanted to get the Nautilus in line for the subs, cause it was famous for being the first nuclear boat in the Navy. I can't remember if I ever got to ride it, but I don't think so. You may not know this, but whenever Major visits, because of his rank and VIP status, he is allowed to pilot the Nautilus. He delights boat loads of tourists with his nautical banter and quick wit. Avast there, Major and thank ye!
What? No mermaids? Darn. KS
Probably my favorite area of Disneyland is the area where the Matterhorn meets the Submarine Lagoon with the Skyway overhead. The first image is wonderful. Thanks, Major.
That was a nice challenge for a Sunday - to color-correct the photos! They looked pretty good when I made the Matterhorn a saturated purple. Othewise, I'm enjoying them just as they are. The garden areas at the base of the falls and by the "chalet" are especially nice.
Mike Cozart, those are all good clues; I only used the round gondolas as my main clue! I have noticed that the buckets went at least two paint schemes over their years; as you mentioned, the early versions were metallic, which I loved. Those coppers, silvers, golds, and even metallic blues and greens! The later examples had nice yellows and oranges and reds, still nice, but my heart is with the dated metallic colors.
Chuck, remember that the holes in the Matterhorn not only reduced drag, but they also produced a deafening, deep-noted whistle that you could feel. We’ve all seen the photos of the Matterhorn as it was placed on 10,000 pairs of roller skates so that they could push it over into Fantasyland. An engineering marvel!
Jonathan, I think that as a kid I was just happy to get on ANY sub after waiting in line. Patience was not one of my virtues. I do remember loving to watch the subs as the glided through the water, especially at night when they had the red lights on their conning towers lit. Usually when I go to the park I try to stay incognito because I am humble as well as good-looking!
KS, I know how you feel!
K. Martinez, I truly do believe that the Nemo Subs could go away someday, and while I won’t miss the ride that much, I will miss that beautiful lagoon. Thanks for alerting me that the first image did not enlarge when clicked!
Omnispace, these photos don’t look terrible, but like I said, no matter what I did to them, something else went wrong. I wish you hadn’t given them the idea to paint the Matterhorn a saturated purple!!
Major-
I wonder if the concrete 'opening', separating the rockwork, on the left-hand side of the first image is an underground pipe, connecting the Submarine Lagoon with the Alpine Gardens; as both areas use "Clear Water".
Thanks, Major.
Major, you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people like you!
The sun-dappled water in both pictures is gorgeous and inviting.
The hole in the Matterhorn was put there to reduce drag, but men just kept on wearing dresses anyway!
Nanook, I have NEVER noticed that opening before! I probably would have assumed it was like the things on the side of the pool that help keep it from overflowing (at least I think that's what they do). Now I'd love to know if it really went to Alpine Gardens (still the House of the Future in those days).
Melissa, thank you! It's not always easy to be a world-famous Disneyland blogger. Damn paparazzi! "....Men just kept wearing dresses anyway!". OUCH!
@ Melissa-
As I've mentioned before... Men will be women. As for Stuart Smalley - I can't quite picture him as The Major; but one can never be too certain.
Major-
You're referring to the pool skimmer - and some even have weirs at the opening. They perform the same function as the pool skimmer nets (attached to long, telescoping poles) - as the built-in units often have a screen or filter basket to prevent large debris from entering the main pool filter.
Nanook, I hope I'm not much like Stewart Smalley...
Nanook, yes, that is what I meant! My grandma's neighbor had a pool, she let us swim in it whenever we wanted when we visited for the summer, and I always wondered what that mysterious "drain" was for.
Any pics of the lagoon are fine with me, the color looks just right, Major.
I think you are right about the drain structure, but I think it is more like an overflow drain to dump excess lagoon water to the Matterhorn. I don't know much about the clear water system, but I think the lagoon is an independent and free-standing system due to the need for extreme clarity. Remember the story about the mermaids suffering due to the high chlorination?
I am not sure that the Alpine Garden and Matterhorn falls would need such highly treated water, and increasing the volume of that system would increase costs for chemicals and pumping as well, but dumping excess from the lagoon to that system makes sense, if the lagoon is a closed system. With such a large surface area, increase in volume during a rain could easily overtop the lagoon waterline otherwise.
Does anyone know where the treatment plant for the sub lagoon is located? I assumed it was part of the subterranean show building back behind Autopia, but never knew for sure. Maybe there is a basement under the Matterhorn near where the roller skates are stored?
JG
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