Monday, April 26, 2021

Fantasyland, October 1981

I recently heard from GDB friend Peter (you know him as DrGoat); he is under the weather - you may have noticed that we haven't had any of his friendly comments lately. I told him that, with his permission, I wanted to encourage all of the Junior Gorillas to send him their best wishes. I'm so happy that the readers of this blog have formed a sort of family, and I know that hearing from you guys would do him some good.

For today's photos, I have some lovely 1981 shots of Fantasyland, courtesy of Sue B's father, Lou Perry. Sue provided these wonderful scans - and it was her great idea to use them today - she reminded me that 1981 was the year that Peter first visited Disneyland with his wife (though of course he'd been there many times before as a kid), I'm sure it was a romantic time. It seemed like a nice way to accompany today's post! It would be cool if Peter saw himself in one of these pictures, but I know that the odds are pretty slim.

Look at this lovely photo of Captain Hook's Galley (his galley was on a galleon). Chicken of the Sea flew the coop (see what I did there?) in 1969, taking my favorite mermaid with them. But at least we still had this fantastic pirate ship, and of course the Skull Rock lagoon right next to it was more beautiful than ever, with the lush plants maturing as the years passed.


Nearby is the classic Mad Tea Party. It's not really mad, it's disappointed! Just like all my teachers.  October must have been the time to go to Disneyland, look at that clear blue sky, and warm bright sunshine. Short sleeves for everybody! The color in all of these photos is very pretty too.


Who doesn't love a ride on King Arthur's Carrousel? Such a simple idea, but I try to ride it every time I go to the park, and it's always fun. You can see that all of the horses are white at this point. Hey, some of those people don't have short sleeves! I'm writing an angry letter to "Parade" magazine, or maybe "Reader's Digest". I always end my letters with the words "I am not a crank!", like Grandpa Simpson.


And finally, here's another gorgeous photo, looking across the moat toward the Wishing Well and Snow White's Grotto (note to self: buy a grotto). I can almost hear the ringing bells, and the sound of Adriana Caselotti's voice floating around us. Don't you wish you were there?


I hope that Peter is feeling OK, he's been such a good friend to the blog, sharing his personal photos with us over the years. And he's just a nice guy! Many thanks to Lou and Sue for today's excellent pictures!

33 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-
It's hard to believe with all the pictures taken of the Pirate Ship & Skull Rock, this view somehow seems different - and as such, quite wonderful. The full-grown tree doesn't hurt in adding a bit of newness to the image. Lou - you've outdone yourself-!

As for wanting (make that 'wishing') to be at Snow White's Grotto - yes I would - as long as I can borrow that gentleman's über-wide tie. (I wouldn't want to stand-out from the crowd, after all-!)

Peter - if this group can't make you "feel in the pink", I'm not certain who can. I would suggest at least one dose of the Good Major's Irreverent Comments, followed-up by one of Melissa's original poems or [as yet] unpublished set of lyrics to a familiar tune. That's just the tonic you need for a speedy recovery.

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

Awwwww, Peter (may I call you, Peter?).....I hope you are feeling better very soon! Please make sure that you are taking care of yourself, and please do follow your doctor's....and your wife's orders!

I wonder what day these were taken? I was backstage auditioning, and getting hired for the park's Christmas parade, on one of the Saturday's during that month.

The Welch's Grape Juice Bar is closed. Maybe this was a weekday?

Thank you Lou, Sue, and Major!

MIKE COZART said...

Peter ( DrGoat) I’m sure the well wishes and good thoughts of all of us here a GDB can help you feel better!!! And today’s pictures can help to with the healing powers of happy nostalgia.

Lou, Sue.... I love many periods of Disneyland’s history , but the period of the late 70’s and early 80’s really struck a chord with me growing up - and these pictures are a great documentation of that long past time frame - sadly gone forever except in pictures like these . And the quality is so nice.

In 1981 Disneyland is still glowing with crisp fresh paint and landscaping from its preparation of its 25th Anniversary in 1980.

Thank you Lou, Sue and Major.

And God speed Peter!!!

Budblade said...

I agree with nanook. That is a wonderful picture of captain hooks ship. It looks more “real” somehow.

That man in the grotto is the lookout for the scofflaw that is trying to get the pennys out of the wishing well. The wide tie always gives them away.

Great pictures Lou,Sue and Major! That threesome never fails to bring us good stuff.

Get well,Dr Goat!

Stu29573 said...

Get better, Peter! Rest up and come back stronger that ever!
These are (as usual) great shots from Lou!

In the first picture, the lady in white tries to look nonchalant after lobbing a cannon ball in Lou's direction. However, she clearly caught the attention of the lady in blue jeans. She is SO busted!

In the second picture, we have teacups (have you ever noticed that there is no tea? I blame communists.)

In the last picture, we are reminded that the wishing well used to be much much deeper. The kid is shouting encouragement to his friend who is about a hundred feet down. "Get the penny! No! Wait! There's a dime!

Good times!

Andrew said...

I like the picture of the Mad Tea Party with the Pirate Ship and Skull Rock in the background. Like most things in an amusement park, it's looks like it's just "on the midway" here, and you could easily skip over it. But it sounds like most people never did and have some fond memories because of that! Thanks, Lou & Sue and Major.

I'll definitely be thinking of and praying for you, Peter. I know that you will get better! When you do, we'll meet at the park to ride the train...

"Lou and Sue" said...

Peter, I'm sending a great big hug your way, along with lots of love and prayers for a full and quick recovery! We've missed you, here! I've especially missed you - you're my favorite goat! ;o)

Am running to work now, but will check back later to read all the comments from everyone. Have a great day!

Stefano said...

Best wishes to you, Peter! Love, and GDB, is good for the health.

This was a beautiful day in the original Fantasyland. In a couple of months, the Snow White ride and cartoon theatre will close and the Carrousel will move to the Teacups zone, leaving the rest of the area intact for another half year. Hard to believe 4 decades have gone by since then!

JG said...

Peter, hope you are reading these comments, best wishes for a speedy recovery. You are sorely missed by the Junior Gorillas!

Major, Lou and Sue, thanks for a big serving of the Doctor needs. Remembering good times at Disneyland definitely has a therapeutic effect.

JG

MRaymond said...

Peter, get well soon.

TokyoMagic was auditioning at Disney in 1981 while I was trying to figure all the electronics that the Air Force was making me learn.

I still couldn't help but look for me in the pictures just in case my evil twin was roaming the parks.

K. Martinez said...

Peter, Hope you are getting the rest you need and recover soon. We miss you here at GDB.

Sue, Your dad always does such a wonderful job capturing the feel and magic of Disneyland and any place you take us through your photos. Thanks again for sharing. Whenever it says "Lou and Sue" I know I'm in for a visual treat.

JC Shannon said...

Peter, I know two things. Gorillas don't blog, and you are going to get well soon. We need you back, or I fear we will all go through Goat withdrawal. My prayers and thoughts are with you my friend. Lou has what we photo junkies call "the eye". He can spot a great photo op at 700 yards. Other camera jocks fear him. Thank Heaven, he uses his powers for good. That being said, I too, love the Pirate Ship pic, what a gem. Thanks to Major for bringing the GDB family together every day.

Nanook said...

@ Stu29573-
I just noticed the lady in blue jeans appears to be enjoying 'a fine tobacco product'; and is that a Pooh Bear popping-up out of a shopping bag sitting next to her on the bench-?

Major Pepperidge said...

Thanks for all the good wishes sent Peter’s way, everybody!

Nanook, I agree, the Pirate Ship/Skull Rock view looks especially different - I guess because it was from near “the end”. That tree is unfamiliar to me, I wonder when it was planted? That guy with the wide tie sure is eyeballing us!

TokyoMagic!, sometimes Lou included information down to the actual day his photos were taken, but in this case all we have is the month and year. Good eye on the Welch’s Grape Juice Bar - wouldn’t it have been more likely to be open on a weekday?

Mike Cozart, you are like most of the folks reading this blog - this is the Disneyland that we remember the best, even if we’d been going for years at that point. When you’re a young adult, and can go without your parents, it becomes “your” park. And yes, the park really looks beautiful.

Budblade, the photo can only be improved by those grand, striped sails, but there’s no sign of them here. Not even furled up. I wonder if, by that time, they just dispensed with the sails completely? I’m sure they were pricey to maintain. While the man is looking for scofflaws, he’s missing that kid with the gum on a string who has already pulled out two quarters!

Stu29573, where did that lady get a cannon ball? At the cannon ball shoppe? When Disneyland first opened, the Teacups were full of scalding tea (Earl Grey, hot). But they realized that it wasn’t a good idea after two years. I never thought about wanting the wishing well to be deeper, but it would be cool if it echoed back to you, like the old “bottomless pit” in the caves of Tom Sawyer Island.

Andrew, once those teacups start spinning, it would be a lot harder to miss that ride! I wonder if they played that tooty Alice music back then, like they do now? I’ve always thought that the music must drive the nearby employees crazy.

Lou and Sue, I guess we can forgive you for going to work! But don’t let it happen again.

Stefano, I was thinking about how this version of Fantasyland wouldn’t last much longer - as much as I like most of the “new” Fantasyland, this old version still looks pretty darn good, considering. And yes, how can 1981 be 40 years ago?!

JG, if you are familiar with the Dr. Goat children’s book (illustrated by Peter’s uncle), this all feels very appropriate! We’re all coming together to help our pal.

MRaymond, I can’t tell you how often I wish I knew something (ANYTHING) about electronics. All those transistors and capacitors and tubes (I’m talking old stuff, of course)… I watch videos of guys repairing vintage radios and want to be able to do that! But it looks pretty daunting.

K. Martinez, when Sue suggested that I post some of her dad’s 1981 images, I remembered these beauties. They are just the thing! And just know that she has sent even more really nice scans to be seen in the future.

Jonathan, I think Lou always had an innate talent, but I have to think that taking thousands of photos has to make one a better photographer. He did the work! My friend Mr. X wrote me to say that he especially liked the Pirate Ship photo as well.

Nanook, that cigarette really stands out, considering how far away it was. I don’t see Pooh Bear though.

Stu29573 said...

Nanook, that's the right color for Pooh all right. If only there was some Hunny around, he would have popped right out of that bag!
Side story: We got our granddaughter a Pooh when she was a baby. Unfortunately, a couple of years later, Pooh flew the coop (we don't know where). We simply got her another one. To this day I don't think she knows that there were actually two Poohs...

Irene said...

Peter aka Dr. Goat, please get well soon and feel in the pink! These photos surely should do it for you today!

Ah, the pirate ship. Sure do miss it. Ate many a good tuna sandwich there and also found it to be a good spot to watch the fireworks from.

Great photos today Lou and Sue :)

Melissa said...

”(have you ever noticed that there is no tea? I blame communists.)”

Somebody must have bet all the tea in China and lost.

These are all A++ pictures, but I think my favorite is the last one; it looks so peaceful. The wide-tied feller looks like the ghost of Kurt Weill.

I forget there are places where is doesn’t storm snow in October. And April. (My boots don’t go into the closet until May 1).

I must have tried a hundred times,
But I can’t think of a way to say “Feel better soon, Peter” that rhymes.

Grant said...

Just a quick chime in to tell the good Doctor I'm sending positive vibes his way. Get well soon Peter!!

JG said...

I think the big tree by the Tuna Clipper grew up in that spot from a sapling, and I believe that this tree was the one moved over to the queue at Alice in Wonderland. I saw a video, or a before-and-after, not sure which, a long time ago that showed the Alice tree being relocated. It was a huge tree and saving it was highly desired by the designers, at least that was the story.

Also read a rumor that the Tuna Boat was originally going to serve a chicken sandwich, since Chicken is the "Tuna of the Barnyard".

Adrienne Barbeau is hoping for a cup of Earl Grey, before heading out to Escape (The Fog) from New York.

I want to ride the carousel, and I don't care what color horse I get, palomino or a paint would be fine.

And a great photo of the Snow White Grotto, one of (or maybe the) last quiet and tasteful parts of the Park. I love it so much, especially before the bridge rails were tarted-up with the goofy decorations they now sport. Yes, Major, I do wish I was there, every day, because Mom and Dad loved that spot.

At some point, I expect that the statues will be painted in bright colors inspired by the Castle and Main Street, Johnny Depp will be added to Snow White's face in some form of 3D projection, a penny crushing machine, a pin-trading counter, and a meet-greet with Cruella DeVille will take the place of the well, and reservations will be required.

The practice of throwing valuable things into wells is an innate human urge to placate the water spirits and pray for good luck. I read a book a while back about the archaeologic finds in ancient wells and springs in Ireland and Scotland, items going back to the pre-Roman era.

Dr Goat, I can't reach Snow White's well today, but I will wish for your continued good health and happiness in other ways.

JG

Kathy! said...

Dr. Goat, I hope you get well soon and are back to doing your favorite things in no time!

Thanks for the photos, Lou & Sue & Major. I like the cheeky skull peeking over the teacups in the second picture. (Can you be cheeky if you have no cheeks??)

Anonymous said...

Dr, Goat...I always look forward to your comments. Let's get back to full health...you are in my thoughts. Cheers, KS

Anonymous said...

Always great to see photos of the ship, whether it is the Chicken of the Sea or Captain Hook's.

Sending all the best wishes & prayers to Peter/DrGoat to get well soon.

-DW

Omnispace said...

What a wonderful set of upbeat photos. My favorite benches in font of the Pirate Ship! These remind me how close the attractions were to each other in the earlier Fantasyland, though at the same time how much it nicely matured.

Best wishes to you, Peter!

Sunday Night said...

Major - I don't remember any music on the teacups in the 70s which is probably the last time I rode them. Of course that was a long time ago.

JG - The last time I was at Disneyland (sometime in the 90s!), there was a Cruella DeVille character walking around Main Street doing her "Cruella DeVille bit". She was actually quite entertaining.

I love the sparse crowd. Those were the days.
Thanks again Lou and Sue.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Dr. Goat!

Major Pepperidge said...

Stu29573, I still don’t see Pooh! I wonder if your granddaughter could tell that it was a new Pooh, but was happy to have a new improved version!

Irene, I think the Imagineers didn’t fully think through how much guests would miss the Pirate Ship - I still can’t believe that it couldn’t have been relocated.

Melissa, “The wide-tied feller looks like the ghost of Kurt Weill”. Well if you say so! I know Kurt Weill by name and reputation, but not by looks! As much as I like seeing snow (such a novelty for someone in SoCal), I can’t complain about a beautiful, warm Autumn day.

Grant, thanks for chiming in!

JG, I’ve been away (getting my second vaccine shot), but I do want to look for other photos of the Pirate Galley to see when that tree showed up. I honestly don’t recall seeing it before, but then again, it’s a tree, and easy to forget. You might be right, it could have been moved from out in front of the Alice in Wonderland attraction. It looks like some sort of ficus, but… hard to tell. I think it would have been smart to offer at least one non-tuna choice for folks that absolutely can’t stand fish. I didn’t know that the bridge rails near the Snow White Grotto had been “tarted up with goofy decorations”, now I’ll have to look for that too. It’s pretty hard to find a fountain or a small pond that doesn’t have at least some spare change at the bottom. I grew out of the urge to throw away money, but I used to give my niece and nephew all the change in my pockets!

Kathy!, Skull Rock is another one of those features that I never tire of, in spite of the many photos I have. Not many are as pretty as the one’s Lou took though! Your “cheeky” query is one for smarter people than me. Does a zygomatic arch count as a cheek?

KS, I hope Peter will be back soon, just like you.

DW, I do love that ship, but as I said, I felt a disturbance in the force (or something) when the mermaid figurehead was removed! Stay tuned for tomorrow when I have a special guest post involving the mermaid relief sculpture on the stern.

Major Pepperidge said...

Omnispace, you’re right, these are real beauties, I am very grateful to Lou and Sue for sharing them. They remind me of the park that I loved so much growing up.

Sunday Night, I’ll bet you are right, and that the “tea party” music was added later - perhaps post-1983. I’d love to see Cruella de Ville, but have never lucked out. She’s one of my favorite villains. And yes, the sparse crowds make the park look so inviting!

TokyoMagic! said...

Progressland did a post about that very tree, 10 years ago. It is the same tree that now stands next to the relocated Mad Tea Party.

Close your eyes when he shows the picture of the Pirate Ship being demolished, if you don't want your heart broken:

https://disneylandcompendium.blogspot.com/2011/06/follow-that-tree.html

Peter, I'm still sending you good wishes for a speedy recovery!

Anonymous said...

Major- If I had a choice, the ship would always be the Chicken of the Sea, mermaid figurehead & all, but I would rather have Captain Hook's Galley than nothing at all...;)

-DW

JG said...

@Sunday Night, I did not know that there was a CdV character, I was just trying to think of something completely opposed to Snow White.

Thanks for that info!

JG

Melissa said...

I always imagine Skull Rock making gargling noises.

Chuck said...

Wish I'd seen the Park like this. No visits from 1976-93.

JG, you are guaranteed to get a paint horse. They're all painted.

Melissa, I know better from seeing him in person, but I sometimes imagine Skull Rock making Homer Simpson drooling noises and lustfully saying "mmmm...tuna..."

Thanks again, Lou & Sue, and special get well wishes to DrGoat, too!

Major Pepperidge said...

TokyoMagic!, wow, thanks for the line to Progressland’s blog post about that very tree! So cool. And yes, those photos of the destruction have been disseminated and distributed all over the internet by now, they are hard to look at.

DW, I agree with you 100%!

JG, I’d say that Cruella is a pretty good candidate for the “anti-Snow White”!

Melissa, yes, recorded by Walt Disney himself!

Chuck, wow, that’s a long stretch! 50 years if my math is correct. Yes, Homer drooling noises would be good. Maybe they could alternate?

Anonymous said...

@Chuck, now i feel better.

JG