Note: Some of you may remember today's photos from when the accidentally posted months early - way back in August, when I somehow managed to publish two posts on the same day! GDG friend TokyoMagic! alerted me to my screwup, and I quickly moved this one to December. There were already two comments at the time, and those were lost in the move (I'm sorry to whoever left those comments!). Hopefully you'll enjoy today's photos in spite of the intense drama.
I have a couple of very nice slide scans for you from the land of adventure, 1965 style. First up is this monkey's-eye view from the branches of the Swiss Family Treehouse, looking down upon the fabulous Jungle Cruise. One of the cheerful, toylike naphtha launches passes by mysterious, crumbling ruins. Who knows how many hundreds of years they've been here! Up some steps is a small temple with a brass (or golden?) idol, holding a large ruby. If you're thinking about absconding with the ruby, you might think twice, because of the numerous alligators guarding it. If you look carefully, you can see the giant spider lurking in its web, yet another guardian. And wasn't there a swaying cobra as well?
I'm always happy to see the Barker Bird outside the Enchanted Tiki Room - he's changed into his red plumage and is looking mighty spiffy. The straw boater is a nice touch. The young man in the lower right is holding a souvenir wall map, the last version with Sam McKim's wonderful artwork, sometimes referred to as the "1964b" version; it's the second map to have the 1964 copyright, though it is actually from 1965.
Like this!
Two posts in one day! Wheeeeeeee! ;-)
ReplyDelete"Who knows how many hundreds of years they've been here!'
ReplyDeleteTHE SHADOW KNOWS!
The Barker Bird is greatly missed. Your description of the temple and idol makes me think of "The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God."
Well, I see Melissa's and my comment were NOT lost in the move to December!
ReplyDeleteMajor, based on the J.C. pics that you posted within the last month or so, we now know that those three alligators would submerge, and then rise to the surface as the boats passed by.
In that second photo, we can see the face of Koro (partially blocked) inside the Enchanted Tiki Room's pre-show area.
- Tokyo Magi! (As in, The Gift Of The....)
Major, I guess that previous Jungle Cruise/Alligator post of yours, was from only two and a half weeks ago:
ReplyDeleteJungle Cruise April 1959
- Toky O. Henry!
That's a nice pic of the Jungle Cruise, Major. Very lush and colorful. When I first saw the photo, I thought it looked too high up to be taken from the Treehouse. But then I saw the tell-tale red leaves and- whaddyaknow, it was taken from the Treehouse! Still, it looks awfully high!
ReplyDeleteThe gators (crocs? If this part of the River is in India then they would be crocs, I think), anyway, the gators are lined up waiting for the boat passengers to toss them some sort of tidbit: maybe a chicken, perhaps a goat, definitely a couple of swans, or the occasional obnoxious boat passenger (always a special treat!)
Tokyo Magi!, haha. That's only one letter different from your regular name. Kinda neat!
Toky O. Henry!? MAKE UP YOUR MIND, PAL! Now yer just showin' off. You've got so many names lined up you can toss them out like candy at a Christmas parade. I'm jealous. ;-)
- Jump Boldly (into the wind. Reindeer flying practice.)
Although the specific angle is different, the first photo (which is eminently postcard worthy®) reminds me of both the Jungle Cruise and the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse pages from the A Fun-Filled Visit to Walt Disney World With Mickey Mouse pop-up book that I had as a child. I know I linked it in a comment about four years ago, but that link has apparently expired. Fortunately, George Taylor of Imaginerding and formerly one half of the Communicore Weekly duo posted a read-through of it on youTube earlier this year for you all to enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdbMiEY50LA .
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit disappointed with how the Barker Bird turned out. He looks nothing like a game show host. Despite that, I still wouldn't mind having a reproduction in my collection if the price is right.
Great pics of my wife's favorite attraction!
ReplyDeleteThe way to tell alligators from crocodiles is if they will see you later or after while.
(insert rimshot)
If the Barker Bird had jokes like this nobody would have blocked the path!
J. Boldly, ha, ha! I just thought I'd get that second name in there, since O. Henry wrote "The Gift of the Magi."
ReplyDeleteChuck, My favorite part of the Barker Bird's spiel was when he would say, "This is the Barker Bird reminding you to help control the pet population...have your pets spayed or neutered!"
Major-
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel more guests should be required to take pictures looking down. The things you can see... Seeing the 'gators lined up in a row makes me think they're about to break-out in some sort of synchronized dance routine. (So much for high kicks, though).
You do have good eyes-! With the flimsiest of clues, you identified that map.
Thanks, Major.
I would grab that ruby, squash the spider, evade the snake, and run across the crocagators like stepping stones, James Bond style, then commandeer the boat for my escape, and run off with a pretty tour guide, using my map to navigate to the Tropical Hideaway for a G&T.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my dreams at least.
For years, I thought the Barker Bird was a dream, packed away in one of Carol Merrill’s boxes. I’m relieved that he wasn’t a hallucination.
A fun post, Major. Thank you!
JG
TokyoMagic!, wheeeeeee indeed!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, thank you for the poetry!
TokyoMagic!, I’m kind of amazed, because I think in the past, old comments would have been deleted. Not by me, by Blogger. I was aware of the crocs submerging and rising out of the water, but in the first pic, you can see there there was even another set of crocodiles to the left of the more visible trio. Good eye on Koro, and of course we see Uti as well!
JB, I love those reddish leaves, it would be all too easy to just make them green, but there are ficus trees that have leaves tinged with red. It just adds a nice variety to the Adventureland jungle. I wonder if that first pic was taken from the highest point in the treehouse? And yes, you are right, I should have said crocodiles, not ‘gators.
Chuck, there’s just something about an aerial view (or is it an arboreal view?)… the funny thing is, as far as I know there was never any official Disneyland postcard issued with that scene. I used to be a fairly avid Disneyland postcard collector! I used to listen to Communicore Weekly, but sort of fell off of many of the Disney park podcasts - I’m surprised that George is no longer with the show. Thank you for the link to that video, I was unaware of that book. Would you rather have the red Barker Bird in your collection, or the blue one?
Stu29573, nyuck nyuck, I love a joke that needs a rimshot afterwards. Maybe people would have thrown rocks at the poor Barker Bird… nobody wants that.
TokyoMagic!, this nickname thing has taken on a life of its own. Who knew. I’m kind of glad I stayed out of it, I’d be exhausted trying to come up with a different nickname every day! Remember when the Barker Bird told us to “Just say no”?
Nanook, for some reason your comment reminded me of a sort-of-recent visit to Universal Studios, in which they had a “Fast and Furious” display of cars on robotic arms performing a “dance routine”, it was real dumb! I think even our tour guide sounded embarrassed. Also… love those maps!
JG, instead of squashing the spider, why not try reasoning with her first (you know it’s a “her”)? “Listen, you want bugs, I want Burmese rubies… there’s no need for violence”. Although your scenario is much more action-packed and exciting! Ah Carol Merrill, where is she today?
Major, if given the choice, I'd probably pick blue, but I'd be all right with either. You can give me whichever one you're tired of.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I think the crocs were sequenced animation, the one (or more) to left were seen first and the guide spiel gives a warning, then as the boat passes the rocks, the “3-in-a-row” crocs rise to the surface as the punch line. At least, that’s how I remember it, reminiscing on the patio of the Tropical Hideway. Hopefully KS can confirm.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a luggage joke in there somewhere.
I doubt that spiders could be reasoned with, it didn’t work for Gollum.
Chuck, that view is familiar because a similar shot was in the famous National Geographic article.
JG
“You can see those crocodiles are now tanning, in preparation for their future retirement travels...as luggage.”
ReplyDeleteOk, I’ll leave.
Major-
ReplyDeleteI don't know what [and where] Carol Merrill is doing these days, but HERE's an unpolished interview on Late Night with David Letterman from the first year.
JG, it has been 14 years since I last saw that article, but that is jogging a memory. Time to scour the interwebs for a digital copy.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the original two commenters, and I still have no memory of this post! I guess this is the day I officially cop to being old.
ReplyDeleteI love how the United sign has been weathered to fit in with its surroundings. It's one of those little magic touches.
Tokyo, did the Barker Bird really include Bob B.'s sign-off in recent years?
ReplyDeleteNanook, the alligators in Fantasia managed some pretty nifty dance moves! Maybe no high kicks though.
JG, When does that movie open!? I wanna see it!
JB, no, the Barker Bird didn't talk about spaying or neutering pets. I just said that because of Chuck's B.B. reference.
ReplyDeleteNanook and JG, Did you know that Carol Merrill's niece is Carla Gugino? Carla Gugino starred in the film, San Andreas with Dwayne Johnson. And Dwayne Johnson starred in the film, Jungle Cruise. See, it all comes full circle. Sort of.
Major, I didn't notice those other crocs, hidden by the foliage. Thanks for pointing them out. And not only did the Barker Bird tell us to "Just Say No," but there was that one week, where he reminded guests to be sure and watch "a very special episode" of Different Strokes.
Chuck, they are like my children, I can’t pick a favorite Barker Bird. Also, my children are parrots.
ReplyDeleteJG, your memory sounds like it is probably accurate! I’m impressed, I barely remember getting dressed this morning. Oh man, I’m only wearing my underwear! NOT AGAIN. You make a good point about Gollum, but then again, he was a weirdo. Hmmm, I guess I need to go and look at that 1963 issue of National Geographic, it’s been a while.
Lou and Sue, now I’m picturing crocodile-skin luggage with tan lines.
Nanook, gosh, she’s so pretty!
Chuck, I used to have three or four copies of that issue of NatGeo, but they have all vanished. I suspect the Illuminati is involved, but as usual, they have covered their tracks.
Melissa, ha ha, that’s OK, it’s not like seeing today’s post was something you needed to commit to memory. Save those brain cells for song lyrics!
JB, I can’t help appreciating Bob Barker’s love of animals; who can argue with that cause? As a kid that “Dance of the Hours” sequence kind of bored me, but I like it a lot more now.
TokyoMagic!, it's funny, now I think I see an actual family resemblance between Carol Merrill and Carla Gugino. It's "Six Degrees of Carol Merrill"!
ReplyDeleteChuck, I have a PDF of the Nat Geo article I can send. I found the picture online I was thinking of, but the links were weird and couldn’t post it.
ReplyDeleteJG
YES! I remember looking down from the treehouse and seeing three crocs in a row, one occasionally opening his mouth whether a boat was passing or not. I may have mentioned that on one of your earlier Adventureland posts.
ReplyDeleteStill have a crumbling souvenir map, featuring the long-gone Holidayland and the never-arrived Edison Street and Liberty Square. It was not something you'd post on the wall but spread out on the bedroom floor to obsessively study. Decades later I'd be equally obsessive with the Birnbaum Official WDW Guidebook, counting attractions of interest and calculating what the per-ride cost would be with a passport.