Tuesday, August 10, 2021

The MIghty Matterhorn, 1980s

"Photos of the Matterhorn? We've seen it three squidillion times! And from the 1980s? Don't make me laugh! Also, I'm walkin' here!". This is a direct quote from beloved movie star and nice person Keanu Reeves when I showed him a preview of today's blog post. Sure, it was a little harsh, but I appreciated his truthfulness.

First up is this pretty but unremarkable photo of you-know-what, taken as the sun turned everything rosy and pink. It makes me want a birthday cake in the shape of the Matterhorn, complete with a Skyway passing through it. (If I put that out into the universe, it will happen, or so I'm told).


This second photo was the real reason I shared these images with you - it's a beautiful shot taken just at sunset, with the sky still ablaze, but the Matterhorn itself is already tinted in cool shades of violet. The Skyway gondolas pass below us, which I presume means that the photographer was standing on the upper level of the Carousel Theater (where "America Sings" was still running). We even get a smidgen of the Monorail. 


As the sun continues to set, the Matterhorn turns into the Mountain of the Dead, with dark caves that look like empty eye sockets and gaping mouths. Do you dare to enter it??


16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fudgie? Fudgie? Where are you???
Actually that whole Mountain of the Dead thing would be a good Halloween overlay...the whole Night on Bald Mountain thing...Of course now they'll never do it because we mentioned it and lawyers and stuff. Oh well...

Nanook said...

Major-
And the Mickey balloon, and a spire from the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Thanks, Major.

DrGoat said...

Second pic is a lovely shot. With a fairy tale glow to boot. Definitely Desktop worthy. Every little detail.
Thanks Major.

Warren Nielsen said...

Major,

I think you have done this on purpose. After yesterday's starkness of black and white pics, you tantilize our retinal color receptors with the views you offer up today. Brilliant.

Obviously, most pictures are taken during daylight hours, but I am pretty sure we would all agree that any of the Disney parks take on a whole new aura as the sun sets. A different feel, charm and depth.

W

JG said...

Excellent views, Major. The Horn That Matters in the twilight is a whole different hill.

Photo 1 does resemble the Matterhorn Macaroon sold now.

Photo 2 is the capper, with a clear view through the Nostrils.

Photo 3 does look like a horror movie backdrop. I think Stu is on to something. Imagine (because that’s the key word now) what they could do with animated projections on to the mountain. Yet another Halloween overlay.

Did they stop running the bobsleds and Skyway at night? I can’t recall riding either in the dark.

JG

"Lou and Sue" said...

It makes me want a birthday cake in the shape of the Matterhorn...
Major, HERE YOU GO! Now all you have to do is tell us when your birthday is! ;o)

Cool pictures! Fun comments! Thank you!

JC Shannon said...

I can't get enough of pictures of the Matterhorn. It's kinda like Mark Twain shots, or craft beer, no two are exactly alike. As for the birthday cake, a great idea, save me a slice. Thanks Major.

Chuck said...

I have a feeling there is something unspeakable lurking in the lake at the base of the mountain. I hope Gandalf figures out the riddle and gets us inside before whatever it is gets Frodo. Frodo - it’s always Frodo. If this keeps up, he’s going to get a savior complex.

JG, I have clear memories of riding the Matterhorn after dark on the night of Saturday, November 19th, 1994. The darkness really made the blizzard effect on the lift hill “pop,” and the cold (it was around 35 degrees Fahrenheit) just enhanced the fantasy of racing down an Alpine slope in a clunky clone of WDW’s Space Mountain cars. The Skyway had already shut down ten days earlier.

All Mrs. Chuck remembers is it was cold and dark, and something about freezing in the tent that night until I reminded her there was a zipper on her sleeping bag.

"Lou and Sue" said...

Chuck, and I bet you can’t recall what you had for dinner, last night. ;o)
Btw, I feel like I’m on that Matterhorn with you - thanks for sharing that!

Anonymous said...

Chuck, thanks for the reminder.

I guess I just forgot, since I can't imagine not riding at night if it were available.

JG

Melissa said...

”Actually that whole Mountain of the Dead thing would be a good Halloween overlay...the whole Night on Bald Mountain thing..”

It’s the right shape; they could project Oogie Boogie’s face on it. Except now they won’t, etc.

It is a matty Mighterhorn indeed!

Major Pepperidge said...

Stu29573, Fudgie is there. Fudgie is ALWAYS there. Like Santa, he knows what we are doing. Wow, I’d love it if they added a big Chernabog to the top of the Matterhorn at Halloween time! Too much like the Devil though, it would freak too many people out.

Nanook, I wonder if that balloon is tangled on to the Skyway cable?

DrGoat, this photographer took photos of the park at sunset almost exclusively. Some are better than others, but the best ones are very special!

Warren, well it wasn’t on purpose, but the effect is still the same! Most places that we visit at sunset or nighttime take on a different aura, but the difference isn’t quite as spectacular at the local mall.

JG, there’s a Matterhorn Macaroon?? I was hoping you would mention the nostrils - I had to restrain myself. I think they could make a high-quality inflatable Chernabog, maybe even with some limited movement. Although the winds at the peak might make that idea not practical? No, they left the bobsleds and the Skyway running even after dark.

Lou and Sue, wow, so much for my original idea! Thanks to the link for the pix. While I like wishing others a happy birthday, I think I’m going to keep my own birthday a secret. For now!

Jonathan, all this talk of cake is making me hungry. Did I mention I am on a diet? No fun food AT ALL. One of those cakes in the photos Sue linked to looks like cookies and cream, which sounds pretty darn delicious.

Chuck, while I realize that the Balrog wasn’t at Mount Doom, the Matterhorn does look pretty “doom-y” here. I can’t remember where the Fellowship was when they entered the Mines of Moria. Maybe the mountains of Santa Monica? I almost always do a ride on the Matterhorn during the day and then again at night. You get some nice elevated views that are not possible anywhere else, these days (RIP Rocket Jets and Skyway). Wow, it was 35 degrees in Anaheim? Even at night, that’s unusual. I’m assuming that your long beard and mustache were covered in ice when you got back to the chalet.

Lou and Sue, thanks to my crack research, I know that Chuck had three-alarm chili last night. And corn bread. And a nice green salad (with a champagne vinaigrette). And home-made lemon bars for dessert.

JG, the lines seemed a little shorter at night, which was always a plus.

Melissa, I could almost swear that they did project Oogie Boogie’s face on the Matterhorn at one point. Or else I just read that somebody else had a similar idea? Or ELSE I am crazy?

Nanook said...

Major-
As hard as it is to believe, the low temperature in Anaheim on that date really was 35°.

And the coldest temperature recorded in Anaheim (since 1932) was 30°, on February 15, 1990 & January 30, 2002.

Chuck said...

Major, after six weeks in Haiti, it felt downright Arctic-ish. It was so cold, my wife broke off the ends of my mustache as we were sitting in the car on that iceberg. At least, I think that was me. Maybe that was Jack Lemmon. I get us confused - a lot.

And your powers of gastronomic observation are uncannily and frighteningly accurate. Except for the part about last night's menu.

Thanks, Nanook, for verifying my memory. I was too lazy to look it up.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, hey, it has gotten below freezing on rare occasions, and we’ve even had freak snow flurries. When I lived in Pasadena, we had enough snow on the ground to make little, very dirty snowballs. I’ve been to Disneyland when it was cold, but not THAT cold.

Chuck, another “Great Race” reference! I had no idea that that movie was so beloved. I get confused with Tony Curtis, people always have a good laugh when they learn that I’m not him. So what part of your meal was I wrong about? It was the cornbread, wasn’t it? I should have said hush puppies!

zach said...

I've already had one bad dream since I saw that spooky Matterhorn. Thanks, Major.

Zach