1989 Souvenir Guidebook! Part 4
It's time for PART 4 of a series of posts featuring scans from a 1989 souvenir guidebook, thanks to our friend JG!
We're continuing our look at Tomorrowland, with the old Star Trader store, Space Mountain (pre-"New Tomorrowland"), and the Mary Blair mural. I'd like to know who rides Space Mountain snuggled up to their sweetheart like those two weirdos?
Ah, the classic Rocket Jets, soaring high above everything (as rockets will do). I'd love to know who looked at this attraction and declared, "This needs to go".
Captain EO! This is a show that I never experienced. While I acknowledge that Michael Jackson was incredibly talented, I wasn't interested in this "4D" show. I finally watched the film on YouTube, and it's pretty rough - hard to believe that at the time, it was the most expensive film (per minute) ever made, because it looks cheesy as heck. And the story... hoo boy.
Star Tours had been around for a mere two years by 1989, but it was a smash from the very beginning. It was probably the first motion simulator attraction that most people experienced - little did we know that it would be a sign of things to come! Universal Studios Hollywood has so many motion simulator rides that one grows numb to the limited effects.
And now on to Fantasyland! The "old Fantasyland" was long gone. I'm happy that we still have all of the dark rides that are so essential (in my opinion) to the Fantasyland experience, even though many of them have been updated and changed, with mixed results.
Say, what are those funny things up in the air? They look like Igloo coolers for people. Storybook Land and Mr. Toad (and Merlin's Magic Shop) are still going strong.
Most of the things on this page are still with us, too; the Abominable Snowman has been updated, and the Subs have been taken over by Nemo and friends.
That's a nice view of Dumbo's Flying Elephants (taken from the Skyway?). There's one of those giant lollipops that I always kind of wanted, but know that it would have become a burden after about half an hour. "It's a Small World" had more blue on the facade than it used to, but this was before the multicolored pastel look.
More Fantasyland goodness!
And finally (for today), a very pretty look at the "New Fantasyland" - it's big and impressive, and the level of detail is amazing. If it wasn't for the Matterhorn, I might have thought, "That's not Disneyland!".
There will be one more installment coming, one week from today! MANY thanks to JG for sharing his scans!
22 comments:
Major-
That shot of the Rocket Jets is truly spectacular-!
Not so for Captain EO. Yes, it was a very big deal when it first opened. I was there for an early invitational screening, and at that time, it seemed to be a hit. Fast forward several months, and suddenly the moment when Michael Jackson first appears on the scene, turning to face the audience, and then proclaiming "We're going in-!", it was met with giggles and guffaws from the audience. It should've been pulled from The Park at that very moment.
Thanks to JG once again for sharing these images.
Today, I don't think you can stand on the "Sword in the Stone" anvil, unless you have paid the $50 up-charge fee, to do so.
I miss the old Harold in the Matterhorn (Is the new Abominable Snowman still called Harold?) I also miss the old bobsleds, but we have talked about the new ones before. It's such a miserably rough ride, now.
That aerial shot of Dumbo Flying Elephants is the old mechanism, before one of the Dumbo vehicles "fell off." I think that happened in the early nineties.
Thank you, JG and Major!
- Tokyo Marauder!
I second the 'emotion' concerning the Rocket Jets photo. Like Nanook said, it's "spectacular!" I'm trying to picture where it was taken from; the ride platform itself, next to the elevator?
I really enjoy the Olde World architecture in the New Fantasyland... but we lost so much. And my heart aches seeing the Skyway gondolas here, knowing that they would be ripped out, shortly.
So much color and movement here! Thanks JG and Major for another installment of this guidebook.
- Jaw-droppingly Bone-chilling
#1 Love that Space Mountain signage! And lookee that cute little girl in the polka-dotted Minnie Mouse skirt. Too bad she couldn't convince her similar-haired sister to join the Matching Club.
#2 An upskirt photo of the Rocket Jets, ooh la la!
#3 I didn’t get to see Captain EO in its original run, just the revival they ran at EPCOT around the time of Jackson's death. Most of the in-theater "4D" effects were missing, and I can't see 3D video, but I still enjoyed it. Very catchy tunes.
#4 Also never got to ride Star Tours, but the similar attraction at the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas was a blast.
#5 The color coordination of the kids meeting Pinocchio is a nice touch.
#6 Interesting that they were still selling the "New Mouseketeer" hats as late as 1989.
#7 Lots of Vroom! here. The three little kids in their cowperson hats and crammed into one Dumbo are too cute for words. Which, I guess, is why there's a picture of them instead.
#8 A bucket hat AND a giant swirly lollipop? That kid has it all! Also, interesting use of title case on "It's a Small World" instead of the usual all-lowercase. I have a friend who spells her name with all lowercase letters, but sometimes I forget and capitalize her.
#9 What do you know, I thought face characters were all wearing wigs by the late Eighties, but I'll be jiggered if that isn’t an Alice in her own natural hair. The kid hugging the Walrus is so sweet. I wouldn’t have been able to resist finger-combing that luxurious 'stache, either.
#10 I’ve always been fond of thise New Fantasyland garbage cans, with their folk-art style decoration.
Just an overall nice layout to this publication. And I notice that the copywriter has toned down the alliteration since the last one was saw here. There’s still the occasional “mighty Matterhorn mountain” or “stalwart steeds,” but it’s a lighter sprinkling. Many thanks to Jumping Goblin and Major Specterage!
-Hellissa
Love seeing this old guidebook once again. The "weirdo" snugglers in seat one of Space Mountain are Nancy Murray (former Disneyland Ambassador) and...the other guy...don't remember his name...seat two is Adrian from Marketing and ...someone else...seat 3 is Bob from Cast Communications (he produced the Disneyland Line) and someone else...it's hilarious to see how they appear to be "zipping" through the ride when I'm sure it was stationary when this photo was taken. The tumbling neon Mickeys on the Star Trader was a Tom Morris production...I was a little sad when the "de-Crumped" the Character shop..but the Mickeys were cute. It was always off-putting that one side of Tomorrowland was Lucasified...and the other still Blair-Kingdom...I suppose it just got worse anyway. Captain Eo! Well...we all had a chuckle with that one. Imagine sitting in the theatre with MJ and hearing the chuckles...at the time it was the most expensive film every made per minute. My thought was "and this is what you came up with?". Nice soundtrack though. I don't remember Dumbo's falling off, but I do remember that particular Alice in Wonderlands hair...which was real. The other Alice at the time who was photographed more also used her real hair. I forget her name, and all of those characters tried to get free popcorn and ice cream from me. They used it as a guest pity ploy...I would deny them, and the guests hated on me and then would buy them things...I don't know how they got away with that, but live and let live! Thanks for the photos JG and Major this morning!
Ah, more guidebook! What could be finer? (than to be in Carolina in the morning- but I digress)
1. The in-line seating at WDW's Space Mountain makes snuggling even better...unless the other passengers are stinky and sweaty, in which case Eww!"
2. The Rocket Jets are a great design, probably better than at WDW, alhough th WDW rockets have the distinct advantage of actually existing.
3. I, too, saw EO at WDW with most of the effects being non-existent. It was... something to do. I was pretty much completely underwhelmed. I thought it was because of the missing effects, but apparently not.
4. In addition to Star Tours, I actually rode Body Wars at Epcot. It was arguably an even better ride (combining Adventures Through Inner Space with Star Tours) but it got a bad wrap from the fact that the original film was slightly out of synch with the ride movements which cause a rather unpleasant reaction in many guests. It was soon fixed, but you don't live down being a barf generator so easily, it seems.
5. I like the look of the New Fantasyland, and would like to experience Pinocchio, but I wouldn't trade The Seven Dwarves Mine Train for it.
Great pics today, as par usual!
Stu-pefyingly Terrifying Monster with Random Numbers
Major, thanks for posting these with such interesting commentary. I just realized I didn’t provide any comments of my own, so you filled in quite nicely. I always wanted one of those big suckers too, but never bought one, it would have ended up on the floor of the station wagon covered with lint on the ride home since I don’t like candy very much.
Also thank you everyone else for chiming in, Melissa! Something for every photo! Thank you! Bu, thanks for the inside track, names and all. Adds a lot to the story!
And you are all most welcome to enjoy these. Scanning was not as big deal as you might think, with my new super fast scanner, the whole book took about 10 minutes. Hardest part is turning the pages.
We saw the Captain EO show on this visit when it was new, meh. Then, years later in 2015, the show was brought back for a brief run and we watched again. Oh dear, should have left it in the vault. My son, in his late 20’s by then, asked if he had seen it before (he was about 5, I think at the first round) and asked “who thought this was good idea?” Kids these days, no respect.
@Tokyo, not only $50 extra, but another hour wait as well, but you get a VIP seat next to a popular attraction of the 1950’s later ruined by modern “improvements”.
JG
Although I prefer Disney art to photos for my collection, these are pretty darn good. Major, in answer to your question, who thought it was a good idea to rip out the Rocket Jets, I have a theory. I bet it's the same yutz that: got rid of the Mine Train, thought the Peoplemover track looked better empty, cancelled Star Trek, (I just threw that in), and ate a large chunk of my beloved Rivers of America. Oh, and built a hotel you have to take out a second on your house to spend one night in. Thanks to JG and the Major for today's scans.
All right, Major - I’ll confess - it was me that looked at the Rocket Jets and declared, "This needs to go." But what I meant was that it should be spinning, a central visual component of a land on the move. Then Mike and Paul twisted my words all out of context and, well, you know the rest. There’s a reason I don’t hang out with those guys these days.
And wow - that Rocket Jets photo is spectacular.
Captain EO - even on my first viewing in 1987, I was kinda underwhelmed. It didn’t improve with age, although it didn’t get any worse, either.
The kid in the lower right on the 6th scan looks like he’s plugging his ears while his mom screams - or possibly prepares to eat him.
Actually, there’s something on the 7th scan that is no longer with us - short shorts on guys. And I am OK with that. What were we thinking?
Skyway buckets [heavy sigh].
Thanks again, JG!
Nanook, I remember that Captain EO was a big deal, but I was just never motivated to go watch a Michael Jackson show. But someone on a podcast (years later) said that the movie was available on YouTube at the time, and I watched it. Considering the talent involved, it’s almost like an MST3K-worthy experience.
TokyoMagic!, only rich fancy boys get to stand on the anvil, the rest of us are lucky just to get to look at it for free. I miss the old Harold too, the projection is kind of cool, but there was just something about that old AA figure. A Dumbo vehicle fell off??
JB, I assume that the Rocket Jets photo was taken from the ride platform, maybe the photographer laid down on the “ground” to increase the sense of height. I hate that we lost our Skyway, other rides have gotten away with a separate little building that shows a high-res video of the experience, but I guess that option wasn’t available back in 1994.
Melissa, when I took a tour of Cal Arts (when I considered going there), one girl in our tour group wore a polka-dotted dress. She sort of stood out as an oddball, I think I had an instant crush on her. The music for Captain EO is the only thing to praise! I wonder if they’ll still cram three small kids into one Dumbo? I used to have several vintage Disneyland bucket hats, but at some point I decided that I needed to thin out my collection, I don’t think I had one like that one in the photo. Alice looks like she could be in a shampoo commercial!
Bu, I am not terribly surprised that the people in that Space Mountain vehicle are cast members - so funny that the photo was taken while the rocket was not moving, still parked in the load area. Funny that they would actually call on a Disneyland Ambassador. And cool that you know some of the other folks. I did like the “tumbling” Mickeys outside the Star Trader, not even sure, are they gone? The fact that Francis Ford Coppola directed “Captain EO” shows that he must have done that job strictly for the dough. It’s SO bad. Can this really be the same man who made “The Godfather (parts one and two)” and “Apocalypse Now”??
Stu29573, I personally like not having the in-line seating; sure, it was great if you happened to be with your special someone, but if you had to sit with someone you barely knew, it was awkward. I like the “flying wing” design of the WDW Rocket Jets, but that might just be because they are novel. I feel like I could have come up with a more intriguing story line for Captain EO in an afternoon, but maybe not. I was always intrigued by “Body Wars” and thought it sounded like a cool idea. I didn’t know that people were getting nauseous on it!
JG, it’s OK, I figure you did all the hard work scanning the book, the least I can do is cook up some commentary. I’m sure I asked for one of those big lollipops, and my parents in their wisdom said “no”. Wow, 10 minutes for over 50 pages? That IS a fast scanner. Thanks again for your efforts!
Jonathan, now I need to know what sort of Disney art is in your collection! Are you saying that the Mafia was in charge of all of those terrible events? Darn Cosa Nostra! Sure, the drugs and graft and murder are bad, but removing the Rocket Jets??
Chuck, well I didn’t see that coming. Are you with the Mafia by any chance? “Mike and Paul”, ha ha. Your good buddies! I guess Captain EO is one of those things, you either loved it, or else it was like eating beets. You got through it, but you didn’t enjoy it. I remember when it came back after MJ’s death, there was a large contingent of fans on message boards who were ecstatic. And short shorts… a friend sent me a photo print which must have been from around this same era, I’m holding her baby and wearing ridiculous shorts, it’s pretty embarrassing.
Major-
That's what happens when there's too much talent: Michael Jackson; Francis Ford Coppola; and George Lucas. If they can get along, everyone figures the 'result will be greater than the sum of its parts'. That's rarely the case; and this is yet another example that disproves that axiom.
I was another wearer of short shorts. It didn't seem so odd at the time, but in retrospect... Oh Brother-!
Major-
And, hey... I will admit it took me a bit of time to enjoy beets, but I'm here to sing its praises. They really are quite delicious; and more-so than Captain EO ever was-!
Stu, random numbers are the scariest numbers of all! It's the age-old fear of the unknown.
Nanook, I wonder if it was one of those cases in which nobody could say “No” or “I think that’s a bad idea” to any of those three because they were all so GREAT? I don’t even think EO looks good, I mean as a visual piece of art. Again, cheesy as HECK. I feel like a creative person could have made a movie 100 times better on a tenth of the budget. Yes, short shorts were just a thing, we didn’t know how dumb they looked until later!
Nanook, I know people who swear that beets are good. Maybe I just haven’t had them prepared properly. They should be boiled for two hours, yes?
Melissa, I like random numbers, you never know what to expect.
Who amongst us is guilty of wearing short shorts (in the past)? JB timidly raises his hand.
What's this? The Major is throwing shade on beets? Tsk, tsk. I LOVE sweet 'n' sour beets (they called them Harvard beets in school lunches).
Take a can of sliced beets (pickled or not).
Add a little cornstarch for thickening.
Add sugar and vinegar and a pinch of ground cloves.
Heat till thickened and bubbly.
Serve with German sausage, pork, or poultry. (Sort of takes the place of cranberry sauce.)
- Jaw-droppingly Bone-chilling
I saw Captain EO at Epcot and am glad I did. (But of course, I skipped Universe of Energy... fail.) The thing I remember most was the floor of the theater "bouncing" up and down, which really impressed 10-year-old me. I did later find out that this "bouncing theater" effect wasn't part of the original movie and was repurposed from Honey I Shrunk the Audience.
Never saw Captain EO. Now I know I didn't miss much.
Love cold pickled beets! Just had some home-made ones, last night, that I purchased at the local pumpkin farm. Delicious. I think I'll have more, in just a couple minutes.
Would LOVE to see some of these fashionista photos mentioned in today's comments.
Thank you JG (Jumping Gila-monster) and MP (Mushy Pumpkin) for today's fun scans!
- Lou & Sue & Boo!
I think the saddest thing about Captain EO was that it ran for so long.
That show and the (possibly even worse) "Honey I shrunk the Audience" ran literally for decades.
We really should expect better from a "media" company, but I put it down to cheeseparing cost savings by the management team of that era.
JG
Andrew, I also saw Captain Eo in Epcot a few years ago when they brought it back. I assumed that the Honey I Shrunk the Audience show just reused effects from the original run of Captain Eo, I didn't realize they changed them.
I wasn't impressed either. It had all of the dark, clausterphobic atmosphere problems of 3D movies before digital projection, as well as the story problems of an Eisner-era celebrity project. "We need it to be a Michael Jackson video, but like "Return to Neverland" and appeal to kids"
JB, what can I say, I have never had beets that I enjoyed that much! But, because I have never liked them, I admit that I tend to avoid them. Sweet and sour beets, sounds interesting at least (I like pickled stuff). The ground cloves scare me! Can’t I have the German sausage (etc) with sauerkraut and potatoes instead?
Andrew, I’m glad you saw it at Epcot as well… better to experience it and know for sure whether it is a worthwhile thing, unlike me. I’m just a phony!! I heard about the bouncing effect, but I can’t remember if they had that in Anaheim as well as Florida.
Lou and Sue, try to find the film on YouTube, it will be an experience! You owe it to yourself to watch it at least once, and if you do I want to hear what you think of it. Cold pickled beets, well, I like pickled stuff as a rule.
JG, I actually liked “Honey I Shrunk the Audience” when it was new, but by the last time I saw it, it felt pretty creaky. I feel like the management wouldn’t let a show like that run for so long these days - you know, Paul Pressler’s penny-pinching and all that. Why put in something new when you can run the same thing forever at no cost?
Dean Finder, maybe they needed to get someone more edgy, like Martin Scorsese or Alejandro Jodorowsky!
JB, I love beets like that, good stuff.
Major, I’m with you, the “Audience” wasn’t really awful, but not good enough to watch every visit.
Check your email too.
JG
I would like to see "Honey I shrunk Captain EO". A mashup movie since both are such awesome IP. There was a rogue subversive employee movie called "Captain Eeyore"...have vague memories of it. Change Great Moments with Lincoln to Great Moments with EO. Perhaps that is going a wee far...
Post a Comment