Walt Disney World
I had a completely different post ready to publish today, but luckily for me, Sue B. reminded me that today - October 1st, 2021 - is the 50th anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World. Uh-oh, time to pivot! As it so happens, Sue also recently sent me some beautiful photos taken by her father, Lou Perry, during his visit to WDW in September of 1972... the park was less than a year old.
First up is this nice detail of one of Main Streets shop windows - but which shop? I sure have no idea. I would have guessed that it was the Emporium, but I don't think that's correct. There's an interesting assortment of antiques, from a phonograph, to kerosene lamps, to vintage prints. And maybe a Ronco Chop-O-Matic.
Here's a wonderful view looking north on Main Street toward the Plaza and Cinderella Castle. This hazy autumn day is wonderfully uncrowded.
I absolutely love this shot of one of the Keelboats, possibly just being brought out from backstage (?). A cast member is putting the little craft through its paces to make sure it's ready to ferry thousands of guests around the Rivers of America. Frontierland looks so wonderfully scraggly and undeveloped!
It's a little early for ice cream. Wait, what am I saying? There's no such thing as "too early for ice cream". Instead of Carnation, the Magic Kingdom had Borden as a sponsor. Note to self: buy red polyester pants, and use a white belt to hold them up. (Should I have white shoes as well?).
Next is this nice shot of the two-level landing for the Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat. Quite impressive compared with the relatively simple structure at Disneyland. I think it's actually pretty clever the way guests would load on one level (the upper level I believe) and unload on the other, speeding up the process.
And finally, I particularly enjoy this shot of a Horse Drawn Streetcar, as crowds of people give some love and rubs to one of the beautiful Belgian Draft Horses. One little kid proudly wears some Mouse Ears. Everything was so new and wonderful!
Happy 50th Birthday to Walt Disney World, and many thanks to Lou and Sue.
46 comments:
Major-
All these images bring back great memories from when the Park was still so new and fresh.
Is that lady in the pink outfit in the 2nd picture wearing gold [or silver] flats-?
The Keelboat shot is a real keeper. You want space in the Magic Kingdom-? You got it-!
Of course the gent wearing the "red polyester pants and white belt" is sporting white shoes... It's the law-!
Thanks to Lou & Sue (& The Major) for a more memorable and sane way of celebrating WDW's 50th.
Yes, Major....you should have white shoes, as well. Just make sure they are white leather shoes, like my dad used to wear.
That shop is a part of the Emporium, as seen here in this Google "street view" from 2016:
https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4172486,-81.5811869,3a,52.5y,257.7h,100.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szXjdmWY-KJXxaAdtPDjqrw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
These early WDW pics are all great! Thank you Lou, Sue, and Major!
Red pants seem to be the theme today. In the second pic, there are no fewer than 4 guys wearing red pants, plus several ladies wearing pink. Blue T-shirt guy's pants are the color my hands get when I'm picking/eating blackberries. And the guy/teen to his left is wearing matching red (cranberry?) striped shirt and pants.
Major, I'm still looking for the Ronco Chop-O-Matic in that window display. I've found a Pocket Fisherman and an Egg Scrambler but no Chop-O-Matic.
A couple of my brothers and I visited WDW in '77 (or was it '76?) Our family went to Disneyland a year earlier and the memories tend to intermingle.
Nanook and Tokyo! are right about red pants/white belt guy wearing white leather shoes. That's just the way it's done.
Thanks Lou and Sue and Major too.
Interesting there are no passengers on the Keelboat. Have you ever see the early yesr photos of the two Keelboats being used out on Bay Lake in the mornings to help ferry newly arriving guests from the Ticket and Transportation Center over time the Magic Kingdom! ?? CRAZY!
Notice there is no Tom Sawyer Island yet .... it was named South Island and Wilderness Island ( North Island) until 1973.
The Riverboat landing in Liberty Square is beautiful and very efficient in loading and unloading guests. The structure is a WED blend of about four structures in Williamsburg VA. Only one other Liberty Square structure is a “lift” from Williamsburg and that’s the West facing exit to the Hall of Presidents show building. John Hench wanted to avoid replicating structures from Williamsburg because they are so recognizable. But The Hall of Presidents ( Liberty Hall) is almost a duplicate of Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia....oh well.
Happy 50th to The Vacation Kingdom of the World!!
These are some great photos – thanks Major, Sue and Lou! And thanks for the info on the Liberty Square architecture, Mike. I wonder if today's imagineers would be that conscientious when it comes to not copying well-known buildings? The 1970s fashions are particularly good here. Conspicuous amongst all the colourful clothing, is a pair of sailors in their white uniforms at the far left in that last photo – a somewhat rarer occurence at WDW than in Anaheim.
Cornsarnit! Had intended to send some WDW 25th anniversary photos & souvenir pics to you and/or TM! to see if they might provide grist for a post around the 50th, but the date snuck up on me. The past month has been a bit of a blur. Oh, well. There’s always the 75th…
The second photo documents the MK’s fatal design flaw. The Tobacconist is on the wrong side of the street and positioned too far from the cigar store First Person.
The last photo is sporting no less than two Skyway gondolas, two (possibly three) topiaries, and at least five sailors, but only one trash can, which ironically is less than 10 feet away from the only piece of visible waste paper. Some people…
Mike, I remember noticing on my honeymoon that the exit to the Hall of Presidents was obviously based on Williamsburg’s Hall of Burgesses and took a picture of it. Because that’s the sort of thing everybody does on their honeymoon, right? I may have a problem.
Thanks again, Lou, etc., and happy birthday to the Magic Kingdom and the World around it!
I was hoping you'd remember this day, Major - I'm glad Sue reminded you of it! These are excellent pictures by Lou.
I can finally look at GDB pictures at school. I guess that lengthy complaint letter to the principal worked.
Happy 50th, WDW!
Thanks Lou and Sue and Major. Lou has the eye and the hand for fine pictures.
I see that Main Street has the same fascinating series of trash cans, I can count 6 in the pic with burgundy-pants guy.
Yes, 1972 fashion law states he must wear white shoes and belt with that rig. I had almost the same exact outfit around this time: burgundy pants, white belt & shoes, and a short sleeve shirt with a baroque striped pattern. Except for my longer hair I might have been that guys twin.
JB, I think I can just see the handle of a Ginsu knife in the shop window. Let’s go cut up some tin cans!
JG
Great pics, thanks Lou & Sue. Although I've never been to WDW, this is the time period I would have liked to experience.
I agree. That pic of the Keelboat is pretty neat. Looks a bit like a landscape in oil by some late 19th century American painter.
Never had the white shoes, but Dad had a few pairs. Around then, cowboy boots were the fashion in Tucson with the Buffalo Springfield crowd. A nice pair of Tony Lama boots and you were in like Flint.
JB, that cranberry striped shirt reminds me of surfer shirts from the 60s.
Thanks Major and thank you Lou & Sue. Wistfully wishing I could step into that Main Street scene right now.
The Keelboat pic is my favorite. Love the yet to be Big Thunder Mountain area in it's early flat stage with the real wilderness just beyond the railroad tracks. Not possible in Anaheim which is urban.
Happy 50th Walt Disney World!
Oops! For to say thank you! Thank you, Lou, Sue and Major too! Love these pics! Anything 1970's WDW is magic to me.
Now this is the park that I know well! Not much to add, though. If you ever wondered what the Swan Boat loading station looked like, it was the same style as the Green Roofed structure in the last pic. In fact, at first glance, I thought it was it, but I soon realized that 1. It's in the wrong place, and 2. It's too small.
Interestingly, the Swan station was there for years after the ride had closed and was, in fact, a great place to catch a non crowded view of the fireworks (full disclosure, they were a little "off centered" with the castle, but the lack of crowds, plus being able to sit comfortable while watching more than made up for it). Now, of course, it's gone, along with most of the beautiful green lawns around the castle. We now have huge concrete sidewalks and gathering areas because they ruin everything.
Thanks again for the pics Lou, Sue, and Major too!
Beautiful pictures today! Not so different from the Magic Kingdom I first experienced 11 years later.
I have a particular fondness for the steamboat landing. Inside the upper floor is cool and shady on hot days, and full of benches wide enough for two rows of people to sit back to back. Sometimes when it’s empty, they don’t mind if you go in and have a quick lie-down in the shade.
You know what they say: red pants at night, sailor‘s delight; red pants in the morning, time to change your pants.
A big thanks for the memories to Lou & Sue & the Major too!
PS Chuck,
Thanks for that quote from the Living Desert in the last post. A blast from the past. It's on prime but I don't subscribe so I'll find another way to see it.
Javalinas are trouble. Lots of stories of knocked over trash cans, eating all our potted plants and more than one trip to the vet for a dog that got too close to a mom and her babies. All that and I still prefer them to some human neighbors.
Way to go Sue! Thanks for sharing these great photos with all of us. I have been there twice - once in the early 90's with hubs and daughter who was in Kindergarten. Then around 12 years ago daughter and I took a trip and spent close to a week there staying at All Stars Movies Resort. I know Bruce also went (I think with a friend or perhaps alone). This was in the early 70's because of course he was obsessed with all things Disney and had to be there. He stayed at the Contemporary and was blown away by the fact that the monorail went right through the hotel.
I've never stayed at the Contemporary, but I've hung out there and the Monorail going through never ceases to blow my mind.
More great Lou photos. I've never been to WDW so I rely on photos to see its past and present.
50 years! Wow!!
One thing I always wondered about...
In the early days (pre-WDW) Disneyland was called the Magic Kingdom. Then when the Florida theme park opened it became the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland became Disneyland Resort. Anyone have an idea why the MK name was transferred instead of coming up with a new name for the new theme park?
Nanook, not only is the park new, but my gosh, I love that it’s so uncrowded! Lou picked the perfect time to visit. Jealous! Those might be silver flats, hard to be sure. I wasn’t sure if the White Shoe Law was still in effect, I’m glad to know that some things never change.
TokyoMagic!, well of course, leather shoes is what I meant. Not sneakers, what am I, a barbarian? Thanks for the Emporium ID… the word “Gifts” made me think that it was the Emporium, but then when I looked at photos of it, it looked so different.
JB, I don’t believe I ever owned a pair of red pants, not sure how I feel about that. I’m OK not having “blackberry” pants though! The Chop-O-Matic is hard to see, but if you spend at least four hours, I’m sure you’ll find it. ;-) 1976 or ’77 would have still been a great time to go to WDW, you are lucky.
Mike Cozart, I don’t know if I’ve seen a photo of a Keelboat out on Bay Lake, though I have read that they were sometimes used on busy days. I’d love to find such a picture. I didn’t know that Tom Sawyer Island didn’t get its name for a couple of years - “South Island” and “Wilderness Island” are both good names too. Very neat. I appreciate that John Hench didn’t want to just lift an existing building design, which would have been the easy thing to do. Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia? They’re my favorite band!
Pegleg Pete, that is a good question - I do believe that many of today’s Imagineers do want to do a good job, but I’m sure there is a ton of bureaucracy, and “too many cooks”. It must be frustrating. I was kind of wondering where those sailors came from - I’m not aware of any Navy base near Orlando, though there certainly could be one.
Chuck, it’s OK, those 25th Anniversary photos will be welcome any time. Yes, the 75th will work good too. I agree, how can I enjoy a nice pipe or cigar on the left side of the street? It’s jut not possible. I knew that somebody would see those sailors! I’m always amazed at the laziness of some people, who will drop their trash on the ground rather than walk 15 steps to a receptacle. The Hall of Burgesses, well of course, it’s all so obvious now.
Andrew, I’m glad that you’re glad! Did your school ban GDB because of its adult content?
JG, ha ha, it’s Trash Can Time! For some reason I haven’t gotten into the “counting cans” thing. More popular than fidget spinners. I think I remember Nixon making the White Shoe Law a priority, nobody objected at all. Oh man, those early Ginsu knives are now sought-after collectibles!
DrGoat, I agree, I would have LOVED to have gone to WDW in the early years. I’d give it up to the end of the 1970s. Then… FORGET IT! Just kidding. You’re right, that Keelboat photo does resemble something by George Caleb Bingham. I remember having white shoes, because I had to use that Kiwi shoe polish (with the foam sponge applicator) because I scuffed them up so bad. I wore them with my red, white, and blue checked suit for church! Yes, I looked good.
K. Martinez, that one might be my favorite too, it is just so amazing to see the Magic Kingdom - even when it’s Frontierland - looking so empty and new. We’ve seen photos of Anaheim’s Frontierland that still do a pretty good job of imitating a real frontier, even when urban Anaheim is so close.
K. Martinez, so glad you enjoyed these, it was worth the effort to make a last-minute post.
Stu29573, I think that green-roofed structure was where guests could wait to ride a Jitney or one of the other Main Street Vehicles. Not sure I’ve ever seen what the Swan Boat structure looks like - or I have and just didn’t know what it was. I would have been happy to be a bit off center if I could watch the fireworks in comfort! I hate that they’ve added so many huge concrete areas, but realize that it’s probably needed for the massive crowds.
Melissa, I’m surprised that the park hadn’t changed a lot by 1983, but am glad to hear that it was still a wonderful experience. Ha ha, a “quick lie-down”. I’d wake up to find it pitch dark, with some guy scrubbing the streets nearby. I had forgotten that classic saying about red pants, but thanks for reminding me.
DrGoat, I’ll have to look at yesterday’s post, I got so busy last night that I missed some of the later comments. I was just asking my friend if he’d ever seen wild pigs in the area that we went hiking recently, and he said no, though he’d seen them in the Angeles National Forest when he used to camp there.
Irene, hello! You have probably mentioned it before, but I wasn’t sure if you’d ever been to WDW. How was the All Star Movie Resort? I’ve heard people love it, and then others said it was too noisy. I guess it all depends on luck. I think there are one or two WDW photos in the collection of Bruce’s photos that you gave me!
Melissa, if I ever do go to WDW, I want to stay in the Contemporary, just because, to me, it is THE hotel that I’ve always dreamed of.
Grant, there you are! I’ve never been either, as you probably know if you read regularly. I’ve never been clear on the usage of “The Magic Kingdom”, but you are right, that was used for Disneyland for many years. Now I guess it is just the “Disneyland Resort”, which isn’t quite as inspiring.
Grant, here's what Wikipedia says about the names:
"'Magic Kingdom' was often used as an unofficial nickname for Disneyland before Walt Disney World was built. The official tagline for Disneyland is 'The Happiest Place On Earth', while the tagline for Magic Kingdom is 'The Most Magical Place On Earth'. Up until the early 1990s, Magic Kingdom was officially known as 'Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom', and was never printed without the Walt Disney World prefix. This purpose was to differentiate between the park and Disneyland in California. In 1994, to differentiate it from Disneyland, the park was officially renamed Magic Kingdom Park. Like all Disney theme parks, the official name of the park does not start with an article ('the'), though it is commonly referred to that way; however, a sign on the railroad station at the front of the park reads 'The Magic Kingdom'".
I don't think the name "Disneyland Resort" was used until they opened a carnival in the parking lot in 2001.
Major, Naval Training Center Orlando (the former Orlando AFB, next to what's now Orlando Executive Airport) was one of three Navy recruit training centers from 1968-99, so you used to see a lot of people in whites on a visit to the MK. It was also the home of Naval Nuclear Power Training Command which trained all of our shipboard nuclear engineers, explaining the healthy glow of the sailors in that picture.
Back from my vacation. Within a year of its opening, I had the opportunity to fly-into Orlando from SoCal. I remember the old airport being called McCoy Field (thus MCO on your luggage tags today) as the airport shared the airbase runway with the AF base....the planes sitting opposite the civilian terminal.
While a CM in California, one of my co-workers married a Disney supervisor who was transferred to the Magic Kingdom before its opening. I was, in 1973, invited over to stay with them and enjoy the Park. So for a number of days, I would ride in with him and stay in the Park while he did his shift. It was a pretty cool experience as he parked behind Fantasyland and we would enter through the tunnel underneath the subs. From that point on I was on my own. I found the most amazing part of the Park to be the infrastructure underneath it. But, yes,to enjoy what was above all bright and shiny new was a wonderful opportunity. Back then WDW seemed to be out in the country. What a transformation since then. In a sense, it actually became the city of the future....just not the one envisioned back then. KS
Major-
HERE's an image of the Plaza Swan Boats dock, from 2013.
Happy Birthday Walt Disney World. Not Disney World. Not "Disney". It is Walt Disney World. This was a purposeful decision, and I support it completely. My cousins refer to Walt Disney World as "we're going to Disney!" I correct them, or ask "where is Disney?" They look at me sideways like I am crazy...I suppose I am. "The Disneyland Resort" also makes no hill of a beans sense to me either...it's Disneyland, it's always been Disneyland, it always will be Disneyland. The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is also not "Disneyland"...it's The Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney World is the "Vacation Kingdom of the World." Disneyland is still referred to in some circles as "The Magic Kingdom"- and that's OK. The Disney's were people, so...If you are "going to Disney"...I guess that means you are going to Carolwood Drive in the 1960's? As a little boy growing up I watched the pre-opening Walt Disney World show on TV and I remember the helicopter shot of the train station with "Opening October 1" very clearly. I pined to be there...but didn't make it until the 10th anniversary. A DL acquaintance was there on opening day...he went on to WED to design the Euro Disneyland Castle and other things...had no idea he had done such fantastical things after my time until I stumbled upon his twitter account recently. I bought a GIANT collection of old employee publications from him. I sold them years later...I wished I would have held on to at least a LITTLE bit of the collection. He sold me some really GOOD cells too...sold to a dealer and I hope they made it to good homes :) I stayed in the Contemporary while I was there, and I can't say I remember too much other than it was super duper cool to just take an elevator to get on the Monorail. There was a very specific smell to that Hotel...not super perfumey...but kind of a mix of new carpet, plastic, and Dial soap. The other hotels did not smell the same. In hindsight, I probably would have enjoyed the Polynesian better...seemed like it had a more interesting pool...but did not have the "wow" factor of the Contemporary. All of my photos of that visit were left behind in the various places that I've lived in...hope some person(s) has enjoyed them all- I took hundreds. I remember paying the photo processing fee- it was over $300...which in 1981 was a load of cash. My Florida memories are a little foggy...I do remember feeling very special to use my Disney charge for everything. For those that don't know, that was an internal charge card for employees. Other guests were very intrigued when I whipped it out. I think at the time in Florida it was only available to management (?), in Disneyland it was a free for all. I remember being treated a little differently when I used it. It was convienient before the age of debit cards, and since only employees had it, it immediately identified you eligible for the employee discount- which was also a very nice perk. Thanks for the photos and memories!!!
Bu, it drives me absolutely nuts when I see people write "Disneyworld."
I remember in 2011 they had some chairs on the Swan Boat dock for people to wait for tables at the nearby Crystal Palace restaurant. I think that was the most fun I've had at a character meal.
Bu, it is a trend in high-end hospitality design now for fancier hotels to have their own scents. All the big names have these, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, Marriott Luxury etc.
The scents are dispersed in the hotel spaces with special equipment that is part of the HVAC. Products like soap, shampoo, bath salts, and essential oils are sold along with the bedding and linens for use at home. It's a "lifestyle" thing. I have seen some luxury auto brands that have the scent dispersion equipment optional in the car, so you can have your vehicle smell like your destination when you travel. Aromatherapy is a big deal in the goat yoga set.
Chuck and others, I think the "Disneyland Resort" monicker might be related to the City of Anaheim urban planning effort in the late 80's early 90's, where an area around the Park was designated as the "Anaheim Resort District".
This effort at cleaning up "suburban blight" included the misguided attempt to regulate all the business signage into the bland pedestal signs we see now and eliminating the wildly diverse classic neon extravaganza of the 60's Harbor Strip that spilled over onto Katella etc.
Sad, but true, some people didn't like the "messy vitality" of the old motels and coffee shops. Probably all architects.
Any guesses which famous evil dictator with dreams of world domination first wanted to be an architect?
JG
Chuck, oh yeah! How could I forget “The Happiest Place On Urf”? It’s not like I haven’t heard it 1,000 times. I think they should change it to “The Most Cromulent Place On Earth”. Keep ‘em guessing, that’s my motto (today). You’re probably right about the use of “Disneyland Resort”, although they have also used the clumsy “Disneyland Park”. No good! Thanks Chuck.
Chuck, I figured there must be some place for Navy folks. Unless I just didn’t notice in the past (a real possibility), I don’t remember any of my other Magic Kingdom slides showing sailors walking in packs.
KS, There’s something about “McCoy Field” that makes me picture an airfield filled with Ford Trimotors and DC-3s. Stuff like that, you know what I mean. Maybe a nice triplane too. Always liked me a good triplane. We all know that more wings means a better airplane, it’s just common sense. I’ve always wondered if the folks who were transferred to Florida back in those days were happy about it. I’m sure it could have been a great opportunity for many, but… then you’re in Florida! (We love you, Florida). From childhood I’ve heard all about the “utilidors” beneath the park, and wished that I could have all day to explore (and get lost).
Nanook, THANKS! It really does look like that Jitney stop.
Bu, I don’t personally have a problem with people calling it “Disney World”, although the hard-liners will always correct me. “Going to Disney” has always sounded weird to me, I really only noticed it when I started listening to podcasts. It seems that “Disney” is the shorthand that most people on the east coast use. Hey, getting there by the 10th anniversary is still respectable, I’m sure it was great. Who was your friend who designed the Euro Disneyland Castle? I’m sure that information is out there, but, you know, I’m lazy. Too bad you sold all those employee publications, that’s the sort of thing I love as a collector of Disney park paper. I know many people prefer the Polynesian, but for me the Contemporary is IT. My buddy Mr. X only stays in the Grand Floridian, because he’s fancy (and able to afford it). I think I’ve seen those charge cards fetch big bucks on eBay, I hope you still have that!
Melissa, I guess that’s sort of like “Hersheypark”? I’ve never done a character meal, I don’t think that would be my thing, unless I happened to have a child along, so that I could see the joy on their faces. Or maybe fear!
JG, I guess what you’re hinting at is that I, Major Pepperidge, should market my own unique aromas, to market and sell. It’s a great idea, and I’m sure to get rich, rich, RICH. I also need a scent dispersion thingy for my car. I want it to smell like I’m in Tahiti at all times (orchids, ocean, suntan lotion, you know). I think that the regulations to make all of the Anaheim businesses conform to a certain standard is one big reason why so many miss the funky clutter of the many motels and restaurants that used to be there. “Keep Anaheim Weird”. Too late, sadly.
”Any guesses which famous evil dictator with dreams of world domination first wanted to be an architect?”
George Costanza!
I agree with Bu ....nomenclature and maintaining it is very important with the Disney company .... and sometimes different eras ( AND ERRORS) of management do not understand this. When Walt Disney was alive the Florida Project was DISNEY WORLD. A few years after Walt’s death Roy Disney still heavy with the loss of his brother felt the name DISNEY was becoming another corporate tag like Kodak , Ford, etc. and he didn’t want people to forget that Disney was WALT DISNEY so it was decided to declare Disney World as WALT DISNEY WORLD.
Any Disney radial park with divided lands and a CASTLE is a Magic Kingdom. Disneyland IS a Magic Kingdom .... Disney’s California Adventure is not. Etc.
In the 1990’s you see marketing departments of the individual parks become very Bureaucratic and power-hungry: At Imagineering we would hear about great concepts and proposals for attractions get shit down because “ oh Disneyland can’t market something like that”
We’s say “???huh? Marketing gets to decide what that’s want to market?? If WDI designs and Disneyland builds the worlds tallest pile of horse manure as an attraction it’s MARKETINGS JOB AND PURPOSE to figure out how to get people pay and cone see it!! If they don’t agree with that .... then anyone in marketing needs to seek work in another field!
Those green structures around the Plaza with the roof oval vents are only listed as “PAVILIONS” and nothing more specific. Them seem to have been created as protected areas for our door vending ...ice cream , popcorn mainly. Fantasyland and Frontierland both featured appropriately themed structures to cover at least some pop corn wagons. Liberty Square did not. Tomorrowland has the Space Place / Launching Pad to act as a centralized “out door vending “ service area as imagineers were hoping to keep assorted , separate set Service carts etc Out to maintain a cleaner architectural look. I think Adventureland too featured Permanently built structures like The Oasis so not to need outdoor vending carts in the area. Over time this concept became obsolete.
The Plaza Swan Boat loading dock was built in a similar style as the four other Plaza structures - and stood for many years after the Swan Boats were retired. The Magic Kingdom Award Winning Rose Garden was located between the Swan Boat dock and the Hub and for many years the Swan Boat dock would be used to showcase that years Rose competition award displays.
Whenever I see those pavilions I think of a 1984 WDW visit - along the railing of the pavilion between Main Street and Tomorrowland a little boy got his head stuck between the railing posts .... the popcorn wagon girl was worried looking and let the patents know she had contacted security ... the little boy was crying ..
The mom and dad tried to calm the boy down ... and the mom told the pop corn castmember that THIS SAME thing happened to the boy the last time they had come to WDW!! lol!!!
Chuck, "...cigar store First Person". Took me a couple of seconds, but I finally got what you were referring to. ;-)
JG, I always cringed when the guy chopped through those tin cans with the knife. I'm sure it must cause all sorts of nicks and gouges in the blade. Although, he proceeds to "slice tomatoes with ease" afterward. Burgundy; that's the color I was trying to think of, instead of cranberry.
DrGoat, yeah that striped shirt does make him look like a surfer dude. The closest I came to that style was (long sleeved) rugby shirts a few years later.
Melissa, oh my gawd. That red pants joke was classic!
Irene, while making the Grand Loop on the Monorail, my brothers and I got off at the Contemporary and did some sight seeing before continuing to the Polynesian for dinner. Like Melissa, we never stayed there; too expensive.
Major, I'm at 3 hours and 43 minutes (and counting) looking for that $#@# Chop-O-Matic... I'm sure I'll spot it any minute now.
Chuck, "...carnival in the parking lot." Perfectly describes how I've always thought of DCA.
KS, interesting observation that WDW became the "City of the Future", just not the one they thought.
Bu, I agree. Disneyland will always be Disneyland. I'm still miffed about Florida usurping the Magic Kingdom name. Although I was never that attached to it.
JG, "Aromatherapy is a big deal in the goat yoga set." Haha, that doesn't surprise me.
Mike, "...the worlds tallest pile of horse manure". TAKE MY MONEY!! Wow, the story about the boy with the Stuck-Head-Syndrome is hilarious! (and somewhat bewildering.)
@ Bu-
Previous discussions on these pages have addressed the 'unique' [and wonderful] smell(s) of The Contemporary Resort - don't forget all the food aromas and mechanical/electrical odors from the Monorails, intermixed with all the other smells.
Thanks for mentioning the [mostly-forgotten] Vacation Kingdom of the World. A friend was a former CM, who worked in Marketing - so I was well-schooled in all the proper WDW & DL nomenclature: EPCOT; Epcot Center; Cinderella Castle; Sleeping Beauty Castle; Tom Sawyer Island; and on and on. In spite of all the emphasis resembling a Disney-version of a 'Style Book', plenty of official publications, signage, and scripts are all riddled with errors.
Melissa, er, wha?
Mike Cozart, I knew that Roy wanted the official name to be “Walt Disney World”, but people are gonna do what they’re gonna do. It’s no sign of disrespect - people shorten names of everything (Michael/Mike!). I did not know that any of the castle parks was considered a “Magic Kingdom”. And I agree with you, marketing should NOT be steering the ship! What a backwards way to operate.
Mike Cozart, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a photo with an outdoor vendor inside (beneath?) one of those pavilions, but it makes sense… with the frequent rain showers in Florida, you probably want to keep your popcorn and other foods as dry as possible. Does the humidity make popcorn stale in a hurry? I wish they’d kept the Swan Boats, it seems like such a nice gentle ride for families and the weary. I’ll bet that little boy got his head stuck in railings elsewhere too!
JB, you can cut through a soda can with a brand new knife, no problem. And maybe even manage to slice through a tomato afterwards. But you won’t be doing that many times. I’ve heard that those “premium” hotels on property can be $800 a night - AND UP. Even pretty nice hotels in New York City aren’t typically that outrageous (though I know the sky’s the limit, really). While I guess I am a little bit miffed about “The Magic Kingdom” going to the park in Florida, it doesn’t bug me THAT much in the long run.
Nanook, you’re right, it’s the combination of all of those aromas that makes something greater than the sum of its parts. I still think of the smell of my grandparent’s yard, with the smells of eucalyptus trees, orange blossoms, mown grass, hot blacktop, and this oil-based weed killer that my grandpa used - among other things. As weird as it sounds, it was always a “happy” smell to me. “Vacation Kingdom of the World”, I think that appears on some of the earliest WDW postcards.
Chuck, Ah, thanks. Don't know why I didn't check Wiki.
Melissa, George Costanza!
LOLOLOLOL
If I was writing the tag lines it would be:
Disneyland = The Happiest Place on Earth.
Walt Disney World = The Happiest Humid Place on Earth. ;)
Also, if we can call Walmart Wally World (with apologies to National Lampoon) then we can call WDW Disney World. :D
Grant, don’t feel too bad about the Wikipedia entry - I wouldn’t have looked there, either. A series of Google searches led me there, and even then it was buried deep in the article.
JB, I was worried I may have been too obscure for my own good again. I’ve already gotten a text from another regular asking what I was talking about.
2nd picture: Walking next to #4, is that Pinocchio? I think it is.
When my dad and I arrived at the Contemporary, on this trip, the desk clerk said they no longer had any rooms available. Thankfully, my [always prepared and organized] dad had our printed hotel room confirmation handy. Because we truly did have reservations, and there really weren't any 'regular' rooms available, the desk clerk/manager gave us a suite (for the same regular room rate, because THEY made a mistake and had given away our original room). The suite had a bedroom with two big beds, living room, dining room with boardroom-sized meeting table, complete furnished kitchen, two entrances (one with double doors), two TVs - all at the end of one of the hotel 'wings,' on the water (with floor to ceiling windows on all the outside walls). We had front row seats, looking out our windows, to the musical 'water parade/pageant' (I can't remember what it was called--but I'm sure someone else does), that went by each night. I saw and heard that same water pageant on the lake when I left WDW's Magic Kingdom, a couple years ago, and it brought back wonderful memories.
Another thing I clearly remember from that trip was the bug problem. Love bugs flying everywhere(!) - getting into your hair and flying in your face, and stepping on them. They were plastered all over the fronts (especially on the windows and grills) of the incoming cars. Looked like mating lightning bugs, and totally harmless, but e-gads(!) they were everywhere. I guess they come out in spring and then September, too. Just google "love bugs" or "Florida love bugs," if you aren't familiar with them. I never saw them anywhere else or on any future WDW trips, so I don't know how WDW got rid of them...maybe Mike knows...
Am really glad you folks enjoyed these pictures.
Love everyone's comments! I laughed and learned-some.
HERE are some good examples of the love bugs!
Technically, the FL "white shoe" law specified loafers, like the ones Clark Griswold gets in Vacation from cousin Eddie (or the ones my granddad wore when he retired to West Palm Beach). The belt was optional if you wore Sansabelt pants.
JG, you are right about hotels and "signature fragrances." I was at the Marriott in Lancaster and the scent in the lobby was so overpowering that I asked the staff to unplug the smellitzer.
Beyond the sailors and the pavilion for ODV in that last pic, there's a random topiary. I went to WDW as a kid in 1984 and vaguely remember topiaries being everywhere. When I went back in 2012, the lack of them was one of the things that stood out.
@Melissa that’s funny!
JG
Looking at that picture of the steamboat landing, I read somewhere that the building was made large to hide the boat itself from the Liberty Square area since the boat was from a later era than the Colonial period of Liberty Square. I also read that it was built to block views of Thunder Mesa (in both the planned Western River expedition and the built Big Thunder Mountain) Both of those sound like one of those stories that came about after the fact, though.
I can't figure out what that gray tower is at the left of that picture is. It seems like the Skyway wires extend past it so I don't think it's the Fantasyland station. Maybe it's part of Pinocchio's Village Haus restaurant? The only other thing in that direction is iASW, and that doesn't have a tower, so I'm confused.
@Dean Finder, I have been on several projects where these “smellitizers” are in the HVAC drawings. Not my scope, but I see it in documents and have experienced in person. It’s nice when not overdone.
JG
@ Dean Finder-
If you're referring to the "tower" with the three 'openings', I believe it is positioned along the parapet of the IaSW show building (behind the Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant), as there is a similar structure, as seen HERE , a bit farther east.
I love waving at the diners in the Pinocchio Village Haus that you can see from the load area of it’s a small world. Sure, it’s hokey, but it’s a tradition.
@Nanook - Thanks, those must be it. I never noticed them before from ground level in Fantasyland.
I got zapped again! I was quite proud of my comment. It's my mobile device...oh well not meant to be! The headlines were: Smell machines! I had my day with them with commercial construction. Smells are very subjective: no one could decide, we tested it in a location and the employees got headaches and were throwing up, so...that was the end of that! I do love my amenities in hotels. It does make a difference. The European hotels tend to have more fancy brands...Sofitel had Lanvin. I've stayed in hotels that had Hermes amenities...it makes a difference. I'm kind of shocked by the Mickey Mouse ear amenities of the Disneyland Hotel et.al... $800 a night is pricey, and should have something in the Hermes/Bvlgari level. And you are right, Hotels in NYC can approach that price...but for most part, don't. The rack rate for this week for the St. Regis is 1500+ a night for a basic room. You can stay in a nice hotel here for around 300. Major: Tom Morris designed the Euro Castle. Also the tumbling neon Mickeys on the old Character Shop when it became something else. He was definitely an acquaintance, but encouraged me to get out of Outdoor Vending and get into ops if I were to pursue a Disney career at a higher level. He started in Tomorrowland Ops if I remember correctly. So, in a way, he changed the course of my career. Thanks Tom.
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