A Pair From April, 1973
It's a Snoozer Sunday, and you know what that means. Well, you should, anyway. It's the day when I share photos that aren't so hot. Maybe they're too dark, or a little blurry, or just boring. It's always something.
This shot of Snow White's Grotto is clearly too dark, with Snow White and her pals nearly lost in the inky shadows. If they weren't carved from white marble, they'd be invisible to the eye. Some of those trees are impressive, I wonder if any are still there, or if they've been replaced (or removed) at some time? In spite of its flaws, I admit that this is a pretty area.
Next is this view of Tomorrowland, kind of a nuthin' view even though we do have the Skyway, the Matterhorn, and "It's a Small World". But the center of the image is... sky and some distant trees. Was this taken from the Peoplemover? Or maybe from the Rocket Jets platform?
EXTRA! EXTRA!
GDB friend Mike Cozart sent me some photos from his personal collection, showing some of the signage that was by the Snow White Wishing Well. Pretty cool!
Here's a page from a Tokyo Disneyland guidebook (1983 version), you can see their version of the Snow White Grotto sign:
And here is the Wishing Well sign, with that kooky snail!
THANK YOU, Mike Cozart!
21 comments:
#1- It's a pleasant enough picture, Major. I think the shadows add interest (about 2% above the prime lending rate).
We can't really tell, but there might be a swan lurking under the bridge, they're always lurking somewhere nearby; waiting for just the right moment to catch their prey unaware.
At first I couldn't tell what that cloth thing was on the right. Then I realized it was a guy with his jacket slung over his shoulder.
You almost can't see the mighty Matterhorn through the trees.
#2- I suppose the main focus of attention here is the Skyway, going all the way across the image; even though the buckets are pretty scarce (nonexistent) in the middle. Still, it's Disneyland on a nice blue-sky day, and that's always a good thing. Like the previous picture, the shadows add interest to the Matterhorn; makes it look more 'loomy'.
Thanks, Major. I would say these are more quietly pleasant than snoozy.
As I mentioned in a post not long ago , that during this time WED and Disneyland don’t make any name reference to Snow White for the wishing well. At some point that does change. In fact the well as built was designed for a “sponsor” of sorts : VARIETY CLUBS INTERNATIONAL. A charity organization founded in the 1920’s. The coins tossed into the well go to this charity. The plans for the well as built also make no reference to Snow White and the only instructions is that it is to be painted to compliment the castle. Of course this well also has no resemblance to the well in the film. There is a sign post visible in todays picture ( the post with the carved squirrels) ....., but it appears the sign is missing! ( or it’s at an angle hidden from view) I have a Disneyland sign shop photo of the sign dated MARCH 1973!! I’ll send it to Major and he can post it if he wants. Just in case:
The sign reads :
DISNEYLAND WISHING WELL
Variety Clubs International
“The heart of show business”
Painted on the end eves of the well is
“Your wishes help children everywhere”
I think the sign remained into the early 80’s and Tokyo Disneyland features an almost identical copy of this sign that says “ Snow White Wishing Well”.
In the John Hench concept art for the Snow White Grotto a well is Depicted that looks more like the well in the film with the wrought iron filigree wheel and bucket support . Interestingly Walt Disney World has its own wishing well along the moat pathway leading to Tomorrowland. The WDW wishing well is Cinderella themed , but ironically looks more like the Snow White film well ...
Oh well!
correction: I meant to say the concept art for the Snow White Grotto has no resemblance to the film well. The park well is much fancier but has a general look of the well in the film.
Mike, didn't the sign post for the Grotto, also have carved snails on it, in front of the squirrels? Or maybe they came later, on a replacement sign post? I remember noticing them in the late seventies or early eighties and being surprised that the delicately carved "antennae" of the snails had not been broken off.
TOKYO: yes! There is a snail
On the actual hanging sign on the top front edge of the wooden sign.
Mike, thanks for that confirmation!
I sent Major the Disneyland Well sign and graphics documentation photos from 1973. I also sent images of almost identical signs from Tokyo Disneyland from a 1983 Book, Tokyo Disneyland Pictorial Digest , however the images were fairly small however. If Major has the time maybe he can ad them to today’s post.
Pic 1: The atmosphere is perfect! It looks like the moment every evening when Snow and "Da Boyz" come to life and hunt evil swans! Being marble makes them impervious to swan attacks! Sadly there was an incident with a broken fishing pole in one epic battle.
Pic 2: That salmon colored bucket on the right is REALLY rushing to catch up to the one in front of it!
It’s hard to make out in the photo, but I think we can see the snails Mike & TM! mention above. Find the lamppost to the left of the wishing well. If you zoom in closely, there are two squirrels standing back to back atop the crossbeam that supports the lamps. I believe the nearly-indecipherable objects the squirrels are facing atop the crossbeam and located immediately above the lamps are the aforementioned snails.
I would be willing to bet Nanook’s summer home in the Pyranees that the last photo was taken from the second deck of the Carousel of Progress. If you look at the sight lines in this aerial photo I found at Duchess of Disneyland (it’s from 1987, but the relevant spatial relationships in Tomorrowland hadn’t changed from 1973), any photo of the Monorail entrance sign from the Rocket Jets platform would have the Tomorrowland Terrace prominently in the foreground (if not blocking the shot altogether), and since the PeopleMover emerged from the COP building almost directly behind the Skyway’s Tomorrowland terminal, this angle would have been impossible from the PeopleMover, either. That said, I’m not completely ruling out that this also could have been taken from the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.
I am satisfied with these photos. Just nice quiet views of favorite places, back when they were as they should be.
I love Snow White’s grotto and remember the sign about “…children everywhere.” The other signs not so much.
Thanks Major.
JG
JB, these days, 2% isn’t bad! I don’t know if swans could go over to that area, but unfortunately some dope put a watermark right there. And that’s exactly where a swan would hide. Yes, the Matterhorn is peeking through, but it is pretty stealthy for a huge mountain. I still don’t really “get” how the Skyway gondolas worked, as far as how they managed to load guests and have the gondolas spaced out a certain amount. Was it all just random? Maybe that big gap in the middle is due to guests taking a long time to load.
Mike Coxzart, yes, you mentioned the Variety Clubs International recently, which I’d never heard of before (or had forgotten, which is more likely). What kid didn’t look down at all that change and try to think of a way to grab a scoop full? “I brought this rope, see? All you have to do is lower me down!”. I thought that the well sort of resembled the one in the movie, except for that hipped roof, of course. I wonder where the sign went?? I would have never noticed that it was gone. So the money in Tokyo is also donated to charity? Maybe throwing coins into water is not the thing that it is here. If there’s water, people WILL throw coins into it! I had no idea that the WDW wishing well is Cinderella themed, that’s weird! There’s no wishing well scene in the movie that I can recall.
Mike Cozart, I gotcha!
TokyoMagic!, snails are gross and slimy, and that’s all I have to say about them.
Mike Cozart, thank you for sending those images, which I have already added to today’s post!
stu29573, I can see that you agree with me about the original songs from Walt’s animated classic, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” should be replaced with hip hop tunes. Thank you for this great idea, I will be sure to let the world know that YOU should get all the credit! “Some Day My Bae Will Come”, it will be an instant classic. I can almost hear the salmon-colored bucket, “Wait up guys! Gee whiz!”.
Chuck, you and your snails! We actually CAN see them in that photo, but they are not very distinct. Hey, the image has only been enlarged by 1000 percent! (Depending on your monitor, of course). I do like the way they imitated the folk art, hand-carved look of the film, even as a kid I thought that it would be amazing to have every surface carved with animals and faces. My mom’s cousin has a home in Wisconsin that has columns completely covered in carvings, and yet it is a fairly humble abode near a lake. I think you are right about the second photo being taken from the deck of the COP, and that’s why I am giving you the deed to Nanook’s house in the Pyranees. He won’t mind, he has 12 other houses around the world. Just less for him to take care of, so you will be doing him a favor, really. Thanks Chuck!
JG, “I am satisfied with these photos” makes me think of “Big Hero 6”; “I am satisfied with my care”. I like that movie, by the way. You don’t like the signs that say, “No shirt, no shoes, NO WISHES!”??
@ MIKE-
Thanks for the images.
Stu, also being made of marble allows (forces) them to attack the swans from below. Stealthy!
Chuck, oh so close. It was taken from Tom's Treehouse.
Major, I was going to mention the fact that some dope placed a watermark right where the swans would be hiding, but... you know... I still wanna post here.
Snails also crunch sickeningly (or satisfyingly) when you step on them. Good luck getting the snail-goo off the bottom of your shoe. (I won't even mention the horror if you step on them barefooted.)
Mike, thanks for those close-ups of the wishing well sign and text. I don't think we seen those things very often here. At least not up close.
Ha, Major, imagine a dress code for wishing in today's Park? Still, there should be some rules...
Like the Genie says, "Ixnay on the wishing for more wishes!!"
Mike Cozart, thank you for the added pics. For some reason, the ones painted on the roof look familiar, while the one with the snail draws a blank. Yet they must have been there together and when I saw one, I would have seen the other.
Probably important to clarify that the donated funds go to a good cause, since with Disney's current management, I would not be surprised to learn that each day's wishing well cash is delivered daily in a canvas bag on a silver platter direct to the CEO at his desk.
Major, thank you again for these entertaining pictures.
JG
Because of this post I’ve been trying to figure out when the well sign disappeared altogether. I have sign shop images of it in 1968, 1973 and 1978. But I cannot find pictures of it ( so far ) after that. But it’s one if those things people just didn’t take pictures off back then - like coming soon signs and Goodyear-PeopleMover animated signs or rare version attraction posters.I think I have memories of the sign into the 1980’s , but no photo proof yet. In 1990 and again in 1992 a friend and I made two trips to Disneyland just to photograph signs! And in both those trips there are none of the well sign ( the graphics on the well itself were photographed and they are still there today) it’s possible we missed the sign , but we were pretty Thorough. I remember on both those trips there were signs we couldn’t get because of too many guests blocking it or from attraction closures. But in two trips two years apart ... no well sign . I speculate the sign may have been gone by 1990.
So apparently a version of the well sign reading “Snow White Wishing Well” was in place up until about the start of New Fantasyland.
I still don’t really “get” how the Skyway gondolas worked, as far as how they managed to load guests and have the gondolas spaced out a certain amount. Was it all just random? Maybe that big gap in the middle is due to guests taking a long time to load.
Or a couple fell off, along the way.
Interesting sign info. Thanks, Mike, for your added shots and info. The squirrels and snail are a nice added-extra.
It’s amazing how that Matterhorn hid in those trees. A real chameleon.
Thanks, Major, your Sunday posts are always fun.
Lou & Sue: the Skyway works almost the exact same way as a San Francisco cable car.: there is a loop of cable continually moving. At each end of the moving cable loop a gondola bucket can be slid onto the moving cable. The gondola slides onto the cable ( it’s grip is just sitting on the top of the cable ) the gondola just sits and rides on the moving cable .... with its passengers hanging below. Just before the cable loop gets to the end and and turns in the opposite direction , the gondola slides off the top of the cable - which is now turning and changing detection. In the station where the gondola is removed off of the moving cable , guests are loaded or unloaded. When they are ready the gondola is then freely moved manually or by motor and then it rolls down a guide track and rolls back onto the moving cable and rides back in the other direction.
If there are not many passengers or as you guessed - the passengers are to slow to load or unload , may create gaps of hanging gondolas on the moving cable. There is no pattern of measurement of spacing of the Skyway gondolas .... it’s random based on how frequently a team of castmembers have rolled a gondola onto the continuous moving cable loop.
A cable car works in a similar fashion where a continually moving cable ( under the street) the motor man lowers a grip that takes hold of the moving cable and is pulled along .... when the cable car needs to stop, the motorman ( gripman) realeases the hold of the cable and with the aid of brakes comes to a stop. Making turns on a street cable system is done in either these two ways : as the cable car track curves , the cable may go in a “L” shape and the grip man lets go of the cable and coasts around the curve and re-grips the cable as it straitens out.
A more complicated system actually guides the cable in the same curve as the radius of the track and the cable car continues to ride the moving cable by a system of governors that give-way to fit the grip on the cable. This is rarely used as it is complicated and prone to malfunction.
Interestingly both San Diego and Los Angeles has cable car systems before San Francisco but lack of ridership made them unsuccessful.
Mike, you did a great job of making it easy to understand how the Skyway worked. Thank you!
@ MIKE-
From Daveland, June, 2007... LOOK HERE. And September, 2008 LOOK HERE.
Thanks for the additional pictures, Mike. After looking at those, I see that what I thought were snails in front of the squirrels in the originally-posted images were actually nuts. Probably why I was drawn to them in the first place - affinity for my own kind and all that.
More great work, folks! Part of why I love this place.
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