Every once in a while I have been lucky enough to acquire a fun aerial view of Disneyland, as seen from an L.A. Airways helicopter as it headed to (or from) LAX airport. This one is date-stamped "October 1965", and is perhaps marred by some haze that softened the details and muted the colors. But still... it's an aerial photo!
Here's the whole thing, we're mostly hovering above Tomorrowland, but there are a number of familiar features just beyond the Matterhorn as well. I've provided some closeups!
The upper left quadrant of the image shows the Plaza in the lower left, with the Monsanto House of the Future, and the Carnation Plaza Gardens (the striped tent). Fantasyland is in the mid-right area - you know all of that stuff as well as I do. In the upper right, almost lost in the haze, is Nature's Wonderland.
Storybook Land is just to the right of the tip of the Matterhorn, and to the right of that (just past a stand of trees) it looks like some massive earthmoving has started, possibly early work on the It's a Small World project. The Pony Farm is at the top center. Let's all go there so that we can feed carrots to the horses and brush their manes, and talk to them as if they understand colloquial English.
Tomorrowland! The Sub Lagoon and Autopia are featured here. Plenty of swoopy curves for our Land of the Future. The colorful Autopia cars look like tiny toys.
More Tomorrowland, including the Flying Saucers (with both halves in "mid flight"), the old Flight Circle, the Douglas rocket, the Astro Jets, the Hobbyland awnings, and even the Yacht Bar and Clock of the World manage to make the scene.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThe "haze" merely adds 'mystery' to the scene. And let's not forget everyone's favorite 'thrill ride': The Motor Boat Cruise-!
Thanks, Major.
Nothing to make fun of here like I usually do because I LOVE aerial views of Disneyland. I study them and then study them some more, finding details that I missed the first time.
ReplyDeleteIn the last close-up, what is that red and white striped umbrella thingy overlapping the Clock of the World? An outdoor vendor cart? The balloon vendor with a gaggle of b'loons?
Thanks for the (hazy) view of the Park, Major.
It looks like two bobsled had just finished their climb on the Matterhorn's lift hill. We can see one headed in the direction of the Castle, and another one going behind the upper part of the Fudgie Waterfall®
ReplyDeleteIn the first shot, the Fantasyland Autopia sign looks like a giant blue pointy-headed alien, wearing a silver lamé spacesuit.
Thanks for sharing this aerial shot with us Major, and for the close-ups, too!
There are at least 18 square Skyway buckets in the original image, and lots of lucky bobsled sightings. Our trashcan enthusiasts can go nuts today!
ReplyDeleteGrading for the new DL&SFRR alignment on the back side of the Park has already begun. The New Berm (an often overlooked project easily overshadowed by the New Tomorrowland and New Fantasyland, although it oddly has a better reputation than New New Tomorrowland) is under construction. I never thought about it before, but I guess that would mean that the Old Berm along the northern edge of the Park would have had to have been removed (a “Berma Shave,” if you will) in places so you could see into the Park from the train. I think it was left in place along the border of Frontierland, but does anyone remember if it was still there (and maybe is still there today) along the old northern boundary of Tomorrowland?
You can also see in that same area why they had to build a new maintenance facility for the Monorail - the beamway to the one in use in 1965 went right across the real estate where they put the facade and entrance to it’s a small world. That need opened up a great opportunity to consolidate maintenance facilities for both the Monorail and the DL&SFRR, leaving us with the building they use for that today.
The show building for Rainbow Caverns is very much nor really underground behind the Carnation Plaza Gardens. I think there is a red and white Carnation delivery truck parked between it and the Snow White/Fantasyland Theater/Welch’s Grape Juice Bar building. Fan 2 is trying to hide behind the Matterhorn.
I have always dug the observatory-like domes on top of the two Rocket to the Moon theaters. So coolly 1950s sci-fi.
This picture also really shows off the layout of the Flying Saucers and is finally explaining to me the geometry of how those “reset arms” worked. Those of you who rode and remember it - were those arms activated while riders were still in their saucers? Was unloading also done in the same areas as loading? My mental image has always defaulted towards the way bumper car unloading is done, wherever the car stops at the end of the ride, but on reflection that doesn’t make much sense, especially when peoples’ feet could fall through the “hockey table” air holes.
Great stuff today, Major. Thanks so much!
Great aerial shot, Major! Is today some special occasion??
ReplyDeleteIt looks like some wise guy’s playing games on the Autopia. I’ll return later, when I have more time.
Great comments on some great aerial photos. I love the haze. As Nanook stated, it adds mystery and also that California ambiance to the shots. I work with aerial photos a lot at work but these are much more fun to look at. The third pic with the structures in the back round is pretty neat. I think number two with the Monsanto house and Fantasyland is my favorite. Hope you are all well and are looking forward to a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch, Major. Really enjoying these.
How can you not love a good aerial shot. I VAGUELY remember this version of Disneyland (I was only 4) but I do remember the World Clock and Flight Circle.
ReplyDeleteNow every time I see an aerial view, I'm reminded of those really cool tilt-shift photos that make everything look exactly like tiny model buildings! This one is great in it's own hazy right, though. It's always jarring to see the Rainbow Caverns building looking so "uncavernlike." Still, the inside more than made up for any shortcomings outside. And you couldn't see it from the ride anyway.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff today!
Wow, Major! What a score!
ReplyDeleteWe can talk about this for days. My only regret is that I can’t count trash cans in these views.
JB, I think that is a balloon vendor.
Chuck, the saucer booms did move while your saucers were in play, as they progressively constricted the area in which you could move, the CMs would herd the saucers together into two parallel rows so you could disembark onto the dock or the boom and not have to cross over an intervening saucer. By todays standards, the load/unload was pretty random and somewhat risky. Easy to slip and timing was unpredictable because some folks would have trouble getting out, or into it.
Another thing I am curious about… has anyone ever done a progressive map of the evolution of Autopia? Started as one track, added a second, eventually merged into one, etc. I think that would be interesting to follow those changes.
Thanks Major.
JG
Yes, JG, somebody DID do a progressive map - was it Andrew??
ReplyDeleteChuck & JG, sometimes seeing that boom slowly approaching was a relief. Liked the ride but had trouble occasionally making that saucer do what I wanted it to do.
ReplyDeleteSue, leave it to Andrew (if he did) to take that on. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and be that young kid again.
ReplyDelete@ Chuck-
ReplyDeleteJG's operational explanation is exactly right. To add a bit of detail to it - here's how The "E" Ticket described it...
"The attraction has two sides that operated more or less independently. Each worked on a two-cycle system of loading and unloading. A large boom would sweep across the half circle, collecting the 16 saucers that were just finishing their ride. As these were gathered in, the floor was cleared for 16 just-loaded saucers that were about to begin their ride. The floor remained pressurized during operating hours, with the exception of two strips of decking. These portions of the floor were isolated during the loading/unloading process by closing the baffles in the underground plenums that supplied the air to them, thereby insuring the safety of Disneyland guests. With the saucers loaded, and the boom swept aside, the baffles were re-opened, pressurizing that section of floor and lifting the saucers. When in full operation, the booms swept at different times, allowing the ride to operate with a minimum of ride attendants. When the booms were not in motion, there were 32 saucers being loaded/unloaded, and 32 saucers gliding and crashing into one another on the two-sided arena floor".
Not mentioned specifically were the "friendly assists" from the CM's, using rather long "helper poles" to corral and move any uncooperative saucer. LOOKING HERE, you can see a CM on the far left using one of those yellow poles.
Thank you JG. And thank you Daveland. (And Jack & Leon).
Nanook, when it comes to aerial photos, I think I want less mystery and more clarity! The haze is a bit frustrating, but… it is what it is. I can never forget the thrills of the Motor Boats. The roar of the engines, the spray in the wind!
ReplyDeleteJB, I love aerial views of Disneyland too, always have. The old “E-ticket Magazine” used to have a feature, “Wings over Disneyland”, with incredible aerial views. I’d be thrilled to have more, but, you know… $$$. I can’t quite tell what that thing is near the Clock of the World, I think there might be an ice cream cart that has been made invisible by the mist.
TokyoMagic!, yes, I love seeing the bobsleds from this angle. I’m glad that you have registered “Fudgie Waterfall”, you don’t want people stealing your idea! I see the pointy-headed alien, but then again, I see those all the time, every day.
Chuck, I will take your word on the 18 Skyway buckets! How many blogs have trash can enthusiasts? No Star Wars blogs, I can tell you. I love old berms and new berms and berms of indeterminate age. In other words, I’ve never met a berm that I didn’t like. What does America need? MORE BERMS. I’m afraid I have no answers to your berm-related queries, sadly. They should have built IASW with an area where the Monorail could have passed overhead! I have ideas. I assume that they never fully buried the Rainbow Caverns show building because they needed to access parts of it for maintenance. Maybe. That ride system for the Flying Saucers is so simple, yet so ingenious, I think (but am not certain) that they did load and unload in the same areas, depending on which part of the cycle an area was going through. I think that when the saucers were “coralled”, they were only two rows deep, so one row could exit on the “boom” side, while the other could exit on the non-moving side.
Lou and Sue, the special occasion is that I love my readers!
DrGoat, I wonder if the haze went all the way to the ground level? In other words, was it a bit foggy? Or was there just a low cloud layer? I’m sure most people wouldn’t think of haze as evoking a “California ambiance”, but they might be surprised how many overcast days we can get at certain times of the year.
MRaymond, I’m jealous! I’ve mentioned it before, but my brother swears that we did the 20,000 Leagues walk-thru when I was little, so the Clock of the World and Flight Circle would have both been there too.
Stu29573, Hmmm, I guess I should have attempted a tilt-shift effect, that might have been cool. I’m away from home all day today, or else I’d just do it right now. I love the way it makes scenes look like miniatures. All our talk about Rainbow Caverns over the past few days makes me wish that I could see it again. If only I knew how to render things in Maya, I’d make a recreation!
JG, yes, this was a score! I was very happy. It’s not my last aerial photo, so stay tuned! You might see one next month, even. Ok you will. You got it out of me, there, are you happy? ;-) Maybe you’re right, it must be a balloon vendor, now I am ashamed of myself. I never saw how they handled the loading and unloading of the Flying Tires ride at DCA, it might have been instructive to see how they dealt with guests being only able to step in certain places. I’d love a progressive map of the Autopia as well, and know that there are copies of blueprints of the park from various eras, so it probably wouldn’t even be that terribly hard to do. But I have an important and influential blog to run!
Lou and Sue, jeez, if Andrew did one of those, I never saw it.
DrGoat, ha ha, you know a ride is in trouble when the guest just wants it to be over.
DrGoat, now I really need to know if there is a progressive map of the changing Autopia track, whether Andrew made it, or if it was somebody else!
Nanook, thanks for that great description from one of my favorite magazines of all time. No, not “Cat Fancier”, I’m talking about The “E” Ticket! “Helper poles”, I call them “cattle prods”. I thought that CM was using a Swiffer.
Major-
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget when thinking of the Motor Boat Cruise...those potentially, life-threatening rapids-! Hold-on tight-!
Nope, I was wrong, again. Andrew did a map of the Motor Boat Cruise. Close enough. ;oP
ReplyDelete(Thank you, Andrew.)
Nanook, I love that photo you attached from Daveland. Either those two boys just rammed that wall - or they are doing some back-straining reverse-leaning moves to back out their saucer.
(Thanks, Nanook & Daveland.)
Major, please do a tilt-shift of the next aerial you're going to post, next month - because you love us readers!
Put me in the category of 'never remembering having seen' the World Clock in person. It obviously didn't impress me, at the time.
Hey, Andrew, did you tell everyone about your new summer job??
@Nanook, thanks for the confirmation and that additional quote. I only remember riding the Saucers once, although I might only remember the last time. I definitely recall rides in the old Skyway buckets pre-1965. But not a moment of the World Clock.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember “boat hooks” for the CMs, but i wasn’t sure since it’s almost 60 y.o. Memory.
Major, my guess on why Rainbow Caverns show building was not buried: unnecessary since only the entry and exit were visible, and waterproofing embanked construction adds a lot of cost, not only to keep water out, but added structure to hold up the soil etc. I think they might have had issues with that building because of all the waterfalls inside. Obviously they fixed it by the time Pirates came round. The engineering of that attraction boggles my mind.
JG
Nanook, I can never forget those rapids, I nearly drowned several times!
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, I didn’t know that Andrew did a map of the Motor Boat Cruise either! Is it on his blog? I’ll see if the tilt-shift effect will work on the next aerial, it might not be quite right because the view is from a bit farther away. But it couldn’t hurt to try! You and I probably saw the World Clock but just forgot it because we were kids. I don’t think a clock would get my attention then, no matter how weird it was! How do you know about Andrew’s summer job? Sue knows all, sees all.
JG, you make good points about the Rainbow Caverns show building, and are probably right. Also, gophers would have probably taken over the caverns if the building had been completely buried. We’ve all see stories like that. You are so right about the Pirates construction, even places that are less obviously “technical” (meaning the caverns with the waterfalls) are so impressive, I loved them even when I was a kid, without really understanding why.
Major, I think Andrew attached (linked) that Motor Boat Cruise map to one of his comments on GDB. Andrew, please 'link it' on GDB, again, if you're reading this...and fill everyone in on your new fun job.
ReplyDeleteHow do I know about Andrew's summer job? He told me in an email, when he responded to my question about his map (which I incorrectly thought was of the Autopia).
And, yes, I do know all and see all. I know what you did last night, Major.
Thanks for that explanation, JG, DrGoat, and Nanook!
ReplyDeleteMajor, Sue’s uncanny abilities is why I wear a tinfoil hat and pajamas all the time. I had a silver lame suit that was more comfortable, but I loaned it to an alien who never gave it back.