Fantasyland Pix, October 1967
I have a pair of pretty good Fantasyland pix for you, circa October, 1967. We'll start with this unusual angle (I don't think I have another photo like it) looking toward the corner of Sleeping Beauty Castle where the Alice in Wonderland attraction is housed. Maybe it was down for maintenance, because there is not a soul to be seen, and no snooty caterpillar vehicles are winding their way along the tracks. Plus there's a man in white painter's coveralls next to the giant mushroom, he seems to be doing something very important. It's pretty hard to miss that fire hydrant in the lower right - which I guess is the point.
And here's a pretty view of It's a Small World; for all of Mary Blair's facility with color, she wanted the façade to be white, and we can see why; it just gleams. Attendance was low on this day, you could practically walk on to this ride!
18 comments:
Major-
I *think* the gent [with the cigarette] has a Kodak Brownie Reflex 20 camera.
Thanks, Major.
Love these shots of an empty and nearly empty Fantasyland. I've been there on days like this back in the day. Especially in the 1970's during the off-season. Both pics are great. Thanks, Major.
The Alice picture is nice. I like the lighting. At first I thought the park might be closed (did they still do that in '67?), but then I noticed a couple of guests on the left behind the shrubbery. And yes, the shrubbery, which is very nice, has a two-level effect with a path running down the middle. The worker-in-white is hurling because someone stepped on one of the snooty caterpillars, leaving a big puddle of multi-colored goo.
We've talked about the trees on top of/behind the Small World facade before. Are they in planter boxes on the roof of the show building? They do add a lot to the scene.
Good pics today, Major. Thanks.
I don’t remember the mushroom ticket booth being any color but yellow, but it’s obviously a shade of purple (I’ll call it “mauve”) here. I wonder when the color changed? Daveland’s photos of the mushroom jump from the ‘60s to 2007, so don’t go there trying to figure it out.
I’m going to guess the change happened with the New Fantasyland updates. Here it is in 1982, still mauve, but it appears to have been yellow by September of 1983.
I may be in the minority here, but don’t like days when it’s a small world is a walk-on. I much prefer it when they have the boats operating.
I love the angle and the openness of that first shot. We can see the main Castle turret sticking up above the roofline, as well as the elaborate gold finial on top of the Carousel.
Chuck, you are correct. The mushroom was painted in '83. And the Alice attraction poster on top of it was gone by the time the ride reopened, in '84, and replaced with the current image of Alice.
I believe that walkway between the two sets of railings (on the far left) is the exit to the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
Thank you, Major! I hope you had a nice visit with your family over the weekend!
Everyone is over at the New Tomorrowland! Who wants to ride a caterpillar when you can hear father yell at the dog in a rotating theater?
Great pics as always! Love seeing the attractions and the areas without all those pesky guests.
Photo 1 is all we could ask for, except maybe a caterpillar. Bullet trash can, ash urns, a Kodak sign, and a fire hydrant. To say nothing of the giant garden leaves. I guess I never noticed the mushroom color change, I’m not sure which I prefer. Now I’ll be thinking about that all day.
That wide expanse of paving in front of IASW seems like a lost opportunity. I do rather like what has been done to that area since. I’m not much on parades, but the viewing area is pretty nice. They should make the parade turn around and go back and not go beyond the Matterhorn. The white facade version is the best.
Chuck, for some attraction anniversary, they should dispense with the boats and let guest float through on inner tubes. Or drain it out and let it become a walk-through. Think of the money saved on maintenance. You listening Disney? Include a special limited edition popcorn bucket and the fans go wild!
Thank you Major, hope you had a good visit with family!
JG
My first thought on the Alice picture is that it is early morning and, as everything seems to be secure, that it was taken on a Monday or Tuesday when the park was closed. I also looked for signage indicating the attraction was undergoing rehab and see nothing on that. Then again, it wasn't unusual to come in early before a 10am opening while last-minute touch-ups were being done. The opening crew would usually come in and have breakfast at the Inn Between before going to their assigned locations to prep the rides. I can really 'feel' being inside that shot...sights, sounds, smell of the early morning dew. KS
Nanook, nothing goes with cigarettes like a Kodak Brownie Reflex 20!
K. Martinez, I kind of love these too, they aren’t spectacular, but they have a “vibe” to them that is very appealing, one that we don’t get much (if at all) anymore.
JB, that first photo appears to be from first thing in the morning, so that would explain why there aren’t 200 other people in the shot yet. But soon! Stepping on a caterpillar of that size would make a LOT of goo (yellow green goo?), I’d probably be barfing too. As for the trees on top of IASW, I’ve always assumed that they were in planters of some sort. Not just growing up there, roots going into the ceiling of the ride! :-)
Chuck, I mostly remember the mauve mushroom from color-correcting old slides, but you did some nice research to see when the mushroom changed colors (which they do in nature to protect themselves from werewolves). I’m not so sure about walking IASW, but wouldn’t it be fun to swim it??
TokyoMagic!, good eye on the Carrousel finial. I wonder why they replaced the fantastic Alice poster atop the mushroom with the current image? You can’t beat those posters! I would have never thought that the railing to the left could be the exit to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, but I’ll bet you’re right. I had a nice time with my family!
Tom, you have to admit that “Father” didn’t yell at that dog very much. That’s why, one day, the dog leapt into the audience and chased everyone around. I could hardly believe it!
JG, well, nobody asked, but I think I like the mauve mushroom. Plus my new rapper name is “Mauve Mushroom”. Don’t forget it! I agree, that gigantic “plaza” in front of IASW seems overly large, they must have really been expecting record crowds for that ride when it debuted (and maybe they got them). Now it feels like wasted space. Perfect for an ugly merchandise building! They should make the parade march about 50 feet out of the backstage area, and then turn right back around. Sorry, folks on Main Street! As for walking IASW, I have an idea: roller skates. What do you think?
KS, I think that the Alice photo really was taken first thing in the morning - I doubt I have many (or any) photos from those Mondays and Tuesdays when the park was closed. Though I’d love to have a bunch! I’ve seen enough photos with maintenance being done while guests were in the park to know that it must not have been that unusual. “Generally avoided”, but not completely verboten.
JG & Major, I think it would be fun to either swim it or ride it on an inner tube. It would make an amazing "lazy river"...at least until the first few cases of hypothermia due to the air conditioning...or the first, er, "Baby Ruth" in the canal.
What they really need to do is to drain the water and put in high-speed, wheeled vehicles that run on linear induction motors. But don't super elevate the turns - that costs money! Then after 18-24-months or so, when they have worn the equipment out, they can close it and just leave it there to rot in full view of guests without replacing it with anything. I'm sure that's exactly what Walt would have wanted.
Bass Pro Shops Presents it's a small world - walking edition with waders.
KS - I know what you mean by the early morning feel of that picture. I'm not a morning person at home but when I go to the parks I really enjoy the early morning atmosphere.
Now I'm wondering if werewolves love to eat mushrooms, or if they despise them and trample them whenever they come across them. Either way, I've learned another new thing here on GDB! We're so fortunate here, that we live in the real world where everything is factual and there are no misconceptions or conspiracy theories.
Another vote for the mauve mushroom, here. It's more fantasy-like.
Chuck, "Baby Ruth". And I thought I was being a bit edgy with my squished caterpillar comment! ;-)
JB, Ni! Ni!
I prefer the white and gold iasw color scheme, myself. It echoes the final room where all the nations are together. I absolutely love the deserted Alice picture, and there's a nice selection of 1960s textiles on display in the second shot. Minnie herself would be proud of that polka-dotted dress.
Yes, as I recall the story…Rolly Crump asked for tree planter boxes on the IASW roof and Walt loved the idea of foliage all around the facade (did Walt ever refuse Rolly anything?) I don’t think they are used anymore due to increased maintenance issues of weight and water.
Also, as mentioned in one of those cool old WWoD specials (aside from plenty of dreck, those shows had some seriously special moments too!)… when Mary Blair herself is holding up a colorful lighting rig to the styrofoam IASW model, Walt says this is the first attraction they have built to specifically showcase an evening light show, so white was used to show off the colors. I mentioned all this again as it seems to have finally been used this way only VERY recently (not trimmed edges for holidays, nor as projection screen) with waves and patters of pure color.
Oh for the love of slurry do I wish to see the park as unadulterated as this again.
MS
Chuck, I admit that floating through IASW on an inner tube sounds pretty fun. Give every guest a bottle of bourbon too. Something about “in the canal” (re: the Baby Ruth joke) makes it even worse. You have some interesting ideas for IASW, and I’m sure you would go straight to the top of Disney brass if you worked there.
Dean Finder, as the brother of an avid fisherman, I still long to go to a big Bass Pro Shop, but they are not plentiful in SoCal. Mornings are the best at DL, the last time I went I did 6 major attractions in 2 hours, some mere walk-ons.
JB, you never know with werewolves, that’s why they are no longer allowed to teach high school. It seems harsh, but rules are rules. I’m happy to host a blog where folks learn “hard facts”, especially about werewolves.
Melissa, the ride itself (IASW I mean) is so full of saturated color, it’s OK to have an exterior that is mostly white and gold. Polka dots always make me think of Minnie as well, I once took a tour of Cal Arts back in the 1980s, and one girl in the group wore a red dress with big white polka dots. She was “interesting”.
MS, could they have put up some fake trees on top of IASW? I understand that this would cost money, but from ground level nobody would know the difference. They’d weigh less, would require no water… win/win. I have seen that clip with Mary Blair and the colorful lighting that she shines on the model of IASW. I think one of the guidebooks (maybe the 1965 edition?) suggests that the building would be lit at night in a similar manner.
"They should make the parade march about 50 feet out of the backstage area, and then turn right back around."
Major, LOL! I never mind looooong parades. The longer, the better, as it gives me more time to go on PotC, HM and JC.
"Bass Pro Shops Presents it's a small world - walking edition with waders."
Dean Finder's idea gets the Top Banana Award today, IMO. I love all the other ideas, but this one is definitely a winner. Throw in a $50 snack tray with Zinger, and I'm in.
Thanks for these pictures, Major. This is how I remember my childhood visits to Disneyland. Relaxing.
I would have bet that the Alice mushroom was always pink, but we all remember things differently. I agree that it's just a low attendance early morning photo and the people aren't milling about yet. Painters were everywhere all the time doing touch up. Even when guests were inches from the paint. They would put up little rope "fences" with cute Mickey "Wet Paint" 8 x 10 card stock signs. Painting at night in dewey Orange County is problematic with paint. Only the big stuff happened during a rehab or on the Monday/Tuesday closed thing. Otherwise, you'd always see someone doing little "dab dabs" everywhere. In order to get the "dab dabs" you would have to submit a work order, it's not like someone came inspecting anything. We were all pretty particular about things being very "fresh" and "new" looking...and for heavens sake, we did NOT want to look like our cousins on the East coast ('ouch") There was a "thing" about WDW not be kept like Disneyland, but Florida has a lot of weather for them to contend with, so after 40 years: I forgive. small world looks great in all white. If that is what Mary wanted, and the boss approved it...we changed it..."why?". If people change as much as a thimble with me it does not go well. I am sure there were agonizing meetings and debates over the facade colors and treatments, and it makes sense that the lighting at night would be even a bigger show stopper. I have to say that I actually like the holiday lighting and mini lights. As long as they don't put a Santa Hat on the clock. That is pushing the envelope. Looks like cigarette camera guy is enjoying a leisurely smoke. With only a very few amendments, this guy could actually be wearing a sub costume.
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