Fantasyland, January 1964
Here's a pair of Fantasyland views - both from January, 1964 though from different slide lots. FULL DISCLOSURE!
When one is floating through the air in a Skyway gondola, one has no choice but to point one's camera in every direction and snap away. Even if you didn't quite aim your lens in the perfect direction. I'm assuming that our photographer was enchanted by the sight of Casey Jr. chugging 'round the track... only a second later and the train would go behind the rocks and waterfalls of Skull Rock, so perhaps that is why this one is just a bit wonky. Look at all the warehouses in the distance... did they all belong to Disney?
The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship evokes the era when "privateers" roamed the seas and caught delicious tuna fish for whoever was willing to pay the most (usually the Van Camp company). "Thar be tuna, straight ahead!", a sailor in the crow's nest would shout. "Man the cannons!". Hey, you catch tuna your way, they'll catch them their way.
19 comments:
This is a nice photo of the Casey Jr. train. A bright and colorful focal point set amongst all the greenery. Monstro looks like a big, over-inflated inner tube about ready to explode. And Skully is being shy today; he just washed his palms and can't do a thing with them. With all that fluid gushing out of his orifices, he should be a spokesperson for Naväge®.
What does the sign say on the orange criss-cross? Looks like "Paul Phillips" or "Paper Pullups" or "Fast Fillups".
A bright, clear photo of the Pirate Ship. Anybody know what that white drum-like thing is? Major, since pirates have a nefarious reputation, that sailor is probably saying, "Thar be dolphins, straight ahead!... Man the cannons!"
Thanks for another glimpse of Old Fantasyland, Major.
In 1964 those warehouses would be mostly storage for merchandise and anything being received by Disneyland. They also housed the first decorating department. Aldo the machine shop where ride vehicles would be repaired or rebuilt ( the painting and decorative elements of the ride vehicles would be handled by the cycle shop - the original dl rr engine house ) by the 80’s most of those building were being used for entertainment storage … banners , signs, props used for holidays and promotional events) in the 70’s a larger recording studio was built in that area behind small world … parade soundtracks and announcements were recorded there even into the 2000’s. After the Disneyland tape and sound room was evicted from above circle vision in 1998 all the equipment was moved over to the larger soundroom.
"Fast Fillups" was my first thought, too! That would be a good name for a service station-themed restaurant. Welcome to Paul Phillips' Fast Fillups, where all the napkins are Paper Pullups!
That's a really cool angle on Casey Jr. and Storybookland. Skyway pictures are a gold mine.
JB, that drum-like thing, and the white railings are a part of a very small stage in Fantasyland, which we have seen here on GDB before (but not often). I don't think I would be able to locate a photo of it, so I will let someone else try, if they would like. I don't believe we've ever seen anyone or anything on the stage, in the few pictures that we have seen of it.
Naväge® scares me! And so does a basic non-motorized neti pot. If I did have sinus problems, I think I would be more of a MyPurMist® kind of guy.
Nice Fantasyland pics, Major....thank you!
When visiting Disneyland in 1964, one has no choice but take in the sights from the Skyway. One does not simply walk into Fantasyland.
Note the light tower partially obscuring Mr. Rock. I don’t ever recall seeing it painted in muted colors like that before. Not quite “Look Away Gray” or “Go Away Green” - more of a “Look Down Brown.” I wonder how long that lasted? Maybe it was always like that and I just never noticed…which means the paint was doing its job.
TM!, I was going to suggest that white railing meant the second photo was taken from the Mark Twain, but your theory makes more sense.
TM!, I was going to suggest that white railing meant the second photo was taken from the Mark Twain, but your theory makes more sense.
Chuck, I guess it's possible that it was taken from the Mark Twain, but with a super duper zoom lens. I think that's the technical term for it, anyway.
Why am I having so many problems with leaving a comment this morning? Maybe because it's 5:50 in the morning.
Photo 1 is really great. A nice view of the Never-Never Land of corrugated tin where the Magic Happens and a clear view of some real mountains too!
The sign is advertising the vocal stylings of Paul Phillips, an entertainer of some kind that was based on the little plaza between Skull and Whale (which sounds like another pub). Daveland has some clearer pictures and some story too, IIRC. But if I link to it, Major will have pay royalties.
The treasure chests on the roof of the forecastle in photo 2 were probably speakers. If you look closely you can see a circular pattern of perforations enabling the dispensing of tuna-harvesting music. These chests were removed in later years, but I have no idea when or why.
Chuck and Tokyo, photo 2 WAS taken from the Mark Twain, all the dark water was one big system as you know, and on quiet days, the riverboat could run the complete circuit, including through the Jungle Cruise. Later as crowds grew, the MT was restricted to the River. The Columbia never came out this far since the masts were too tall to fit through Monstro.
Thanks Major, great stuff!
JG
The older folks behind Captain Hook's cannons are like the buccaneers bobbing up and down on the ship firing off in Pirates of the Caribbean. With so many taming and softening changes over the years, that may be in the cards: Salt 'n Pepper Beard, Grannie Annie Read, Dentures Jack, Jean les Goutfitte.
Chuck, the light tower is look-down-brown in the August 1963 National Geographic Fantasyland picture, taken from about the same location on the Skyway as this picture, if not the same angle. Either it blended with the palm tree trunks, or wasn't noticed against smoggy skies, or maintenance was saving light green paint for the soon to-to-be-built Small World, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion show buildings.
JB, I do kind of like that nice view of Casey, looking like a toy train! It just occurred to me that I should have tried a “tilt shift” effect, but I’m away from home, so it’s too late. Boo. I’m pretty sure that Paul Phillips was the performer (though I suspect that you knew that!).
Mike Cozart, oh boy, merchandise! I can’t help wondering what kind of treasures might have been heaped up in those warehouses. Stuff that might sell for hundreds of dollars today. I knew about the machine shop, on rare instances you can sometimes see a ride vehicle parked outside waiting for maintenance. I think a friend of a friend still worked in one of those warehouses, painting signs for the park and making banners, but I could be mistaken.
Melissa, yum, service station food! Actually I’ve seen some gas stations on the Food Network that supposedly serve amazing sandwiches, BBQ, or other cuisine. Hard to believe.
TokyoMagic!, yes, that is definitely the little bandstand, I’ll see if I can find a picture of it. But it’s a busy day so I might not be able to! And you’re right, I don’t recall ever seeing anybody actually performing on it. EXCEPT… maybe there’s one with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on it? Not sure. I’ve read some bad things about neti pots… not that I’d want to use one anyway, but especially after reading those things!
Chuck, if only Frodo and Sam could have taken a Skyway into Mordor. So comfortable! And the views! Since those eagles were busy, I mean. I call the color on the light tower “Nope Taupe”. They don’t make it anymore, sadly. With a good lens and belief in one’s self, that photo could have been taken from the Mark Twain!
TokyoMagic!, I think they call them “mega zooms”. I read a lot of stuff (“People”, “Us”) and watch a lot of daytime TV! I’m sorry about the comments, it’s probably all because of that curse from opening that tomb.
JB, you’re right, for Anaheim I guess that qualifies as a “clear view”! I imagine Paul Phillips sounded just like Robert Goulet. Maybe even with a similar mustache. One can dream. I didn’t even notice those treasure chest/speakers, but if they really are speakers, what a great way to disguise them! What did they play over those speakers? The latest Dodger game? I appreciate your comment to Chuck and Tokyo, and love learning new facts that I can then repeat to many other people.
Stefano, I hope that the people on the Pirate Ship were yelling insults to the guests below, just like the pirates on the ship in POC. For authenticity’s sake, you understand. “Dentures Jack”, just the name strikes fear into my heart. You have to admit that the Nope Taupe shade for that light tower blends in pretty darn well, though I think that green would have been just as good.
Major, I imagine that the speakers provided cheerful sea shanties and music to gut tuna by...
I figure there is so much false information floating around about the old Park, repeated by people too young to know the difference, that I should do my part and contribute to the supply.
You should trademark "Nope Taupe" as the official shade of GDB.
JG
JG, a secret childhood fantasy was seeing a running gun battle between the Jolly Roger and the Columbia. Sadly, Monstro made sure that never happened.
Now I’m imagining the Mark Twain cruising through POTC.
Major-
Here are some detail images of that 'small stage'. The 1964 souvenir map even has a reference in that area labelled "Dancing" - but doesn't call-out the stage. Look HERE to see the Big Bad Wolf & "friends" on the stage. And HERE you can see the little stage, to the right of Dumbo, partially-hidden by a palm tree. And again HERE from ground level, with its colorful 'base'.
Thanks, Major.
JG, it’s fascinating to think about what they might have played on the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, since I have never seen a soundtrack of spiel online. Of course it might just be lost to time. Maybe they played the song, “Ask any mermaid you happen to see…”. Etc. As for distributing misinformation, I think I mentioned (a while ago) that I mistakenly said that one attraction poster had 11 different colors, when it turns out it had 12 (two colors are very close in hue and value). Since then I’ve seen the “11 colors” info on other websites. Oops!
Chuck, many people think of the Columbia as a pirate ship anyway, so it doesn’t seem that crazy to imagine it battling with the tuna boat.
Nanook, “dancing”? I assume that they mean that folks could dance near the stage, not on it.
Mike, so, back in the '80s, one of those warehouses is where the Christmas tree costumes were stored that TM! got wedged into the trolley track?
Thanks, Melissa. You made me grin again. :-)
Tokyo!, to quote Major P., Naväge® "is of the Devil". I have to look away when the ad comes on... which is often. On the bright side, when I look away, I can watch birds and squirrels feeding on our back patio.
Chuck, no,no,no! You're absolutely right about the white railing being the Mark Twain. That would explain why we're seeing the Columbia sailing ship featured so prominently in the picture as well. Always go with your first instincts!
JG, for real? I thought you were joking about Paul Phillips. (I was!)
Major, as I just commented to JG, I was just making up the name "Paul Phillips" because that's what the sign sort of looked like. I haven't heard of the performer (sorry, Paul).
Nanook, thanks for the links and the research. Hmm, it looks like the white drum-thing could be a speaker, with that grillwork on the front. And those links only cost the Major $150 dollars!
I haven't seen anything else in Disneyland that was painted "Nope Taupe". But now that it's a thing, I'll be looking for it.
Major-
Yes, I assume the area 'adjacent' to the stage was to be designated for dancing - not the 'micro stage', itself. You need to look thru old entertainment gate handouts, to see if at any time that area is mentioned for dancing...
Hello JB, yes, Paul Phillips was some kind of solo entertainer and he performed in that little space between the Skull Rock exit and Monstro. I know I have seen a clearer picture of that sign, taken from ground level, but I can't locate it.
Maybe Mike Cozart can tell us more, he is the sign expert.
Major, I don't know that those chests were speakers, but I have seen that round pattern on them in other photos, and thats all I could come up with.
I'm going off to think up more outrageous claims to make.
JG
Maj, I actually went to a restaurant in Pittsburgh once that was themed to an auto repair garage. The dining room had a concrete floor and corrugated aluminum walls, and there were old metal signs and tool chests all around for decor. The bathroom mirrors had tires sliced in half for frames. Unfortunately, all the food was really dry. Nedfed more Penzoil, I guess.
I've had Barrett's Privateers stuck in my head all day.
Mike, so, back in the '80s, one of those warehouses is where the Christmas tree costumes were stored that TM! got wedged into the trolley track?
JB, it looks like Mike didn't check back in to answer your question. I can tell you that in the early eighties, the parade warehouses were behind Frontierland. Directly behind Frontierland, was the "Circle D Ranch" where the horses used to be kept, prior to the Wookies evicting them to the faraway city of Norco (they are brought to the park now in trailers). Moving northward on the Disney property, beyond the old Circle D Ranch, was a huge warehouse, where the parade floats were kept. There was a mix in there of Christmas Parade floats, and Electrical Parade Floats. I wish I had taken some pics in there, but I don't think I ever had a flash with me during the times I was in that warehouse. Directly to the west of that warehouse, was another one where the parade costumes were kept, and also the lockers for the parade performers. Going back towards the park, and just south of that building (and west of the Circle D Ranch) was a parking lot that was used by parade cast members. Oh and in between that parking lot, and the costumes and lockers warehouse, was a smaller building, which was a rehearsal hall.
During the reconfiguration of West St. for the new Disneyland "Resort" in the late nineties, resulted in the demolition of the rehearsal hall and the costume and locker warehouse. The warehouse that held the floats remained, but the land under those other structures now has the relocated West St. (or whatever they call it today....Magic Way, Dreams Drive, B.S. Boulevard?) paved over it, along with the entrance lanes into the Mickey and Friends parking structure.
I tried to find a good aerial photo that would show these things, but most of what I found is either very early in DL's history, prior to those buildings being there, or current views, showing the absence of those buildings.
Thanks, Tokyo!. "B.S. Boulevard" sounds about right to me. ;-)
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