New Orleans Square, October 1981
It's time for some more wonderful photos, taken by our pal Lou Perry, and scanned for us by our pal Sue B. These are from October, 1971, and they feature New Orleans Square. I don't think it's square at all, in fact it is pretty groovy.
These street lamps have been used as the a sort of logo for New Orleans Square. Why not a Hot Wheels car? Those are cool! I believe that the exit from Pirates of the Caribbean is to the left, notice the stanchions and chains for potential long lines. The chains are electrified.
Crowds gather to experience the "always nighttime" dining in the Blue Bayou. I finally got to eat there recently, definitely a "bucket list" experience! I was with some good friends and we had a swell time. I didn't realize that all of the food would be blue, but once you got used to it, it was no big deal. The blue clam chowder was especially delish!
Say, it's the Blue Bayou again! I wish we had some interiors, but it is awfully dark in there, I understand. And flash photography will ruin the ambiance. Animatronic fireflies landing in your food also ruin the ambiance.
This one went pretty dark, but hey, why not include it? It will only cost you, the beloved reader, an extra five dollars. I think those gentlemen might be 2/3 of the Royal Street Bachelors, but it's hard to be certain. I love the magnolia trees in the background, magnolias are among my "top 1000" trees!
THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!
23 comments:
Major-
"I didn't realize that all of the food would be blue, but once you got used to it, it was no big deal".
Didn't you wear the 'special' glasses to correct for the naming anomaly-? (You'll have to amend your bucket list).
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
I'd like to dedicate today's pictures to DrGoat, as he and his wife starting going together to Disneyland as a couple, in 1981 - so I know it's a memorable year for them. (Hi, Peter!)
Hey, Mike, is all that wrought iron getting painted banana-yellow, too?? I hope not. My favorite area in the Park, and it's slowly disappearing.
Major, I'm glad you finally got to eat at the Blue Bayou with some good friends. That place may not be there much longer. And I'm glad to hear that you have friends, especially good ones.
Now I want a mint julep...
1) "D'ORLEANS". Wasn't she one of the original Mouseketeers?
Not sure if those streaks running down the wall from the cast iron are real, or artfully painted on by imagineers. Either way, I like 'em; it makes NOS look more like a real place.
We can see the Mark Twain paddling by in the glass panes on the doors.
2) The lady pressing her finger against the menu board is saying, "Well would ya lookie here, it says all the food is blue!" See, Major? No excuse for not knowing about the blue food. Farmer Kevin, in his overalls, stepped away from his marijuana patch long enough to take in the sights of Disneyland. He had a bad case of the munchies, so he ate three Monte Cristo sandwiches... with extra jelly on the side. The two guys in blue shirts, behind the little kid; are they maintenance workers? Or security guards? Or...
3) Anyone know what is written on those oval plaques in front of the Blue Bayou? I can't quite make it out.
Thank you, Lou, and to you, Sue, and Major, too.
Major, that area to the left (in the first pic), is the extended queue for POTC, between the side of the building and the Swiss Family Treehouse. That archway in the distance has doors that open, to extend the queue even further.
A lamppost just like that one in the first pic, sold at the recent Van Eaton auction. It went for $15,000. It didn't have the attached street sign, however.
The exit for POTC is just around the corner from the Blue Bayou sign. Across the way from that exit walkway, is the Pieces of Eight store. It would have still been fairly new at this point, since the Pirate Arcade closed in 1980. I just don't have an exact date.
JB, I believe all three of those oval signs just have "Blue Bayou" on them. Actually, there is a fourth one behind those people's heads.
The hanging signs in that last pic are for, Laffite's Silver Shop, the Cristal d' Orleans shop, and on the left side of the street....Mse. Antoinette's Parfumerie. And in the distance, we can see the 360 degree bench that went around that large planter. Sandy Duncan danced on them while Doc Severinsen played his trumpet. They have since ripped those benches out. I swear, they have absolutely no respect for Sandy Duncan, whatsoever.
P.S. Hi Peter! Thinking of you!
And does anyone know where Chuck is? Hi Chuck!
It's me, again. I forgot to thank Lou, Sue, and Major, too!
These photos make me happy and sad all at the same time. Not sure why we remove a lamp post unless it's rotten. If it's for lines and queues and dumb bridges: "no". Big 'ol "no. Same with the Sandy Duncan memorial benches. "no" I remember those maintenance guys in blue, and one has a mustache which I also remember, and he must have been a long timer who was grandfathered in. A couple of maintenance guys had mustaches. I can see why it's not such a big deal for guys doing their "man work". I had to fire someone for their mustache so perhaps I am particularly sensi-bee. Rust stains are painted, and that was gone over during orientation. Woman pointing at menu...she is still pointing much later in the next photo. Can't we just look? Do you have to touch? Supervisor with flared trousers is giving directions or something....and one of the Darryls, of Darryl, Darryl and Darryl is checking out pointer, pointing. Not sure it's the same group. Ditto with TM (tm) on the entry queue to Pirates alongside the treehouse. If those doors were open back there...it was bad....meant at least 45 minutes. It was a relatively peaceful area though, unlike all the ropes and whatnot that sometimes snaked around in front of pirates...hence the hideous and out of scale bridge that was built. What do I REALLY think? "Gold Doubloons and Pieces of Eight, handed down from Apple-gate." If you know that ditty, you get a gold star. The one of a kind shop was lovely, and sometimes you don't need to sell the same thing over and over again to make money. I am surly this morning. Meridith Baxter Birney looks like she enjoyed the ride with that other guy from "Perfect Strangers". I did not watch that show, and have no intention to...ever. The producer also did Mork and Mindy...and one of my favorites: "Angie"....looking back at both these shows now: "Painful". What were we thinking? What a serene New Orleans Square: perhaps this can still be experienced in the wee hours of the morning, or late at night. And please don't jack with the perfume shop....that is a work of art. Thanks Lou and Sue and Moo...I mean Major.
Thank you, Lou and Sue for these wonderful New Orleans Square pics. Always loved this area of Disneyland. Some of the best atmosphere in the park. Thank you too, Major.
Bu, ha, ha! They need to reinstall that circular bench and add a plaque, stating that it is the "Sandy Duncan Memorial Bench"!!!
I LOVED the show, "Angie"! I even went to see it taped "live," and was able to meet the cast afterward. I have a ticket and some autographs, and have been wanting to work them into a post somehow, but I didn't think anyone else remembered that show! Donna Pescow is on my list of all-time favorite actresses, along with Sandy Duncan, Leslie Ann Warren, and Cindy Williams. (And yes, I deliberately left E.J. Peaker off of that list.)
I hope management doesn't turn Mse. Antoinette's Parfumerie into, "Tiana's Starbuck's."
These have that Lou Perry touch, splendid “you-are-there” views of the best part of Disneyland.
Slowly being eroded by tasteless goofs who can’t see what they inherited. Oh well.
That last photo doesn’t even seem like Disneyland, no people, lots of trees.
Nothing like Blue Food to top a good time, and those fireflies add extra crunch. Cocktails now available, have a Hurricane. Drinks named after Natural Disasters are best, mudslides, lava flows, etc.
Major, here’s to more dinners with friends. Cheers!
Dr. Goat, thinking of you, have a good day!
Thanks Lou, Sue and Major!
JG
It was a very good year for me. Thanks for the memories.
Good health to one and all, and thank you Lou and Sue. I remember one time back then that we ran, as soon as the park opened, to get a reservation at the Blue Bayou. (Along with several other park guests).
Nanook, the only special glasses I have are X-ray spex! AND YES, they do work!
Lou and Sue, aw, how nice, yes, I am happy to dedicate today’s photos to our friend DrGoat and his wife! Banana-yellow wrought iron, so authentic to New Orleans. A few sparklies would make it even MORE authentic. “That place may not be there much longer”… WHAT? What have you heard???
JB, yes, that’s the Mouseketeer who kept getting into legal trouble. But we still love her. I wondered about the wall streaks too, I choose to believe that they were artfully added by Imagineers. My excuse for not knowing that the food would be blue is that I was looking at my phone (as usual). And on drugs. Everyone knows how much I love drugs! The oval plaques say, “Welcome, JB”.
TokyoMagic!, thank you for the correction re: the extended queue area. The lamppost in the Van Eaton auction was nice, but I would have wanted it to have the street sign. Otherwise it’s kind of a generic “old timey” lamppost, like you can buy at “Just Lamppostz”. I’d also like to own one of those oval “Blue Bayou” signs! Maybe I can then sell it for $15,000? I’d like to go into the Parfumerie and ask to replicate my favorite Axe body spray scents, like “Dark Chocolate”. And if they say they can’t do it, I’ll throw a fit!
TokyoMagic!, yes, HI PETER!
TokyoMagic!, you are welcome!
Bu, that lamppost was harshing my good vibes. It had to go! What I really want is to remove all decorations so that there is more room for sweating crowds. And the customer is always right! I’ve let everyone know of my Sandy Duncan fandom, and still believe that “Million Dollar Duck” is right up there with “The Godfather” as one of the greatest movies ever made. Charlie the duck should have received a special duck-shaped Oscar. It’s funny, you sometimes see employees at Disneyland with mustaches in older photos, particularly in Frontierland. I guess they got a pass because it worked with the theme? I’m not crazy about the Pirates bridge either, but have been assured that it was necessary due to the crowds. Well, OK. So many old shows that I genuinely liked years ago now seem SO hard to watch. Not necessarily “bad” per se, but the passing decades have not been kind to that sort of humor, and that style of sitcom. However, I’ve been watching old episodes of “The Fugitive” on YouTube, and it’s still a pretty watchable show.
K. Martinez, New Orleans Square is still a great place, though the part that bugs me is the “Fantasmic!” viewing area. Again, necessary I suppose, but it really ruins the look of the place.
TokyoMagic!, I think they should add a Sandy Duncan statue to the “Partners” tableau. I vaguely remember “Angie”, but it’s mostly just an “old sitcom blur”. How many shows did you go to watch live? I think you’ve mentioned “The Tonight Show”?
JG, just because YOU can’t appreciate sparkles and purple paint doesn’t mean that it’s bad! For instance, I painted my Rolls Royce purple, and had it covered in glitter, and believe me, I get the looks. You can tell that everyone is jealous. I’ll sure be curious to read about the inevitable issues the park has with tipsy patrons; I want to believe that people will behave themselves, but… come on! I’ve never thought to add fireflies to my food, but you know I’m going to try it now.
I'm thinking now the Blue Bayou was perhaps the greatest theme park restaurant on the planet. Sure, Club 33 sells booze, but BB had ambiance in spades. And there was nothing more satisfying that a Monte Cristo and a glass of chocolate milk. And a dark-chocolate mint afterwards.
I don't think it will ever be equaled.
Major, I like your idea of adding Sandy Duncan to the Partners statue. She could be wearing her Peter Pan outfit and "flying" above Walt and Mickey. They could even make the new addition be sort of a nod to "The Frito Kid", by having her toss small bags of Wheat Thins down to guests, who deposit a quarter into Mickey's mouth.
Major, yes....we did go see The Tonight Show, "live." Just off the top of my head, some of the other shows we went to see were, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Three's Company, Soap, Benson, and The Golden Girls.
@ TM!-
Let's do a one-upmanship... Dinah Shore Chevy Show; Johnny Carson (at least twice); The Debbie Reynolds Show - oh yeah; David Letterman - in NYC & Hollywood; and speaking of Letterman - Open All Night; The Odd Couple - tons of episodes; The Tony Randall Show - many episodes; The Golden Girls; Seinfeld. There's a special, or two that's escaping me.
DrGoat, I can just picture you (I’ve seen your picture!) running to the Blue Bayou. Laughing! Surprising the people who took reservations! A fun memory for you I am sure. Thanks for checking in!
Steve DeGaetano, the Blue Bayou is a genius concept beautifully done. My understanding is that the Mexico pavilion in EPCOT is also very nice, but probably not as good as the BB!
TokyoMagic!, now that I think about it, they should remove the Walt and Mickey statues and just have Sandy Duncan as Peter Pan (throwing Wheat Thins). “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing - Sandy Duncan RULES” - Walt Disney. WOW, you’ve seen a lot of live TV tapings! I feel so lazy, I used to drive past NBC Studios all the time, and would see people in line for The Tonight Show, and I would think to myself, “Someday I should really go see that”. And I never did.
Nanook, it’s not a competition, though I am suitably impressed. You BOTH win gold stars!
Again...nice shots from the "Lou and Sue Collection". And yes, you have a couple of the Royal Street Bachelors walking in the dark there. Looks to be Jack McVea and Herb Gordy, who was a cousin of Berry Gordy...yes. the founder of Motown. Wish we could lighten up the photo to be sure.
I have memories of ending my shift at Pirates and walking over into the BB to have dinner with my folks while in costume. Oh I was a daring CM! Now it's OK to be out walking in public, beyond Disneyland, in costume. KS
Tokyo!, "I believe all three of those oval signs just have "Blue Bayou" on them." Huh. Well that's no fun! It looks more like "The Walt Block" to me.
Yes, we're thinking of you, DrGoat! And yes, I was wondering where Chuck has been, too.
Bu, thanks for the maintenance guys and the painted rust stains confirmation. Hey, if Walt can wear a mustache in the Park, why can't other guys! (I suspect the answer is "because he's Walt, and you're not!")
Oh, and I meant to say "wrought iron" in my first post, above. I don't know why I said "cast iron"... They're probably made of plastic anyway.
Major, well, if yer on drugs, then you should be used to food appearing in all sorts of weird and wonderful colors! The oval plaques say "Welcome, JB"? I NEVER KNEW! Hmmm, they're probably just trying to lure me back so that they can throw me into Disney Prison (below the Castle) for touching one of their animatronic fireflies back in 1975 as I was exiting Pirates. Actually, it was the wire/string that the firefly was attached to; I was curious how the effect worked.
KS, Bu would have fired you. ;-D
Over the years there’s been several versions of those oval signs … the 1967 -2000’s featured just “THE BLUE BAYOU” the laurels and a cypress tree silhouette. A few early versions include “entrance” and “exit”. The 1967 ones were a greyish green … and by the 70’s a deep blue with pale yellow and mint graphics … by the late 70’s and into the 80’s a brighter blue with gold and mint graphics . Tokyo Disneyland still uses the 1980’s Disneyland style. In recent years a contemporary oval sign using a cypress and bayou illustration and a mirrored back with the “BLUE BAYOU” in a wavy watery font I believe is called “aqua-tint”
BTW : the oval signs of the 60’s Thru the 80’s were emulating the restaurant’s dinner menu graphics. In fact the 1974 version was created by the sign shop using a cut up menu as a sign makers guide.
Thanks Steve for reminding me of those chocolate mints. Embossed BB logo, wrapped in golden foil. A nice touch that came with the bill… then step outside into blinding daylight, with the elegant strains of the Royal Street Bachelors echoing around the courtyards. What a satisfying experience that was.
MS
Good to hear from you, Dr. Goat! Happy remembering of 1981!
JG
Nanook, okay....I forgot That's Incredible!, The Facts of Life, The Mike Douglas Show, The John Davidson Show, The Late Show with Joan Rivers, Family Feud, and The Price Is Right! ;-)
JB...I suppose he would have! LOL
And good to hear from you DR. Goat! KS
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