It is time... time for some crummy slide scans! Hey, I scanned 'em, so you have to look at 'em. That was in the small print of the contract that each of you filled out before viewing GDB.
Both of these are from January, 1964; we'll start with this ho-hum view of the Mark Twain, late in the afternoon - which means it was probably 4 o'clock. The Twain is packed, which makes me wonder if holiday crowds were filling the park when this photo was taken? It looks like you could hardly squeeze another soul on board without using a crowbar and some lard (that's how I would do it, anyway). If I look really closely I imagine I can see the bell on the side of Cascade Peak, but it might just be a rogue squirrel.
Well, there is definitely Christmas decor on City Hall, garlands and such. Looking at the roof of City Hall, there is a fenced in area that makes me wonder if employees could step out there? Probably not, since they would be in plain sight of the guests; maybe the fence was there as a safety measure for maintenance guys.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThat's most-definitely the fire sprinkler water motor gong. It's the round, reddish shape about midway between the left edge of Cascade Peak and the left edge of the upper waterfall - and about midway down on the waterfall - and diagonally to the upper-left of a roundish tan-gray shape - if that all makes sense.
Thanks, Major.
Dang. It's always the small print. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk. That ship has sailed. The train has left the station. The horse has already bolted from the barn. The cat has already puked on the pizza.
ReplyDeleteWow, that Columbia gangplank sure is steep! How do they expect little old ladies to scale that cliff?! And what if they're holding their purse with one hand; they'd never make it up that ramp! No wonder the Columbia is rarely in use, guests have so much trouble boarding and exiting the Ship!
I like the little white/silver bells adorning the lamppost. A clear plastic babushka sighting in front of City Hall.
Nanook, nahhh. Major is right, it's a rogue squirrel. Probably animatronic... and capable of exploding.
Thanks for the Snoozles, Major. (I wonder what else I signed here, without reading the small print?)
There is a bell on the side of Cascade Peak??? I never knew that. I must have missed the comments on the day that was discussed!
ReplyDeleteJB, not only was that ramp steep, but those steps leading up to the ramp would sometimes collapse without warning, sending people sliding down onto the dock. It was just like an old-fashioned funhouse!
The Mark Twain appears to have just returned from a trip to 1957.
ReplyDeleteThe fenced in area on top of City Hall was where they put rogue squirrels after they were captured.
JB, thank you for contributing a new expression to my vocabulary.
TM!, checking attendance records, you did miss class on September 25th, 2018. In fact, you were absent Sunday through Friday, which explains your abysmal quiz score for the week.
I’m disappointed I was never able to experience the Columbia funhouse. I love it when things happen without warning. Like the time Mrs. Chuck told me she was going to have a baby. Still not quite sure what causes that, but nothing to do about it at that point; the cat had already puked on the pizza.
Now that we know about the fire bell, it can’t be un-rung.
ReplyDeleteConsider this my slight contribution to the Parade of Cliches…
That ramp worked like the one in the James Bond blimp… “anyone else care to drop out?”
I love Town Hall at Christmas.
Thanks Major!
JG
@ Chuck-
ReplyDelete"I love it when things happen without warning. Like the time Mrs. Chuck told me she was going to have a baby. Still not quite sure what causes that, but nothing to do about it at that point..."
Well, let's see... did you both drink out of the same cup-??
Thanks for knowing the exact date involving discussion about that dang "fire gong". I can't believe it's been almost five years to the day-!
Nanook, I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure that it’s just a rogue squirrel!
ReplyDeleteJB, always read contracts before you sign them - unless they are from me. I’ll never do anything bad! Back in the 1950s and 1960s, people climbed steep gangplanks 9 or 10 times a day. They also walked to school uphill both ways, or so I’m told! Poor Nanook can’t tell that that shape is a rogue squirrel, but he didn’t spend years in the wilderness like I did.
TokyoMagic!, I think the bell has come up several times, I wish I could link the main conversation but it was so long ago. There is a round fire bell to the left of the main waterfall on Cascade Peak, it is very odd. Why there of all places?
Chuck, why does the Mark Twain look like it has just returned from a trip to 1957? Rogue squirrels were released in this country by the Commies to disrupt our way of life. Oh man, thanks for finding that blog post, I would have never figured it out!
JG, which James Bond movie had a blimp? There are still some from the series that I’ve never seen, maybe I missed that one. The joke sounds Roger Moore-ish.
Nanook, one always has to be careful when drinking out of the same cup. It was scientifically proven by some science talking guy! Yes, I am amazed that Chuck found that post, I wasn’t even going to bother to look since I was sure I wouldn’t be able to find it.
Nanook, did we both drink out of the same cup? No, that’s how I got mono from a close friend’s fiancée. But Mrs. Chuck and I had been married for 9 years at that point, so…maybe it was because we did laundry together? I don’t know. I think there are some things in this world that we just aren’t meant to know. Thankfully, the fire gong doesn’t seem to be one of them.
ReplyDeleteAlmost five years! Seems like no more than four…
Major, you can tell they have just come from 1957 by all of the people red jackets on deck.
The James Bond movie with the blimp was A View to a Kill. The line was Christopher Walken’s. And thanks, JG, for putting that stupid Duran Duran song in my head for the rest of the day.
You know...I always think of the 1967 Tomorrowland as the best. And now when I see the Mark Twain along with Big Thunder, I tell myself...'Now THAT was Frontierland'. KS
ReplyDeleteThe bell might as well be a dent or a fudgie or a kidney boy tree...all three equally mysterious. Is to be "Be-twained" something like being "betwixt?". Speaking of Twix...I really enjoy them, and could use one right now...a Twix betwixt my lipz. I could also use an entire box of See's scotch mallows as well. I do not have See's in my parts, so need to airship them. OK: candy talk done, back to City Hall. A place of "Brick Bats and Bouquets" which we officially called complaints and compliments in that order. Sometimes these were published for all to see in the Disneyland Line...with a cute picture of Mickey slamming a bat around and Minnie with a bouquet of flowers. If you received either of these things, it went into "your file" along with a letter of congrats from the VP of Ops...or a different kind of letter if things did not go as planned. You cannot wander up to the fenced part of the roof of City Hall. You can get up there with effort on a ladder. During the parades this was used for various lighting and whatnot. I was recently asked what was inside that tower...and honestly...I was never curious enough to find out. I was way more concerned with my hair and a very pressed, starched and perfect costume. Speaking of Starbucks at the Market House on Main St. : it just celebrated it's 10th anniversary. (clutching pearls: "oh dear".) City hall was always appropriately decorated during the season. With the VP's office used as a green room for the Candlelight Speaker. Looks like the stairwells are pre-handrails, and plastic rain hat lady is preparing for a big storm, and a caped Mrs. Disney is there beside her. Not sure if people wear capes anymore, but they certainly are glamourous in my opinion. The Tour Guides had capes for light cold, and thick red woolen coats for more cold. Everyone looks like they have sensible heels. Good idea. Thanks Major for the "Snooze", which generally...is nothing like a snooze.....
ReplyDeleteChuck, once again, thank you for the link and the info! You are right, I DID miss class that day. It looks like I missed multiple days that week. I was beginning to wonder what might have been going on with me at that time, but now I remember. I started experiencing a "contact allergy" a few weeks earlier, but it took them four full months to figure out that's what it was. Absolutely ridiculous! I walked into the dermatology department on the very first day, and asked the doctor if it could be an allergy, but I did not get a referral to the allergy dept., until after they had thoroughly tortured me for four full months, with prescription drugs.....none of which, worked. Well, enough about that. But it does explain why I might have missed multiple days here on GDB!
ReplyDelete