Super Skyway, May 1960
You probably haven't seen a photo of Disneyland as taken from the Skyway in at least 20 minutes, so here are two to keep you from going bananas. They're from May, 1960, when the Skyway was less than a year old.
I'm not sure why, but I always like photos where we get a feel for what it was like to be way up in the air, with so much to look at down below. Meanwhile, gondolas heading the opposite direction pass by close enough so that you can hand a jar of Grey Poupon if you wanted to (yes, you'd have to stretch). Our photographer was facing back towards the Tomorrowland Skyway terminal (where the line is considerable), and was heading backwards. The Autopia is beneath that red gondola, and the Space Bar is to our right. The berm does a great job of blocking the outside world.
Perhaps the guest did a round trip, because now they are headed backwards towards the Tomorrowland terminal. There are no visible bobsleds on the mountain, so don't buy a lottery ticket today. As always, I love those original metallic gondola colors!
18 comments:
Major-
"They're from May, 1960, when the Skyway was less than a year old".
Hmmmmm.... is that 'new math'-? (I'm thinking you meant to say The Matterhorn). I like the second shot, as it makes the mountain seem very imposing.
Thanks, Major.
Major: don’t forget : you never posted the Disneyland SKYWAY pictures I sent you last year I took of the Tomorrowland cable station the day before it closed FOREVER….
[Clang! Bang! Clackclackclackclack, Clatter! Clang!]
The sounds of waiting in line as your Skyway gondola enters the station, empties itself of its current occupants, swings around the big wheel, and the CMs open the door of the gondola for you to enter.
Major, besides the berm, the smog/fog/gloom also does a good job blocking the outside world.
I think we got too close to the Richfield Eagle's nest, and now she's coming after us! "Can't this gondola go any faster?!"
This photo does indeed give us a sense of actually being in a gondola, floating over Tomorrowland.
Hmm, the Matterhorn looks sort of monochrome gray here; more "painted", less real. Maybe that's why they painted the 'snow' down lower over the years. Still impressive though.
Thanks for the ride in the Skyway bucket, Major.
I think these were both taken during a one-way trip from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland. You can see Tomorrowland in the background in the second shot. Note the same smiling mom and looking back at us in both shots. I love how the daughter looks a bit unsure of what to think about the whole thing in the first picture, while in the second she's settled down and is looking down at the view. I hope that memory has stayed with her for the rest of her life.
Not only do I love this version of the Skyway buckets, but the support towers as well. They updated the one support tower in Tomorrowland but kept the two old style support towers in Fantasyland to the end if I remember correctly.
If only they'd blast open those nostrils and reinstall The Skyway. Oh, how happy I would be.
My most missed Disneyland attraction. Thanks, Major.
"I hope that memory has stayed with her for the rest of her life."
Chuck, my memory of this version of the Skyway buckets has stayed with me for life. I remember my mom and older sister sitting in the two seats and me sitting on my mom's lap. It felt precarious. The memory of that is still vivid to this day for me.
The folks on the ground should be careful standing under a bird that big.
Only one trash can, I am disappoint.
I never noticed those brightly colored frannistans on the gondola stems before, wonder what those were for?
The Mountain does look somewhat flat in plain concrete gray. It took a few years to come up with the multi-color scheme that was more tan and less gray.
Thank you, Major. Worth seeing these today.
JG
JG, I noticed the frannistans (snicker, nod to Asimov) and was wondering the same thing. Looking at a series of Daveland photos, they appear to have been painted red in the early days, then.a series of multi-colored hues that were not necessarily consistent throughout the fleet (I found yellow, orange, and aqua examples that didn’t always match the color of the gondola), and then eventually a grey or silver. The square bucket cable brackets had a similar design but seem to have always been in the same color as the rest of the gondola hanger.
I don’t ever recall noticing that the original gondolas had colored lights on top. I realize that film speed limitations of there era would have made that nearly impossible to photograph, but that would have been neat to see lights snaking their way across the sky like that, almost like a mobile string of Christmas lights.
one of my earlier favorite memories is waiting in line going up the hill to the chalet to get on Fantasyland skyway. I remember the line (and the clang clang!) more than the ride across.
in photo number 2, I notice the center cable goes right to solid rock in the mountain(!). hmmm, never even thought what the purpose of that cable is. communication between stations? ("faster! backwards! stop!!")
@ Chuck-
HERE's some interesting footage from the Skyride at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds, detailing many parts of the Von Roll 101.
@ LTL-
Questions have come up before about those cables. Assumption is it was used for [at least] direct communication between both stations.
Loving Autopia Lavender…on a completely different model of car with ‘eyebrows’. (so those changes were gradual and overlapping).
Appreciating my usual favorite, waterfalls.
MS
Ken, I'm sorry - not sure how I missed your comment but saw JG's. That memory has got to be wonderful. I still remember my first rides of this type at Cedar Point when I was three. I was worried when I was on the Sky Ride along the Funway (midway) but not on the Frontier Lift across the lagoons. My logic was that I could get killed falling on asphalt but would be OK if I landed in water or a tree.
Nanook, thanks for that link!
Nanook, OOPS. My excuse is that I was hopped up on prunes.
Mike Cozart, Oh man. I have hinted at it before, but I had a computer disaster in which I lost TWO YEARS of files. I apologize, Mike!
JB, I didn’t remember that the cable made so much racket. Why can’t they make it nice and quiet? I’ve very sensitive! Lucky for us, Screechy the Eagle (“Eeeeeyaaaah!”) can’t fly very fast because she always carries that big round egg. I don’t mind the Matterhorn appearing so gray and stone-like, after all the real Matterhorn is a very dark gray. I’ve seen it with my own two peepers!
Chuck, yes, you are right, like I said to Nanook, I was oh prunes. Don’t even start, kids! Also, I was probably trying to write 10 posts in one day. Bad idea.
K. Martinez, I agree… the later Skyway was improved, but there is a charm to the original gondolas and towers. My main memory on the Skyway is wanting to kiss my date, and getting shut down. OUCH.
K. Martinez, aw, I love that you have that vivid memory. It’s always amazing how tangible those vivid memories can feel all these years later.
JG, Disneyland iggles are trained to only “go” in preassigned places. Otherwise, chaos would reign. Good eye on those brightly colored things (frannistans?) were they lights? Can’t tell. I’m less crazy about the “more colorful” Matterhorn, but that’s because I am a grouchy SOB.
Chuck, I was going to look at Daveland’s Skyway photos, but there are too many! TOO MANY. But I appreciate that you took the time and effort to look into the mysterious colored thingies. I would LOVE to find a decent night (or dusk) photo with the Skyway and their lights clearly visible! But I’m not holding my breath. I agree, a longer exposure with the light trails would be beautiful.
LTL, I feel a little sorry for Disneyland guests who have never experienced the classic Skyway, but then again, I feel sorry for myself for not being able to experience it ever again. And good observation on that center cable! I can’t believe I never noticed before!
Nanook, I’ll have to watch your linked footage later tonight!
MS, yeah, the purple Autopia cars have a special significance to me, because there is a rare postcard featuring one of them. It took me YEARS to find one - now I have three of them. I WIN!
Chuck, I don’t remember ever being scared on the Skyway - that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t frightened, I just don’t remember it! You know that if your gondola fell, you could jump at the last millisecond and negate the effects of the fall!
Major-
"... if your gondola fell, you could jump at the last millisecond and negate the effects of the fall!"
That thinking also permeated the design of the Tucker automobile (1948) - with its recessed "crash chamber": "Under cowl is spacious safety chamber, protected by steel bulkheads, which driver and front seat occupants can drop into, in a split second, in case of impending collision".
Yes, I have weekly practice drills in my Tucker to prepare for just that sort of eventuality. (I've only had minor injuries to the big toe of my right foot). And when the vehicle is finally road-worthy, we can find out just how well that sort of "safety feature" works for real-!
Nanook, awesome video... informative *and* very fun!
I like how they have all the cars in their original primary colors, plus... the Cow Car.
with only a handful of Skyrides left, I wonder where is the closest location to Pacific Northwest.
LTL, I believe the one at the Washington State Fair is still operating. If memory serves, it’s a Von Roll like the one at the Minnesota State Fair.
wow, Chuck, thanks.
I foundthis video showing the sky ride at Washington State Fair, including historic clip of the ride when it debuted at 1962 Seattle World Fair.
included is a view of one car that still has the Von Roll brand plate on the inside.
looks like fun for $7
Nanook, what do you expect from a car designed by Forrest Tucker??
LTL, yes, that video was great, and REALLY made me miss Skyrides. I’m still not entirely sold on the “communication” use for that one cable, but what do I know.
Chuck, I don’t understand why a few Skyrides are still around (though I am glad that they are), while most have gone away. Is it cost? Liability? Low capacity?
LTL, that’s a fun video!
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