More Swiss Family Treehouse, WDW - September 1972
Well, it took long enough, but I am finally sharing more of Lou Perry's photos (shared with us by Sue B.) from a 1972 trip to the Magic Kingdom. Let's just say that there were technical issues (to put it mildly). The last post was way back in September of last year, hard to believe. And in this installment we are still at the magnificent Swiss Family Treehouse, which clearly blew Lou's mind. And why wouldn't it? Looking at this first image, it's amazing to think that the giant tree is entirely artificial, and yet it looks as if it has been growing there for decades.
I quite like the concept of crossing a bridge to the Treehouse's island. That is some feat of engineering, but the Swiss are famous for that sort of thing. I'm surprised they didn't make it a drawbridge operated by bamboo cogs to keep pirates away. I also don't want to get too technical, but you can clearly see the ship-thingies that were used in the construction.
This sign (made by Fritz, I recognize his handiwork) gives a brief description of this area. Let's face it, they were sick of telling the story over and over. Father said, "Fritz, why don't you make a sign, while I continue working on my puppet theater?". "Yes, papa!". Fritz was a good boy, after all. Notice that in this iteration the ship that was wrecked was the "Swallow", while we have seen signs from Disneyland that used the names "Recovery" and (apparently later) the "Titus". It's interesting to me, anyway!
THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!
13 comments:
Major-
"... you can clearly see the ship-thingies that were used in the construction".
I believe the word you're searching for is Deadeyes - used to create tension in the rigging lines. Aye, aye captain-!
Thanks, Major - and Lou and Sue.
WDW's treehouse certainly is beautiful. Not that the Disneyland version wasn't! I'm wondering if the white that we can see at the bottom of the first pic could be part of a Swan Boat? Or maybe the angle of that photo is too high up to have been taken from one of the boats?
Thanks you for more WDW SFRTH, Lou, Sue, and Major, too!
Sorry Major, but "ship-thingies" is too technical for me. Do you mean those doohickeys with the whatchamacallits running through the gismos? Yeah, the Swiss are good at that sort of thing. Why, the bridge has a 17 jewel movement to keep it smoothly suspended!
Fritz is an excellent wood carver, I must say. Just look at the fluid penmanship displayed on that sign. And it's in English, too! Which of course, is not Fritz's native language. Papa had Fritz make the sign because Ernst was too busy fighting lions and tigers. And little Moochie... I mean Francis, would have tried to eat the sign, thinking it was made of chocolate.
Many thanks to Lou Perry for his documentation photos, which are also nice to look at. And to Sue and Major for bringing them to us.
Thanks Lou and Sue and Major too! I'm so glad they've never really changed the SFT at WDW. Its island location makes it feel much more isolated than the Anaheim version.
TokyoMagic! – the angle does seem too high for the lesser-seen Swan Boat. I believe it's just a concrete embankment. A quick look on Google Maps streetview shows that currently there is a similar curved embankment with seating at that spot, only now it's crafted to look like rockwork.
Pegleg Pete, thanks for that info. I just checked out Google "street view" and I see the area you are talking about. It looks like they just sprayed over, or "troweled" over the original concrete wall and seating. I think the "rockwork" seating around DL's old Captain Hook's Pirate Ship looked more realistic!
Those canny Swiss, with their Matterhorns and cheeses full of holes and their 17 jewel bridges leading to arboreal chocolate factories. No wonder they are a neutral nation, every other country in Europe is jealous. If only they had tacos.
I’m with Pete, Leave the Treehouse Alone.
Thank you, Lou, Sue, and Major!
JG
I was as blown away as Lou when I got there 12 years later. It was like stepping into an elaborate dollhouse.
Nanook, I would never say “Deadeyes”, it’s too scary!
TokyoMagic, that doesn’t look like part of a boat to me, but I am speaking from zero experience at WDW, so I could be totally wrong!
JB, I see that you have studied ship stuff too, your terminology is impressive. I wish everything had 17 jewels, even gum. Hey, Europeans are often multi-lingual, and Papa knew that this sign was going to Orlando. I once saw a letter written by Vincent Van Gogh, in ENGLISH, it was a trip to be able to read his thoughts in my own language. He was clearly a smart guy.
Pegleg Pete, I agree with you, it’s wonderful that the WDW version of the Treehouse is all original. I wish they’d kept their hands off of the Anaheim version. And having just seen the “Adventureland Treehouse” update, well… let’s just say it wasn’t for me.
TokyoMagic!, they already had a trowel, just sitting around not earning any money! Might as well use it on that seating.
JG, the Swiss Family did many amazing things in the original book, I’m kind of surprised they did not find cacao plants growing; Papa would of course know how to make delicious chocolate, because he knew everything!
Melissa, that’s a good analogy!
The WDW SWISS FAMILY ISLE TREEHOUSE also had a substantial themed cue on the “mainland”. It was used mainly in the early early years of The Magic kingdom … it originally included the Adventureland central ticket booth , a waiting area made from a wrecked ships deck and shade awnings made to look like they were cobbled from ship mast pieces and storm tattered sails …. I think you can see part of the crows nest in one of Lou’s images .
Well at the time of its construction Walt Disney World was the largest and most expensive single construction project ever done by humans on earth…… and that was just to get to WDW PHASE ONE… Phase two was planned to be completed by 1976…. Consisting of lots of big projects and expansion … but lots of small things too …. Like simple plain walls (near the Swiss Family Isle Treehouse ) to be finished to Adventureland appropriateness….. to more outdoor seating …. Outdoor lighting …. And other themed improvements WED imagineers couldn’t afford to complete in 1971. Like Liberty Squares serpentine wall facing the moat and Concorde bridge …… skinned with real fieldstone from Rhode Island. Of course the energy crises of the early 70’s caused many of the BIG WDW improvements and expansions to be delayed .. or ultimately canceled…. Some expansion projects continued to stay in the WDW drawing boards and planning schedules until the EPCOT CENTER project put the nail in the coffin .
Que …. Not “cue” (:/
I believe the tower projecting above the exit bridge on the right of the first picture is the top of Tropical Serenade - WDW's original iteration of the Tiki Room.
Since Adventureland backed up to Frontierland in WDW, a few of the taller elements could be seen from both lands and were styled to make sense in both. For example, "water buffalo head" seen in Adventureland is a "steer head" in Frontierland.
Anakin Skywalker, named after Ken Annakin the director of The Swiss Family Robinson: the highest grossing film the year it came out, and enjoyed my George Lucas and myself immensely. I dont know why the “Swallow” is the Swallow, but in Florida it is, in the film it is not. There are a few Swallows from this time period (the period of the film) but none of them really make sense. As these things are not done accidentally by Imagineers, there must be a story. I found that both treehouses “feel” about the same for me, and I equally enjoy both. It’s nice that WDW is set back into it’s little island, but its not a dealbreaker for Disneyland. I wish the wouldn’t have messed with it, but glad it still exists. For an inspiration tree in Anaheim stop by Founders Park … where there is a tree that is said to have inspired the creation and construction of the Swiss Family Treehouse. Not so oddly, Rudolph Boysen (yes, that Boysen) headed up Anaheim parks and Im sure knew this tree well. A big bucket list item is to go to Tobago to see THE tree…before another hurricane takes it out. Thanks Lou and Sue and Major!!
Amazing[!] that this was built exactly 150 years prior to the date of DL's opening.
Am I seeing an early sign punctuation proofreading error?? "July, 17 1805"
Treehouse-romping with you, Major and the Jr. Gorillas, is fun!
I'm glad you enjoyed my dad's pictures.
Sue
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