More Adventureland, Magic Kingdom - September 1972
It's time for another installment of beautiful Magic Kingdom photos from Lou Perry, scanned and shared with us by Sue B! These are from September, 1972, so they are pretty early in WDW's timeline.
Lou sure picked the right time to visit that park, it's so unbelievably uncrowded! You could do everything you liked three times. Maybe four. We're looking toward the Sunshine Tree Terrace, which I believe became the home of the Florida Orange Bird, though perhaps not at this early date? To the right is a stage where guests could watch J.P and the Silver Stars. I see some scary skulls used as decor, and my hair has turned completely white.
Tiki Birds! Tropical Serenade! It's The Enchanted Tiki Room, Florida style. Amazingly, the entire show took place on the top-most level of that tower. Why would I lie about such a thing? The line for the attraction is too long, let's come back later.
Here's another look at what I assume is part of the Sunshine Tree Terrace. But where's the sunshine? I demand my money back, in fact I also demand a free orange popsicle! Was the food at the Sunshine Tree Terrace Polynesian-themed (to a degree, anyway)? Or was it hamburgers, hotdogs, and the like?
Lou just loved that Sunshine Terrace! A cast member is striding toward us, he just killed a rabid rhinoceros with his bare hands, and he didn't even break a sweat. A Tour Guide (in Magic Kingdom blue plaid instead of Disneyland red plaid) escorts her ducklings to... I'm gonna say the Jungle Cruise. A good attraction for groups, according to 4 out of 5 dentists.
THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!
19 comments:
Major-
The Florida Orange Bird was there right from the beginning. It's hard to not want to be right there, standing in the middle of... no crowds whatsoever. I feel relaxed just staring at these images.
Thanks to Lou and Sue for providing these moments of bliss.
Wow!! So uncrowned !! That pass thru between Frontierland and Adventureland would eventually be given more separation - so weird to see Grizzly Hall right there from Adventureland . It’s funny how many attraction names were purposely changed from the Disneyland counterpart … but then the old name included below the new . Seen here for example TROPICAL SERENADE - the enchanted tiki birds-“ or 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA - submarine voyage “ it was like WED was trying to be different in Florida ..but then they were afraid people wouldn’t recognize the familiar attraction. Other attractions were planed with new names then at the last moment reverted back to the old name like WORLD CARNIVAL ( ITS A SMALL WORLD) and ONE NATION UNDER GOD ( the hall of presidents)
Thank you Lou & Sue and Major!
Ooh, there are five, possibly six, bamboo trashcans in the first photo. (Is that a trashcan behind the right-most one?) The place looks kinda gloomy and deserted; not much 'magic' (or joy) in the air. It's like we entered the Park and discovered that it was actually closed.
In the second pic, I like those fanciful bird decor thingys (one on the left, one on the right). I agree, Major; with a line that long we'd be here all day waiting to see the birdies sing! Let's come back when there is only one, maybe two people ahead of us. (4 trashcans.)
3) The guy (a CM, I presume) on the left is tending to one of the cute feral alligators that hang around the area, waiting for a hand out. I think I would prefer feral cats to feral gators. (4 more trashcans.)
In the last pic, the way that CM is "striding toward us", makes me think we did something wrong, and now we're gonna get chewed out... or fed to the feral alligators where we'll really get chewed out! (5 trashcans.)
We have fun talking about the Killer Swans at Disneyland, but people actually do get eaten by alligators here at WDW. So I guess my jokey attitude is in rather poor taste. Thanks to Lou and Sue and Major.
Wow! Look how barren and open Adventureland is. It definitely needs a ride placed right in that open area. A spinner would be good. Or maybe the Orange Stinger from DCA, to fit in with the Florida Orange Juice theme.
Speaking of O.J. I think I see Anita Bryant behind the counter of the Sunshine Terrace. Wasn't she forced to work a cash register at that location, after being banished from television? I think that approaching cast member looks so unhappy, because he just had to give Anita a very firm talking to. She was leaning on the counter, and chewing gum. And nipping at the orange juice, when she thought nobody was looking. He had to threaten her with potential termination. And a cream pie.
Thank you for more vintage WDW, Lou P., Sue B., and Major P.!
Where are all the people?! And, as Mike Cozart has pointed out, it's so strange to see Grizzly Hall from this vantage point. I'm especially digging the surly young man in his Mickey tee shirt and army jacket and booots to the far left of the last picture. Thanks for brightening a Monday morning, Sue, Lou and Major.
Thanks to Lou and Sue for the photos! Lots to see here, and a lot of things still exist...I wonder if TRE is more of a Disneyland thing or is universal? Well...EPCOT is a big bag of TRE...hmmm....Hollywood Studios...some TRE...Contemporary...TRE....OK...I've answered my own question. I've sat on that bench overlooking the space which is now the flying carpets...so I GET it...but I don't get all that plastic and color in the middle of an "authentic" Adventureland...just saying....TRE...I don't know why we had to make things different in the Magic Kingdom...like names and such...like "Tropical Serenade"....it sounds like a drink like "Space Mist" or "Planters Punch". Word to the wise: be careful with Planters Punch: it can pack a wallop...the Tour Guide is not headed to the Jungle Cruise, but the Jungle Cruise guy is. The look is a familiar look to those photographers back in the day: when we all looked at them thinking "what are you doing taking a picture of a trash can!?" ...now we know, and we celebrate it! Although "World" is quite grand and unique in it's own way, I do miss some of the Disneyland-scale charm in these photos. It's all very well done and such...and they certainly need the space for humans...(nowadays anyway.) September would generally be a slow month as the kiddie winkies were headed back to school...this was our "breather" time back in the day. I'm sure a few of these slower days still exist (to a point: but not like this) but they are probably extremely rare. It's a different vibe when it's this empty: missing something...There is a Walt quote (legendarily) that Disneyland should never be photographed without guests. An active Summer day certainly has a vibrant "vibe"...as you co-miserate in lines with others whilst enjoying your ODV treats...or just taking time to look at details and things...time you probably would never take if you just strolled in to the front of the line. In the off season when I had celebs on tours...they all thought I had some special power to be at the front of the line...the thing was: is that peoples are like sheep...and they will follow each other...without a "line" guests get confused. There may be TWO lines...one of which snaking around...and the other: completely empty: but completely available...my guests and the others around us thought I was taking them to some VIP entrance: when in fact: I was just going in a line like everyone else. This is true for an uncrowded airport TSA...without lines: people are sooooo confused no matter who is saying "ALL LINES ARE OPEN!!!"...(and by saying I mean screaming)...and STILL the passengers want to go to the line that has the most people...I drone on. Thanks Major!
Wow, I would've enjoyed seeing this area when the Sunshine Pavilion (Tiki Room building) was the focal point! I've always found it interesting that the Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree are practically separated by one wall. Behind those umbrellas in front of the building is a stream, which I think is connected to the waterfall that parts during the preshow to reveal the two animatronics. The Tiki Room exit is in between the Sunshine Pavilion and the former Sunshine Tree Terrace, and I remember we walked out of the Tiki Room to see my orchestra teacher there looking exhausted and eating pretzels out of a plastic bag.
BTW my neighborhood gas station had self-serve Dole Whip for a long time, but not anymore! It was less special getting it from a gas station (unfortunately you had to get it inside and not from the gas pump).
Nanook, I imagine that it is cold in the photos, but realize that it might have still been muggy and warm. Still, anybody in an Orange Bird costume would have welcomed the lack of direct sun.
Mike Cozart, I don’t even know which building is Grizzly Hall - presumably where the Country Bears performed? I kind of like that they changed familiar attractions, even if it was just a little bit. I still think it’s a shame that they put in another Pirates of the Caribbean rather than the Western River Expedition - they would have had their own unique experience. But… I guess “Pirates” was just too popular to ignore.
JB, you’ll definitely see more trashcans anywhere there are restaurants and snack bars; it only makes sense. Instead of bamboo I would have used rare old-growth mahogany. I’m worth it! And it would make throwing stuff away so much more special. I have no idea what the “bird decor thingys” are. “Feral alligators” implies the existence of tame alligators. Which I want to own. I know that gators have become a problem, it’s amazing to think that early on, they were so endangered that swimming and water skiing were advertised heavily. Now? Stay out of the water!
TokyoMagic!, I hate to admit it, but I kind of liked the way the old Orange Stinger looked. I still remember how scared my young niece was on that ride, they actually stopped it early for her. Anita Bryant, it’s so funny, I just wrote a blog post in which you can see her doppelganger, and I comment on it. She seems like a real fun person. You’ll see that post in three or four months!
Pegleg Pete, maybe the guy with the Mickey Mouse tee and the boots isn’t so surly? Maybe he’s got a song in his heart and a pocket full of dreams.
Bu, it only makes sense that things would be added to the land over time, but it sounds like they made some poor judgements about where to put certain things. And it always drives me crazy, you’d think that they have unlimited space to expand in Florida, but it is apparently not the case, which is one of the reasons their “Pirates” is smaller. Isn’t the property the size of the island of Manhattan (as they love to tell us)? No idea what Planters Punch is, it sounds like it should have peanuts in it. I realize that September would theoretically be a slow time, but I guess I’m so used to today, when there is no slow time. School? Skip it! Maybe even for two or three days! Trust me, Lincoln will be just as dead. There are some New Orleans Square postcards from when it was brand new, with NO people in them; those are hard to find now, because they quickly made new ones with cast members in their costumes standing around. Are you telling me that you DON’T have special powers? It’s like learning that there is no Santa Claus!
Andrew, until now I didn’t know that the CBJ was so close to Adventureland - I’m totally unfamiliar with the Magic Kingdom’s layout. Were the waterfalls that you referred to in the Tropical Serenade show? Your orchestra teacher sounds like he (she?) had low iron. Eats your spinach! I admit that a Dole Whip from outside Disneyland would not be half as fun.
The Sunshine Pavilion and Sunshine Tree Terrace were my favorite part of the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland along with Caribbean Plaza. This was back before Aladdin's Flying Carpets and Agrabah makeover ruined this area. Adventureland was my favorite "land" at the Magic Kingdom like Tomorrowland was my favorite "land" at Disneyland.
I read recently where the Florida Citrus Growers was not too happy in their partnership with Disney. Not enough in-your-face orange juice product promotion.
Anyway, thank you Lou & Sue for these wonderful vintage images of Walt Disney World's Adventureland. 1970's Walt Disney World is the best.
Thank you too, Major.
K. Martinez, man, it sure seems like everyone hates the Flying Carpets! In theory I don't mind the idea of an Agrabah area, but of course it has to be done correctly. Funny that the Citrus Growers wanted more blatant advertising. A walk-around bird with an orange for a head wasn't enough??
"Nanook, I imagine that it is cold in the photos, but realize that it might have still been muggy and warm."
Major, it was definitely warm and muggy. And the swarms of mating love bugs were flying around and hitting you in the face - and getting caught in your hair. Am serious. They didn't freak me out because they look like lightning bugs and don't bite. I guess WDW eventually starting spraying for bugs, because I only saw them in September 1972, on this trip.
Up through the end of the 1990s, you could still have days in WDW that were uncrowded - with practically empty areas. Before 2000, the first week in December was said to be the slowest week to go to WDW. I think I mentioned it before, but we have video of empty gift shops - where only my family is in them, from back then. Those times were WONDERFUL.
I'm glad you're all enjoying these pictures.
Lou and Sue, BUGS! I don't have to deal with bugs at Disneyland. Not that I recall, anyway! Interesting that they aren't an issue anymore. All that sweet, sweet DDT takes care of them. Looking at Lou's photos, I wish I could hop into a time machine and see WDW the way it was in those early days, it really does look wonderful.
Photos of an empty Park, we will never see their like again.
Major, killing a rabid rhino isn’t so tough, just grab their ears and twist. It’s grabbing the ears that are hard.
Thank you Lou & Sue and Major!
JG
I was going to leave some smart aleck comment asking what idiot put an open plaza smack dab in the middle of Adventureland, but I see everyone else has kind of addressed the issue already. TRE.
Major, of course you don’t have to deal with Bugs at Disneyland. He’s over at Six Flags.
Major: GRIZZY HALL is the northwest lodge style building that houses WDW’s COUNTY BEAR JAMBOREE. At Disneyland the theater was called BEAR COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE. In todays image you can see the shake shingled roof and upper log balcony of GRIZZLY HALL to the far right of the Sunshine Tree Terrace leading to the Adventureland /Frontierland center passage - eventually imagineers hid the visual land “bleed”
I don’t think I every saw the walk-around -character of The Orange Bird - but I do remember the audio-annimatronic version up above the orange juice dispenser wall .. the figure did not speak but a scrim behind him revealed his thoughts … first with a projected puff of orange “smoke” then the smoke bubble would pop reveling his thoughts … usually a glass of fresh squeezed Florida orange juice. The music that played was an instrumental then vocal of the “little orange bird” theme song …. However it was not the vocal with Anita Bryant …. But a studio chorus. But very very 70’s ( they way it should be)
I'm with Ken; this beautiful space was one of my favorite places in the Magic Kingdom. I remember the Orange Bird walkaround character hanging out here. And now I'm craving a Citrus Squirrel, er, Swirl.
Just yesterday, I was watching an episode of Maude from 1977, and there was a scene where a man ordered orange juice in a gay bar and everyone was shocked because of the Anita Bryant-related boycott.
I was at WDW a few years ago in the spring and love bugs were everywhere. We even took to spraying the outside of the door with Off as we left in hopes it would not be covered with them when we returned in the evening. Disney is very good with mosquito management, but other bugs are still pretty common. I guess they want to maintain the pollinator populations.
JG, I can’t recall, have you been to the Magic Kingdom?
Chuck, YOU? Leave a smart aleck comment? No way! I am embarrassed that I forgot about Bugs at Six Flags, I’ve even seen him there.
Mike Cozart, thank you for the info about Grizzly Hall. I think it’s interesting that Disneyland was so sure that the Country Bear Jamboree would be huge that they built two theaters. And for whatever reason, it couldn’t maintain the interest. I know people miss it, and for their sakes I’m sorry it’s gone. I’ve seen photos of a walk-around Orange Bird, in fact I’ve seen at least two different costumes. No idea how long he was there, or how often he appeared, perhaps it was for a very short time. I love the idea of the animatronic version, that’s pretty cool!
Melissa, Citrus Squirrel is what I serve when my cousin Cletus comes to California. I love that the episode of “Maude” alluded to the Anita Bryant incident, a real moment in time.
Dean Finder, until today I did not know about love bug infestation, and I will be scarred for life. The only equivalent I can think of is when the June bugs would be on EVERYTHING when I lived in Pennsylvania, my mom would pay us money to pick them off of her vegetables - we would get jars full of them. I still remember the odd smell, argh.
Dean, that's interesting...I hadn't seen the love bugs since my first WDW trip in 1972. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever went back to WDW in September or April (when they come out and fly around and get stuck in your hair).
Major, we get some June bugs in our area, but not many. I had no idea they gave off an odd smell.
Speaking of bugs, we're expecting billions of cicadas in the midwest area, as the 13-year AND 17-year cicadas are due to emerge soon. They sure are noisy little critters.
....and that ends our "Bug's Life" report for today.
Thanks, again, everyone, for all the fun comments.
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