Leftuggies™! Known to be a favorite of folks such as Oscar Wilde, Jean Paul Sartre, and Ruth Buzzi. And ya know what? I like them too. Both of these are from July, 1964, a fine vintage indeed.
Over on Tom Sawyer Island, we were once again reminded of the hard facts that Walt mentioned in his opening-day speech. The frontier was a harsh place, and people died from many causes. Sure, there was the doctor in town, but he liked to sample the laudanum, so you took your chances. Behind Fort Wilderness, a humble graveyard was partitioned, and the unfortunate settler laid to rest for eternity. To the right is an open grave - one of our readers made sure it met his standard for comfort!
Next is a nice look from the branches of the Swiss Family Treehouse, looking down on the Rivers of the World, teeming with hippos, snakes, wildebeests, piranhas, crocodiles, and the wicked Candiru (look it up). I believe that the croc to our right is Old Smiley - he already has his belly full of guests, so he let that boat pass without confrontation. What a guy.
Major-
ReplyDeleteSo... if I was already ensconced in my grave three years earlier - what gives-? (Was I moved to a 'higher hill' during the interregnum, so to speak, to accommodate the ever-growing number of tourists who made their final arrangements right here on TSI-?)
Do I spy a red blossom, or two on the Swiss Family Treehouse-?
Thanks, Major.
When the grave fits, wear it!
ReplyDeleteLeftuggies. Wilde, Sartre, and Buzzi know a good thing when they see it!
ReplyDeleteWhich came first, Disney's graveyard or Knott's graveyard? I'm guessing Knott's... with its genuine grave markers. It seems that one of them copied from the other. From what I've heard here, copying happened a lot between the two parks.
So I dutifully looked up "candiru" like you instructed... Ick. (And eek!)
Someone should introduce Old Smiley to "Impossible Guest", made from plant material. I bet he couldn't tell the difference. Only problem is, Impossible Guest costs twice as much as the real thing. (Have you noticed how expensive guests are these days?)
Is that Jungle Boat coming, or going? I can't tell if that's the bow or the stern.
Nanook, I thought I saw a red blossom or two as well.
Thanks for the Leftuggies, Major. Sometimes they could use a little more salt (or MSG), but these were just right!
@ walterworld-
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I did - as you can see. And it's served me well all these years-!
Nanook....did you climb over the railing to have your picture taken in 1961, or was that before they put up a railing?
ReplyDeleteCandiru...I looked it up too...well...I can say now is..."that I know"...and now it's something that my minds eye can't erase. Strangely, I had a similar situation that I look back on: amazed that we all had such courage as college kids: after a full day in class, and doing some zen-like punting down an Oxford river....and drinking (as college kids do...) we decided that it was a good idea to strip off everything and jump into the river....ALL of us...the cold water felt awesome on a hot Oxford day, however: it also sobered us up: quickly...as we were trying to emerge from the river to a little dock, one of the girls said "ummmm....you guys...do you think there is any way I can be fully dressed BEFORE getting out of the water?"...(I still laugh about that)....after recounting this event with some locals on dry land after the splashing about they proceeded to tell us that Pikes lurked in the river and it was NEVER a good idea to go bounding about the water: much less skinny dipping...as their sharp teeth could bite...and I will leave it there...Onto more happy thoughts: like the graveyard on Tom Sawyer Island...is this still around? and for kicks lets get into the grave? What a neat-o photo op. I'm not sure what to say, and I vaguely remember this site, however not the hole...where people would lay down ...in dirt...fun times. As a kid: I would have loved this, just like jumping into a pike filled river...I know this view from the Treehouse: and there's "Old Smiley"...I'm not sure that's a flower: it might be: but the bamboo is definitely something real: in fact: I'm not sure I can tell the difference. Do they call it Rivers of the World? or is that the Small World "River"...was that also a rivers of the world when all the children from their different lands dumped water from their native countries into the river with Mr. Disney? And what happened to all those bottles? THAT would be quite the Ebay find....thanks Major, and let's reiterate: do not go bounding about in unknown waters!
ReplyDeleteThe Fort Wilderness graveyard lasted till just before the “pirate” take over. A storage extension lean-to was constructed in the spot.. for of course Fantasmic support equipment. The addition is ridiculous because of the slope of the roof it world be easy to literally walk up to the fort’s original height defense walls. What would be easier would be for hostile Indians to set the lean to on fire which would quickly reach the main fort. I had a discussion the other day with some other designers … I used Big Thunder as an example … all the mining structures and equipment all really just for atmosphere and theming is all correct and authentic . Even the flume and water wheel actual function. The deteriorating snow shed ( the mine is abandoned after all) and the trestle bents and mine frame tunneling …. All of it is authentic and it would really be there if it was a real 19th century mining camp and not just a Themepark . Today you get lots of stuff that is a caricature of something in reality or more commonly the designer is copying something they don’t understand what it is suppose to be for but has added it because they think it looks correct ( a good example of this is the more recent trestle and truss structures added to the Disneyland railroad several years ago …. Original imagineers designed and built things to appear real or authentic by researching and understanding what they are trying to create or theme. So much stuff often added to the park without any research or understanding of what it is they are suppose to be designing . You get wonky RR trestles … miniature gold course stagecoach props and Horrid HOME DEPOT / LOWES New Orleans Square facade redo’s or wood Tom Sawyer pirate moon walk island elements that look like they were sculpted from
ReplyDeleteDuncan Heinz cake frosting ; DREADFUL IMAGINEERING .
I hear you, Mike. This weird "A" frame trestle is jarring every time I see it.
ReplyDeletehttps://yesterland.com/images-frontierland/cascadepeak_waterfalls2017ah.jpg
I sure remember the TSI graveyard, and the damage done to TSI is why I hate Fantasmic. I don’t recall laying in the open grave, but it could have happened.
ReplyDeleteOld Smiley was putting on weight. Eating a tourist out of every other boat takes its toll on the waistline.
There’s a Opening Day Mangrove(walnut) tree to the right.
Thanks Major!
JG
Nanook, so many people were interred in that grave, it’s a mystery as to what happened to their bodies. I have a sort of “Bermuda Triangle” theory! And yes, that red thing must be a blossom (?).
ReplyDeletewalterworld, a nice-fitting grave makes all the difference!
JB, I have no doubt that Boot Hill at Knott’s came way before Disneyland’s graveyard, and it is more fun in my opinion. As graveyards go! Your welcome - now that you know about the candiru, you can be properly prepared. I still have never quite had the courage to try an Impossible burger, though I guess I should do it. I know Fatburger has them! Since we can see the Skipper in the boat, I assume it is heading left to right.
TokyoMagic!, they put up the railing after Nanook was there. “He was out of control!”.
Bu, I’ve gone swimming in plenty of Minnesota lakes full of pike, and have never heard any stories of people being bitten, even though those fish look very fierce and toothy. We were way more worried about leeches, which could (and did) attach themselves to our arms, legs, backs, etc. Very gross. I’d have to get pretty drunk to go skinny dipping, in fact there is probably not enough alcohol in the world. Yes, I am uptight, is that a surprise? I have not explored Tom Sawyer Island since the pirates took over, so I don’t really know what’s still there. You can see a lot from the Mark Twain, but I get distracted. Yes, the jungle river is the Rivers of the World. If the river in IASW has a name, I don’t remember ever knowing it. “Cutesy River”? Hey, what did happen to all of those bottles of river water?
Mike Cozart, they really did ruin the fort (and its environs) for Fantasmic!, one of several things I hold against that show. Again, I realize that most people seem to love it, and I don’t even have much emnity toward the show itself, but its the way it has impacted the waterfront in Frontierland and New Orleans Square and on the island that I dislike so much. It turned a beautiful place into acres of cement for a show that lasts 20 minutes (twice a day). What is a “snow shed”?? I know what you mean about the cheap or poorly-researched props, they stick out like sore thumbs to me. I guess most paying guests don’t care?
Steve DeGaetano, the trestle does look weird, I assume that they needed to make room for some sort of craft to pass beneath it into the “backstage” area?
JG, ha ha, see my comment to Mike! I didn’t visit Tom Sawyer Island until I was an adult (sadly), so I have no childhood memories of that grave. I love the creative use of the walnut roots, which otherwise would have probably been put in a pile and burned.
Major, I do recall reading someplace that the opening was indeed to allow watercraft to pass through, but I can't remember where I saw that.
ReplyDelete@ TM!-
ReplyDelete"...did you climb over the railing to have your picture taken in 1961..."
I'm afraid my memory isn't that good.
SNOW SHEDS are normally wooden structures railroad companies built extending out beyond a tunnel. This would help prevent snow or snow slides from building up and blocking tunnels. In warmer months the same structures helped prevent rocks or other debris from falling into the tracks or blocking the tunnel entrances /exits . Normally the snow sheds are only several hundred feet in length , but I know the Central Pacific had miles of snow sheds in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I know they were once common in the West .. but I assume railroads in the East must have had similar type structures where there was snow.
ReplyDeleteOn Big Thunder Mountain RR the snow shed is the peaked shake shingled structure that extends over the trestle the mining trains exit just before the Dinosaur Gap “splash down”. I knew it was a snow shed from the way it is constructed , but in the attraction’s blueprints it’s actually called a SNOWSHED . The tunnel leading to the exterior lift - the one with the mining hoist and goat - is also labeled a SNOWSHED.
I know several of the original designers were model railroaders and railroad fans so this is a detail they wouldn’t have missed
Steve DeGaetano, I never read anything about a pass-through for boats, it just looks like that’s what’s there.
ReplyDeleteNanook, I thought you remembered everything!
Mike Cozart, thank you for telling me what snow sheds are; it’s hard to imagine miles of snow sheds. And at some point that train is just going to have to deal with snow! Otherwise, just build a subway (ha ha). I’ll have to look at Big Thunder, I don’t know if I’ve ever paid enough attention to the buildings, I’m so distracted by the passing runaway mine trains. Thanks again.
Passing through the snow sheds in Donner Pass while riding Amtrak’s San Francisco Zephyr in original California Zephyr equipment in 1973 is a cherished memory. I also remember looking up at the from Donner Lake in 1976. So glad my dad took the time to make sure I saw them and explain what they were for as we were passing through.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are cool, too, Major.