Today I am posting the last five scans from Lou Perry, featuring a very early Adventureland from the Magic Kingdom in Florida - scanned and shared with us by Sue B!
Having never been to the Florida park, my knowledge is scant, so you guys can chime in with whatever you know. We've seen variations on some of these views before, which makes me think that Adventureland is rather small, or maybe it was back in 1972? Here we see "Traders of Timbuktu" again, I'd love to know what sort of stuff was sold in there - I'm picturing lots of imported, non-theme park items from Africa; carved and woven goods, leather items, and such.
I'm assuming that Lou was in the park bright and early, the place is practically deserted, it's incredible. To our left is a mysterious structure, but the cannons make me assume that the Swiss Family Treehouse is in that direction. Otherwise I have no idea what most of these buildings held.
I thought that this structure with the red roof might be a restaurant, but there's no sign to help; could it be the entrance to a ride? Help!
While Disneyland's Adventureland has its arched entryway, I guess this planter with carved tikis (?) and that sign were all that was needed in Florida. I kind of like it, but admit that it feels a bit underwhelming also. Note that to the extreme right we can see what might be part of Fantasyland (or Liberty Square?) in the distance.
Maybe it's just my imagination, but the tikis look a bit Crump-ish to me (as in Rolly Crump), though of course they might have been purchased at Oceanic Arts in Whittier.
Many thanks to Sue B. for sharing these great scans! I'm hoping she has more from Lou's 1972 trip to Walt Disney World.
The structure with the red roof is the "breezeway" walkway that takes you to Frontierland. There's a set of toilets, a side entrance to one of the shops and some payphones under there. IT's a really convenient shortcut.
ReplyDeleteThe cannons are at the entrance to the Swiss Family Treehouse
Major-
ReplyDeleteThanks to Sue for sharing more images from the [former] Vacation Kingdom.
Major, as you noted, it's kind of hard to figure out what a lot of these things are due to the scarcity of signs. Maybe that added to the exploratory feel of the place? Walking into a structure, not knowing what's inside?
ReplyDeleteIn the first pic, there's something on the slurry in the lower left foreground. It looks sort of like a coral snake, but blue and black. Maybe it's a scratch on the film emulsion?
The flat lighting conditions bring out the details of things, but it also casts a spell of dreariness on the place. Maybe the lack of people adds to that.
I like the tikis in the Adventureland planter. The tiki to the right of the sign is holding a long skinny fish in its hands; looking sort of like a necktie. Remember back in the (I think) '80s when some guys were wearing neckties printed to look like silvery fish?
Thank you, Lou. Thank you, Sue. Thank you, Major, too.
What Andrew said! There are also some pressed penny machines in there....for people who prefer their pennies pressed! Here's the view today. The cannons are still there, and those skinny posts are oars:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/maps/@28.4185451,-81.5828393,3a,75y,260.72h,94.45t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shC6cLYk3nHVToesxBtc84w!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DhC6cLYk3nHVToesxBtc84w%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D260.7224258651694%26pitch%3D-4.4472474899396275%26thumbfov%3D90!7i13312!8i6656?coh=205410&entry=ttu
Thank you Lou, Sue, and Major, too!
It looks like that breezeway even contains an Automated External Defibrillator! Who knew?
ReplyDeleteMajor: Walt Disney World’s ADVENTURELAND is fairly expensive . These photos are great early views of sone sections . As Andrew said the red metal roof is a breezeway that leads to Frontierland … one of two passageways that connect ADVENTURELAND with Frontierland ( actually the red roof breezeway leads you to Liberty Square with the Frontierland entrance. Inside to the left of the red roof structure is the shortest ever lived WDW attraction … possibly in Disney Park history … it was gone by 1972 : “ COLONEL HATI’S ADVENTURE’S CLUB ARCADE “ similar to the Disneyland Pirate Arcade but Adventureland themed.
ReplyDeleteThat ADVENTURELAND sign planter is a directional planter directing guests from the Plaza to Adventureland ( it was designed by wed imagineer Dorthea Redmond) the WDW Adventureland entrance is an elaborate arch of bamboo, tiki shields , skulls and torches over a wide bridge spanning the inland waterways of the plaza that in 1973 the Plaza Swan Boats would being plying.
WDW’s ADVENTURELAND features structured inspired by architecture - mostly colonial - of the SouthSeas ( Adventureland veranda restaurant) port-au-Prince for most of the shops food service … then Northern Africa leading to Polynesian and Asian over at the Sunshine Pavilion ( Tropical Serenade) the jungle Cruise boathouse is a combination of African and Indian British colonial “river” architecture.
By 1973 west of Tropical Serenade became CARIBBEAN PLAZA to house the reluctantly added Pirates of the Caribbean.
Thank you Lou ! These images are “documentation” worthy of a quickly disappearing WDW. The very carefully planed theming and architectural flow is now mostly disrupted as modern Disney turns in theme parks in to DUMP PARKS : where they dump anything anywhere …. Without any design reason or planning …
WDW’s Adventureland is EXPANSIVE not expensive ! ( thanks apple!!)
ReplyDeleteAlso the correct name of the Adventureland Arcade is
“COLONEL HAITHI’S SAFARI CLUB” it opened around June of 1972 and was closed before the end of the year. It a mystery as to why it had such a short life … there was also a HAUNTED MANSION ARCADE planned in a crypt like structure near the mansion’s exit and leading to the Yankee Trader building … and this was quietly canceled.
Plenty of my favorite trash cans in bamboo pattern. These have such a “tiki” feel for me, I love them.
ReplyDeleteThat lava rock planter is really a nice design. Those idols belong in my den however.
Major, you have coined a phrase that no one outside the vintage Disney community could possibly understand: “Crumpish” is brilliant and instantly conveys the feeling of seeing Rolly Crump’s designs.
Thank you for these pics, Lou, Sue and Major!
JG
The planter with that Adventureland sign is still there, but the sign itself is gone. You can see it here - to the left is the Adventureland arch. To the right is the "shortcut" bridge to Liberty Square. Adventureland is on the "8 o'clock" spoke from the Hub, Liberty Square is next at about 10 o'clock. There's no direct spoke to Frontierland, you have to pass through Liberty Square or one of the breezeway passages from Adventureand. The Hub gets so crowded at parades and fireworks that the shortcut bridge is necessary if you want to get around the hub.
ReplyDeleteI echo Mike's comments on the slow loss of the careful theming of Adventureland (and the parks in general). I don't remember the land before the Aladdin junk got dumped in there, but it was noticeably "off" the first time I went as an adult. Further revisions have simplified the details in the architecture and cartoon-ified the color schemes, giving it an "uncanny valley" effect.
ReplyDeleteI don't think may people care or even notice since WDW practically requires use of the phone apps now.
andrew, I would not have guessed “breezeway to Frontierland”, so thank you!
ReplyDeleteNanook, hopefully Sue has lots more for us!
JB, Somehow, with almost not people, these photos look like some sort of odd video game, where the point is to explore and figure out what’s what. The “snake” is a small puddle of water! I agree that the overcast lighting is less than ideal, but I’ll bet it was still pretty hot and humid in Florida on that day. I wonder if the tiki with the fish is supposed to be Uti? I think she was the goddess of fishing.
TokyoMagic!, I know people love their pressed pennies! I have a few old ones from the 1933 and 1939 World’s Fairs. Thank you for the link to the picture, I’m so jealous that they still have their original treehouse in Florida.
TokyoMagic!, those devices will also charge your phone in seconds.
Mike Cozart, I’m sure all of WDW is expensive! Just like Disneyland, to be honest. It’s so strange for me to look at photos of the Magic Kingdom, it feels familiar, and yet NOT. The architecture looks “Disney”, but bigger and like a “bizarro world”. I didn’t know that Dorothea Redmond did stuff for WDW, somehow I don’t hear much about her stuff past Club 33 and maybe some Haunted Mansion artwork. I wonder if the Adventureland bridge you mentioned still has its skulls? People seem to get upset at those these days. I know that the folks in Florida wanted their own “Pirates” attraction, but man, they could have had the Western River Expedition, their own unique thing! Wouldn’t that be better?
Mike Cozart, oh, expansive, ha ha. Well, they both apply! A Haunted Mansion Arcade sounds cool, especially if they’d made it appropriately spooky.
JG, I kind of like the more organic “lava rock” seating that was around the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, though the “flagstone” look is nice too. I do like those tikis! I’m not sure I can take credit for “Crumpish”, I might have read it somewhere else and appropriated it!
Dean Finder, I wonder why they removed the Adventureland sign? Seems helpful for new visitors. It’s weird to see how the tikis are practically camouflaged in the Google Maps image, greenish wood against green plants. Come on, give them some colorful paint! Not too colorful though. Easy on the pinks and purples. Strange that there’s no direct route to Frontierland, that seems like an odd choice. I guess it was by necessity.
Dean Finder, it’s the same at Disneyland, theming goes out the window for some hot IP-related thing. I guess an Aladdin thing could be justified in Adventureland, but it sounds like the Flying Carpets ride is despised by many. You mentioned the simplified details, I can’t remember if you were the person who pointed out the tiled fountain, formerly beautiful, now a relic from Home Depot.
JG: imagineers and Disney fans ( like the E TICKET readers) used “CRUMP-A-LICIOUS” and “BLAIR-tastic!” As far back as the late 1980’s to describe elements of good design…. Also “McKim-Esque”
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, I love those tributes to the legends! Something tells me (based on the experiences of someone I know) that they don't do that anymore.
ReplyDeleteHappy Juneteenth, everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have a photo of Mrs. Chuck & me in front of that Adventureland planter. It's the only photo we have of the two of us together on our honeymoon.
I seem to remember that the lands on the west side of the Park all had small, low signs similar in concept if not design. I remember it surprised me on my first visit that there was no fort and sign at the entry to Frontierland and don't recall the "bamboo" sign Mike describes above until maybe the late '90s. Can somebody check my memory?
Thanks again, Lou & Sue!
Most of early Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom featured Plaza Directionals and area ( land ) directional signs. The Plaza directionals are mostly Main Street themed and are screen printed on plexi glass in ornate backlit frames - these are still used today but were all recently rebuilt . On the outer walkways of the Plaza were directionals themed to specific lands … Adventureland , liberty Square , Fantasyland . Frontierland and Tomorrowland featured smaller ones within the lands themselves… like the famous Tomorrowland Concourse pillar signs leading to and from Fantasyland.
ReplyDeleteAdventureland /Caribbean Plaza and Frontierland also featured sandblasted attraction listing directionals … these seemed to have been removed by 1982.
Adventureland always had a large entry Marquee from opening. It cannot be missed as once you cross the Adventureland bridge guests have to walk beneath it . The reason for the smaller “surfboard” Adventureland sign in the planter is that advevtureland’s main entry was recessed away from the Crystal Palace area gardens - a Segway to Adventureland. Directly to the right of the Adventureland entry along the waterway was the Adventureland Veranda - when under construction it was called THE SOUTHSEAS TERRACE. While it always had a feel of early prestige in WDW it was technically a high end food court. It was redone as the Skippers Canteen after being shuttered decades ago.
WDW’s Frontierland also always had an entry marquee from opening … it to us in a bridge over a waterway leading to the rivers of America ( represents the Mississippi River) but the bridge is very narrow and the marquee was small hanging from a post spanning a 1820’s log stockcade and stone & log gun fortification ( now a Disney vacation club info booth) in the 80’s a larger Frontierland marquee was built to the right of the old one … but still smaller than Disneyland’s . At some point because of congestion and the parade route Thru Frontierland the marquee was moved back again then removed altogether . I’m not sure if it ever returned.
WED / WDI lists the WDW Frontierland entry marquee building as a “Gun Stockade and Guard House” . I have a Caribbean Plaza / Adventureland directional sign in my collection .. it may be the 1973 wooden original as the wood is rotted where it once attached to the post. And I’ve seen an almost identical sign that was completely done in fiberglass - it ironically more weathered and worn than my wood one!
ReplyDeleteMike, that Frontierland marquee is still there, a little past the Diamond Horseshoe at the Gun Stockade you mentioned. It's a building I've barely noticed myself, probably due to the DVC kiosk that I try to avoid.
ReplyDelete"I have a photo of Mrs. Chuck & me in front of that Adventureland planter. It's the only photo we have of the two of us together on our honeymoon."
ReplyDeleteChuck, let's see it!
" I have a Caribbean Plaza / Adventureland directional sign in my collection..."
Mike, of course you do! You have MORE historical Disneyland documents and artifacts than the official Disney archives do, I think.
"...hopefully Sue has lots more for us!"
Major, yep, I do.
Glad you enjoyed these. I enjoyed all the comments and links - thank you!
TokyoMagic!, those devices will also charge your phone in seconds.
ReplyDeleteMajor, ha, ha! When I first saw the word "charge" in your response, I thought you were going to say that "Disney now charges for the use of the Automatic External Defibrillators! And you know what, they just might do that, since they love to "nickel and dime" the guests now. I can just see Disney fixing the A.E.D.s so that they don't work, unless a credit card is run through them first.