Beautiful Frontierland
Today I am sharing more photos from the Mysterious Benefactor! There's no Mark Twain or Columbia in sight, either. Instead, all of these photos show the Rivers of America.
First up, two young women gaze across the river toward a passing Canoe and the Old Mill, while two Rafts and a Keelboat can also be observed. The Haunted Mansion peeks up from above the treetops!
This one is from a different angle, perhaps from the area in front of the Golden Horseshoe? We're seeing the Mill from the side, with a non-operational Tom Sawyer Island Raft at the landing. There's the French Market (now "Tiana's Palace") to the left, while only a few columns of the Haunted Mansion can be seen.
The next four scans show the River at its prettiest, not to mention the fact that it is very convincing as a real river, and not something that was carved out of orange and walnut groves in 1955. The Canoe in the foreground tells us that this was taken from the Canoe landing; I'm a bit surprised that we can't see the Friendly Indian Village in the distance, though it might be just around the bend.
Now we're looking southward, with the Canoe landing on our right, and Tom Sawyer Island on our left.
The water reflects the sky in peacock-blue hues, while normal nice ducks that never explode rest nearby. Only experts can tell the difference, non-experts have to tap on the heads of the ducks. I can just see some collapsed patio umbrellas to the left, and perhaps a bit of the Hungry Bear restaurant too? Not sure.
And finally, another beautiful view, I believe that this was taken from TSI, though I am uncertain about that. It truly is hard to believe that a bustling theme park was mere steps from this scene!
THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!
9 comments:
Major-
These images certainly capture the beauty of the Rivers of America and TSI.
Thank you M B-!
1) Not sure what the lady on the left is doing: Yawning? Calling to someone? Scratching an itch on her face? Putting her hand to her face in shock after seeing an AED explode? I guess we'll never know. Wow, all of the rivercraft are PACKED! And we get a good look at one of those topless coonskin caps on the rear Canoe guy. I get a good feeling seeing all this activity on the RoA.
2) I like the glassy water in this pic. Maybe that was the main reason this photo was taken?
3) The RoA is looking dark and mysterious here. Sort of like The Jungle Cruise.
4) Lots of AEDs here. Good thing there are no people on this stretch of the River!
5) Tapping ducks on the head to see if they're real? If it happens to be an AED... your duck tapping days are over!
6) I wonder what that bright spot is nestled amongst the trees near the center of the pic?
Nothing specific was featured in these photos. As Nanook suggests, I think maybe that was intentional; to show the River's natural beauty. Thank you, MB and Major.
These ARE nice.
If you zoom in on the shadows below the umbrellas, you can see the shadow of the staircase at the end of the Hungry Bear's upper deck. Just under that is (was?) a spot where you could see the railroad tracks. It was one of my favorite spots to watch the DLRR trains come through - never crowded and very secluded.
Thanks, Major & MB!
Who knows what those ladies are doing....seems like they are more of a distraction , and bachelorette #2 is blocking some good stuff over there on the other side of the river: which looks very very crowded...this is a busy day. Seems like she's looking at the rear canoe guy with his rolled up sleeves. Just FYI: "Canoe Rolled Sleeves" are not like "Unbuttoned Vest". These guys are working...unbuttoned vest is just lazy...and there...I said it. The guest-less pic #2 is lovely: with everything looking so very tidy. Some forensics: "Popcorn 6" I think is in rehab...as there is a red stand-in there: officially it was a Burgundy-ish color...when wagons went into rehab, you got the red one...across from the wagon is the central ticket booth: where if we needed to make a "411" call: that is the phone we would use....as long as you didn't actually enter the booth: that was verboten due to the cash...I can smell the magnolia blossoms through the photo...when they were all in bloom it added another sensorial layer to the experience. RIP French Market. Why restaurants need IP I will never understand. Just my POV. If anything, Cafe du Monde should have taken over if they wanted to insert change...(or get a sponsor.). I don't mind progress, but I'm not a fan of yellow cast iron railing. If the public likes it...what do I know....The other photos of the river are serene, and yes: you would never know where in the US you were....a tip: the best photos ARE taken from the Island: where you can get really nice authentic looking shots: even today...(carefully cropped). Tom Sawyer Island still has places relatively un-TRE'd....and I think it's popularity has waned since you can't really do anything death defying there anymore: which was part of the fun. And yes: I was one of those hooligans jumping up and down on the pontoon bridge trying to get everyone wet...which was practically impossible....and going over the suspension bridge trying to make it swing from side to side...also almost impossible....thanks for the Monday morning serenity MB and Major.
....and a very happy 96th to Mickey Mouse...
The last two pics are beautiful. A real sense of nature and wilderness that is now gone from the Rivers of America.
I do miss the old mill that used to be at the front of Rivers of America.
Thanks, Major.
Exceptionally nice photos that show Disneyland as scenery, not just rides.
In photo 2, we can see the floating keg that KS has identified as the canoe pilots’ inshore marker, and the rest of this photo is also perfect.
I really like the views of the River further down, it does look very real. Big congratulations to the landscape architects who selected tree varieties and placed them just so.
Thanks Major and MB!
JG
My question is the date of these photos. For the one with the river traffic, rafts, canoes and keel boat all are staffed. And it's likely I could name each and every one of those individuals staffing them. In fact, one or two of them might have been at my annual ORH meeting in Anaheim last week. But I digress...the canoe CM up front is telling everyone "paddles up" as the raft traffic passes. The canoes were the last on the (ahem) 'totem pole' when it came to right of way. As mentioned, those Davy Crockett hats didn't protect the top of one's head from the sun. And I can't recall a single bald CM that worked the canoes as a result! The River WAS the best work assignment and yes, I recall lovely nights working on the Columbia where I felt totally out in the wilderness. Yet there I was in control of its operation at a place called Disneyland. KS
Nanook, it is almost surprising how pretty some of these are!
JB, that lady might have just been scratching an itch, it’s hard to say. The photographer gave her no warning! I love seeing the river so very busy. I think a lot of these pictures were just taken because the scenes were so nice. I’m afraid that most people can’t tell an AED from a regular duck without tapping the head. It’s risky, but sometimes you just have to know! I’m assuming that the bright spot is just a building beyond the berm, some warehouse or something like that.
Chuck, like you, the Hungry Bear was always a favorite place to eat. I haven’t dined there since it was altered for Galaxy’s Edge, so I don’t know if you can still find a nice secluded seat, but I loved sitting near the river and watching the Mark Twain pass!
Bu, I’m assuming that the photographer just wanted to include some pretty girls (is one of them holding a giant lollipop?), so I guess in that way they are a distraction. Considering how verboten unbuttoned vests are, we sure seem to see them a lot! Thanks for the info on Popcorn 6, I thought all of them were red. What sort of reasons did anybody need to make a “411” call?? My grandmother loved magnolia trees and blossoms, there were three big 50 year-old trees on the boulevard outside her house. The city chopped them down one day, for no apparent reason. Disneyland has had restaurant IP since the early days (Aunt Jemima, Casa de Fritos), so I guess it’s nothing new. Tiana is a nice character, a little bland, I wish I liked “The Princes and the Frog” better. Have they painted the cast iron yellow? I guess it could work, but it’s kind of “a lot”. I do often notice people playing on Tom Sawyer Island, and I’m always glad that folks are over there. I haven’t been since it had the pirate makeover. Which has been a LONG time.
JG, these really make me appreciate the river, and I can’t help thinking that the one in Florida is going to be filled in soon. It truly seems like such a short-sighted mistake. Of course they will tell everyone how great the new ride (or whatever) is. Yuck. The landscaping crew truly did do a great job on the Disneyland version!f
KS, I think these are from a variety of eras, possibly dating back to the 1970s, though they are not dated so it’s only a guess. And when there are no people with clothing that might give us some clues, it’s extra hard to know! Stay tuned for some upcoming CM photos, mainly raft employees, but I had to wonder if you knew some of them!
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