Canoes & More
We're continuing our look at a series of scans (generously shared with us by the Mysterious Benefactor), mostly featuring the Canoes, along with two additional views. Hopefully you've seen the previous installments!
First up is this view through the reeds along the shore; the little girl in the middle looks surprised because she has spotted the photographer, who dressed like a mallard duck in an attempt to blend in. But, you know, a six-foot tall duck is hard to ignore. Mom's paddling technique is admirable - the three girls behind her, not so much.
The photographer's trout costume didn't work any better than the mallard costume, but it least it gave grandma a laugh.
As you can see, a river trip in a canoe could provide some lovely views. At first I thought that the CM at the back of the Canoe was wearing a t-shirt rather than the standard frontier-style garb, but realized that a guest is eclipsing the actual cast member from this angle.
As I write this, news (now old news to you folks in January of 2025) was just dropped about the removal of the Rivers of America in the Magic Kingdom in Florida. I am crossing all of my fingers and toes in the hopes that such a thing never happens in Anaheim! It would hurt too much.
Perhaps those reeds along the river's edge are the same ones that our giant mallard hid behind in the first picture! I appreciate the beauty and theming of our river more than ever before, and that's saying something.
THANKS SO MUCH to the Mysterious Benefactor!
16 comments:
Major-
That 'laughing Grandma' reminds me of Ann B. Davis (Alice, from The Brady Bunch. A special shout-out to the young Asian gent with the ultimate bowl haircut-!
Thanks to the MB-!
Yes. That is definitely the expression of having seen a six foot mallard duck. (No other expression is quite like it!). The little girl's outfit is pretty cute with the ruffly trim on the collar and sleeves. The teenage boy, in front, seems to be 'in the zone'.
In the second pic, there is water splashing up next to grandma. Given the number of little kids in this Canoe, I bet most of this crew got pretty soaked by the end of the excursion. Is that the Mark Twain behind them? It looks awfully close!
3) Wow, these Canoers are really paddling hard! I can't tell what that is in the background behind the Raft landing.
4) I wonder why so many Rafts are lined up on the left, near Fowler's Harbor? Major, even more painful than "crossing all of my fingers and toes"?
That last photo looks great! Deep, saturated colors and sharp focus. Nice view of the waterwheel and the sluice supplying the water. The lady on the right is too busy looking at cat videos on her phone to notice the beauty all around her.
Hmm, speaking of mallards, I don't think there was a single one in this batch of photos; neither real ones nor the exploding kind. The six foot mallard is only implied, not seen. And we won't even mention the six foot trout.
^ I meant to add "Thanks, Major" to the end of that last paragraph.
Nanook, now that you mention it, I do see Laughing Grandma's resemblance to Ann B. Davis, but from the later years like, "A Very Brady Christmas." Initially when I first saw Laughing Grandma, I thought she looked like Alice Nunn who played Helga the maid in "Mommie Dearest" and Large Marge in "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."
Thank you, M.P. and M.B.!
The last canoe photo is confusing me. That’s definitely TSI in the background. Either the canoes are going the wrong direction or the image was flipped when it was scanned.
Also - note that almost everyone in the picture are wearing t-shirts of the same design. All the paddlers appear to be of young cast member age and they are really hauling. There is a group of a similar age actively watching the river, and three of them are in green t-shirts of the same shade. I am going to suggest that this might be a canoe race team either practicing or actually competing. That would also explain why there’s no costumed cast member at the stern - that large gentleman could be a canoe cast member assigned to this crew. That may be a spare paddle to his left in case an older enthusiastic crew member loses theirs.
Fun pics today, Major. Many thanks to you and the Mysterious Benefactor!
I was all in until you mentioned the idiocy being considered in Florida. The last I heard, the planning board hadn't given final approval due to drainage issues (always a big deal in a swamp). This coukd have changed by now, though.
It's hard to imagine such stupidity.
Yes, Mom has good form paddling. One of the top things to remember is keeping your hand on the upper end handle so you don’t lose control if the paddle hits a rock or something. That paddle end could break your jaw input a real River.
The young fellow with the bowl cut acts like he is stirring oatmeal. Make plenty for everyone! The canoes are great for kids that age, they can really feel like they are doing something, not just riding past.
I sincerely hope the Anaheim River will remain, but I would not be surprised if TSI were eventually closed to guests. It has a low visitor count, is difficult to service via rafts, and is a festival of liabilities accidents once they are ashore. Abandoned, it could still serve as backstage to the river shows and a visual backdrop to Frontierland. The ride spiels could be adjusted to include more “hostile tribes” etc.
Now I’m in a sad mood.
I agree with Chuck, that image is flipped. There is no landing like that anywhere where the canoe would be passing by like that.
Nice pics though Major. Thank you.
JG
*in, not input. “Facepalm”
JG
Autocorrect strikes again...
Correction to my comment above: "That may be a spare paddle to his left in case an over enthusiastic crew member loses theirs." Although to be honest, the spare paddle could also be used by an older crew member; they are of a pretty universal design.
The paddles, I mean. Crew members are all unique...unless they are identical twins.
...or clones.
...or unfortunates split in two by a transporter accident.
Better than ones accidently scrambled by a transporter...
….ah JG : you will never again hear the phrase “Hostile Tribe” at Disneyland ever again .. I guarantee it! Possibly the word “Tribe” either .
I can’t recall if the cast Canoe races allowed sone team members to be none Disney employees or not …. But some of the people in the team shirts seem pretty young ……
Nanook, you are right, she has the smoldering sensuality of Ann B. Davis.
JB, nowadays, mega-mallards are pretty common, but back in the 80s they’d been hunted into near-extinction. Inspiring! If a kid splashed me on the Canoes, I’d challenge him to a rumble. Switchblades only. The rocks in the background of the third photo look like the ones on Tom Sawyer Island, which would make that photo flopped. Who can I sue?? It looks like some rafts are loading up with passengers (or at least one is) while others sit unused. Maybe it was a slow day. Real mallards are not comfortable around mega-mallards, so it is no surprise that they made themselves scarce.
JB, aw shucks!
TokyoMagic!, I wonder if Pee-wee knew Alice Nunn from the Brady thing? Maybe she was in a ton of stuff?
Chuck, yes, see my comment to JB, I do think that photo is flopped (but not flipped!). You’re right about the shirts - the deadly “Pink Flower Gang”. Don’t cross them, or you will pay with your life! Some of those female employees are so tiny compared to the fellow in the back (aka “the ringer”), it almost does just look like adults and children. But, as you noted, there is no costumed CM in the front either. A spare paddle, interesting. I would have been more impressed if he carved one from a log, but you can’t have everything.
Stu29573, idiocy in Florida? WHEN? I refuse to get hopeful about the river project going away, Disney will have its way. They are truly on a roll with the awful Haunted Mansion stuff.
JG, I assume that guests are given some sort of basic paddling instruction, but you know how people are. Nobody listens, they just twerk and look at their Nintendo Game Boys. At least that’s what I do. That bowl cut really is unfortunate, why would somebody do that to their own child? I feel like I would genuinely stop going to the park if they decided to full in our river. Not that the suits would care, there’s plenty more where I come from. I’m sad that people don’t go to TSI, but I also think that many guests have no idea that they even can go there, or what’s there.
JG, I knew what you meant!
Chuck, ah, I have to admit that I was wondering about the older cast member!
Chuck, what if I have an evil clone and don’t even know it?
Chuck, oh man, if I see a version of myself with a goatee, I’ll know he’s evil!
Stu29573, now I need to see a picture of the “mistake” from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.
MIke Cozart, you are probably right, but somehow the absence of a “hostile” Indian tribes doesn’t make a huge impact on my enjoyment of riding the Mark Twain (or other attractions). I still wish they had a burning cabin, but they’d already figured out alternate scenarios, so that was more about not “wasting gas”. I agree with you, some of the people in the Canoes are either just naturally small, or maybe they really are children?? I guess if you don’t care about winning the race it might be a fun experience for a visitor.
A quick comment. It appears that the Mysterious Benefactor had access to the park 'after hours' as that third picture looks like a shot taken during the CM canoe races. There is no 'costumed' CM noticed in either the front of rear of the canoe and in the background flags are posted on the dock. It's a women's team. And those standing there look to be in their perfect, then standard, Disney haircuts. We would have "race officials" located around the river and that could be them. KS
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