OKzles
Today's scans didn't qualify as "Snoozles" - as you know, Snoozles must meet rigorous requirements, and must pass a review process in Geneva, Switzerland. Let's just ignore the $200-per image review fee!
I think you'll find that these scans are a bit better than the usual Sunday selection. Like this photo from Main Street, circa August, 1980. It was the park's 25th Anniversary, notice the lamppost signs and the blue and white bunting on some of the storefronts. The focus is just a tiny bit soft, but it's still a nice view. The long shadows from the east tell us that the park must have opened not long before, there's a whole day of fun to be had.
Next we head back to February, 1964, with this Skyway view of the Alice in Wonderland attraction's winding outdoor track, with a Snooty Caterpillar inching his way down from the upper level. The slide had turned a bit purple, and I had trouble restoring it to my satisfaction. Notice the Matterhorn Bobsled in the upper left - good luck for everyone!
14 comments:
We've got a green trashcan, a red fire hydrant, and a white hitching post within a few feet of each other. I'm sure that means something. Everyone is walking toward the Hub except those three people on the left. I'm sure that means something too.
"Notice the Matterhorn Bobsled in the upper left - good luck for everyone!" Ah, but the Snooty Caterpillar in the same photo cancels out the good luck. OK, I just made that up, but it sure seems like the Caterpillar's snootiness would cancel out something! Isn't the outside track supposed to be green? I guess the snootiness canceled out the green in the track. Which means... We get the benefit of the Bobsled's good luck after all! Yayyy!
We usually see the opposite view of Alice from the Skyway; looking toward the Storybook Canal Boats.
Thanks for coughing up the $400 for the rigorous review process of these two OKzles, Major.
In the first pic, the lady walking underneath the "Carnation Company" signage, is looking up to see if she can spot Walt flicking chili beans out of the upstairs window. The only problem is, she's 14 years too late. And, she has the wrong window!
Thank you, Major, for the NOT-SO-BADzles! ;-)
Major, these are just fine, especially that Alice aerial view!
There are two trash cans in photo 1, and the long haired gent with the rainbow striped suspenders date this to at least mid-70’s, maybe he’s just behind the curve of style. Oh now I see the date is 1980, duh. Sorry.
Two young NASA refugees are handling those trained caterpillars. They wanted jobs at JPL and became bug wranglers instead.
Just to remind you, I would be pleased to provide pre-review and certification of your Snoozles for half the rate of that outfit in Geneva. Bring your photo checking back to a domestic provider and save money! It’s what Dan Blocker would have wanted!
Great stuff today, Major!
JG
Chili flicking...is that like a dent or stain? I think Walt's chili is akin to my Top Ramen. Humble things that we still enjoy. 25th anniversary seems like yesterday, truly. When I hear 70, and then in 5 years 75...which is much more monumental...I tend to groan a bit. There's those elm trees with no scale on Main Street before they were slaughtered. The red concrete is lovely, I do not enjoy pavers, and asphalt should be asphalt. Period. I remember in 1984 some grumbling about the "poor execution" of the 25th anniversary: looks pretty silver to me. I PREFER the more historic blue and gold motif, but that is personal to me. The "Family Reunion" catch phrase at the time was an interesting take..."one big happy family joined in Har-Mo-nee.....one big happy family sea to shining seaaaaaa....join hands at Disneyland and join the jubilee and we'll be one big happy fam-i-leeeeeee". These things stick. Guess it was memorable. For the ex employees reading this, 1980 is the cut off year for being a "First Generation" Cast Member. It's kind of a thing-with reunions-: you can look it up. Alice in Wonderland is being run by a NASA guy there baking in the sunshine. That must have been a wee rough. The leaves are the best part of the ride. Thanks Major for the level 2 Snoozles(tm) this morning!
Chili flicking? There's only one think I flick and that's my Bic.
The Alice in Wonderland aerial pic is nice. Thanks, Major.
And the "First Generation" has announced the biennial reunion to be July 17...the date of the 70th. Love those Main Street morning 'rope-drop' pictures. Can hear the background music playing. KS
JB, it does seem a bit weird that those three are already heading back down Main Street so early. Maybe they decided it was time for ice cream at 10:07? I’m not so sure Snooty Caterpillars cancel out the good luck brought by bobsleds, but they do smell funny, and that’s never a good thing. *Sniff sniff*, “What IS that?”. Man, I hate it when slides turn blue, and purple is bad too, for some reason it’s so hard to make them bright and colorful again. It’s true, most of the time when we see the Alice ride from the Skyway, we’re looking west instead of east. Hey, I’m happy to spend $400 to make these official OKzles.
TokyoMagic!, soon there will be an animatronic Walt to flick foam rubber chili beans from that window. From ALL the windows. Main Street will have a 2” layer of fake beans.
JG, boy I really had to look for the fellow with the rainbow suspenders. Is he from the planet Ork? The guy at the Alice controls looks like he is auditioning for Kraftwerk. Do they put special fitted tarps over the control panels at night? Seems like moisture could do some harm otherwise. It’s weird that you mentioned Dan Blocker the other day, because my brother had talked about him only a day or two before that - granted my brother does watch “Bonanza” almost every day. The show is kind of corny, and yet I still love it.
Bu, I like chili on occasion, and finally made my own homemade chile verde two or three weeks ago - I used my mom’s slow cooker, and it came out great. No beans in chili verde though, sorry Walt. The 25th Anniversary is the first that I really remember being aware of, and I have a few ads and magazines that are all about the big celebration. Strange to think that Walt had been gone 14 years at that point. Pavers on a driveway are swell, but I’m not so crazy about them in Disneyland. It’s a minor nit, I guess I’m so used to the slurry that was there for decades. I guess if you heard that “one big happy family” song regularly, the lyrics would stick. I don’t know them! I agree, why not give the NASA guy an umbrella (or mushroom) to sit under? Why does he have to sit in the direct sun? Maybe they switched operators out every 15 minutes so that they didn’t die of exposure.
K. Martinez, maybe you need to try flicking chili. You can take a class at the local community college!
KS, do they do the reunion at the park? And what sort of festivities will be on the schedule? It might be crazy this year, since that will be the date of the 70th birthday for Disneyland.
Ah, the Sunkist Citrus House. Loved grabbing an ice-cold lemonade there on hot August afternoons…
JG, the NASA guy may not be at JPL, but he's still sitting at a console, pushing buttons... "Good enough".
Major, I too, just assumed that those three people walking against the flow of the crowd were just going back to check out one of the shops. Orrr, they caught wind of the funny smell coming from the Alice ride and decided, "nope".
The 25th Anniversary was amazing! I was about 14, and I bought the 25th Anniversary commemorative book. I loved that book, with its blue and silver cover featuring the Matterhorn behind Sleeping Beauty Castle, and relived my day at Disneyland thumbing through it the day after. And for many years after that. It became dog-eared over the years and had to be replaced by an eBay find
The blue and white bunting looks almost Bavarian. Oktoberfest at Disneyland.
Major, i was also thinking Robin Williams when I saw the rainbow suspender guy JG mentioned. Also odd you mentioned Kraftwerk. I just saw them (well, Ralf and some younger musicians) in concert a couple weeks ago.
Steve DeGaetano, with Tuesday predicted to be 90º, I’m gonna wish I could have that cold lemonade!
JB, NASA guys are very “go with the flow”. Now that I think about it, those three people were probably already leaving the park. “This place is lame, let’s go to Vegas”.
Steve DeGaetano, I bought my copy of “Disneyland: The First Quarter Century” at the park too, and carried it around with me for most of the day. I still have that copy, somehow I kept it in good condition, but it made a huge impact on me. I think that’s where I first learned about things like the House of the Future and the Clock of the World.
Dean Finder, I wonder if Disneyland has celebrated Oktoberfest? Beer-free of course. But hey, there’s always big soft pretzels. Wow, you saw Kraftwerk a few weeks ago? Amazing! I’ll be that was fun.
Major, it will be held off-site in the hills so that the participants can see the fireworks as part of the celebration. I was told some 200+ have already signed up. Not sure just what they have planned at this point. KS
Major, re weatherproof control panels. On the basis of no information whatever other than personal experience of electrical design, weatherproof controls of the simple on-off-neutral (hand-off-auto = HOA) and basic selector switches, as well as start-stop push buttons etc. which appear to make up the various Dark Ride panels are readily available in weatherproof configurations, as well as weatherproof enclosures for the wiring.
I had several Kraftwerk albums, interesting guys. I never watched Mork and Mindy, so the suspenders connection blew right by me. There was a guy in my high school who wore them, back before rainbows were anything other than atmospheric phenomena.
Dan Blocker just leaped to mind the other day, elbowing out Dan Rather as a more likely “Dan” to be included in an ear wax exhibit. I cannot account for how my mind works.
JG
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