From From Stu
I'm finishing up the final five scans from Sue B's cousin Stu, from a 1992 trip to Disneyland. 1992, we were all so young, so innocent.
In the last Stu batch, there was a photo of the man himself with citizens of Duckburg. And how he's with Belle and Ernie (not many people remember that the name of the Beast was "Ernie") from "Beauty and the Beast", which had been a huge hit in 1991. Ernie is not too pleased that Belle is ignoring him for the suave, sophisticated Stu.
Next, here's another feature I don't ever recall seeing - an elephant-shaped topiary right next to the Dumbo attraction. He looks like he could use some water, or maybe some Mountain Dew.
This one is cool because we get a decent glimpse of the Abdominal Snowman, lurking in a dark cave inside the Matterhorn. Sometimes you can hear his mighty roar from ground-level, that's just how PO'd he is. I guess bobsleds passing your home every 15 seconds would get old in a hurry.
Here's a Skyway view looking down upon the Sub Lagoon - the Skyway would close in just two years, sadly. Although the subs were now bright yellow "research vessels", the attraction had not yet be Nemo-fied. A Mark V Monorail (my least-favorite style) sits at the station, while the white-painted Peoplemover trains trundle along.
And finally, we get a nice view looking over toward the Rocket Jets and Space Mountain, with "Mission to Mars" in the lower left - that attraction would close in November of 1992. It sure feels like Stu's photos capture the last gasp of Tomorrowland shortly not long before the 1998 update.
THANK YOU, Stu, Sue, and Lou (Perry)!
4 comments:
1) I don't think Stu needed to worry about Ernie roughing him up for stealing his girl. I mean, how much damage can a 2D cutout do?
2) I've never seen an elephant topiary next to Dumbo either. I don't remember seeing any images of it on your blog. And why did they give topiary Dumbo red tusks? ;-p Or maybe he's eating red licorice.
There is a blue Mickey-ear balloon trying its best to blend in with that blue banner, chameleon-like. Just a few seconds earlier, it was green, to blend in with the trees behind it. I wonder how long it'll be before we actually see color-changing balloons in the Park? They'd be a huge hit! And they would cost only $349.00!
3) So, is this an AA Harold the yeti? Or a projection? They did a good job creating the melty snow cave.
4) We don't often see the yellow "research subs". Did they retain their original gray-sub names?
5) Nice Tomorrowland picture! Somehow Space Mountain looks a bit smaller here. Maybe it expands and contracts with the ambient temperature. Is that some sort of (white) vehicle in front of Mission to Mars? Or maybe it's a kiosk that sells merch?
Nice photos from Stu. Thank you, Sue and Major.
Wow, there is all sorts of goodness, here.
The Beast is giving his best Fonzie pose. Aaaaaaaaaaay!
There are two of those topiary elephants in front of the Dumbo attraction. But this one does look a little anemic.
That pic of the Abominable Snowman was taken from the Skyway, and that is the quality of pic that I always wanted to take from the Skyway. Mine always turned out great of the surrounding rockwork, but unfortunately Harold always came out blurry.
What is that in front of Mission to Mars? It looks like maybe a photo op, but I don't ever remember seeing it. And if that's what it is, what is that supposed to be? The front car of the Monorail? A Star Tours Starspeeder?
Thank you Lou, Sue, Stu, and Major, too!
Tokyo Magic is correct : there were two elephant topiaries near Dumbo . They were added during the 1983 New Fantasyland.
That vehicle in front of MISSION TO MARS was the speakers and sound amplifiers for a Tomorrowland band that performed in the forecourt of “Mars” - it was very “Star Speeder -esque” looking . during this time you would have seen two extended elliptical shapes on the slurry so the performers could use it as a guide for their choreography. At the moment I cannot recall the band’s name and I don’t have access to any guides or show schedules to check at the moment . I think it was GALAXY CORP?? Or STAR CORPS?? FUTURE CORPS?? TOMORROWLAND CORP?? They played marching band music of themes like Star Trek , Indiana Jones , Star Wars … etc.
There are many "B-4 TRE" things in these photos...despite being slightly Eisner-i-fied. Well, Stu looks great with Belle and Fonzi..er...Ernie...I'm not a gigantical fan of cut out photo ops unless you can put your head through a hole...I think it would be better if Belle's face had Stu in it, mustache and all. I'm pretty sure Ernie would still be giving his Fonzi OK. I don't remember the topiary elephant either, but the "New Fantasyland" was a feast for the eyes...I could have missed it. Just trimming hedges into a square is hard work. Topiaries give me incredible stress just looking at them. This elephant would have to been cultivated for many years prior. The topiaries that have a wire structure and ivy growing in them is kind of "faking it", but fanciful nevertheless. That is a great photo of cave + Yeti....I didn't even think it could be taken from the Skyway. I love the color yellow, but I think the military needs to take over the subs again. The "WDW" style Monorail I have always been a fan of: (in WDW), but of course it's predecessor: there will never be a viable replacement. All part of the "no color neutralization" of Tomorrowland '90's. Nothing has color...BUT...there are shocking yellow subs (?)...which actually look great in the water. If there were still colorful Monorails and PeopleMover cars it would be a more cohesive Tomorrowland. It's nice to see Coke Terrace as Coke Terrace...and a mostly intact Tomorrowland...still a little bland with the "Star Wars" all white all the time set design. Weren't there stormtroopers with that Star Tours thingy? The Rocket Jets were so much fun up so high. I have a 8mm movie (somewhere) that I took up there. It was high enough to be classified as an actual thrill ride. In the Tour Guide Times circa '86..."Tour Guide Tessie" boarded a rocket jet, that flew off from the ride into space....where Tessie was describing asteroids and planets to her tour guests in "ad lib" fashion...WHERE is that newsletter? It was so much fun to produce when it was for enjoyment, and not some corporate-y "thing". That serial cartoon was the thing that threw the suits into a "Tessie Tizzy".....after that, I produced an extremely sterile newsletter to prove it could be done, then I shut it down. I'm wondering if anyone remembers the same things I do? Where is the creator of "Tessie Tour Guide"...what was her name? That's it for Wednesday's memory rabbit hole. Thanks Major, Lou, Sue, and Stu.
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