Pontoon Bridge, Frontierland
There are probably plenty of Disneyland guests who have no idea that they can take a raft from the shores of Frontierland over to Tom Sawyer Island for fun and frolicking. Go through spooky caves! Climb up Castle Rock, spin on Merry-go-round Rock, or teeter on Teeter Totter Rock (in other words, don't miss the rocks)! Cross the perilous Suspension Bridge! OR... cross the undulating Pontoon Bridge, which is what we will be looking at today. These photos are courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor, by the way.
It's a real parade crossing the bridge, just one person after another. The boy in front does his best Michael Jackson impression. HEE-hee! I tried and tried to decipher dad's t-shirt, but couldn't do it. The "vicious fishes" shirt on the boy a ways back will just have to do.
Why can't these people be more ridiculous so that I can make fun of them??
I thought that the guy with the backwards baseball cap (the ultimate in coolness!) was smoking a cigarette, but now I think he has the stick from an ice cream bar sticking out of his mouth. Just don't trip and fall on the bridge, or that stick will go out the back of your head. I've seen it happen!
Another day, another donut. Crossing without hanging on is something only one person in 50,000 can do, so that kid has my respect.
Even hockey fans from Canada enjoy crossing the Pontoon Bridge, and all they usually like is hockey!
If you zoomed in, you would see the beads of sweat on this fellow's forehead, his concentration is off the charts. The only other time he looked this serious is when he was in that hotdog eating competition (which he won, 67 dogs).
MANY THANKS to the Mysterious Benefactor!
9 comments:
Major-
Although I suppose it would be satisfying on some level to know exactly what is featured on Dad's tee shirt, I'm more curious about the black straps [suspenders-?] that are blocking the vital information to answer the question. Do the black straps attach to an inner set of pants underneath his jeans-? And if so, why-? (Probably the less said the better-!)
Thanks, M B-! and The Major.
Dang it, Major! You KNEW that when you said you couldn't decipher Dad's shirt, it would be taken as a challenge for US to decipher it! I spent hours, DAYS even, trying to decipher it. Aside from a few characters... nope. (OK, it was more like 43 seconds. BUT IT SEEMED LONGER!)
I was about to make fun of the blue-shirt-guy for smoking a cigarette, but like you noted, it appears to be a popsicle stick. Guess he needed the fiber in his diet.
It looks like the kid is deliberately not using any hands while crossing. Seems like something I would try. I wonder if the kid made it all the way across sans hands?
Montreal kid isn't using any hands either! It must've been a "monkey see, monkey do" sort of thing, where one kid did it (or tried to do it) and the others nearby did it too.
Nanook, Hmmm, like you said, Dad's black suspenders do indeed seem to attached to a pair of black inner pants (we can see the top of 'em). Weird.
Thanks to both, MB and Major.
The bridges of Tom Sawyer Island have always been a favorite of mine growing up. Especially the pontoon bridge. Not sure I could handle it today at my age though.
Thanks, Major.
Always loved these bridges, never missed a chance to cross them both.
A crowd of very normal looking people having fun. The lady in the red stripes has a Star Trek communicator on her belt? Looks like it says “MAUI”? Maybe it’s a logo on her fanny pack?
Worrying about ice cream stick guy, about to be featured in a Sam Peckinpah film.
And cheers for the last guy, who might almost be me: White shirt, khaki pants, web belt, camera and case, pen in pocket, dogged expression… He has some kind of pin on the shirt pocket by his pen, wonder what that is?
Thanks Major, I can hear the hinges creaking.
JG
Thanks Major for this post's timing --- on Monday night I saw "40 Pounds of Trouble" at LA's New Beverly Cinema. The beautiful widescreen 35mm print revealed that astonishing pontoon factoid: in 1962 the top rope on the bridge was the ONLY one, leading to speculation on how many folks went into the drink. A hefty irate older woman on the bridge tangles first with the pursued, then the pursuer, but since she was going the wrong way it was her own dang fault.
Another revelation was the close views of the ROA peaceful Indian Village, as Tony Curtis runs through. Most of the Indian figures had some animated action, which didn't seem to be the case in later years.
Nanook, those black straps support waterproof underwear. For… reasons!
JB, just another hour or so and you will figure out what that t-shirt says. I believe in you. One way to ensure that nobody uses their hands on the Pontoon Bridge would be to electrify the upper cables - I think that people would appreciate this added challenge. I’m going to get HQ on the horn right away and suggest it! Montreal Kid just walks like that all the time, don’t make fun of him. I wish I had black suspenders and mysterious “inner pants”.
K. Martinez, I’m sure you could handle the Pontoon Bridge! Unless maybe there were some people jumping up and down a lot.
JG, I can’t tel what that thing is on that lady’s fanny pack; I guess now that I look closer it might be a cloth patch. Does it show the planets of our solar system? Sam Peckinpaugh did a whole movie with people falling on their faces, and popsicle sticks poking through the backs of their heads (in slow motion)… I forget the name, but know that it starred Lee Marvin. No idea about that pin, it’s too tiny and blurry.
Stefano, I’ve still never seen “40 Pounds of Trouble”; I’ve seen clips of Tony Curtis running around Disneyland, which is kind of interesting. Is the movie any good? Very cool that it was shown at the New Beverly, I would not have expected that at all. I remember Tony running through the Indian Village, and seem to recall that at least one figure was grinding corn. Other than that I can’t think of any other animated action.
Strangely staged....I think...but everyones having a good time: you don't really need a billion dollar ride to have fun, and I think I quite prefer the pontoons anyway. As a bratty little teen in packs we would be DETERMINED to catapult each other and other guests off this bridge. Alas, with much effort: it was literally impossible. I don't even think we made each other fall. The suspension bridge was also a challenge to make it swing...to also catapult each other...also: impossible. Underpants suspenders? Well: it's probably not a first. He's having fun anyway. Pen in pocket guy with camera...and holding camera: possibly the cameraman on this shoot. However: I don't recognize him. Montreal is doing the "run really fast to not make the bridge wobble"....we also did this as teens. In fact: I remember going on this bridge multiple times over and over again. I'd rather see popsicle stick guy smoking...and it looks like he's even lighting it. As an ex smoker I totally understand the need for a popsicle stick in your mouth. Tootsie pops are also "A-OK". Dumb dumbs....the candy is a little too small. Vicious Fishes? Have no idea. "My dad went to Disneyland and all I got was this "Hawaii" T-Shirt"....I totally support "back home pride". Odd segue: The first Hawaiian bank had a very wonderful thing for their employees: after a year of work (or maybe it was 5 years...?), they gave them a free VIP tour of Disneyland: all expenses paid. These were easy peasy tours: #1: Lunch at Blue Bayou. #2 Reservations at The Golden Horseshoe. Easy people, with not many "needs"...certainly so much easier than a celebrity. At lunch: they would get absolutely everything....knowing that their employer was paying....and on these tours it was customary to "do like your guests"....so the lunch was long....so on a "4 hour tour" (the minimum) with a GH and BB in there: you basically went on a couple of rides: had some good times with your guests...and punched out. Since lunch was paid time...there was no need to take obligatory breaks. Generally, the First Hawaiian people brought gifts: usually a Lei or other Hawaiian things....which you would "break the rules" and wear them during your tour. This was actually a "official" break the rules "SOP" rule. You could wear the lei during your tour, but it must be removed immediately after the tour had concluded. Written down in black and white. Not kidding. I totally forgot about these tours....while most people pined for movie starts...I was perfectly happy with a stress free day with Hawaiians. Thanks for the memories MB and Major. PS: to answer Sue's question of yesterday: an average number of people on a regular guided tour was about 17...but could go up to 20...and sometimes it was just 1....which, in some cases was weird, and other times was wonderful. A VIP tour had it's own set of rules...and I think after 10 people it was mandated that two TG's were on the tour.
Major & M.B.- Thanks for the post & photos today.
The cloth patch on the fanny pack does say MAUI- it is the logo of the Maui and Sons surf apparel company. "40 Pounds of Trouble" is interesting to see scenes of early 1960s Disneyland, but that's about it... IMHO
-DW
Bu, I honestly don’t know how staged these photos are; I always assumed that the photographer tried to capture actual guests having a real experience, though I just scanned a few that are clear publicity images that look like they could be right off of an ad in the most artificial manner. I guess we can’t be surprised when bratty teens behave like bratty teens, but it is still annoying to classy people like me! I don’t think the bridge was ever empty enough for me to run across it, but I would love to try it. Yes, that one photo totally looks like that guy is lighting his popsicle stick! Tootsie Pops, man I used to love the cherry flavor, and remember when they’d sell bags of just cherry Tootsie Pops around Valentine’s Day. Now I am a good boy and avoid such things, but I can dream. Wow, a free VIP tour of Disneyland is quite a prize, I assume that the First Hawaiian Bank was not just in the State of Hawaii? A 4 hour lunch is a bit much for me, I’d rather be doing something else, even if an employer was footing the bill. But I get it, from your point of view! Speaking of leis, they used to give out leis at the Tahitian Terrace, and the leis even had Disneyland labels on them - but I have NEVER seen one offered for sale. They must have given out thousands and thousands of them. It’s crazy that I’ve never seen a single example. Wow, 17 people on a tour seems like a lot to manage, but I guess you all got used to it.
DW, amazing, thanks! I guess you just knew that Maui and Sons logo? Very cool.
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