Two Randos
Randos. You know the drill by now! Let's start with this view of some topiaries, as seen in a backstage area visible from the Disneyland Railroad. This one is from October 1965, which is from about seven months before It's a Small World would debut on March 30, 1966 in Fantasyland. If you remember, we had another view of topiaries in the same area, only from about two year earlier - it amazed me that they were already working on them for Disneyland before IASW had opened at the New York World's Fair.
On a side note, GDB friend MS sent me a link to an episode of the old "Disneyland" TV show - all about "Disneyland '61". The whole thing is a fun blast to the past, hosted by Walt himself. If you skip to 1:45 into the episode, you'll see Walt present a fairly amazing concept for topiaries that never came to pass. Many thanks to MS for sharing this with me (and by extension, with you)!
Speaking of 1961, here's a scan from a slide dated "October, 1961", it almost feels like an "oops" photo. "Dangit! I didn't mean to press the button!". And yet it is still kind of fun, with the yellow Monorail's tail cone in the extreme foreground - that boy has a great seat, and you can tell he's pretty happy about it. In the distance is the classic "Old Tomorrowland".
3 comments:
Major-
That 2nd image has a bit of charm to it in its [possibly] mistaken capture. We can also see the 'center tower' from the Astrojets attraction behind Juniors head.
Thanks, Major.
I'm trying to guess what that fuzzy grayish-green critter is in the foreground. The back half looks sorta like a poodle. While the front half looks sorta like an alligator... a doggigator? The elephants are looking very robust and healthy.
Awww, I wanna see waltzing topiaries at Disneyland. (Or at least on YouTube.) I suppose it never happened because they probably figured out pretty quick that those turntables and other mechanical things would always be breaking down. Thanks for the link, MS.
Do you suppose that "boy in the bubble" is locked in there and will be returning to the Disneyland Hotel station? It's a pretty neat photo, actually, even if it IS an 'oops'. Kind of startling to see that huge Monorail looming in the picture; like a monstrous great white shark.
Purty neat Randos, Major. Thanks.
MAJOR: the topiaries are that far along because they were not developed for It’s A Small World but were being grown with intent of using them for GARDENS OF THE GODS and RAINBOW ROAD TO OZ /THE WIZARDS PALACE . When both those attractions were shelved they we re-used ( some of them anyway) for IT’s A Small World.
A cast Disneyland newsletter from the late 1970’s mentions NEW topiaries are being developed for the FANTASIA attraction and even motorized topiaries for a transitional area from Fantasyland to DISCOVERY BAY.
Motorized and animated topiaries were also discussed in the mid 1980’s for a re-do of the waterways to Walt Disney World’s PLAZA SWAN BOATS.
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