Frontierland
Well, what do you know, it's more scans from The Mysterious Benefactor! As usual, these show details from Frontierland.
Here's a random kid, climbing on some random rocks. He's up to no good! Maybe I'll report him to Disney security. "No, he didn't sass me, but he could have!". "Don't worry sir, where he's headed, he'll never sass anyone again".
I have no idea what's going on here, and I don't WANT to know. But you have to admit that you don't see four men hugging on a log every day.
I'm guessing that those kids are on Teeter-Totter Rock, named after Sir Albert Teeter-Totter. Or are they on Bad Smelling Rock? It's nice that the little girl is giving the young woman a helping hand. Before she bites her! Notice the Columbia passing in the background.
A family has just deplaned from a Huck Finn Raft, and aren't sure what to do next. The little girl is content with her box of popcorn, but Dad will need an hour or so to look at his complimentary map of the Island (held by Mom), so that he can make a full itinerary. I believe that the man with the yellow sweater is wearing an early version of a park passport around his neck.
And finally, more teeter-totter action! So many kids waiting their turn for such a simple thing. But there was a risk of injury, and so it had to go bye-bye. Let's just be grateful that we got to experience it for ourselves.
As always, THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!
17 comments:
Major-
I believe the 'four men hugging' are involved in an initiation stunt. The next part of the stunt involves "getting very wet..."
Not only is 'the man in the yellow sweater' wearing [what appears to be] an early Passport to Disneyland, based on its size - from 1977, available only to Magic Kingdom Club members, but so to are little "brother and sister".
Thanks, Major.
1) That would-be sassy kid has been toiling in the churro mines under the Castle for the last 45 years.
2) I also can't imagine what those guys are attempting. Maybe they're going for the Guinness world record of four guys standing on a log without falling off. There's another guy, on the left, perfecting his tree trunk camouflage.
3) There's something almost scary about the giant-sized Columbia emerging from behind the foliage. Like that scene from "Jurassic World" where the big, modified dino (with camouflage ability) emerges from the deep jungle.
4) This is a rare view of the Old Mill. We've seen it from this angle before but hardly ever from up close like this.
5) I wonder how fast that teeter-totter rock teetered an tottered back-and-forth? I'm guessing not too fast, and not too much movement.
Nanook, Mom is also wearing one of those 'Passport' thingys. And I'd wager that Dad is too.
Fun, colorful action pics today. Thanks, MB. And thanks, Major.
If Teeter -Totter Rock had survived today , it would be called LAWSUIT LEDGE.
We used to get those unlimited passports ( excluding shooting gallery & arcades) long before they were offered to general park guests - as NANOOK pointed out , they were exclusive to Magic Kingdom Club members . The park had tested out other unlimited type tickets for regular park guests like JIMINY CRICKET TICKETS and TIGGER TICKETS … that could be used on ANY attraction. But Disney finally gave in and disbanded the A-E tickets in 1982 as that was the way the amusement industry was going. This was popular change but in the long run it made smaller attractions like Main Street Cinema , KEEL BOATS , etc unable to compete with larger “E” ticket attractions . In fact you’ll see that happening more where theme lands will have a few large complex attractions and smaller quantity rides and attractions will disappear. A good example is what’s happened to WDW’s Frontierland and the pending “new” Adventureland at Tokyo Disneyland …
Walt Disney's dream in action...adults and kids having fun together.
Who knew that a few fake rocks and real trees could produce such joy? Walt.
MS
The Columbia also makes an appearance in picture 4!
Yes, that little fellow is definitely bound for the churro mines. Farewell!
Those guys are practicing log rolling for the lumberjack festival, except there never was a lumberjack festival.
There definitely was a Bad Smelling Rock though, it was down in the caves, where someone without a map had to go in a hurry.
That family is waiting for baggage claim. The carousel was inside the mill. I found my passport from my last trip as a young one dated 1979. Were these not available to the general public then?
As I recall Teeter-Totter rock, it was dampened somehow, did not move quickly, and was limited to a few degrees of tilt each way. Still fun though. TSI was an ingenious place and it’s a shame that it has been dumbed down. I’m grateful we have the shards that remain. Eventually it will be closed to guests and renamed Liability Island, serving solely as a backdrop to the remaining river craft.
Thanks Major and MB!
JG
Crisp, colorful and off-season fun with the Passports. Kids without adult supervision doing what would be considered dangerous today. How did we survive to grow up? Or maybe, secretly, we really haven't. KS
Nanook, your comment about the four men just made things worse! I saw the passports on the kids, but the one on the man with the yellow sweater is the most prominent.
JB, by now the kid has cinnamon poisoning. And whatever those four guys are doing, as long as they are consenting adults, I don’t care! The Columbian looks amazing close to the people, but I assume that is the result of the photographer’s long lens. The Old Mill shot looks strange, I’m so used to older views when that area didn’t look so “finished” and smooth. I have no idea about Teeter-totter rock, I sadly never experienced it. Dad didn’t have a passport, he was content to wait for everyone while they enjoyed their rides.
Mike Cozart, I have to wonder if there were many (or any) injuries on things like Teeter-totter rock over the years? Or was Disney just worried that litigious people would flock to it as an obvious place to fake an injury? I have a scan that I just did, from sometime in the 50s, and the list of ticket options includes a “Day at Disneyland” pass, for “all rides and attractions”, it’s the first time I remember ever seeing anything like that at that early stage. I’m like many old-timers, I sort of miss the ticket books and the way it made you try some of the smaller attractions, but it is also nice to go on whatever you want as many times as you want.
MS, if I recall correctly, Tom Sawyer Island was actually drawn by Walt to indicate what he wanted. Of course it was finessed by artists and engineers, but I think it’s supposed to be the one attraction that he truly had a big hand in designing.
Steve DeGaetano, oh yeah!
JG, I’m not even sure why that log is there for people to stand on… it seems like an “attractive nuisance. Somebody is bound to walk on it, fall off, break their wrist, and sue. I hope to never think about Bad Smelling Rock again! Those people do have a “waiting for baggage claim” look to them. Just do a carry-on, like normal people do now! Teeter-totter rock was dampened with bladders full of lard, which is how they did it in Abe Lincoln’s day. Hard Facts. I hope we never lose our TSI, but at this point nothing would surprise me that much.
@ JB-
"Mom is also wearing one of those 'Passport' thingys"
Unless I'm missing something, the red/white object on Mom is a popcorn box which 'junior' is clutching.
oh, as a kid how I wanted unlimited tickets. when POP became Pay One Price, I hoped DL would be next. However (!), as a young lad it dawned on me that Tom Sawyer Island offered unlimited "attractions"... I could go through Injun Joe's Cave over and over, for free. like getting a magic pass for the price of a D ticket!
a friend's Dad worked at an LA entertainment trade magazine, he sometimes got a special ticket book with free admission, and ten magic key tickets useable on any attraction, I've still got the cardboard backing we ripped them out of!
Those pics seem to be from different eras. The family with by the Old Mill seem to be from the late 70s to very early 80s, with the bell-bottoms and polyester. The others seem to be from the late 1980s with the stonewash jeans and velcro sneakers.
The men standing on the log look like they're doing some kind of corporate team-building exercise.
In Tom Sawyer Old Joe Harper warns Tom & Huck rafting in the river at night is mighty dangerous…. Like “waltzing on a log” ….. that was a popular saying in the 19th Century for doing something stupid that was also dangerous. I think that’s what those male guests are doing !! As Mark Twain said …. Everything I just told you is true except for the parts I made up!
Tom Sawyer Island Map: ANKLE CRACK GORGE : there’s only one way to cross this ravine and it’s on an old log. But watch out! This log rolls!!!
Nanook, I also thought the red and white thing (that Junior is clutching) might be a popcorn box. But when I zoomed-in it definitely has an "A" inside a circle like the Passes the others are wearing. I don't know why the Passes come in different colors.
The passports were different colors so an adult wasn’t trying to use a cheaper priced child’s passport.
I remember the passport tags came with a metal clamp that would secure the string to a button. I’m not sure is Disneyland ever offered them at the park , but friends who got their passports Thru magic kingdom club or benefits groups ( like teachers unions or military ) were given plastic badge pins that featured , a Disney characters face. I know there was goofy , pluto , Mickey , Donald … there may have been others) these were used to attach the pass to upper body clothing . You had to show the pass to the castmember who was stationed collecting tickets.
"....but it is also nice to go on whatever you want as many times as you want."
Dream on, Major. Ain't gonna happen no more. :o\
These are fun pictures. Thanks, MB and MP.
@ JB-
That "A" is part of the 'design' on the popcorn box - same as the one 'big sister' is holding. Those passports came in two colors: green for Adult; light brown for Child - as evidenced in today's image... AND HERE.
^ Ah, I see it now. As you noted, the little girl in red is holding one of those popcorn boxes. I concede the point! ;-)
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