Snoozles™
I have no shortage of Snoozles lately, after scanning 40 or 50 slides - many of which turned out to be very flawed. As I mentioned before, some went right into the trash, I didn't even want to attempt to restore them (they were too dark and too discolored). But there were a few that had issues, but still had something to offer. Like this photo from January 1962, featuring two girls in a snooty caterpillar vehicle from the "Alice in Wonderland" ride. The girl closes to us is waving, but in my country that gesture means, "I wish death upon you", so I am furious!
The problem with this next one is obvious (from a slide date-stamped "June 1967") - taking a photo of anything when backlit by the Sun can be problematic, but sometimes it's the only way to capture what you want at that particular time of day. I think this photographer liked seeing the Skyway gondolas moving back and forth, emerging and vanishing into the Matterhorn's "ice caverns". A yeti in Tibet heard about these ice caverns and thought that they sounded like a pretty sweet place to settle down.
7 comments:
Major-
"... featuring two girls in a snooty caterpillar vehicle from the "Alice in Wonderland" ride".
Now how much more fun would it have been to place a snooty caterpillar vehicle on the ATIS ride-?
Thanks, Major.
Aside from the girls wishing death upon us, I'm more concerned about the FBI agents. They seem to be searching for someone. No doubt that 'someone' will end up serving 5 to 10 in the churro mines under the Castle. Or is it the churro factory that's under the Castle? Probably both, we know how the early Imagineers liked to layer attractions for dual use. Note the mysterious box with the colored lights. I'm sure the FBI guys are using this to set off explosives when the snooty Caterpillars reach a certain position within the ride. You can tell when the agents are successful when you hear that loud Goofy yell!
Seems like a larger than usual number of big fanciful leaves in the background... I like it!
In a couple of hours, Chernabog will be sitting atop this dark and gloomy mountain! I do rather like this photo. The backlighting gives it an interesting look and feel. Woulda been better if the photographer had caught a red Gondola going into, or getting sneezed out of, the Matterhorn's nostrils.
I liked these pics, and I had fun with them. They served their purpose. Thanks, Major.
That little girl isn’t wishing death upon us - she’s casting a spell! She doesn’t want us to notice that the FBI guy to the left, who appears to be wearing a Disneyland sport coat with either an ID badge or a handkerchief above the pocket, is sporting a pencil-thin mustache. He’s obviously a “suit” of some kind, but I’m surprised he was allowed to buck the grooming standards. Maybe 1930’s Walt-style ‘staches were OK in 1962.
It’s not the worst Matterhorn photo I’ve ever seen - at least it’s in focus. Still, if I had to choose a favorite of all the GDB pictures showing the Swiss mountain’s nostrils, I wouldn’t pick this one.
Thanks, Major!
The CM with the pencil-thin mustache is working the caterpillar knobs. This was a CIA prototype device for directing destructive insects into farms and gardens of Soviet-bloc nations. But it didn’t work well and all the caterpillars were sent to a taxidermist in Fullerton, where Walt got them cheap. Cute little girls, they are looking forward to riding that destructive insect.
I like the skyway pic, it’s an unusual angle, not too badly backlit, and in focus. It demonstrates the importance of washing the bottoms of the buckets. Originally this work was subbed out to the yetis, but they struck it rich selling ice chests and all moved to Hawaii. Harold invested his shares wisely and retired back to the Park. No one knows if the tops of the baskets were ever washed, nor by whom.
Great stuff today Major! Thank you!
JG
”No one knows if the tops of the baskets were ever washed, nor by whom.”
JG, Tink flies over almost daily and she could tell us….but she won’t. She needs an attitude adjustment, I think.
Thanks, Major, for some new angles.
Nanook, as far as I am concerned, all rides should have snooty caterpillars!
JB, maybe the little girl throwing curses is the Princess of Norway? That would explain the FBI agents. Yes, churro mines mean there will be churro factories, the need to be smelted and purified before they can be served to the public. The “Goofy yell” heard inside the Alice ride always throws me off. What is HE doing there? I can’t remember if that sound effect is heard in the animated film. They should replace it with the Wilhelm Scream. I’ve always thought that it would be so cool if they put a giant Chernabog on top of the Matterhorn for Halloween, but the pious residents of Anaheim might not appreciate a dark demon glowering at them for a month or two.
Chuck, now I think Disney should make a movie about a magic princess who casts evil spells. She’ll be young and pretty, and EEEVIL! The more I look at that guy with the ID badge, the less “Disney” he appears to be; maybe he really is some sort of security guard for those girls! With so many other nice photos of the Matterhorn, I feel comfortable placing today’s examples in the Snoozles pile.
JG, Walt weirdly thought that men with mustaches looked like “city slickers”, and yet, when I look at that guy in the first photo, he definitely gives off untrustworthy vibes. Maybe he carries an umbrella with a poisoned tip, or something similarly spy-like. I asked a knowledgeable friend if he’d ever seen one of those caterpillar vehicles for sale in an auction (because I never have), and he said “no”, so I guess they are too unique and elaborate to replace every few decades. One of those would be at the top of my list of ride vehicles to own! No idea about whether the tops of Skyway gondolas were ever washed, how can we find out?
Lou and Sue, I’m not sure Tink can talk, probably because she’s embarrassed by her thick Brooklyn accent. It’s OK, Tink, we love you just the way you are!
I don't think that's a mustache on that guy. I think's it's a smudge of chocolate on his lip.... probably from eating a fudge pie on his break.
Post a Comment