Here's a fun pair of scans featuring two friends who were aboard a Matterhorn bobsled, preparing for their thrilling ride through the icy slopes and caves! A Cast Member ("George") appears to be telling our riders how to behave. Keep your hands inside the vehicle! Don't stand up! No smoking! No spitting or cursing! And so on. I like his shirt and need one to wear every day. Imagine if they sold nice copies of these old costumes (or at least the shirts) in the shops! They'd make a ton of money!
Did they just return from their trip? It's hard to tell. The lady with the pale yellow top looks like she's getting ready to exit her bobsled. Notice the Alice in Wonderland attraction in the distance.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThe camera angle in the 1st image gives the impression that each Bobsled was equipped with a 'rear-mounted ashtray'-! WOW... those Imagineers really did think of everything back then. Gotta love those late-60's fashions. Groovy, I suppose.
Thanks, Major.
By George, the CM IS named George! I thought you were just being funny. :-p But he isn't giving his 'safety spiel'. Nope. He's sayng "pull my finger!". :D
ReplyDeleteActually, after zooming in, it looks like his name is "CRT4SE". He must be a space alien.
There is a rare albino cobra trying to escape from that closed box. Albino cobras can flatten themselves to the thinness of a sheet of parchment paper.
OH MY GOD! That other Bobsled came back without its passengers! They must've been ejected on one of those lightning fast turns halfway up the Mountain! I would say the Yeti got 'em, but he wasn't there yet(i).
Nanook, it took me a while to figure out that ashtray/Bobsled illusion. Kinda neat!
Nice Bobsled photos, Major. Do these count as 'good luck'?
You would never know how jarring this ride can be by looking at that last photo. Those gals retained their composure, sunglasses AND hairdos. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteNanook, that handy attached rear-ashtray is impressive, too. :o)
Thanks, Major.
^ Ha, JB! I wonder why one bobsled had a smooth ride—while the other one went through heck??
ReplyDeleteHe might be saying hubba hubba if it weren't so impolite. The cast member in the second photo does look perplexed, wondering where those riders went.
ReplyDeleteThese bring back the memories of having to sit in your friend's lap or vice versa.
Thanks Major for the ride.
Zach
Aqua Net...a girls best friend. And I agree with Sue: this ride is NO JOKE....as a kid and a tour guide I didn't notice...now: wow...I rode this years ago, and my back STILL is out of wack. Very fun though, and I wish that they would have kept the open space at the top of the track: it was kind of scary to see how high you were. I think the rumble tumble is kind of the charm of this ride, if your inner workings of your human organs can take it...like real bobsledding which is not like a new fangled roller coaster than thinks it's a "cadillac ride"...if that makes sense. The jarring nature makes it feel real, as does the whiplash feature as you splash down at the end. Don't get me wrong: I force myself onto this ride, because I do enjoy it....but it takes a burly ride operator to help me out of the toboggan. Even now when it's a single seat. I had a weird situation with some Egyptian government officials...where one of them was saying he WOULDN'T share his seat...and the other guys were razzing him (they were really a crazy group...always giggling) in any case, he was placed in position with another guy and had a full on melt down on the platform...screaming at me...of course, in line, I was laughing and giggling with all the other gents...and I thought the grumpy guy was kidding as he was kind of going along with the gag..UNTIL...he was placed in the same row as a coworker...and then: FULL MELTATION....he was grumpy for the rest of the tour. The other guys were still giggling on the ride..poking each other and laughing hysterically. The grumpy guy was stoic and miserable...sitting solo in the seat...which in those old toboggans...you basically were flying all over the place if you were alone...you needed the other person for stability. And I always got in there with my guests and had a rollicking time with them...one celebrity (who shall remain nameless) I'll just say ...really enjoyed my company...and that is a story for GBD AFTER DARK....ahhh...the 80's....but that grumpy guy...wow: the memory is solid, I can see his face clearly, and his crossed arms in front of him sulking....even Walt rode the ride with his hostess Donna, and the Shah of Iran...not all together, but in the same toboggan of course...a great photo...and Donna's hat stayed on her head. The costumes were so very stylish back then. Thanks Major!
ReplyDeleteTell us again about the bobsleds, George.
ReplyDeleteThe vintage fashion award obviously goes to the lady in the back of the sled in that amazing pink and orange floral blouse. I'd wear that today. Bu, I have a can of Aqua Net in my bathroom cabinet right now. Once a theater kid, I guess. Plus, not every brand makes an unscented version.
Major, you are right about that shirt! It exudes a certain “je ne se quois” (or some other French lingo that I don’t understand). Makes sense that Disney wouldn’t sell current CM costumes, but who would want to wear those anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe clothing colors and hair-dos are perfect, all the guests could have stepped right out of a NASA special show on the Astronaut Wives.
Bonus points for the ashtray and the R2D2 trash can. A full complement of good luck to start the week. Thank you!
JG
Nanook, if only they had those “pop out” cigarette lighters too. What luxury!
ReplyDeleteJB, I would *never* be funny. Blogging is the most important task in the world. If anyone ever laughs while reading GDB, I will consider myself to be a failure! It took me a minute to find the albino cobra, I guess I was expecting something different! And yes, the passengers of that other bobsled stood up halfway through the ride. George told them not to do it! But yetis gotta eat, so it’s OK. I’d say that these count as good luck!
Lou and Sue, from what people tell me, the ride was not always as rough as it is today. I don’t really remember, even though I rode it every time I visited.
Lou and Sue, as you know, there are two tracks!
zach, it’s funny, at a certain age those ladies would have been “old” to us. Now… well, things are different! I do not miss the tandem seating AT ALL.
Bu, I don’t know how fast the Matterhorn bobsleds go, my guess is “not that fast”, even though it feels fast. I guess I’ve been prepared for the rough ride, I jammed myself in, with my knees wedged against the sides so that my legs were “shock absorbers”. It was still a rough ride, but nothing I couldn’t handle. But I’m not a hero! Just a regular Joe. Real bobsledding looks crazy, or the one man luge, those guys really do go fast. I guess early on there were ideas to have the bobsleds actually slide on ice. Totally safe! I don’t blame the Egyptian official, I don’t like sharing my seat either, he was totally in the right. Maybe he should have kept his cool a bit more, but still, I understand. As for the celebrity… GROSS. Thanks for sharing that!! It was Paul Lynde, wasn’t it? WASN’T IT?
Melissa, I swear my mom used to wear outfits with those wild colors back in those days. And she had almost the same hair. The only time I used hairspray, I tried to make my hair into a “fauxhawk”, but it looked stupid, so I had to wash my hair. And I hate bathing!
JG, they sold copies of the old Tiki Room shirts, and those always go like hotcakes, so I think I am on to something. I’m sure they could pick the very best examples from each land, for ladies and gents. You’re right, those ladies look like astronaut’s wives!! If you smoked on the Matterhorn, would hot ashes blow back into your face?
Major, what person over a certain age doesn't remember riding in the back seat of a car and having their parents' hot ashes blown back in their face? ;)
ReplyDeleteMelissa, my dad smoked when I was younger (he eventually quit, thank goodness), but I don't remember hot ashes blowing into the back of the car! Maybe I was so used to it that it was just "normal".
ReplyDelete