I have two nice scans for you, both from the summer of 1977. This first one is kind of a miracle, a pretty decent night shot looking down upon the Mad Tea Party attraction! I'm wondering where our photographer could have been - I'd say the Pirate Ship, but it feels too close. Maybe they had a zoom lens? I can't imagine the teacups were whirling, or else they'd be blurs. I like the cooler colors in the entry to the Fantasyland Theater.
The multicolored Skyway gondolas are what makes this next photo extra-nice. The Autopia sign has always struck me as echoing the kind of thing you might have seen at a World's Fair in the 1930's, but that is a compliment and not a criticism. A single Peoplemover train sneaks in for a guest appearance.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThat IS quite the image of the Teacups seen with such little light - even with the "faster" film stocks of 1977. (Yeah, right-!) And to make the shot even more incredible, it can only have been taken from a Skyway bucket - as that's the only way the Mickey Mouse Club Theater can be directly behind the Teacups. The angle wouldn't work if it was taken from the Pirate Ship.
The Skyway buckets in the Autopia image look like a bunch of multi-color, individually-wrapped hard candles, each dangling from the Skyway cable. Yum.
Thanks, Major.
In addition to looking too close, the pic looks like it was taken from too high up to be the Pirate Ship? Several of the riders are turning the wheel in their Teacup, and a couple of riders look like they're plastered to the walls of their Cup from the immense G-forces generated by the Cup's wheel turner. None of this means that the Teacup ride itself was spinning, though. Some lunatics (JB timidly raises his hand) like to get their Cup revved-up to 457 mph even before the ride starts! The slide presents a nice "Disneyland after dark" vibe.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a LOT of gondolas dangling from the Skyway cables! Maybe it's just the foreshortening aspect of the photo? The Autopia sign definitely looks like it was created in a 1930s font. Like you said, perfect for the 1939 NY World's Fair. The Matterhorn 'snow' looks especially realistic here.
Nanook, I agree that the first image was taken from a Skyway bucket. That would also explain the higher up view that I put forth, above.
Really nice shots today, Major. Thanks.
So many buckets! And so many intertwined attraction signs. Autopia, Submarine Voyage, Monorail, even two EXIT signs. There's so much to do I don't know where to go first. The star of the photo is of course the Matterhorn which doesn't need a sign.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major
Zach
Nanook, yeah, I figured it had to be from the Skyway, but how is it not totally blurry?? Like I said in the blog post - a miracle! I always love views of the Skyway buckets as they head toward the Matterhorn, a view we will never get again.
ReplyDeleteJB, yes, definitely too high up. Now that I look at the full sized image (instead of just the thumbnail!), you are right, you can tell that some people are turning the wheels of their teacups. With the Skyway in motion, the teacups in motion, and even the turntable for the teacups in motion, I don’t know how this came out so clear. I think it’s interesting that they just used upside-down V’s for the A’s in “AUTOPIA”, V’s were probably six dollars cheaper. Think of the savings!
zach, it makes sense that in August (or maybe these were actually taken in July), Disneyland was in its peak Summer season, and they’d need plenty of Skyway gondolas. Those pure “out of the tube” colors for the gondolas really look great. I’d probably do the Subs first (because I loved that ride), the Matterhorn second, and then the Monorail.
These are both such cool pictures, with so much going on! I looked at them quickly early this morning before heading out for some appointments, and only noticed two things I wanted to comment on: The guy in the cup in the 9:00 position in the lower right circle of cups still has his Bicentennial bucket hat from the previous year! Of course, as we know, the Bicentennial lasted from roughly the early-mid-70s to the early 80s, as a cultural moment, milked for all it was worth. That guy probably voted for Pooh. And in the second shot, it struck me that the Skyway buckets and Peoplemover cars look so much alike that if I didn't know they were two separate rides, I'd probably see that picture and think they probably got to the end of the track and then got lifted up onto the cable. Then again, I'm some kind of weirdo.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Autopia sign, as usual, made the chorus of "Mamma Mia" go through my head all morning, so today I tried to do something productive with it.
🎶I've been wanting to drive since I don't know when.
Got some rubber to burn, but I'm only ten.
Look at me now, will I ever learn?
I don't know why, but every time I smell gasohol,
There's a fire within my soul.
All the other kids are crawling like snails!
I'm so fast I'm gonna fly off the rails!
Whoa, oh,
Autopia, here I go again
My, my, see how fast I'm drivin'?
Autopia, well, hello again!
My, my, finish line's arrivin'!
Yes, I drove all them clunkers -
Blue, red and yellow junkers -
Why, why isn't there a horn to blow?
Autopia, now I really know
My, my, it's the bestest ride I know!🎶
Melissa, good catch on the Bicentennial bucket hat! I love little era-specific details like that, especially from an event that I remember so vividly. It was a huge deal, and I was definitely caught up in the mania (being perhaps just the right age for it, and a history buff too). I guess there is a stylistic similarity between the rectangular gondolas and the “Igloo ice chest” Peoplemover vehicles, it feels right. Wow, an ABBA tune! I’ll have to go listen to the original song, I mostly remember the chorus, but I can’t recall the rest of the song off the top of my head. Thanks Melissa!
ReplyDeleteNot only does the style of the Autopia sign look like something from a 1930s World's Fair, the view of the back of the other sign looks like something in Cyrillic. Maybe this was a fair in Eastern Europe.
ReplyDeletePretty scene! And at least four striped trash cans.
ReplyDeleteOh what a tangled web we weave! I do love all the buckets inter-mingling….and the signs all twisted together, too.
Thanks, Major.
Wow, what a night shot! Did the skyway ever stop in mid flight? Nice job on the trash can count, Sue. This pic is a keeper.
ReplyDeleteThe Romans used V for U often in inscriptions, carving the V was cheaper and could be done by first-year carvers.
Photo 2 is practically perfect in most ways. Love the consistent vehicle colors.
Thanks Major!
JG