Welcome to Frontierland! Here's out motley crew again (no Connie—they are not relatives of mine!). Looking at the apparel, it would seem that they are the textbook example for "be sure to bring layers!" For a full day in Anaheim, the temperatures can run the gamut from cool to sweltering. Note the plaid shirted cast member using a hose on the left to water the landscaping.
Up until 1962, The Chicken Plantation fed hungry guests lip-smackin' good Fried Chicken from Swift Premium meats. As you can see from this January 1962 shot, the Plantation bears a strong resemblance to the faux structure inside the Blue Bayou restaurant:
This photo shows something I'd never heard of, which appears to be a Chicken Plantation House stand. Judging from the photos, when the Plantation Restaurant was torn down, a small stand was constructed to feed guests while the work on New Orleans Square began.
Looks like the ladies in the window are ready to take your order:
Zooming in to the right side of the photo, there's all kinds of crazy construction going on! Remember—this is all pre-Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Critter Country. This shot is approximately where the Mansion would be located.
See more vintage Disneyland Chicken Plantation Restaurant photos at my main website.
Interesting shot of The Plantation House "shack"!
ReplyDeleteDisneyland: The Nickel Tour (2000): The Swift Chicken Plantation Restaurant disappeared altogether (though it was briefly reincarnated as "The Chicken Shack," a take-out stand actually built into the fence that screened all this construction activity from the guests.)
A very interesting look at a narrowly defined point in time. What an unusual perspective to see the berm at that time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a super rare shot that is! I'm assuming that's the newly relocated landing for the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island? Or is that the Keel Boat dock? I would guess at this point the Swiss Family Treehouse was under construction and the wooden footbridge visible in that January shot would have been demolished along with the original raft landing.
ReplyDeleteDitto what Thufer said. Wow, these are awesome!
ReplyDelete(And yes, I busted up laughing when I read your comment!)
Very unusual indeed. I wonder if there was an emotional forerunner to the Plantation House, that is, did that structure and it's later incarnation inside the Blue Bayou, echo a building with important memories or connotations for Disney?
ReplyDeleteThe focus on New Orleans and the lavish Haunted Mansion, etc. seems like there was a fascination with that style and area.
Anyone know?
JG
"What everyone else said" and WOW, a Chicken Plantation Shack - that's total news to me, AMAZING post, thanks for sharing Dave!
ReplyDeleteJG - All I know is that Walt had a fondness for New Orleans, which is why there was originally New Orleans Street, and then (of course) New Orleans Square. I'm not sure what the inspiration for the Plantation House architecture was though. Good question!
ReplyDelete