Back in the day (as I get older I abuse the heck out of this phrase!), Disneyland once had a sense of energy and creativity. A prime example is how the Matterhorn and Skyway attractions intersected between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. As you can see from this 1959 image, the Skyway buckets once sailed through the Matterhorn.
This accomplished a number of things, including covering up unsightly Skyway support pylons, giving guests an insider view of the Matterhorn, and created a sense of fear AND wonder, as the Skyway bucket exited one land, was enveloped in darkness, and then entered a new land.
Look at the guest on the right, leaning over the rail staring at the wonders below.
These silhouetted images are some of my favorite. This September 1959 shot shows the view a guest would see as they sailed towards the Tomorrowland Skyway Station:
From June 1963 comes an interior shot of the Matterhorn:
January 1961 shows the view as the bucket heads towards Fantasyland:
A detailed view; that’s a lot of Skyway buckets!
July 1963:
September 1964:
It’s a shame that these bird’s-eye-views of the Park are no longer available.
I’m not sure if this was taken from a Skyway bucket or a steady-handed guest on a Matterhorn bobsled, but I’m including this December 1964 regardless:
From September 1965. I LOVE the sled on an upward trajectory, captured perfectly by the photographer.
From August 1970. Note that the Skyway buckets have changed shape.
September 1971:
You can just see the profile of Skull Rock in this one on the right-side detail:
…and the Alice attraction below on the left:
August 1970:
Undated 1970’s:
A sunset glow from the 1980’s:
Just peering over the top you can see the trees in Fantasyland/Frontierland:
Another 1980’s view:
The final one for today shows the bobsled as it comes to the end of its journey, allowing the guests to get soaked. February 1971:
See more Disneyland Matterhorn photos at my main website.
10 comments:
Dave, this is a FANTASTIC collection of photos! The genuine-looking alpenglow sunset pics --belissima. The original interior was pretty grungy, but the ride was so exhilarating it didn't matter. Remember at night, how dark it was the lower you zipped through the mountain? Even more disorienting than Space Mountain.
Methinks the tracks picture was taken from the Skyway. In his book about Los Angeles, THE CITY OBSERVED , architect and critic Charles Moore called the Skyway passage through the Matterhorn "One of the most exciting, revealing, and moving moments in all of Disneyland, or anywhere. The simultaneous motion of you on the Skyway and the bobsleds hurtling desperately diagonally inside (rather than outside) the mountain, the slow Monorail and PeopleMover drifting like clouds below the peak, and the water crashing down the slopes make lively sport of the reality they invert".
Again, great pix; it's so cold in L.A. now that I have a "You are REALLY there" feeling looking at them.
Great pictures, Dave! The first one shows an excellent shot of Fudgie the Whale.
As today's reality marches itself further from common sense, I find immense solace in Daveland and posts like this. Those buckets were a level of fun that I didn't appreciate enough at that time. They were a shining example of Imagineering creativity at that time, specifically in regards to kinetic activity in the environment.
Today every ride is sequestered from each other to assure a sanitary division, perhaps for ease of maintenance, etc. All I know is it was more fun when the buckets went through the mountain and acted as a separator between two lands, a PeopleMover passed through multiple other attractions, and the Blue Bayou was built inside of a ride. Today's Imagineers are no doubt ordered to keep everything separated which is a shame. With few exceptions, most attractions today don't share that connected energy of passing through each other anymore.
As for the buckets, they were fun but could you imagine those today? Influencers hanging outside of the bucket, swinging back and forth while their friends film?
For me, Disneyland only lives in my memory. Visiting it now is like visiting some alternate reality version of itself. There's loud lights and bright colors, but the soul is dead and gone.
Well said, Fifthrider!
Wow Fifthrider, that was a lot jammed into a little comment. Back in the day...oh now Dave has me doing it! Well done. KS
@ Stefano-
Thanks for the quote from "The City Observed". That's pretty swell.
@ Fifthrider-
Another 'thumbs-up'.
Dave-
What a splendid collection of images, that only makes the heart beat faster for the past-! (Unfortunately, that's not the direction we should be looking).
Thanks for this grand assortment of images, which not only brings a smile to our faces, but undoubtedly to that of Walt's if he's looking at them, too.
Yep, that's Fudgie alright!
These are great pics! It IS a shame that you can't see these views any more.
Stu, just hit "refresh" on your browser. You should be able to see these views again after that.
Easily my favorite episode of Daveland!
Thanks all! It was one recent slide acquisition that gave me the idea to put this together. Sometimes that's all it takes to job the brain into gear to create something more than just a regular ol' post.
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