The “Ugly Baby” in New Orleans Square

Yesterday, my most faithful reader brought to my attention a YouTube video that mentioned my website as “invaluable.” My first question was…why does my bank account not reflect that? Putting that aside, I took a look at the ReviewTyme YouTube channel. The title of the video that mentioned my site was “The Mystery of Disneyland’s Ugly Baby.” Intrigued, I watched the entire 21 minute video which details a statue that resided in New Orleans Square. The first photo from my collection shows the original models for that land which opened in July of 1966. On the right of the model you see the corner of Café Orleans and a low fence; this is the area where the statue was placed originally (although not part of the model). The earliest shot in my collection that shows the actual statue is a rear view. Literally. From July 1967:



The statue that Dom from ReviewTyme refers to as “The Ugly Baby” appears to have originally been a young maiden who faced towards the guests dining at Café Orleans.



This image from October 1967…



confirms that theory:



How about a genuine FauxD© shot from July 1968?



Grainy, but still there.



December 1968:





And then, as Dom pointed out, my collection goes dark until March 2010:



At some point during that large gap of time, the statue was replaced and also turned outward. The young maiden was transformed into a cherub:



The only closeup in my collection is from February 2011:



February 2012:



A year later, the statue seems to have begun a quick descent into obliteration; the erosion on the face is especially noticeable.



Flash forward to the last time I captured this statue in May 2015:



The face has begun to look grotesque with a misshapen mouth:



What happened after 2015? You’ll have to watch all of ReviewTyme’s video to find out!



See more photos at my main website.

TGIF: New Orleans Square, Circa 1979

Where better to celebrate TGIF than Disneyland’s New Orleans Square? This batch of 1979 images focuses on my favorite area of the Park. This lovely young lady is being entertained by the Royal Street Bachelors. This was back when the One Of A Kind shop was part of the shopping experience.



A little peek inside at the vintage treasurers that awaited guests:



Another shot of the Royal Street Bachelors, without photobombers:



Another smiling guest:



A rare vintage interior view of the Blue Bayou restaurant, taken by a guest while riding the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction:



…which provides the perfect segue to the next portion of our 1979 tour. This image shows not only the Wicked Wench, but what the POTC boats looked like in 1979:



A closer view of the Wicked Wench:



A detailed view:



Ah, the treasure…how many guests have attempted to purloin a souvenir from this tableau?



Poor Carlos…the eternal dunking.



Our 1979 photographer ignored the red-headed wench and instead, focused on the auctioneer and the stout maiden that was currently up for bid:



These cats want food…not booze.



Will they ever get out? I’m surprised Governor Newsom hasn’t pardoned them with the rest of the people released early in the California prison system.



Our lovely young guest is back, this time in front of the Mansion:



…and closer:



…closer again:



…and as close as we’re going to get. No interior shots from this batch. Sigh.



I am sure most Disneyland fanatics have seen the tragic news of the man who committed suicide at the Park by jumping from the top of a parking garage. He left behind a lengthy explanatory “note” on social media detailing why he took this action (a damaging public accusation by his wife against him that caused him to be put on leave from his job). It is not my place to determine what is true and what is not; but I what I want to focus on from his note is this sentence:

Please, please, please be kind to one another! Treat each other with kindness and grace. There is too much anger in the world and people need to start treating each other better. What I’ve shared with you above is a prime example of how “anger” can really have long-lasting and extremely damaging effects on a person’s life.

Please read that again…especially before you decide to make judgment about what happened. Be kind. Those are wise words. And here’s another piece of advice: detach yourself from social media for awhile and let the ones you love know that you love them.

See more Disneyland New Orleans Square photos at my main website.

Wenches, Guns, and Pansies

By now, most Disneyland fanatics are aware of the upcoming changes to the Wench Auction scene on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (you can read about it here). This post will be sprinkled with some contemporary shots that I haven't published yet (yes, I get behind!), including the first juicy panorama shot.



There has been buzz for years about the Wench Auction scene being offensive because of its portrayal of women as sex objects sold by men. I get it...even though I'm a man, yes, I can understand it. What I never "got" in all the 46 years I have been on that attraction was that particular message; it never really occurred to me. Nope, it was just a fun scene showing some Pirates from the days of yore with a very saucy Red Head in the spotlight. Regardless of the hidden or not-so hidden subtext of the scene, to me, that Red Head was and always would be front and center and in control of the action.



What I DON'T understand is the crazy furor that the upcoming changes are causing. The banner that now reads “Auction, Take a wench for a bride” will be replaced with a sign that says “Auction, Surrender yer loot” and instead, the Red Headed Wench will be a gun-toting pirate. This will remove the "message" of the scene that degrades women; forget any kind of message it might send that carrying a gun is ok. Please people...one offensive item removal at a time.



Here's what I find truly offensive about the announcement itself: that in order to appease a very politically correct and sensitive public in order to keep the cash registers ringing, the Disney Corporation has to continually align itself with the lowest common denominator. Then, in an attempt to keep the "old guard" happy, they trot out a relic like Marty Sklar to say that Walt would be "ok" with this change. Folks, Walt is dead, and nobody really knows what he would think about ANY of the changes being made to his beloved theme park. So please...don't insult my intelligence with that crap.

Here are some of the amusing comments that have been made about the announcement. Misspellings and grammatical errors have been left intact for your reading pleasure:

So basically this what are world has become. We are going to change and censor our history just to be politically correct because a few overly sensitive Idiots don't agree what was and is real.

History? Do people really think that anything left at Disneyland is about real history?

A bigger priority should be changing the atrociously ignorant audio representation of the Polynesian gods in the waiting area of the Tiki Room.

"Me Rongo—God of Agriculture. My land so good to me, I got time for sport. I fly kite. Me number one kite-flyer. Too bad I don’t have key—then me, I find electricity."

Hang on people...I'm sure that attraction will be fixed in the very near future, too.

After 40 years people are now taking offense to this? There are too many overly sensitive fools running amok in society.

Replacing one felony with another. Brilliant!

it's about darn time. because of that ride, I spent my entire childhood and early adult life thinking it was OK to auction women off for marriage or servitude. I've since learned that this is wrong! Just because a cartoon pirate does something, it doesn't make it OK.

I'm offended they spelled your, "yer".

Yo Ho Yo Ho...A Neutered Life For Me...

Disney neutered the Star wars movies........now they are looking for new targets

And to think this was the country that got through WWI, The Great Depression, and brought down Germany, Italy and Japan. We have become a nation of wusses afraid of our own shadows.

Pc correct pansys need to shut their fat mouths and stop ruining everything for others

They censored other parts of the ride back when they added Jack Sparrow a few years ago, too. At this rate the cutlasses will be feather dusters and the muskets will be super soakers in another decade.

And my very favorite:

I guess they need to change the name to "Pansies of the Caribbean".

Amazing that with all that's going on in the world that people find time to be surprised about the Disney Corporation making this change. If you don't like it, don't go to the Park. Vote with your wallet. And if you are in favor of this change, get your ass over to the Park and ride this attraction. It would be interesting to see just how many of the people that vocalized their complaints actually drop money at Disneyland. In the end, who cares. The Red Headed Wench will always survive one way or another.



For more vintage and contemporary Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland photos head on over to my main website.

Vintage Pirates of the Caribbean

Here is a set of four vintage Pirates of the Caribbean attraction images from 1967. The famous Auctioneer is probably one of the most well-known characters in all of Disneyland. He is also one of the most advanced audio-animatronic figures whose smooth movements make him seem almost human. His looks have hardly changed at all over the years, which is surprising considering this attraction celebrated its 43rd anniversary back in March.



This particular scene has been victim to a number of politically correct inspired changes. Here you can see the original concept with a lusty pirate chasing the fair maiden.



Today, the tables have literally been turned, as the fair maiden is now armed with a broom and going after the thieving pirate with a vengeance.



The original gluttonous pirate in this vignette brandished the pink slip of a lass who was hiding her “assets” inside of a barrel.



This closeup shows the little lass, holding a “candle” in her hand as she watches the pirate slobbering over her underwear and pink shoe:



Today, the lass has been replaced by Jack Sparrow and her unmentionables turned into a treasure map. Surely you’ll see some irony in that!



1950’s pop idol Eddie Fisher has passed away at age 82. Here he is with Liz Taylor, enjoying a day at Disneyland with the kids.



View more Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean attraction photos at my main website.

Club 33 Trip Report, Pt. 1

My friend Stacy has never been to Club 33, and it was definitely towards the top of her Disneyland Holy Grail list. When the opportunity came to dine there again recently, of course she was included. Add in another coworker who hadn't been to Disneyland in a few decades and it was a recipe for fun. I just ignored the fact that it was the middle of August and the park was crammed with strollers (even spotted a dreaded triple-tandem!). So dear readers, here is the story of our Club 33 Trip Report!

As Jules and I enjoyed Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Stacy hightailed it over to Indiana Jones to get a fastpass. I loved watching Jules’ jaw drop as Lincoln was unveiled and he rose from his chair.

Afterwards, we met at the Plaza Inn; had a real hankering for their fried chicken. As I was anxiously standing in line to receive those golden pieces of deep-fried goodness, Stacy pointed out that actress Mira Sorvino was also in line. For a split-second, I debated whether I should haul the camera out and do a paparazzi shot. With her screaming kids in tow, I decided to give her a break and let her enjoy the day like everybody else.







After lunch, our trio split up again; I went to Peter Pan (needed to get some photos) and Stacy and Jules headed over to small world. It was a wise choice on my part, as I was able to keep that infernal song from my brain...except for when Stacy called me on her cell phone to share the crazy with me as I heard it playing in the background. Pure evil.

Love that croc weathervane atop the Peter Pan attraction building:



This is definitely my fave Fantasyland attraction; sadly, the magical journey in the pirate ship always ends too quickly.



The trio was reunited again and it was off to Tomorrowland for a little Captain EO fun. Jules and I enjoyed the 80’s flashback while Stacy suffered in silence; a Michael Jackson fan? Not so much...





Next we introduced Jules to the fast-paced video arcade inspired fun of Buzz Lightyear.





The line was long (not a surprise for this time of year), so a little Dole Whip was in order to help pass the time. As I raced over to Adventureland, Stacy and Jules waited patiently for that frozen treat that helps make waiting, summer heat, and strollers bearable. Of course there was a line for the Dole Whip, too, but it just gave me an opportunity to shoot some of the creepy-looking skulls at the Adventureland entrance.





Back at Buzz, Stacy finally bit the dust in what became a STUNNING upset—just look at that score of mine! She’ll never hear the end of this one.



By now it was time to start heading over to Indiana Jones to make use of our fast passes; we still had time for a trip to the Caribbean first. Again, a longer-than-usual line, but still not a problem. We got to see the elevator that takes guests to the Dream Suite...another holy grail for both Stace & I. One day, we will stay there!



In Jules' honor, we requested the front of the boat. I HIGHLY recommend it for your next trip to POTC!



And then it was time to join Indy. The great thing about the Indy fast pass is that you still get to enjoy all of the treasures and fun that are part of the interior queue—and of course the Eye On The Globe flicks.





Jules loved it; she was ready to go back immediately and ride it again. Sorry...only one fast pass at a time, Jules!

Before our 8pm dinner reservation, we still had time to visit Disney California Adventure. Naturally, we stopped by Main Street on the way to try the new cupcake sampler—HIGHLY recommended! Mary, Bert, and Robert the Ragtime Piano Player at the Coca-Cola Corner kept us thoroughly entertained.







Over at the Main Street Cinema, the marquee heralded rare footage from Opening Day. I have never seen so many guests in here at once! It was great to see.





Tilly the ticket-taker is sporting a HUUUGE emerald! She must be making some good coin.



The films were really cool; definitely check them out before they are gone.





And that is it for today; come back again for Pt. 2! View more Disneyland photos at my main website.