August 1959 at Disneyland

Let's ride the Disneyland Tram for a quick trip through the park, circa August 1959. The recently opened Matterhorn sparkles in this shot taken from Central Plaza.



Zooming in, you can see the patriotic July 4th bunting that graces the park during the summer months is still up. I wonder what happened to the movie that this gent was shooting?



The crocs appear to be hungry over at the Jungle Cruise near the Ancient Shrine section of the attraction.



An early version of the later expanded African Veldt scene. At least these lions can feast with a little privacy!



One boat passes another near the famed Schweitzer Falls:



Our photographer seemed to be fascinated by water craft, as shown by this shot of the recently opened Subs:



Followed by a Mark Twain image:



And last, but definitely not least, both Keel Boats in one shot:



Here's a better look at the Gullywhumper and the Bertha Mae, over by Fowler's Harbor:



In book news, Disney historian and former cast member Jim Korkis has released an update of his Vault of Walt book. Here are a few of the stories you'll read about:

• The perilous four-month stint of famed Warner Bros. animator Chuck Jones at the Disney Studios

• Why two women you've never heard of were among Walt's most important influences

• Walt's admiration for and brief collaboration with legendary artist Salvador Dali

• Walt and Lillian Disney's raucous 30th wedding anniversary celebration in Frontierland

• How Walt's early infatuation with polo led to an injury that plagued him for the rest of his life

• The story of Cinderella's Golden Carrousel and the Disney craftswoman who tended it for decades

• Walt's fondness for chili and cold weenies, with authentic recipes to create his favorite dishes

Includes a foreword by Walt's daughter Diane Disney Miller.

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

That Old Sinking Feeling: JC Memories

Daveland Reader Ken has pulled through a third time, with a very entertaining tale about the Jungle Cruise. Let the adventure begin!

The Jungle Cruise at Disneyland has become a well known institution over the decades. The antics of the skippers are legendary, and sometime infamous (you can take your pick). I’ve heard that today’s management has toned things down. Probably with the inclusion of female skippers now in the ranks, it’s become more homogenized, less of that “frat” party environment it once was and that many repeat guests had come to expect.

My time on the JC was in the 70s. I’d like to think of that as a ‘golden period’ of the attraction. Those who worked as skippers seemed ready to further the cause of the fraternity by upping the frivolity, the devil-may-care-spiels, pushing the envelope and most of the time getting away with it. Management would look the other way on lesser infractions and deviations from the spiel and other actions too numerous to mention. I’ve seen recollections from some that I worked with of the period published in the Mouse Tales series.

But so far, there’s been nothing said about the day the skiff sunk under Schweitzer Falls.

Funny what time can do to one’s memory. Exact times and dates for some things can be immediately recalled. And yet other memories, the visions of which remain clear, the date just blurs.

I believe it was 1975. A sunny and (fortunately warm) Sunday afternoon. The JC had recently re-opened after its annual maintenance rehab. Problems could be expected to happen with the start-up and on this particular day they did.



I was working load position when we heard 3 shots out in the Jungle, a mechanical breakdown. Back then there were no special loud blanks for breakdowns like today; all our blanks were of a sufficient charge to be heard. And that’s why we were instructed to shoot the hippos between the bow cleats and not closer to the guests in the front of the boat.

We would first wait for a period until we heard the two shots meaning “all cleared”, but none came. And as there were no further boats passing Trader Sam and arriving at the dock, we knew we were “101,” aka shut-down.

Note: Here's a photo of an early skiff, from May 1959:



The option to reach the troubled boat normally was for a mechanic, along with a skipper taking the controls of the skiff, a small 2-3 person boat tied in a corner of the lagoon with outboard motor, out into the Jungle. That afternoon, the lead told me I’d be that skipper, thinking that I had been trained in the use of the skiff. I hadn’t, but hey, it looked like fun when I saw others doing it, so why not me? I figured it would be simple enough.

So into the skiff I went. Trying as hard as I might, I never got the outboard to start, pulling the starter rope many times, manually choked and not choked. Since the JC had been down for rehab for a number of weeks, it’s likely the motor hadn’t been run in a long time. Perhaps the gas in the tank was old and was mixed with water from condensation. After a few minutes the mechanic came aboard, told me to move away, made a few tweaks to the settings, pulled the cord, and the motor started-up, no problem.
The mechanic took us through the Jungle, past a few boats, by the elephant 'squirter,' along the Falls, and up to the opening of the hippo pool where the stalled boat and passengers sat. Within a few minutes, the boat was running and the mechanic told me to follow behind in case it stalled again and I would have to push the boat through the attraction into the dock.



And so we moved forward slowly. Me, controlling the outboard behind in the skiff, with other boats following. That is until we approached the “backside of water”…Schweitzer Falls.

The troubled boat continued under the ledge and past the Falls. But as I slowed the throttle on the skiff, the motor died. Not to worry, I’ll just pull the cord to restart it. Sure! I can’t recall the number of tries, but it wouldn’t start and the skiff began to drift into the Falls. It’s one thing to be on a JC boat under the Falls’ ledge. It’s another in a small skiff heading directly toward the water itself. I tried frantically to restart the motor, but to no avail. A few feet from entering the Falls, it was time for “Plan B”.



The skiff contained a paddle for emergencies like this. So grab the paddle I did. But unknown to anyone…or perhaps as a prank placed by someone earlier…the paddle had a crack in it between the handle and the base of the blade. With my first stroke, the paddle separated and floated away. With just the handle in my hand being of no value, I tossed it overboard. By then, the Falls were now hitting the front portion of the skiff…there was no escape.

Sensing my impending doom, and hearing the boatload of guests and skipper behind me in near hysteric laughter, I decided to milk it. Hey, I’m going down one way or another. So I grab my straw hat and start bailing. After a few tries the water is falling on my head. I stand up, put my hat on my heart, give a salute and down I go.

All I remember is skimming the surface to stay afloat, with the broken paddle nearby. The boat of guests behind me tilting on its side as EVERONE is attempting to take a picture of this new feature of the attraction…a floating CM. The skipper (Jim Snowden) laughing so hard, he was bent over on the floor and all I could hear was laughter over the speakers and seeing coil of the mike he was holding. I later learned that the mechanic on the forward boat saw the entire event and broadcast it on the security channel..the message going out throughout the park that the skiff had sunk.



Somehow, soaking wet, I was able to climb aboard Jim’s boat and sat on the bow, taking over the mike and completing his spiel as we sped to the dock. The entire dock crew applauding as we came along side. They knew they were going to get a few hours off as the skiff needed to be found and refloated.

It was a long walk to wardrobe for a change of clothes. For several days thereafter, and attempting to keep a low profile, I would hear other CMs talking about the ‘guy who sank in the JC.' There was no reprimand…I had plenty of witnesses.

To this day I wonder why some guest in Jim’s boat didn’t send us a copy of their photos. Talk about making memories for our visitors. They certainly got more than they imagined for the price of admission.

And perhaps I am the only one who has been involved in two sinkings, the other being the canoes.



BTW, about a year later, I was instructed to man the skiff on another breakdown. I was in shock to be asked. New foreman. This time, it went without a hitch. But when I reached Schweitzer Falls, the pumps had been shut down. Maybe Maintenance knew I was coming.

Anyone out there have photos of this Jungle mishap?

See more vintage & current Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos on my Jungle Cruise web pages.

Scholarly Saturdays: Encyclopaedia Britannica & Adventureland, Pt. 5

Not only is today the finale for Adventureland, it also marks the end of this series. As we pick up from last week, we are about to have a second go-around of Schweitzer Falls, aka “The Backside of Water.”



Strange and tropical? I see these plants around here all the time!





Plenty of skulls in Adventureland:



I can almost hear the chanting of the natives...insert pun here.



Our journey is coming to a close.



Susie looks dazed and confused; the wilds of Adventureland were just too much for her!





Many thanks to the Devlins for allowing me to use their filmstrip to scan for all of you to see. FSee more Encyclopaedia Britannica photos at my regular website.

Sailing Through Sundays on The Jungle Cruise: Schweitzer Falls

Jokes seem to change all the time on the JC, but the ones about the back side of water, aka Schweitzer Falls, rarely seem to change. Here are some vintage views of this beloved area of the JC. Shot #1 is from December 1955, and #2 is April 1958.



An undated 1950’s view:



September 1961:



Daveland blog reader Thufer pointed out the difference in the amount of water pumped over Schweitzer Falls. Check out these recent images and compare:









And 2 from just last weekend:





Some Skippers have commented that the water change has killed the joke; others have argued that it makes the joke more funny as the water is more akin to “a trickle.” See more Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my website.

Sailing Through Sundays on The JC: Another Interlude

Stuck in the rainforest a little while longer, I am including this list of boat names and their “descriptions.” While you are downloading that, feast your eyes on these great 1955 shots of Schweitzer Falls and The Back Side of Water, courtesy Kevin Kidney.













Hey, don’t try this at home under the faucet—you might hurt yourself!



Meanwhile, in other news: the other day I mentioned the cool auctions over at Swann Galleries. Here’s another way cool item that you JC fans should check out:



See more Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my website.

Jungle Cruise Medley

Now that I have positive proof that Amazon Belle is still alive and kicking, I am going to post a few from the Jungle Cruise today. The first pic is a little shack near the loading area of the ride from April 1958.



This shot shows the Suwannee Lady parked, while the skipper waits for the next functioning boat, April 1960.



And if looking at snakes/pythons gives you nightmares, WHOA! Don’t look at this one! (April 1958)



A nice April 1958 view of Schweitzer Falls.



What Jungle Cruise collection would be complete without a few hungry/blurry natives(also April 1958)?!?

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my main website.

Trip to Disneyland June 1963, Pt. 2

Today’s 1963 family trip begins in Adventureland, and yes Amazon...a ride under Schweitzer Falls. Unfortunately, the boat is not close enough to make out the name. After hanging with the hippos, the family climbed up the Swiss Family Robinson tree to see how the treehouse plumbing works (sure do miss that part).



After all that climbing and adventuring, they decided to relax a little at the Golden Horseshoe and catch the show from the balcony.



Finishing off today’s batch are a few shots from the Rivers of America, showing the Mark Twain, a raft to Tom Sawyer’s (back when kids knew who that was, before they became ig-no-rant), and one of those much missed Keel Boats. See you tomorrow for more 1963 fun!







See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.