Mary Blair Monday, September 1976

Today I present three consecutively shot images of the Disneyland Tomorrowland Corridor of Murals, designed by Mary Blair. Shot in September 1976, our vintage photographer must have really been taken with these. Installed when Tomorrowland was re-imagined and re-christened in 1967, they definitely bring to mind Blair’s nearby attraction, it’s a small world.



The first two images show the north mural (on the CircleVision 360 attraction). While the dancing children in Tomorrowland may seem a bit out of context, the satellites at the top representing global communication kind of fit.



And who wouldn’t want to see children from all over getting along in the future?



Below is the south mural, installed on the Adventure thru Inner Space attraction.



The sun portion is truly representative of some of the temperatures lately!



There are conflicting stories about the status of these murals. Glass half full reports say that the murals are intact underneath the current c&*p that was placed on top. Glass half empty photos show that during the installation of the current c&*p large portions of Blair’s art was either removed or drilled through to make way for its uninspired replacement. I believe you can still see Blair’s Grand Canyon Concourse Mural in the Walt Disney World Contemporary Hotel, as shown in my photos from January 2010:



Not only did Blair’s designs include bold colors and shapes, the tiles were…well, tactile. In the detail image below you can see the textures within the design themselves.



If you prefer Blair’s two dimensional art, here’s a concept art piece she did for Disney’s “Cinderella” (1950:



See more Mary Blair Disneyland/WDW photos at my main website.

“A” is for Adventure Thru Inner Space

The Adventure Thru Inner Space (aka “ATIS”) attraction opened on August 5, 1967 in the location now taken up by Star Tours.



Sponsored by Monsanto, it provided a showcase of their “technologies”…



and all the wonderful (?) uses of their delightful chemicals, including fashion.



It also provided the first use of the Omnimover system. If these little vehicles look familiar, that’s because they’re still being used on the Haunted Mansion. The benefit is that they keep the people moving and can twist & turn in the direction that Disney wants you to look. On this wacky and extremely dark ride, sometimes the guests did a little bit more than just twisting and turning. Fortunately for them, this was before closed-circuit cameras had been installed. From one of the cast members who worked the attraction:

We would see marijuana lit tips coming through, as well as many people desperately grabbing at one another. Usually all we had to do was shine the flashlight in their eyes and reprimand them for their activities, with a threat of taking them to Security to achieve the desired effect. I don't recall having to actually follow through with any action. Although ATIS didn’t have a camera system, there was one installed on the PeopleMover, covering the areas where the cars slowed down (through the ride buildings). In addition, the PeopleMover had pressure-sensitive pads placed along the catwalks in these same buildings which would automatically stop the ride should someone crawl out of the cars.”

Another Daveland reader shared this story:

Naturally this was a great ride during Grad Night—all these kids wanted a dark place to make out, but the Disney people would sometimes play games with them. On one specific grad night, a couple asked a cast member how long the ride was. He told them it was 10 minutes or something of the sort…the ride was only 3-5...so off the couple went. As the crew was watching the kids take their clothes off, the rest of the cast waited at the end the of the ride where the car came out. As the car jumped into the lighted area, the half-naked kids jumped around trying to put their clothes back on as the cast members started to applaud and dole out cat calls.



The premise was that the guest was being shrunk down to the size of an atom. Remember seeing those miniature vehicles in the test tube with guests in them? Geez…how did they do that?!?



While many view this attraction with fond memories, I just thought it was a snoozer. Chemistry bored me in school, and even with a Sherman Brothers tune playing over and over again (“Miracles from Molecules”), this one had the same effect.



At least it had some interesting space-age planters outside the building. Probably the closest to nature that Monsanto ever got.

See more Disneyland ATIS photos at my main website.

Miracles From Molecules

Not quite as memorable as "it's a small world," but "The Miracles From Molecules" is yet another Sherman Brothers tune that has difficulty exiting the brain once hear. Today's post features four images from the Adventure Thru Inner Space attraction at Disneyland, circa April 1970, where this catchy little tune could be heard.

This attraction was located where Star Tours currently resides.



It was a wacky attraction of which I still have vivid memories, even though it closed down over thirty years ago.



The most memorable moment for me was seeing the Omnimover vehicles "shrunken" down in this tube. How the heck did they do that?!? Yes, I was gullible for a short time.



Here's the Sherman Brothers song; listen at your own risk, as you might end up humming it all day long!



See more Molecular Miracles from Disneyland at my main website..

Sunday Odds and Ends

Today's post is a mish-mash of odds and ends. First up, Imagineer Paul Saunders is back again with a few more entertaining short stories:

I have one funny story about Imagineer John Hench who had been with Walt since 1939. At the Adventure Through Inner Space attraction in Disneyland just before we opened in 1967 (now gone for Star Tours). John saw a guest standing at the white wall of the Circlevision Theater across from our exit door. I was standing next to John. The guest planted a foot behind him on the nice white wall and John barked at him to get his foot off the wall. I was shocked at first as we always treated guests with the utmost deference. But I understood, as we all became weary of the things that upset us by some of the public: spitting below on the Skyway, the bullet hole in the glass at the Haunted Mansion, and the mess from ketchup packets, which were finally not allowed.



Also another story at the same attraction is from when we were about to finish construction. The WEDway Peoplemover load/unload turntable at the second level across from us had a third level with a rocket ship with arms that held seats for a hi rise twirl (The Rocket Jets). They were training young pretty girls as ride operators. While they received their instructions, they sat on the railing in their red spandex suits. It was quite a site for the eyes of all the men below in hard hats taking a long break looking up. I wonder if they explained their sore necks to their wives. Heck, I did!

From the future to the past, faithful Daveland reader and contributor JG shared this photo with me a bit ago:



As he tells it:

I took this photo of a monument in downtown Nashville TN this fall. It commemorates the location of the keelboat landing south of the present downtown. I think the "Broad Street" on the map is the present Broadway, the main drag of honky-tonk saloons. It reminded me that the Disney keelboats we enjoyed so much were real historic vehicles.



Thanks all for your photos and contributions — they are very much appreciated!

See more Daveland vintage Disneyland Adventure Thru Inner Space photos on my main website.

Disneyland and Haunted Mansion Memories

Paul Saunders, an Imagineer at WED Enterprises during the 1960s and 1970s, was kind enough to contribute the material for today's post. Paul Saunders was educated at the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 1952 to 1955 and the University of Colorado 1956. He started his independent career in industrial and product design. He then settled his Colorado office with architectural design and build from 1957-1964. Seeking employment at a ski resort project to further his passion for mountain architecture, he discovered Walt Disney's Mineral King ski resort project and applied for employment at WED Enterprises in 1965. He moved from the Aspen, Colorado area with his family to South Pasadena to start work with other new hires at WED. His viewpoint comes from working under his mentor, Victor Greene. Paul was in charge of projects in Disneyland's Tomorrowland makeover with Monsanto's Adventure Through Inner Space, followed by leading a team to complete the Haunted Mansion. He created construction drawings for façades of New Orleans Square buildings and the designs for the Blue Bayou. For Walt Disney World, he designed the Skyway from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland and the Goodyear Autopia race track. He was recruited in 1972 as project designer by Randall Duel and Associates AIA of Santa Monica. From that position he became the head of theme park ride design with the singular achievement of designing the first modern loop roller coaster for Magic Mountain, Valencia California. Since then he has been independent with ride consulting, fiber optic display design, and architectural custom home design until his retirement in 2013.

Take it away, Paul!



I worked at WED Enterprise starting in 1965 with many new designers and draftsmen as plans for many attractions in Tomorrowland were to change or be added to this area. My work was under Vic Greene and I was given an assignment for the new attraction of Monsanto's Adventure Through Inner Space. The concept of turntable loading and off loading from the Omnimover cars (shown above) in constant motion was new and made the difference for successful dark rides.



Once finished with ATIS, Vic asked me to take over the completion of the Haunted Mansion using the same Omnimover. However, I could not find the space for turntables and suggested using moving "sidewalks" manufactured by Stevens-Adams company in Aurora, Illinois, my home town. They worked just as well. I studied the sequencing of the two twenty foot diameter elevators so that we did not push too many people into the hall below.



One day I was near the elevator doors in the lower hall and I noticed a painter wood graining the dark doors. I asked why he was doing that since people would be in dim light going away with their backs to the doors. He said "well, Walt would have wanted it that way." And of course he was right! It was always the plus of extra details that made Disneyland.



I was not one of the designers of gags for the Haunted Mansion but had some input on occasion. In the expanding
paintings in the elevators, there came up a question of how to expand the side frame moldings. I suggested making them out of soft rubber or similar material to unroll out of the bottom frame as the paintings expanded with the elevators going down.



The gryphon was designed by Stan (can't remember his last name). He was Polish and a good friend. One day we were
walking together on the back lot of the studio when he suddenly stopped. I asked him what the matter was. He said that the barn we were looking at reminded him of the time he and his mother were running from the Nazis. The officer called for the men to come out of the barn. One did and was promptly shot. He went out and his mother came running out pleading to have his life spared. The officer said to turn around and head back to the barn. He thought for sure he would be shot in the back, but kept going and in fact ran around the barn and escaped. His mother caught up with him some time later and the two immigrated later to Argentina. Stan had a collection from there of beautiful moths and butterflies that I talked him into showing to a church group. I saw the gryphons on each side of the track leading away from the moving sidewalk while working, but I was upset that they were hard to see with the lights down so dim when the HM was in operation.



Blaine Gibson gave me this little model of the tea cup witch that sat in the graveyard set.

This is the closest thing in the HM I could find that matched the model.



Many thanks to Paul for generously sharing his recollections of working at Disneyland!

See more vintage & current Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos on my main website.

Disneyland Diary, 1967

1967 ADDITIONS

• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (exciting Audio-Animatronics adventure) — New Orleans Square





• NEW TOMORROWLAND opened. Seven new attractions included:



• PEOPLEMOVER



• CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS (since moved to Walt Disney World)



• ADVENTURE THRU INNER SPACE (since removed)



• FLIGHT TO THE MOON (now "Mission to Mars")



• TOMORROWLAND TERRACE Restaurant

• ROCKET JETS



• AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (now American Journeys)

HIGHLIGHTS

More than 18,000 greeted New Year's and thousands more attended the second annual Valentine Dance.

A capacity crowd celebrated "Spring Fling," nightly dancing to midnight during Easter Week and old-fashioned Easter Sunday Parade.



Marcia Miner, third Disneyland Ambassador to the World, toured the United States.



Angels baseball stars joined a capacity crowd for Angels-Disneyland Fun Day Doubleheader.

Memorial Day Weekend Big Band Nights starred Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Mel Torme, Larry Elgart and Art Mooney.

More than 75,000 youngsters from 250 high schools (Needles to San Francisco) attended all-night Grad Parties in June.

Star-studded summer shows included weekly Humdingers, Hootenannies, Vaudeville and Country Music Jubilee.



Jazz greats for Sept. 30 "Dixieland" included Eddie Condon, Teddy Buckner, "Doc" Souchon's All Stars and South Market St. Jazz Band.

Disneyland's Community Service Awards program, in its 10th year, honored 23 county organizations with cash awards totaling $28,000. The Outstanding Award was won by Children's Hospital of Orange County.

FAMOUS GUESTS

• President Cevdet Sunay of Turkey (April)
• Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (April)
• Vice President Tin Pe of Burma (May)
• Gov. Nelson Rockefeller of New York (July)
• Prince Rainier III, Princess Caroline and Prince Albert of Monaco (August)
• Prince Monlay Ali and Princess Talla Zohra of Morocco (September)
• President Corneliu Manescu of the United Nations (October)
• Crown Prince Vong Savang of Laos (November)

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

TPE: The Big Finish

When a reader emailed me and asked me what TPE stood for, and I had to look at an old post to remember, I knew it was time to wrap up this series! So without further adieu, my Two-Thousand Post Extravaganza comes to a finish. Continuing in Tomorrowland, there are a number of things I would love to experience with my Time Machine, starting off with Adventure Thru Inner Space (or ATIS for those who don't like to type!)



As a youngster, I remember being amazed at how Disney miniaturized the guests!



As I got older and wiser, I realized that the amazing part was that the guests all looked alike! Hmmmm....something fishy going on in that shrinking tube!





I'd also love to visit some of the hokey fair-type exhibits that populated Tomorrowland when it first opened, like the Dairy Bag.



Whatever happened to home milk delivery? That concept never quite made it into the future.



I'd also love to play with the color wheels of the Dutch Boy Paint Gallery.





I'm not much of a scientist, but visiting the Hall of Chemistry surely would have helped my high school GPA!





Daveland reader Larry Gould submitted this way cool photo of he and his mother from the July 18, 1955, the first day that Disneyland was open to the public. Kaiser Alumninum was one of the many sponsored attractions guests could marvel over in Tomorrowland. As Larry recalls, "I was at Disneyland the first day it was open to the general public, July 18th 1955. The photo below is my mom and me from July 18th 1955. There must have been a professional photographer over in Tomorrowland taking pictures. I remember that my mom was holding a newspaper or magazine over my head standing in line for the Autopia. A kid with red hair and a short haircut was prone to sunburn."



The Moonliner/Rocket to the Moon attraction held the hope of space travel, and was a symbol of our innovation and forward-thinking nature.



How cool it must have been to experience this simulated flight. I have very vague memories of riding this attraction, trying to figure out if what I saw on the monitor was real or not.



Being a huge 20K fan, I would have loved to have walked through the sets of the movie when they were on display.





And that, dear readers, is the end of the TPE series. Before heading back to the present, I'd want to get a shot of the now defunct Tomorrowland Skyway station...



and then I'd want to ride a Blue Monorail back to the Disneyland Hotel.





So many cool things to see along the way.



And here we are...right where we started, back at the Disneyland Hotel.



When next you visit my blog, I'll be back to my regularly scheduled posts!

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