Vintage Jungle Cruise Overload

Apparently it has been a LOOOOOOONG time since I updated my Jungle Cruise pages, too. Reap the rewards today with an EXPLOSION of vintage Jungle Cruise images, starting with some nicely saturated Dock Shots! First one is from 1958 followed by this 1957 shot of some barrels and The Congo Queen:



An undated 1950s image:



How about a close-up detailed view of the Skipper assisting guests onto the Amazon Belle (I know you'll dig this one, Matthew!):



This undated 1950s shot taken at dusk is postcard perfect!



What are those cast members doing just standing around?!?



I was too lazy to check if I'd posted the next three from September 1958, but so what...they're worth seeing again anyway!



A closer look at the Ancient Shrine and gigantic spider web:





Just in case you missed the Python in the tree, here's a detailed view!



A 1958 shot of the Rhino:



Followed by two from July 1967 of the Elephant Pool:





The next two from March 1968 may not be the best quality, but...



I do adore this one of the little elephant under the falls:



A super clear shot from May 1956 of the Hippos:



and one from September 1958:



A few more 1958 black and white shots; this photographer seemed to have an issue with composition. In all fairness, the boat moving makes it very difficult to frame the subject!





Two August 1961 giraffes hidden by the trees:



Two consecutive shots from December 1967 of the African Veldt and Trapped Safari:





An April 1979 view of the Trapped Safari:



Back to my 1958 black and white collection with three more:







The natives in full color, September 1958:



...and September 1966:



I hope you haven't lost your head over all these images!



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

Disneyland 1963 in BW

This series of negatives from 1963 yielded some very clear shots of Disneyland, beginning with this view of the entrance. Oh those vintage attraction posters are magical!



This lovely lady is about to mail a letter, bragging to her friends back home about what a wonderful time she is having at Disneyland...while they're not. Oh, that hurts.



Made in St. Louis. Wonder if these are the same lamps there today? Banner Iron Works closed in 1986; looks like most of the buildings belonging to it have been demolished.



Wish I could read that address!



This cast member is assisting the guest onto the Amazon Belle (just for you, Matthew!).



Posing with an Indian at the Indian Village.



That wobbly old bridge at Tom Sawyer's Island!



I believe that's a bit of Rainbow Ridge visible in the background!



More vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.

Sailing Through Sundays on The JC: Boat Names Pt. 2

Tech Skip had requested a pic of the Mekong Maiden, who no longer sails on the Nile River, and naturally Kevin Kidney came up with this 1970’s image. Thanks for pulling through again, Kevin! I am also including his shot of the Amazon Belle & Suwanee Lady signs, as I do not believe they were included in the last Boat Name post, either.





TECH SKIP: “Mekong and Maggie were pulled when the boats became bigger. At least that was the explanation I was given. Also the boats went from the specific 1900's circus style to the rugged style they have today. The boats each had a specific theme at first. They were themed with props, one would be a music boat, or a floating kitchen, or an artists boat. This is also when the signs matured from simple names to specific fonts, patterns, and artwork. This Mekong is different from the 1 I have seen, likewise I've seen 2 different ones of the Maggie... so I am not sure how often they changed the paint job.”

Tech Skip requested a side-by-side comparison of the Boat Signs (for all you armchair enthusiasts who don't want to click multiple times yourselves), so here they are. Again, thanks to Kevin for supplying the 70's version pics:



Any other skippers that would like to contribute material can email me at dvdpicasso@aol.com. See more Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my website.

Sailing Through Sundays on The JC: The Dock

Today’s post shows the dock area, where the excitement builds as you board your boat; which will it be, the Amazon Belle? The Congo Queen?

TECH SKIP: Please burn this picture. Seriously, burn it. While I am very proud that the J.C. turned 50 I would rather not have proof of that abomination! I loved the plaque by the ticket office "Class of 55", and the actual Congo sign... but that's it. I specifically remember how the canvas cover wasn't actual fabric. It was more like patio furniture, with lots of tiny holes. We had to pull it off every time it rained because the water would collect and then start dripping down on everyone. Best memory was when it stalled in the rainforest. Everyone was soaked by the time we got them out.

USC TUBA: The USC contingent was pleased to see the Jungle Cruise had received its donation.



TECH SKIP: Way before my time... notice the small front light though and the bullhorn. Not sure if they had mics at first, come to think of it.

USC TUBA: No one ever spoke of the dissapearing crew again.

Notice the back of City Hall in the upper right-hand corner:



In this closeup, you can see guests eating at the Plaza Pavillion and watching the JC:



TECH SKIP: Notice the fluorescent exterior light. Also they have the cushions in the rack. I started a short time after Indy opened so I never knew the old Candy Stripers. Oh and the gun is on the side... can’t do that these days. USC TUBA: Haven’t figured out if this is an actual costume or just the unfortunate result of a Jungle Cruise “Banana Ball” hangover.



Kevin Kidney sent some extremely cool shots, including this view of models from 1954 showing original boat designs:



Two from June 1955, one month before the park opened, showing the boat installations:





An ad from 1961 touting the new and improved JC:



And a May 1963 LA Times column showing an elephant being lowered into the river. Matterhorn1959 featured this photo in his blog the other day; I superimposed his photo (which is obviously better quality than the newspaper version) so that you could see more detail. Be sure to check out his blog, as he has all kinds of cool DLand stuff, too!



Last but not least, here is a pic of the skipper I owe a huge thanks to for sending me these photos, Kevin Kidney. And if you don’t know who he is, you must have slept through all the 50th Anniversary Merchandise releases (your bank account is probably a lot phatter, too).



Any other skippers that would like to contribute material can email me at dvdpicasso@aol.com.

See more Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my website.