POTC: Everything Old Is New Again

Disneyland and the classic Pirates of the Caribbean attraction made headlines lately when it reopened:

Disneyland reveals high-tech upgrade to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

One of Disneyland’s most popular classic rides has reopened after refurbishment, with a new feature that brings an iconic scene to life using modern technology. Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square was the last attraction personally overseen by Walt Disney before his death in 1966. It opened 59 years ago, telling the tale of marauding pirates, swashbuckling sailors and cursed treasure. The dark ride reopened Friday after a nearly two-month refurbishment, and Disneyland is revealing the major update. The classic scene depicting the skeleton of a greedy pirate sitting atop a pile of cursed gold is no longer – just a skeleton. We now see his story unfold. Thanks to patented technology involving projections and robotics, riders now see the pirate as a living soul transform into a skeleton after picking up a cursed gold coin. “When he lifts and picks it up and looks at it, it casts a spell over him that freezes him in time,” Alfredo Ayala, a Disneyland Imagineer, explains in an official video released Friday. “And then, the weight of his arm after he turns into a skeleton drops the coin, releasing him from the cursed treasure.” But the short story, of course, doesn’t end there. The greedy pirate picks up the coin again and-this time- becomes frozen forever as a skeleton. The magic is accomplished through what Disney Imagineers call “hybrid front projection technology,” an extension of traditional animatronics seen throughout the park. What’s different here is that the animatronic figure moves, so the projection has to move with it. “It opens up a whole new level of engagement with our beloved guests,” Ayala said.



How the scene looked, a few years after opening, in the September 1969 image below:



How it looked in 2015; not too dissimilar:



While the “hybrid front projection technology” may be a new term, the concept is not anything new. Exhibit A: Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion:



Granted, the actual head is a stationary sculpt, the special effect still works and has been amazing guests since that attraction opened in 1969. The original film frames that were projected on the matching sculpted head:



The photographer who shot this blurry 1972 image used a flash, which canceled out the film projection and revealed the blank sculpted head:



Exhibit B: The same effect was used on the Singing Ghosts in the graveyard:



With the lights on, you can see the sculpts without the projection:



Exhibit C: In 2007 when Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island opened, they used projection effects in the Dead Man’s Grotto area; these were not quite as effective as the ones in the Mansion:



When Pirates of the Caribbean was being put together, it was brought up that the overlapping scenes and dialogue might be difficult for guests to understand and comprehend as the boats sailed by. Walt Disney’s response was that the attraction was akin to a cocktail party, where guests would hear bits and pieces of conversation as they walked through the room. He figured that each time guests would ride the attraction they would see new details or hear different bits of convo that they had missed before. It was important for Walt that guests would want to come back and ride the same attractions over and over again.



The “new” technology has been lambasted by fans, who say it is incongruent with the other scenes of the attraction. A missed detail from the “upgrade” is that the face changes back and forth from skeleton to living human, but the hand stays the same. I’ve said it before and I will probably say it again, but just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD. To me, this screams “Look at what we can do” rather than a true improvement. Below is a fan-made video about the changes:



If I had to make an edjumacated guess as to why this is a big deal for the Disney Corporation it would be (as always) because of cost. A projection effect is going to be a lot cheaper than upgrading and maintaining a mechanical audioanimatronic figure that has to work around the clock on a daily basis. What are your thoughts?

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

1990s 3D: Frontierland Friday Finish!

The finale to my 1995 3D images from Disneyland wraps up in Frontierland, starting off with a shot of Harper's Cider Mill. I don’t think cider was ever served there, which seems like a missed opportunity especially on a nice crisp Fall day! And how about a shot of the Burning Cabin, back when it still burned? Note the absence of the dead settler; too traumatic for the kiddies of the time, he was removed from the fiery tableau.



Our 1995 photographer most likely took the previous two shots aboard the Columbia, as it sailed around the Rivers of America. The original version - not the current Readers Digest version.



It’s almost like being aboard; don’t get seasick!





Last two of the batch were taken inside the Country Bear Jamboree:



The incomparable Teddi Barra (voiced by Cheryl Poole), descending down upon the audience from her vine-covered swing:



Have a good weekend; and if you happen to find a Time Machine so that we can get more of these 3D images, please let me know!

See more Disneyland Frontierland photos at my main website.

The Beaver goes to Disneyland

“Leave it to Beaver” was a popular TV show of the 1950s, running from 1957 to 1963. During its original run, it never broke into the top 30 Nielsen ratings, but thanks to reruns, it became an even bigger hit. All I remember hearing about “Leave it to Beaver” was that my parents did not allow my older brothers to watch it, due to the character of Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), a wise-ass who has little respect for adults. They were afraid he might rub off on them. Jerry Mathers played the title character, and is shown here with his sister Susie at Disneyland’s Fort Wilderness. From the publicity caption:

MAPREADING BEAVER

ANAHEIM, CALIF.: As his sister Susie, 8, points helpfully, Jerry Mathers, 10, who stars as Beaver on ABC-TV’s program “Leave it to Beaver,” consults a map of Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland, in Anaheim, California. Busy little star that he is, Jerry couldn’t resist taking time out for a tour of the famous Park. 1/21/59.



If you want a look at the brochure Jerry is reading, here you go:



…and the reverse side:



A color view of Fort Wilderness, from March 1959, right about the time Mathers made his visit:



A wide view of the area where Mathers was shot, October 1958:



Good thing Eddie Haskell wasn’t there; he probably would have told The Beav to jump! From July 1959, you can see kids loved to be up on “the balcony”:



In later years, Mathers and Tony Dow (who played his older brother, Wally) filmed a PSA at Disneyland City Hall encouraging people to register to vote:



See more Disneyland Fort Wilderness photos at my main website.

Down By The Riverside, 1950s

Today, let’s enjoy a leisurely visit to the Dock area of the Rivers of America at Disneyland. The first image is from December 1959. I had to zoom into the boxes to see if I could see any fun inside jokes; none of these names register with me. Notice the El Zocalo sign behind the two guests.



This October 1960 shot seems to be the best shot I have of the El Zocalo sign; still difficult to read. Another bucket list item for my collection!



Here, guests sit inside the bandstand that was once located on the banks of the Rivers of America. This undated view is from the 1950s. The paper hat on the right indicates it’s from the early years, and since Tom Sawyer Island has been built out, we know it’s after June 1956.



An overhead view of the bandstand, September 1958. Because of the angle, it was probably taken from the second story of the Chicken Plantation Restaurant.



This May 1958 image shows the location of the bandstand and the restaurant:



This undated view of Frontierland was most likely taken from the Mark Twain:



It has to be 1950s because the Matterhorn has not been built yet.



The same view from a higher/farther vantage point, most likely the tree house on Tom Sawyer Island. Undated but probably from the 1960s. Because of the round shape of the Skyway buckets, we know it’s at least pre-1965.



The El Zocalo and Casa de Fritos area of Frontierland is visible below:



Enjoy your weekend, whether you spend it on the river or not!

See more Disneyland Rivers of America photos at my main website.

Hump Day on Tom Sawyer Island, September 1969

Welcome to Tom Sawyer Island, circa September 1969! Our first shot was taken aboard the Mark Twain and shows The Old Mill, the raft to the Island, and the Fishing Pier. Yes, you once were able to catch fish at Disneyland. Below, Apple-Skirt Girl is posing next to the Three Falls and steps to the Treehouse.



Not to be outdone, her brother poses for the same shot. Dad did a better job this time, capturing more of the Three Falls this time. Practice makes perfect!



The fam finally made it to the Treehouse.



A detail of the Tom + Becky carved detail, mentioned in a previous post:



Now you can see that Tom and Huck's Tree House was made from boxes that contained oderless (sp) feathers for pillow stuffing.



Dad handed the camera over to Mom for a shot by the Old Mill.



Just in case you wanted to read the sign and learn something. Edutainment.



Time to brave Injun Joe’s Cave! Who knows what dangers lurk inside those dark caverns?



Mom was not going to let go of the Tom Sawyer Island brochure. No way she was going to get lost on the Island. Nice ring, too! That must have set Dad back a pretty penny.



A rare interior shot of the caves. Thank goodness for flash bulbs!



Final one for today shows the fam (minus Dad who took the photo) on top of Teeter-Totter Rock:



See more Disneyland Tom Sawyer Island photos at my main website.

Macabre Monday

In this September 1969 image, a father with just my type of humor is shown in an open grave on Tom Sawyer Island. The daughter looks appropriately melancholy. “Oh, Dad! Do we have to jump in the grave?” This is new to me; I don’t recall ever seeing an open grave that guests could pose inside of. The earliest shot in my collection of the “Unknown Guest” marker is from February 2006. By this time, the marker has been smoothed over and the area is not deep enough to climb into. If I had to guess, the year probably changed annually and this was once a picture spot. Probably not sponsored by Kodak though.



Little old me posing outside of the fence in 2006. Always following rules! Any other readers recall this vintage picture spot?



See more Disneyland Tom Sawyer Island photos at my main website.