Disneyland, August 1986: Fantasyland & Dumbo

Today our trip back to the 80's features everyone's favorite flying elephant, Dumbo.





Here are two wacky (in my opinion) closeups of Dumbo’s Organ (please refrain from bawdy jokes!):





And a contemporary shot for comparison of this area:



Two more shots from Fantasyland and then we will be finishing this 1980’s series as well: Storybook Land & It’s A Small World Topiaries:





See more Dumbo photos at my website.

iasw, Devlin-Style, June 1969, pt. 2

Before we begin with the interior shots from June 1969, here are 3 from a Devlin trip taken in January 1968, some similar to yesterday’s posting, but taken with a 35mm camera instead of a 126. For you non-camera geeks, that's a good thing. Shot #1 also shows a train at the Fantasyland Depot. What a great way to sell this attraction; you hear the music and see the interesting exterior as you ride through on your Santa Fe excursion car. I am sure many have made a mental note, “Let’s come back and see what that’s all about.” Same thing occurs over in Frontierland as the train passes through a musical portion of Splash Mountain. Back to iasw, shots #2 & #3 from the Devlins show more topiary treats.





And finally, some interior shots of varying quality showing iasw from June 1969:















This morning, as I did my daily reading of Disney blogs, I came across yet another lament on the impending changes that have been rumored for iasw. Can I stress rumor enough? Probably not. Nobody from Disney has officially honored or given credence to these leaks, most from a guy with a combover; in fact, they have bent over backwards to deny them and reassure iasw fans that any changes made during this refurbishment will honor the Blair Legacy, which seems to be one of the hot spots that has set so many off. What a marketing bonanza this has been; in the short term, many will ride this attraction for the first time just to see what all the buzz is about; and there will be many who will ride it for the umpteenth time to examine with a microscope each little detail. Does this figure have the exact same color on her dress as it did before? Didn’t that one have 1 more button on it before? I think I am dreading this almost as much as the current mud-fest going on right now. I envision a ton of blogs posting before and after photos, comparing the most miniscule detail and pointing a finger back at the current Disney corporation, saying how they have ruined Walt and Mary Blair’s memory and that they just don’t care about the fans or World Peace or anything of value today. Personally, I think Mary Blair was an incredibly talented artist...in the 2 dimensional form. Other than the fanciful exterior, this attraction has never worked for me. The inside is akin to entering Las Vegas for the first time; an overload of sight and sound. That song that sticks in your head and refuses to leave; over and over again in every key imaginable. The explosion of color; the slightly creepy dolls/animatronic figures...it has always left me cold. One of my coworkers, a brilliant photographer and creative graphic designer, refuses to go on it. She hates it that much. Yet even so, I respect the opinion of those who worship it, and do hope that they will like the result of this refurbishment. Disneyland is a special place, and I hate to read so much anger being directed at it, especially over a ride that is supposed to symbolize World Peace. How ironic. And to think it all started here.



To see more vintage & current Disneyland photos, visit my website.

Matterhorn & Enchanted Comparisons

Here are two excellent (although undated) Matterhorn shots; I especially love the closeup of the climbers. It appears that one of them has found something interesting on the iconic mountain and has to stop for closer inspection.





These 2 photos were also in the same batch; here are 2 canoes racing around Tom Sawyer Island; judging by the clothing, these slides are late 60’s/early 70’s. Another view for today from the same batch shows a little topiary action over at Small World.





And as an extra treat, fan favorite Mildred found her way into this batch; she's put on a little weight, but still manages to keep that same sourpuss expression that hides the Disney Princess beneath.



See more Matterhorn photos at my website

Meanwhile, over in the present...today marks the DVD release of Disney’s “Enchanted,” which I consider one of the best and most hip Disney releases in years. Much of its success can be attributed to its leading lady, Amy Adams. The movie has become known for its wink-wink-nod-nod references to Disney Classics of the past, and Disney has not been shy about promoting this. Here are some publicity stills from Disney pointing out the comparisons for those unable to figure it out for themselves:









This one, although attributed to “Sleeping Beauty” could just as easily be attributed to “Snow White”: