It’s Official: Pirates of the Caribbean wins

My most recent survey on Daveland was a poll of favorite attractions at Disneyland; I was surprised to see that Pirates of the Caribbean inched ahead of the Haunted Mansion for top honors. Indiana Jones trailed behind with a distant third; Peter Pan, The Disneyland Railroad, and Space Mountain tied for 3rd. Ironically, small world, the attraction that has caused the most uproar in the last year, only beat one other attraction, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. In honor of POTC’s victory, I will dedicate the next few posts to this classic attraction located in New Orleans Square. The first two views show the attraction building without the overpass bridge that was created to help alleviate foot traffic during Fantasmic!; nothing but concrete for days, it seems!



This 1993 shot shows the revised entrance queue:



And one from May 2004:



POTC was the last Disneyland attraction that Walt worked on personally. It’s grand opening on March 18, 1967 occurred after he’d already passed away. At the time, it was the park’s most ambitious audio-animatronic endeavor, full of life-like figures that bore the genius comic stamp of Marc Davis. Through the years, this attraction has undergone a few changes, most notably the 1997 “politically-correct” removal of a naked lass in a barrel and the 2006 Jack Sparrow movie-tie-in additions. Some 40 years later, it remains a classic that still causes traffic jams in New Orleans Square and causes guests to gawk at the spectacular visual quality, comic-storytelling, and attention to detail that is uniquely Disney. So, without further adieu, here is a trip through this #1 Daveland Poll Disneyland Attraction! For further simulation of the actual experience, you might want to play everyone’s favorite pirate tune by X. Atencio, “A Pirate’s Life For Me.”

As you travel through the queue, you’ll see paintings on the wall of some of the more notable POTC characters, including Jack Sparrow:



You’ll be departing on the next boat from Laffite’s Landing as soon as it arrives:



Traveling through the dark and murky waters, you’ll see the twinkle of fireflies and hear the clinking of glasses mixed with conversation as you glide by the Blue Bayou restaurant (the Monte Cristo sandwich is not to be missed!):



A man is on his porch, enjoying his pipe and rocking chair while the tune “Oh Susannah” is played by a banjo that is just out of sight:



Things get a little darker, and your boat pauses to hear the warnings of the Jolly Roger: “Dead Men Tell No Tales!”



A few tumbles down some waterfalls and your boat emerges unscathed, taking you through the eerie blue light of the grotto, where skeletons, gulls, and crabs are all that remain of the former inhabitants.





Lightning reveals this poor soul who is perpetually steering his wrecked ship through a storm:



This delightfully saucy painting by Marc Davis is located in the grotto’s pub, where skeletons play chess and guzzle wine for all eternity:



The captain in his quarters, still looking for his treasure:



How many little varmints have departed their boat in hopes for a souvenir from this treasure room?



And here’s another warning, this time from Davy Jones: come back tomorrow for more images from this beloved attraction, or else!



For Mr. Mouse Monthly who has come a bit late to the party (but still very welcome!), here's a closeup of the signage from photo #1:



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

Disneyland in Focus: The Red Wagon Inn/Plaza Inn

Yesterday, I had a request from Viewliner to show a detail shot of the Red Wagon Inn poster on the construction wall in one of my Fantasyland pics; so, I figured I’d go the extra mile and dedicate an entire post both the Red Wagon Inn and its successor the Plaza Inn. To the best of my knowledge, The Red Wagon Inn is one of only two Disneyland restaurants to receive its own poster, unless you care to count the Golden Horseshoe.



The Red Wagon Inn was the name of the restaurant at Central Plaza, originally sponsored by The Swifts Premium Meat Company in Kansas City (they also sponsored the Main Street Market House & Frontierland’s Chicken Plantation House). RWI also originally included an area with a VIP lounge, a wet bar, and bathroom for Walt’s special guests. This area became a hospitality center for Goodyear when they were a sponsor, then converted into offices, and finally destroyed in a 1999 rehab. My earliest image of the Red Wagon Inn shows the exterior during the 1955 Christmas Season. Are you digging Santa & his Reindeer up on the roof?





Designed by Walt Disney's wife, Lillian, the restaurant was decorated with turn-of-the-century furnishings and authentic mementos of the 1890s, including the stained glass ceiling, entrance hall, and foyer taken from the old St. James home in Los Angeles (1880). Lillian’s tastes were extremely consistent, if you compare the decor of Walt’s Apartment, Club 33, and even The Lilly Belle parlour car. The Tencenniel celebration & press conference were held here in 1965. The menu originally offered a varied selection of food, featuring steaks & chops and Swift’s quality meats. This March 1956 view shows the ornate front doors:





One of the last exterior shots I have before the name change is this one from 1963; I have included the closeup that shows the “Dinner is being served – special menu for children” sign.





By August, 1965 when this next photo was taken, the restaurant was changed to the Plaza Inn, and has remained that way ever since.



Check out all the crazy hipsters out front in this 1966 shot:



This 1960’s interior view shows the ornate victorian curtains and “PI” logo on the valance:



The restaurant looks much the same today and still serves up the tastiest Fried Chicken in the park!





The rooster weather vane still watches over the guests below:



The marble emblem that greets you as you enter the servery:





The window treatments still have the heavy victorian flavor of the original decor, with plenty of wooden gingerbread trim around for good measure:



The stained glass in the sun rooms is absolutely beautiful:



Although a little on the pricey side, the character breakfasts are a great way to get your kids to see their favorite Disney folk all at once:



I sure could go for a piece of Plaza’s delish Apple/Caramel pie...my mouth is already watering:



That’s the end of our visit to the Red Wagon/Plaza Inn. Time to head out the doors and view the rest of the park.



See more Disneyland Red Wagon/Plaza Inn photos at my website.

POST 900! 1956 in Glorious Color: The Hodge-Podge Finale

I’ve finally hit 900; can 1000 be much farther away?!? Shot #1 from this 1956 series is a beauty featuring the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship restaurant. At this stage of the game, The Skyway & Storybook Land were fairly new and Skull Rock Cove was about 4 years away. This photo was taken from the Skyway and also gives you a glimpse of the Caboose from the Disneyland Railroad in the background. The next two shots are also taken from the Skyway. This one is of the edge of Fantasyland, with a few purty attraction posters plastered on the construction wall. You can also see the top of the Nature’s Wonderland Mine Train chugging through the scenery of the Living Desert.



I believe the mound of earth you see on the right is the edge of Holiday Hill, where many a teenager disappeared to make out with their sweetheart. Eventually, Holiday Hill spawned The Matterhorn.



While we’re looking at mysterious "backstage" photos that could only appeal to Disneyland Geeks like myself, here’s one that was most likely taken from the Magnolia Park area, showing the thatched roof of Aunt Jemima’s Restaurant.



Last one of the series shows the banks of the Rivers of America, with the defunct bandstand on the right; plenty of rafts to Tom Sawyer’s Island on this day:



Thanks to all the faithful readers for hanging in with me for 900 posts and leaving your comments and info; that’s what makes it really fun for me. See more Disneyland photos at my website.

1956 in Glorious Color: Autopia Action!

In 1956, The Autopia spawned a sequel: The Junior Autopia, in the a chunk of real estate near Storybook Land. As you can see by the undeveloped land around it, The Junior Autopia was extremely junior when this shot was taken. The Mickey Mouse Club Circus Tent is still standing, although at this point, The MMC has most likely “left the building.” Here are some cool detail shots showing vintage cars, the Richfield Eagle, and a few other treats.







And here’s the original; the one that started it all:



It’s funny now to imagine that there were 2 or more attractions involving driving a car on the road. Today, in Southern California, I can’t wait to get off the freeway away from all the traffic. However, back in the 1950’s, freeways were a glimpse of the future and represented progress and speed. See more Disneyland Autopia photos at my website.

The First Time I Saw Vegas, 2002

There are some things you see that stick in your memory; the first time I saw Vegas is one of them. January 2002 was the first time I had visited the fabled city, and it would be hard to forget my first impression as my cab was wading through the traffic of the strip at night. I am glad my first sight of Vegas was at night, as I definitely would not have been as impressed if my plane had landed during the day.



I remember my brain being on sensory overload, not knowing where to look next...it was definitely an ADD fest for the eyes, bouncing from one neon sign to the next.



Wanting to get great tickets for the Cirque de Soleil show “O,” I decided to stay at The Bellagio.



Apparently, they were either light on bookings or thought that I was some kind of gambling mogul, because they set me up in a pimped out suite that was bigger than my apartment.



Although it is definitely luxurious, The Bellagio is definitely not my vibe as far as design goes; just like Vegas, it’s very over the top and slightly cold.



Still, my goal was accomplished as I did score excellent seats for “O,” which was absolutely incredible. I am not a huge Cirque de Soleil fan, but this show blew me away.



See more Las Vegas photos at my website.

An American in Paris

As I was scanning some of my old negatives, I came across this shot of a painting I did back in 1999, showing Gene Kelly in his harlequin costume from the MGM Musical “An American in Paris.” The story of this movie was/is nothing new, but boy is it a feast for the eyes and ears. With the music of the Gershwins and the artistic genius that was Vincente Minnelli, one would be hard pressed not to enjoy this film...not to mention the talents of Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. One of my favorite sequences is the Beaux Arts Ball that precedes the title’s fantasy ballet. This painting shows Kelly just before his mind drifts off, with Paris in the background. See more of my art at my website.

1956 in Glorious Color: Storybook Land

The Skyway may have broken the protective visual wall of the berm, but it sure did provide a means for getting some purty pictures! Here’s a nice overhead of the entrance for Storybook Land, with Monstro ready to swallow up another boat and both Casey Juniors traveling at the same time. At the bottom of the photo, you’ll see the publicity art for all of the different areas within Storybook Land, which had recently opened at the time of this shot.



Here’s a vintage black and white shot of the original art for the “book” seen at the bottom of the previous slide. Just as in real life, this art shows 2 Casey Juniors circling the track. I have always thought it very cool that you can view the wonders of Storybook Land via 2 different modes of transportation.



See more Disneyland Storybook Land attraction photos at my website.