Once upon the ride, the agent was able to sneak a few photographs of the sea creatures.
Then the submarine will go even deeper, so deep that our operatives camera will not work.
Upon your exit, the agent was able to photograph how all those bubbles are created.
And not one sighting of Nemo, his dad or the annoying Dory.
The second is of the lodge house with totem poles out front.
I like this shot taken from Indian Village. The large decoration on the pole really catches my eye.
The other ship is the Mighty Columbia. Here it is in dock.
And as it disappears around the bend.
The next item is a follow up on the Dwarf's Mine Ride drawing I posted about a month ago.
I received an e-mail from Kevin Kidney with the following tale:
When I saw it this evening, my jaw hit the floor. You'll find this hard to believe - and maybe you'll even be slightly disappointed by the news - but the artist who drew that picture is ME! It's not from the 70s but specifically from December of 1989.
It's a long story, but the illustration was done for an article on "Early Disneyland" by Bob Jones. Bob was the model builder whiz-kid who is most remembered for his maquettes, clocks and puppet models used in making Pinocchio and Fantasia. In 1939/40 with Snow White, and soon Pinocchio, already in the Disney repertoire, Walt asked Bob and his brother Bill to help design an early type of "Disneyland" park to be built on a small piece of land adjacent to the new Burbank studio.
Bob suggested an idea to Walt that the park might include a little train ride which would pass through the Dwarfs' Mine from Snow White. During the six weeks that Bob and Bill were brainstorming ideas for the park, Bob had worked up a plan to make life-sized figures of the seven dwarfs which would perform simple movements operated by cams, and triggered to life by the approaching train. Apparently Walt liked the idea, and it planted the seed for the Disneyland dark rides to come. Of course, the little Burbank park never materialized, and sometime later Bob left the studio for a position at Lockheed engineering aircraft for the war effort. When Disneyland was being built in 1954, Walt contracted Bob to build the flying galleons for Peter Pan's Flight.
When I first moved out to California and started working as a designer at Disneyland in the mid-80s, I met and became close friends with Bob and his wife Margie who were living in Fullerton at the time. Because I was also a model builder and puppeteer, Bob and I really connected and we worked on several projects together, just for fun. He had a secret room in his den, literally behind a revolving bookcase, that he kept models and mementos of his work at Disney. He was an inspiring friend and so supportive of all the things I was doing back then.
One evening Margie was cooking dinner for us, and Bob relayed the story of designing the proto-Disneyland for Walt, and showed me a 20-page "article" he had been putting together. He had typed it all out by hand and had Scotch-taped some photographs to it as illustrations. He hadn't kept any of the drawings that he had done for the park, and so he asked me if I could sketch something to show his vision for the mine train tunnel. Back then I always had PrismaColor pencils with me and drew the picture from his description while we sat in his living room after dinner. I had no character reference with me and drew the whole scene from memory, which impressed Bob to no end. I recall he wanted me to put my signature on it, but I wasn't confident that the characters looked right and so I didn't.
Bob sent the article to Dave Smith at the studio archives in 1990, literally months before Bob passed away. I was devastated, but remained very close with Margie for several years until she also passed away. She was one of the dearest women I've ever known. Not long after Margie's passing, one of their sons submitted much of the art and models that Bob had saved to Howard Lowery Auctions, and I was really sad to see so many of Bob's things scattered out into the unknown. I'd completely forgotten about the dwarf illustration until you posted it!
Thanks Kevin for the drawing, the memory and the story and I am not disappointed at all. I now know I own an early Kevin Kidney drawing.
The second is of Roy Williams drawing characters at the Plaza Pavilion. Roy was a gifted story man, sketch artist and appeared as the Big Moosekeeter on the Mickey Mouse Club. During the mid to late 1950s he would be at Disneyland and draw quick character sketches for fans.
The second shows a mom and son displaying some crafts at the edge of the dance floor. I like the details of the little boy on the rock on the right and what appears to be a bass guitar case in the background.
The second view shows some of the other rides including the Fun Forest. The Sea Circus sign is a blast.
The third image is of the band and the master of ceremonies who was quite a clown. I love the stage backdrop, I wonder if I could fit it into my house someway?
A final shot showing the sky above and the tower from which the live broadcast from the Aragon Ballroom by Lawrence Welk emanated.
The second shot shows the two brothers in their car and ready to take off on their trip through the fields away from Disneyland City Limits (with Disneyland in the non-Gothic font.)
In this shot, the light really shows the subject.
The next two are from a different set of slides, the first a nice you are there, abstract, almost 3-D image.
A shot of one of the horses with a cast member in the background.
The next shot is of the Mark Twain rounding the bend with a distinct lack of landscaping in the background.
One of my favorite shots, an early image of Fowler's Harbor. It has been a while since a good image of Fowler's Harbor has been posted.
Finally a gorgeous shot of the Chicken Plantation restaurant showing how close the railroad tracks are to the building. Notice the kid in the foreground is holding a gate flier and a ticket book.
The next shows the venerable and well loved Chicken of the Sea pirate ship restaurant.
The requisite Sleeping Beauty Castle image.
And Disneyland Sky...oh wait a minute there are the Dumbo flying elephants as well.
The photographer also snapped this image of the Keystone Kop giving directions in front of the INA exhibit located at Plaza Apartments. Dave- as a warning do not look as it includes a stroller, albeit a rather crude, early stroller. I also like the Christmas display.
The last shot is the reason I purchased the slides. A little girl registers shock that poor Grannie is not alive, and that she has just entered the Wizard of Bras! I love the Hollywood- Maxwell logo design on the sign.
