Vintage Snapshot: Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind Antiques and Curios

I miss Sid Cahuenga.  During the early years of the Disney-MGM Studios, this retail location just inside the front gate was a gold mine of movie memorabilia.  I personally procured numerous items including movie one-sheets, press photos and other assorted ephemera dating back as far as the 1950s and 1960s.  The authentic memorabilia that was the store's hallmark diminished over the years until the retail incarnation finally closed in 2013.  Retaining its theme, it was repurposed for MyMagic+ and has since evolved into a PhotoPass support and service center.

Snapshot '73: The Fort Wilderness Railroad

It remains a little remembered but still treasured piece of 1970s Walt Disney World iconography.  I speak of the Fort Wilderness Railroad.

Author Michael Broggie noted in his book Walt Disney's Railroad Story:

"Built with the best of intentions, the Fort Wilderness Railroad serves as a prime example of a simple concept that turned into an operational nightmare.  Four quaint, five-car steam trains were planned to operate over a 3 1/2 mile route, providing transportation through the Fort Wilderness campground area at Walt Disney World Resort.  Considering the $1 million cost to build its locomotives and rolling stock, however, the line was hardly a cost-efficient operation--running for a relatively short period between 1973 and 1977."

There is no argument that can truly be made on behalf of this failed endeavour (the chapter in Broggie's book is entitled "Fort Wildnerness Folly"), but it can make one nostalgic for a time when cost efficiency wasn't necessarily the highest priority at Disney World and experimentation was encouraged rather than immediately subjected to a cost-benefit analysis.

These impromptu snapshots date from 1973 when the railroad was just getting up and running.  One interesting footnote - two of the coach cars were modified to become Pleasure Island ticket booths in 1989.

Snapshot '73: The Grand Prix and Tomorrowland

Returning to our Snapshot '73 series, we showcase this now impossible view of the Grand Prix Raceway as seen from Skyway that linked Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.  Against a rather scenic backdrop of the Contemporary Resort, cast members survey their fleet of vehicles.  The Tomorrowland terminus of the Skyway sits in what then seemed a remote corner of the park.  The purpose of the large striped circus tent remains a mystery; it sits in the approximate location of the future Carousel of Progress. 

Snapshot '73: Early River Life

The Walt Disney World Frontierland of 1973 does in many ways resemble a wild and largely uninhabited wilderness.  This particular snapshot showcases a view looking across the Rivers of America. Barricades can be seen in the distance, though predating any Big Thunder Mountain construction by a number of years.  Tom Sawyer Island, at the photo's right edge, was then a newly opened attraction.

Snapshot '73: Topiary Lane

Wow, it's certainly been a while.

Life took some twists and turns over the past few years and 2719 Hyperion, out of necessity, had to move to the periphery.  Not that this is a return to full-time daily-post blogging; I'm not feeling quite that ambitious as yet.  But I have stumbled across some items of interest and I thought I would share.

First up: a good friend recently discovered some vintage Walt Disney World photographs that her father snapped in 1973.  She found it funny that the photos were by and large scenery set pieces and expository shots, devoid of posturing family members.  After catching my breath, I politely begged her to share with me whatever she could.  She graciously complied.  Hence, my return to Disney blogging and the birth of the new Snapshot '73 series of posts.

Topiary Lane still exists as a small byway just east of the Ticket and Transportation Center, but the majority of the hedge creatures that were present there in 1973 have long since migrated to other pastures.  The topiaries were early eye candy that entertained guests on their tram rides from the parking lot to the TTC.

 This Monorail-view shot provides a better location perspective.

Vintage Snapshot! - Early Crate Parkeology

 

Among our favorite theme parkeology subjects here at 2719 Hyperion are crates.  They are literally littered throughout all of the Disney parks, and Imagineers just love to label them with inside jokes and clever references.  But here is in fact a Vintage Snapshot of early Walt Disney World crates with inscriptions that mean . . . nothing?

Dating from 1972, these Jungle Cruise crates bear reference to Leon Okerman and R. H. Jeschke.  Okerman hails from 4006 7th Street in Orange, New Jersey, while Jeschke resides at 3250 9th Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia.  Both addresses are non-existent, at least according to current street map resources.  Okerman and Jeschke are especially unusual names but turn up virtually nothing from popular Internet search engines.

Is it possible that Leon and R. H. sprang wholly from the imagination of an early Disney World Imagineer?  Readers, I welcome whatever insight or theories you may have on this parkeological mystery.

Vintage Snapshot! - Bongo and Lulubelle

Back in the late 1970s, the Disney character canon was not as densely populated as it is today.  Hence, the visibility of two characters who were rarely seen in theme park-costumed finery--Bongo and his lady friend Lulubelle.  Both characters were born from the Bongo segment of the 1947 animated feature Fun and Fancy Free, which was in turn based on a short story by Sinclair Lewis.  In this Vintage Snapshot, Bongo and Lulubelle stroll through Liberty Square as part of Dumbo's Circus Parade.  The circus theme is likely the reason for their inclusion; Bongo was a circus bear who escaped into the wilderness where he eventually met and fell in love with Lulubelle.

Vintage Snapshot! - Caballeros in Revue

Decades before they appropriated the River of Time at EPCOT, Donald, Jose and Panchito first performed at Walt Disney World in the rather short-lived Fantasyland attraction, The Mickey Mouse Revue.  The audio-animatronic trio performed their namesake song as part of the production.  After a nine-year tenure in Florida, the show was exported to Tokyo Disneyland where it enjoyed a much longer lifespan, closing just recently in 2009.

Vinatage Snapshot! - Rafts on the Rivers

This panorama of the Rivers of America at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom highlights potential raft congestion as guests are ferried to and from Tom Sawyer's Island.  The image dates from 1979.  Construction cranes can be seen on the right; work was well under way to bring Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to realization.  The docks for the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes can be seen in the foreground.

Vintage Snapshot! - Skyway to Tomorrowland

The Skyway was a Magic Kingdom mainstay during the park's first few decades, as demonstrated by this photograph from 1977.  Steve Birnbaum provided this description in the 1988 edition of his famous guidebook:

Entered from near Peter Pan's Flight, this aerial tram transports guests one-way to Tomorrowland.  En route it's possible to see the clear aquamarine pool traversed by Captain Nemo's ship, the striped tent tops of Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, Tomorrowland's Grand Prix and the not-so-wonderful rooftops of the buildings where many Magic Kingdom adventures actually take place.

Vintage Snapshot! - Building a Mountain

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was a work-in-progress when this photograph was taken in 1979.   According to author and Imagineer Jason Surrell in his book The Disney Mountains, "At two and a half acres, the attraction was a full twenty-five percent larger than the Disneyland adaptation."  He adds, "At 197 feet (and change) tall, Big Thunder became the tallest 'mountain' in Florida, a record that hasn't been broken, even by the mighty Mount Everest."

Vintage Snapshot! - Futureport

It was the gateway to one of Walt Disney World's most beloved attractions, a relatively simple backlit display that can still evoke idealistic visions of future living.  The Futureport remains an almost iconic representation of first generation EPCOT, and names such as Brava Centauri, and Mesa Verde are bittersweet reminders of a level of Imagineering achievement that will likely never be reached again.  While Horizons the attraction sadly fell into neglected obsolescence, even more tragic is that Horizons the idea and concept is something no longer embraced or celebrated by the Walt Disney Company.

Vintage Snapshot! - The Gullywhumper

It's been quite some time since the Mike Fink Keelboats navigated the Rivers of America at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.  This Vintage Snapshot! returns us to 1977 where we see the Gullywhumper plying those waters.  The entrance to the Haunted Mansion can be seen in the background.  Despite their obvious Frontierland roots, the keelboats launched from Liberty Square at a dock just adjacent to the Haunted Mansion.  They ceased operation at Walt Disney World sometime in 1997, shortly after the Disneyland version of the Gullywhumper tipped over and dunked a boatload of guests at that park.

Explore the 2719 Hyperion Archives:

Snapshot Disneyland! - The Gullywhumper

Vintage Snapshot! - Fantasyland Steampunk

It was a first class E-Ticket during the first decade of Walt Disney World, but photographs such as this one are among the few tangible reminders of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  This particular image from 1974 offers a rare glimpse of the attraction's exit area.  It is increasingly hard to imagine the scale and scope of the lagoon that once occupied the northern portion of Fantasyland, especially as that area now evolves into something new and wholly different from Jules Verne-inspired science fiction.  When I was a young man of twelve years, the Nautilus was the be all and end all of the Magic Kingdom.

Vintage Snapshot! - The Main Street Flower Market

I will take a moment in regard to this particular Vintage Snapshot to wax editorially.  One of my primary criticisms of Walt Disney World in last decade or so has been the desire on the part of management to sacrifice aesthetics for increased consumerism.  Such a maneuver is what brought about the end of the Main Street Flower Market, shown here in this photograph from 1975.  The Flower Market was without a doubt one of the most beautiful set pieces in all of the Magic Kingdom; an expanded Emporium now occupies that area.

Vintage Snapshot! - Cinderella and Her Castle

Cinderella Castle serves as an appropriate backdrop for its namesake princess in this photograph from 1981.  Cinderella rides within her coach as it crosses the bridge that leads into Liberty Square.  She and her coachmen were part of the Tencenial Parade that celebrated Walt Disney World's 10th anniversary throughout 1981 and 1982.

Vintage Snapshot! - All Aboard in Frontierland

The original Frontierland train station in Walt Disney World was a somewhat modest and unassuming structure when now compared to its contemporary counterpart.  This Vintage Snapshot dates back to 1975, years before the landscape of Frontierland, and the station itself, was dramatically re-imagineered to accommodate an E-Ticket attraction of epic size and proportions: Splash Mountain.  Also notable are the vintage 1970s-era blue strollers parked in the foreground.  Classic ankle killers of the highest order!

Vintage Snapshot! - EPCOT in Classic Blue and Crystal

Standing in the shadow of Spaceship Earth was quite different in 1982 when this photograph was snapped.  Blue was certainly the dominant color of the main entrance plaza of EPCOT Center in those early years, as especially demonstrated by the fountain and its clear centerpiece with etched EPCOT icons.  The original fountain design was by no means an afterthought for Imagineers; it appeared in numerous pieces of concept art, most notably Herb Ryman's exquisitely beautiful rendering of EPCOT's main entrance.

Vintage Snapshot! - Getting Ready to Blast Off

Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom was in the midst of its first major upgrade when this photograph was taken in 1974.  Space Mountain had just opened on January 15th of that year; StarJets, pictured here under construction, would debut on November 28th.  Also part of that same structure was the loading platform for the WEDWay PeopleMover, which would ultimately circumnavigate the whole of Tomorrowland.  The PeopleMover and the Carousel of Progress would both open in 1975, essentially completing the park's first major expansion.  In addition, Flight to the Moon would extend its reach in June of 1975 and become Mission to Mars.

Vintage Snapshot! - A Quiet Morning in 1988

This photograph was snapped at EPCOT Center on a very quiet morning in September of 1988.  Aside from my good friend standing amidst the nearby trees, the area surrounding the World of Motion was completely deserted.  Although it was all about technology and progress, Future World possessed a certain intangible magic back then that has been very difficult to rediscover over the last decade or so.  It felt much less cluttered and more epic in scope as this particular image demonstrates.