Friday, December 06, 2013

Fabulous Matterhorn, November 1972

Today's photos are bright, colorful views of the Matterhorn, with a generous dollop of vintage Tomorrowland added to the first example. 

From the upper level of the Carousel Theater, you could get the unusual perspective of being above the Skyway as the buckets left (and entered) the Tomorrowland terminal. Multi-hued Autopia vehicles and the Peoplemover add to the nostalgia.


Here's a great worm's eye view of the Swiss mountain. One of the single-vehicle bobsleds was captured  on its way down the icy slopes.


10 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

That first photo was taken from the PeopleMover just as it exited the Carousel Theater and crossed over the Skyway. It could have been taken from this yellow PeopleMover car.

K. Martinez said...

In the first image, the trees are just about right in proportion to the Matterhorn. Today the mountain feels overtaken by the large tree growth at the base making it feel a little less majestic. That's just my worthless opinion.

In the second image, I like the dark wetness of the rockwork behind the waterfalls. Also that view of the bobsled at the top descending into the mountain is gone now. One of the features of the "new" Matterhorn in 1978 I didn't care for was the sealing of the top lift-release turn-arounds of the Bobsled run. That was always so dramatic watching it from afar and on the bobsleds as well.

Awesome photos today that bring back great memories of Disneyland at it's peak. Thanks, Major.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Very good shot of the Matterhorn and the skyway.

Sad to hear that the Fantasyland skyway chalet is now slated for demolition. Even without the skyway it was nice to still see the chalet hiding in the overgrowth of plants and trees.

Tom said...

Very nice. The first one is framed beautifully. So nice to see all of the movement in the area with all of the ride vehicles in the shot.

Melissa said...

Such nice, crisp, clear pictures! I wonder if it had just rained in the first one, or if the pavement was just particularly shiny-looking that day.

The second one shows the Skyway cable at just enough of a different angle than I'm used to seeing that it makes me feel slightly unsteady. Look out, Yeti, we're comin' through and we can't stop this crazy thing! We don't know how it works!

Anonymous said...

Splendid pics today, Major. I love the file name of the second shot. Never thought of it that way... What does that make the bobsleds then?

JG

Melissa said...

Sometimes my mind works in mysterious ways.

Major Pepperidge said...

Thanks as always for your knowledge, TokyoMagic!

K. Martinez, trees are probably only "just right" for a relatively short amount of time… they just keep growing! And I'm sure it's very expensive to replace the trees (and don't forget about the outcry from the fans). I do love it when you can see a bobsled careening around the mountain, especially when it is way up high.

Alonzo, I have heard that too, and while it sort of bums me out, I am more worried about what eyesore they will replace it with.

Tom, there's no Monorail, but I'm just being picky!

Melissa, I think it's just the shiny "slurry" coating (or whatever they call it); I don't believe there was any rain. It sounds like that second picture is giving you some sort of vertigo, or as I like to call it, "the whim-whams".

JG, I don't even want to think about it!

Melissa, it is mysterious, but not in a bad way! You are still thinking about Barbie, apparently.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Yes folks this is K-GDB and that last song was "Slurry with a fringe on top" by the Whim-Whams.

TokyoMagic! said...

I knew I had seen that first view before, but I was thinking of a pic that I took from that very same spot when I was a kid. I forgot that my dad had also taken an almost identical shot himself: Matterhorn from PeopleMover