Sunday, February 16, 2014

Sunday Odds and Ends

Disneyland Adventure Thru Inner Space photo

Today's post is a mish-mash of odds and ends. First up, Imagineer Paul Saunders is back again with a few more entertaining short stories:

I have one funny story about Imagineer John Hench who had been with Walt since 1939. At the Adventure Through Inner Space attraction in Disneyland just before we opened in 1967 (now gone for Star Tours). John saw a guest standing at the white wall of the Circlevision Theater across from our exit door. I was standing next to John. The guest planted a foot behind him on the nice white wall and John barked at him to get his foot off the wall. I was shocked at first as we always treated guests with the utmost deference. But I understood, as we all became weary of the things that upset us by some of the public: spitting below on the Skyway, the bullet hole in the glass at the Haunted Mansion, and the mess from ketchup packets, which were finally not allowed.

Disneyland PeopleMover photo

Also another story at the same attraction is from when we were about to finish construction. The WEDway Peoplemover load/unload turntable at the second level across from us had a third level with a rocket ship with arms that held seats for a hi rise twirl (The Rocket Jets). They were training young pretty girls as ride operators. While they received their instructions, they sat on the railing in their red spandex suits. It was quite a site for the eyes of all the men below in hard hats taking a long break looking up. I wonder if they explained their sore necks to their wives. Heck, I did!


From the future to the past, faithful Daveland reader and contributor JG shared this photo with me a bit ago:

Nashville keelboat monument photo

As he tells it:

I took this photo of a monument in downtown Nashville TN this fall. It commemorates the location of the keelboat landing south of the present downtown. I think the "Broad Street" on the map is the present Broadway, the main drag of honky-tonk saloons. It reminded me that the Disney keelboats we enjoyed so much were real historic vehicles.

Vintage Disneyland Keelboat photo

Thanks all for your photos and contributions — they are very much appreciated!

See more Daveland vintage Disneyland Adventure Thru Inner Space photos on my main website.

2 comments:

Major Pepperidge said...

I love these stories from Mr Sanders, and hope we get to hear more of them!

JG said...

Dave, thank you for posting my photo. I really enjoy your site.

Best regards.

JG