Disneyland Saturday - Let's talk about the past

[Barbaraann]

Now this topic is one I will need a lot of help on. Having only been to Disneyland once, I do not have any memories of the things that were once at Disneyland and are no longer there.

Take the Sky Way, for instance. I know some people wish it were still there.

The Submarine is talked about a lot.

I recently read that you used to be able to fish on Tom Sawyer Island. Too bad they didn't think to make that "catch and release". It might still be there today.

Could you once ride a mule at Disneyland?

How about that funny flying saucer type ride?

I am sure MiceChatters have a lot of memories about past wonders at Disneyland. The great ones and the not so great ones.

Let's talk about the Past.

[Crazy Legs]

I love the people mover and Submarine it was like a whole new world.

[pveticket]

Miss the people mover, i rode it when i was little and i still remember

[Casey Jr Fan]

The Submarine Voyage was my all time favorite attraction. I'm real excited about it coming back. I also miss the Skyway and Peoplemover tremendously!

[Athlonacon]

I miss Captain EO. I don't care if it is Michael Jackson; the choreography, music, costumes, sound effects and in-theater effects were out of this world and IMO still cutting edge today. The starfield effect alone was worth watching this 3D film.

This film always filled me with a sense of optimism after leaving the theater. It was like watching the most elaborate and creative music video of all time.

[Seatac Toad]

When I was small, I thought Adventures Through Inner Space was great. It was the ultraserious kind of Disneyland attraction that would never be built today. I remember telling my Dad that the same guy narrated ATIS and Haunted Mansion. I guess sort of low-tech; I remember thinking the giant snowflakes looked "like a ceiling"... my dad was a contractor, so the sparkle paint they used looked like ceiling paint to me.

Disneyland in 1968 - even the parking lot was cool to a 5-year-old from Washington.

[Malcon10t]

The Motor Boat Cruise!! Cruising around at night, fireworks going off over your head, cool and relaxing. I loved the motor boat cruise.

America Sings is also a past attraction that is missed. I loved teh weasel.

The stage coach! ANd the Indian dancers. OK, yes, I am old. I probably miss the old entertainment too.

[CrazyDreamer]

Riding the motor boats is one of my first memories of Disneyland, I'm not terribly upset that they closed since there was nothing terribly fascinating about them, but I wish they would do something with that area.

Something that I really miss isn't an attraction, but became a tradition in my family for many years: the Monorail Cafe. I found an old placemat from that place yesterday that I had saved- the one with the map of the park and you tried to find Mickey on it like a Where's Waldo type thing. I loved that restaurant...

[NWRREngineer]

My grandmother took my mom, my two brothers and me in 1969, for one day only. I remember just a few things - I remember looking back after getting off the skyway to Fantasyland and seeing the mountain, and thinking that Disneyland was huge, and we'd never be able to see it all.

After my brothers rode on the Richfield Autopia (middle brother being very upset that his foot kept slipping off the gas pedal) we went on the Carousel of Progress. I was totally amazed by that ride, how it seemed like the stage was turning, but it was really the audience moving. I never could get over that. And my oldest brother kept telling me about how the actors were robots, even the dog. I wanted to go again and again, but no such luck. I was too little to actually see progress city, so they tell me, because I don't remember that part at all.

Another thing I remember clearly was going around Tom Sawyer's island on some boat, and seeing a cabin on fire with a guy in front who had an arrow in his back. For some reason I thought it was Abraham Lincoln, but I was only six so I got things mixed up pretty easily. I found out later, after reading through my older brother's journal, that the boat we took was the Gullywhumper, one of the keelboats.

We rode on it's a small world, and at the time I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever been forced to endure. Funny how a person can change his mind later in life.

My last clear memory was that my oldest brother was absolutely heartbroken that the Haunted Mansion wasn't open yet. In fact, it wouldn't open for another five days. We were there on August 4th, it opened on August 9th. What a bummer. For some reason, though, I remember looking through a window and seeing the skeleton hand pushing up on the coffin lid, like they gave us a sneak preview. I could barely see it. I wonder now if maybe that isn't a false memory, since that part of the show is nowhere near the mansion facade. Guess I'll never know for sure.

Thanks for the thread! I love reliving those memories.

[Druggas]

For me, just riding down I-5 and seeing the Matterhorn from the freeway was a huge thrill! Or standing in Circle Vision and holding the handrail so as not to fall over while watching the film.

[Escapé]

Now this topic is one I will need a lot of help on. Having only been to Disneyland once, I do not have any memories of the things that were once at Disneyland and are no longer there.

Take the Sky Way, for instance. I know some people wish it were still there.

The Submarine is talked about a lot.

I recently read that you used to be able to fish on Tom Sawyer Island. Too bad they didn't think to make that "catch and release". It might still be there today.

Could you once ride a mule at Disneyland?

How about that funny flying saucer type ride?

I am sure MiceChatters have a lot of memories about past wonders at Disneyland. The great ones and the not so great ones.

Let's talk about the Past.

Well ... I'm fortunate to have grown up during the best years of Tomorrowland's "World On The Move" years .. and still (today) be on the young side of old ..........

Adventure Thru Inner Space
Peoplemover
Rocket Jets
America Sings
and even Mission To Mars all bring memories .....

... of a time when Tomorrowland was really HOPPIN' !

And more than that .... Even with America Sings patriotic Red, White, and Blue facade .. at least the land's overall look had a cohesive uniformity that looked great.

Today? It's a mess. It's Matt Oimmet's latest "2005 paint job" on top of the 1998 infrastructure of bronzes .. on top of the 1967 designs.

Well .. sorry for going off on a mini rant like that.

But I really miss the constant movement one could see all around Tomorrowland.

Here's a difference:

Two weeks ago .. I was watching the "Fab Four" singers at Coke Terrace.

Two decades ago ... standing on the dance floor .... you could see the towering Rocket Jets soaring above you to the right ... Peoplemover trains in constant loading/unloading in their station ..... Skyway buckets zooming even higher to the left ... heading toward the Matterhorn ...... and you could see the carousel theater (America Sings, or CoP) pick up some speed every 4 minutes when the show moved on to the next scene.

Today .... you see the same rotating section of the carousel theater LIMP at a constant slow speed .. and that's about it.

I hope that changes soon.

But I really loved the land .. and all those memories when there was some excellent kinetics.

[Casey]

Druggas, my sister and I would have competitions to see who could spot the Matterhorn first. SHE ALWAYS WON and still WINS!

When I was little I loved Adventure Through Inner Spce. The giant eye-ball looking through the microscope scared me!! I also loved eating in Tomorrowland and listening to the bands that came up from under the ground on that stage. I loved getting Rock Candy from one of the candy shops and having popcorn. (To this day, eating is one of my favorite things to do in the park) Loved The Jungle Cruise and The Tiki Room. They were two of my favorites. Most people loved Tomorrowland but I always liked Adventureland and New Orleans Square. Oh, and Fantasyland. What little girl doesn't? I do not remember the old Fantasyland. My sister remembers the Pirates Ship but I can't. I loved the weasel on America Sings, too!

When I was little I used to dream of staying at The Disneyland Hotel. I thought the people who got to stay there were special. We used to take day trips to the park or stay at The Howard Johnsons. When I was older I stayed at The Disneyland Hotel and after having to move to three rooms before I got one that didn't A) Smell like cigarettes smoke, B) smelled slightly of sewage, C) wasn't too close to the elevator and ice machine - my mom's request, I didn't really feel that special after all! LOL!

[Druggas]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

We've been fortunate enough to see DL at it's best! Sometimes being older is better!

[dizzydisneydee]

During my childhood, my family would go on a lot of trips to the different parks. Some of it blurs in the corners of my memory. But this is what I remember...

---when I first went on Adventures of Inner Space, I was scared because I "saw" my uncle go in and get smaller. I didn't know if he would get back to normal size. I couldn't stop crying and I spent the whole ride trying to find him and not step on him.

---when I was on the Skyway and the Peoplemover and it was a great spot to find your family who went their own way. We would end up yelling at them to meet us at a certain place from above. We even had our own special "call" (this was before cell phones and walkie-talkies were popular for big groups) to be able to hear and find the other groupings. Great spots to people and park watch.

---I remember watching my brother ride "these motorcycle like things go at fast speed".

Wow, I know I have more memories, if my brain decides to kick in, I'll post more.

[Athlonacon]

Another thing I remember clearly was going around Tom Sawyer's island on some boat, and seeing a cabin on fire with a guy in front who had an arrow in his back. For some reason I thought it was Abraham Lincoln, but I was only six so I got things mixed up pretty easily.

This is classic! Abraham Lincoln, lol. That's what I love about kids in Disneyland, they have this totally fresh take on Disneyland and get mixed up in attractions like that. I used to be scared to death of Adventures Through Inner Space, America Sings and all the rollercoasters at 6 year old.

Today I don't even think the cabin is burning anymore and they certainly haven't had the Indian (excuse me, Native American...argh) reference for a while because I remember as a kid in the 80's, it was already that he passed out (with a whiskey jug next to him, lol). Then after a few more years they explained that he just fell asleep and this aparently causes a cabin to randomly combust. All this PC crap is sickening, especially for Disney. I get confused at all these nonsense terms like "Native American" because anyone who's born here is a native American. Disney has become so dilluted when it comes to PC crap that they can't even blame a burning cabin and a dead settler on a group of hostile Indians, which actually did happen sometimes in the West. Not that I care that much, it's just that when they change something like that solely for the sake of political correctness, it really gets silly.