Originally Posted By mstaft I just scanned in and added to my blog a cool period piece from 1957. This graphic shows the placement of all the exhibits and such and includes some nifty little aimges of the landmarks. Thought you'd like to see it! www.insightsandsounds.blogspot.com
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Nice. It's interesting to see exactly where the exhibits actually were in relation to each other. What the heck was International Land? I've never heard anything about it.
Originally Posted By Ursula (psssssst, don't tell Inspector 57, but there is a 57 in the title of this thread) I think that International Land was one of many places that were thought about and not executed. (of course not until WDW was built, hello Epcot!)
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I think it's kind of funny how some of the ride are labeled. Tomorrowland Boats stands out as being particularly uninspired, especially since everybody these days calls them the Phantom Boats-a much cooler name. I never really knew how all those early exhibits were layed out, so this is really cool to see how everything fits together.
Originally Posted By jonvn International Street was where the parade float area behind main street is now. It was going to be that, or liberty street, or edison square at different times. The fence right there, where the parade goes into next to the hat shop (used to be a music store there) is actually from day one of the park's existence. You used to be able to look into little holes in the fence there and see small dioramas of what would be built in the coming years in that location. International street was going to be interesting in that if you looked at the buildings in one direction, they would appear as if they were from one country, if you looked at them from the other way, it'd look like another country. This never was built, of course, and the whole idea of multiple country facades was later put into Epcot.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt The way I understand it is that they were The Tomorrowland Boats for a brief time until they were renamed The Phantom Boats the same year DL opened. The attraction closed sometime between 1955 and '56 and reopened in a nearby location as the Motor Boat Cruise in 1957. Of course this time line doesn't jive with the 1957 guidebook map as shown by the original poster. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable that I am could shed some light on this.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "International Street was where the parade float area behind main street is now." Yes, but on the map it shows International Land in the area that is now the Fantasyland side of the Autopia.
Originally Posted By jonvn Oh, I see. That was the area that they originally wanted to put Liliputianland in. It would be miniatures of international areas. There would be small figures in the area and they'd smile and wave. That morphed into Storybookland. Then around the time of this book, International street was being developed. It was going behind Main Street, and was announced to be open in 1958. But then they changed plans, and announced Liberty Square instead, for 1959. My guess as to what happened then is that they said, OK, we'll do both. Put International street over here, and call it a land. It would have been one of the spokes on the hub. The hub was actually designed with more spokes on it than were used. One spoke that is unused is between main street and TL, another between TL and FL, and one between FL and Frontierland. This would have been the spoke that now has the matterhorn sitting on top of it. Also, in my copy of the 1955 guidebook, they called the Phantom Boats the "Speed Boat Rides." You can see it in the index here: <a href="http://76.14.27.145/disney/1955Guidebook/Guidebook12.htm" target="_blank">http://76.14.27.145/disney/195 5Guidebook/Guidebook12.htm</a>
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt The Tomorrowland Boats had more names than Toy Story Midway Mania.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Come to think of it wasn't Storybook Land Canal Boats originally called Canal Boats of the World? "Then around the time of this book, International street was being developed. It was going behind Main Street, and was announced to be open in 1958. But then they changed plans, and announced Liberty Square instead, for 1959." I have a map that shows that this area was planned to be Edison Square, which eventually became Carousel of Progress. Was that in the 60's?
Originally Posted By jonvn Yes, it was called that. Edison Square came after Liberty Square, and morphed into Carousel of Progress. The area that they kept wanting to develop has morphed into a parking lot.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I like how the 1955 guide book features "Paint-'The Dutch Boy Color Clock'-National Lead Company". Those were the days, when no one thought twice about having the lead company sponsor the paint exhibit! : )
Originally Posted By ArchtMig Actually, the paints in those days had lots of lead in them. Not surprising that the paint companies were linked to lead companies.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig Hazardous removal of old lead paint is now the new asbestos-like hot button issue of the day. It has to be chemically stripped by licensed removal specialists and the drippings have to be contained and bagged, tagged, registered, and hauled away as toxic waste.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig Looking at jonvn's page scan reminded me of something I would eventually like to scan and add to his site. The first newspaper advertising supplement for Disneyland was a multi-page insert that came out in the LA Times the week before the park opened. It mentioned one of the first characters in the park, if you can call him that... KAP, the Kaiser Aluminum Pig! KAP was part of the Kaiser Aluminum Hall of Fame. I'm pretty sure the character was invented as a play on words to an actual aluminum "pig", which I think is a billet of aluminum before it is made into the final aluminum products or extrusions. Anyway, KAP was there at the park, and there is a picture of him in this promotional newspaper supplement. Similar era as when the Frito Kid was a part the Mexican restaurant in Frontierland. People get all bent out of shape when corporate sponsorships bring in their identity and brand into the park (ie, McDonald's), but they have been there since day one. Corporate tie-ins are not bad, just their implementation sometimes.
Originally Posted By jonvn I think if the corporte tie in makes sense, it's actually much better than without it. Like, Dole with the Tiki Room. But when they don't really have a tie in to the show, like ATT with Indy, then it looks like a wedged in ad, and it is jarring and poor.
Originally Posted By patrickegan Whatta do ya mean, finding a payphone is right up there with finding the grail!;-)
Originally Posted By boydisney How 'bout University of Phoenix Staduim for the football field here in AZ...YUCK!!! But I must agree, DOLE for Tiki Room, Ortega for Rancho, Coca-Cola Corner...all work great. But there are a few like the afore mentioned AT&T that stick out and are quite tacky. Is Star Tours still Energizer? Lame. I did enjoy that old map of TL, way cool!
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove boydisney, ya got that right...University of Phoenix stadium in GLENDALE, AZ! And while we're at it, bring back "B.O.B" (although Chase Field is not bad...kinda cute actually) Ex-lax for Splash? (Sorry, I'm giggly and overly tired
