The “World” According to Jack

After I published my blog about the demolition of the Tomorrowland Skyway Station, one of my readers wrote and asked me to write a blog about this defunct attraction. I don’t usually take requests for articles, but I felt that this was timely subject matter and decided to go for it.

The first Disney Skyway opened at Disneyland on June 23, 1956. Walt was so taken by this mode of transportation that he signed an agreement to purchase this attraction from the Von Roll, Ltd. Company without giving any consideration as to where this ride would be located in his park. But Walt thought of the Skyway as more than just a ride. He thought of it as another mode of transportation that could be used to carry people across large parking lots and shopping centers. He wanted to use Disneyland to showcase this idea.

There is a legend that says that part of Walt’s inspiration for Disney World came to him while riding the Disneyland Skyway. From the lofty height of sixty feet, he could see outside the park and onto the rush-hour traffic of the Santa Ana Freeway that skirted his property. He knew then that he needed more land so he could shield any future project from the outside world.

There were three Disney Skyways in total, the second opening at the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971 (opening day) and the third at Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 1983 (also on opening day). All three offered one-way rides between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The Magic Kingdom’s version had the distinction of being the only one that made a turn in the middle of the journey.

It is often reported, incorrectly, that the Magic Kingdom closed the Skyway due to the death of a custodial cast member working on the attraction. Although it is true that Raymond Barlow was accidentally killed while cleaning a narrow Skyway platform, this had nothing to do with the decision to shutter the ride. Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland had both closed their versions of this attraction before this death occurred. The decision to close all of the Skyways was strictly economical. These attractions were old and expensive to run and maintain. Also, they had low capacities. This made it harder and harder to justify on a “dollar spent per guest ride” basis. Combine this with the constant problem of teenagers spitting and throwing things on the guests below and it’s not hard to understand why Disney said “Enough.” The Magic Kingdom Skyway closed on November 9, 1999.

The Skyway was a perennial favorite of many people. Even though the line was often long, it was worth the wait once we were airborne and looking down on the many sights below. As you passed other gondolas, you would smile and wave to its passengers. And when you could see the terminus station come into view, you grew sad because you new your flight was almost over.

I have dug through my photo collection and pulled out my Skyway pictures. Please note, some of these pictures are old and of dubious quality. I have also included a video I took in October, 1986. It was shot using one of those old, large, “carry-on-your-shoulder” video cameras of the early 1980’s. For many years, this film sat deteriorating on VHS tape until I finally copied it to a DVD. When I electronically extracted it from the DVD so I could share it with you, I lost additional quality. So please forgive this video.

The Fantasyland Station had a Swiss chalet design and yodeling could often be heard in the queue. (1983)

Leaving the station. (1972)

Here we see the Columbia Harbour House. (1989)

The Mad Tea Party is the the lower left of the picture. (1972)

Cinderella's Golden Carousel is dead ahead. (1983)

Looking back at the Peter Pan attraction. (1989)

Down below is Pinocchio Village Haus. (1975)

Here is a very old Dumbo attraction -- before a major refurbishment. (1983)

An newer Dumbo and the 20,000 Leagues Lagoon. (1989)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea loading area. (1989)

The Nautilus. (1983)

Tomorrowland Terrace. (1972)

Tomorrowland Terrace and Cinderella Castle. (1972)

Grand Prix Raceway. (1975)

WEDway People Mover and Contemporary Hotel. (1983)

Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) and the Skyway. (1994-95)

Space Mountain and the Contemporary Hotel. (1975)

TTA and Astro Orbiter. (1994-95)

Tomorrowland Skyway Station. (1989)

Here's my video of the Skyway shot in October, 1986.

A handful of famous people have worked at Disneyland. John Lasseter (founder of Pixar) was a Jungle Cruise skipper. Steve Martin worked as a magician in the Main Street Magic Shop. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed Alice in Wonderland. Teri Garr was a parade dancer. And Bob Cummings, Art Linkletter, and Ronald Reagan are/were members of Club 55 since they worked at Disneyland on opening day (July 17, 1955) as guest personalities. But there is one other famous celebrity who had a more notorious stint as a cast member.

During the summer of 1967, Richard Carpenter performed at Disneyland with John Bettis as a banjo and piano duo. They played at Coke Corner on Main Street.

Being a time-specific land, they were instructed to play certain pieces from the early 1900’s. However, they were frequently asked by guests to perform more contemporary songs like “Somewhere My Love,” “Yesterday,” and “Light My Fire.” Being young and cocky, they ignored their directive and honored the guest’s requests. Talent supervisor Vic Guder spoke to them numerous times about straying from the approved song list, but his words had little effect on the duo. Eventually, they were fired.

Being young and not completely understanding how the supervisor-subordinate relationship works, they thought they had received a raw deal. To vent their frustration and outrage they collaborated on an “anti-establishment” song titled, Mr. Guder in honor of their Disneyland boss. The song was later recorded by Richard and his sister Karen and was released on the “Close to You” album in 1970.

In later years, Richard admits that perhaps he should have been satisfied with having a job and not behaving as he did.

Here are the words to the song. Something to keep in mind when reading them, the 1960’s represented a time of change. Non-conformity was rampant – except at Disneyland where cast members were expected to maintain the Disney look and attitude. Grooming standards were extremely strict then, more so than they are today.

Mr. Guder.
Say! Mr. Guder.
May I have a moment with you?
Because there is something I've got to say.
And please don't let it scare you away.

Mr. Guder.
Say! Mr. Guder.
I have seen you go through a day.
You're everything a robot lives for,
Walk in at nine and roll out the door at five.

(*) You reflect the company image.
You maintain their rules to live by,
Shine your shoes let's keep a neat haircut,
Now that you're wearing a coat and tie.

Mr. Guder.
Say! Mr. Guder.
Some day soon may realize,
You spend your life just playing a game,
Where no ones wins but everyone stays the same.

Repeat (*)

Mr. Guder.
Say! Mr. Guder.
Some day soon may realize,
You spend your life just playing a game,
Where no ones wins but everyone stays the same.
The sa-a-a-me.

Please!
Play your game!
Stay the same.

In early 1971, I purchased the above booklet – a “Preview Edition” of Walt Disney World. Within its 21 pages were dozens of artist’s renderings of this fantastic resort that was under construction in Florida. I took it home and read it cover to cover, twice. The booklet briefly described each of the lands within the Magic Kingdom and the two new hotels being built. It talked about the Mickey Mouse Review and Country Bear Jamboree, both unheard of attractions at Disneyland. It described recreational activities like golf, waterskiing, and sail boating, also unheard of activities at Disneyland. The booklet closed with a discussion of Epcot, the city, not the theme park – a community that was to one day have a population of 20,000.

Another topic discussed was Disney’s Five Year Plan for the property and the three hotels that would soon follow the Polynesian and Contemporary. These were the Asian and Venetian resorts which would sit on the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Persian that would be located on Bay Lake.

For a number of years, the following picture (minus the animation) hung in every room at the Contemporary Resort. Here you can see all of the existing and planned hotels plus the Ft. Wilderness Campgound. Also notice, there is no Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, or Pirates of the Caribbean in the Magic Kingdom.

Let’s start with the Asian Resort. Slated to open in 1974, this Thailand-inspired hotel was to have 600 rooms, including 50 suites that would exhibit a royal décor. A lounge and theme restaurant would be found within the resort’s 160-foot center tower and provide dancing and stage-shows, in much the same way as the Contemporary’s “Top of the World.” This resort was also to have its own monorail station.

Here are three artist’s renderings.

The Asian Hotel was to sit where the Grand Floridian now resides. In this next picture, you can see a square plot of land jutting into the Seven Seas Lagoon. The resort was part of Walt Disney World’s master plan and was incorporated into the original design.

When construction began on the Grand Floridian, a portion of this land needed to be reconfigured to accommodate the new hotel.

The Venetian Resort was to sit in-between the Transportation & Ticket Center and the Contemporary Resort. Plans called for a “City of Canals” that would offer unique shopping opportunities as guests traveled by gondola under ornate bridges to various sections of the resort. Reminiscent of St. Mark’s Square, a 120-foot campanile would be the hotel’s icon. This resort would also have its own monorail station.

Here are two artist’s renderings of the Venetian Resort and an aerial view of its proposed location.

After the Grand Floridian’s success, Michael Eisner wanted to build an even more luxurious resort. The plans for the Venetian were given a second look and eventually discarded for a Mediterranean Resort that would be themed after a small Greek island. The land was cleared where the Venetian was to stand, but it was soon discovered that this area was unstable and would require pylons deeper than those used on Spaceship Earth to support the hotel. Because of this, cost estimates skyrocketed and plans were dropped. Eventually the land was replanted with trees and now can be seen as a lush forest as you travel past on the monorail.

The Persian Resort was to sit north of the Contemporary and to the east of the Magic Kingdom on Bay Lake. Some renderings show a spur from the monorail reaching this hotel while others display a second loop that traveled through Tomorrowland. You can see this loop on the picture below. To see the spur, look at the above Contemporary Resort “property” map.

The Persian Resort was to have a 24-foot dome atop a central building that would act as the entrance to the hotel and house a restaurant, shops, and meeting facilities. The guest rooms would radiate from this building in a circular design. Here are two artist’s renderings.

None of the resorts ever materialized for a number of reasons, but the main culprit was the 1973 oil embargo. Tourism dropped off significantly during this time and three more deluxe resorts were not needed.

The third resort to be built at Disney World ended up being the Golf Resort and opened in December 1973. It was later renamed The Disney Inn (1986) to give the resort a broader appeal. In February, 1994, this resort was leased to the U.S. Government for military personnel and the name changed to Shades of Green. The government purchased the resort outright in 1996.

I’ve had a number of requests to post more pictures of the early years of Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, I’ve already blogged any that show a difference between then and now. So last night I dug through some of the Disneyana I’ve collected over the years. I’m hoping these scraps might help appease the voracious appetite you all have for things Disney.

As many of you know, I worked at Disneyland from 1971 to 1980. During this time, cast members were given lots of free tickets to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This first ticket is one such item. In the early years, transportation from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom was not free. It required a separate ticket. If you notice, the price was $1.50. Also notice, "Motor Trams" were one of the options.

Attached to this Transportation ticket was an admission ticket to the Magic Kingdom. It has no date printed on it, so I can’t pinpoint a time, but the cost of entry was $2.25.

I know your first thought is this is incredibly cheap. But you have to remember, all this ticket did was grant you admission into the park. If you wanted to ride on something, you needed an A thru E ticket. Unfortunately, I don’t have any of these tickets for Disney World, but I do have a complementary ticket book that contained five multi-use tickets.

These tickets were not designated A thru E. Each ticket was good on ANY attraction in the Magic Kingdom. In other words, all of them were “E” tickets. Believe me, this was like gold back in the early years.

On the inside, back cover of the ticket book was a list of all the rides and attractions of the day.

This next bit of memorabilia centers around bus transportation. Dated 1989, this handout informed guests how to read the color coded pennants displayed on the front of each bus. Each destination had its own color or design. This was a complicated system that thankfully, didn’t last too long.

In later years, Disney started handing out elaborate sheets with a grid. First you would determine your current location from the left side of the sheet. Then you would search for your ultimate destination across the top of the page. Where the two lines intersected gave you what modes of transportation were needed to get you there. Once again, this sheet does not have a date on it, but on the reverse side it notes the Coronado Springs as a future project, opening in 1997. So I’m guessing this was 1995 or 1996.

Sorry, in order to fit this into the webpage, I had to shrink it beyond readability. The actual size was 15”x11”. But I think you can get the idea of its use.

For a very comprehensive Step Back in Time regarding Walt Disney World tickets, see Jack Marshall's Ticket History pages on AllEars!

This is my last set of January, 1972 pictures. I do have others, but they are of things that have changed very little over the years, such as Main Street and portions of Fantasyland, and really aren’t of any historical interest. Enjoy!

This first picture is of the Haunted Mansion. The first interesting detail is the lack of trees. Although you can’t see it in this picture, in the early years, the building that actually houses the attraction was visible from inside the park. Also notice that the queue doesn’t have an awning over it. Remember, Walt Disney World was designed by people who lived in California. They hadn’t yet learned that the sun is brutal in Florida, as are the rainstorms.

This next picture was taken from the Skyway of the Mad Tea Party. Notice that the teacups do not yet have a roof overhead. Same California designers.

The third picture is of the “Pearly Band.” These entertainers were a regular fixture at Disneyland and then the Magic Kingdom after Mary Poppins debuted. If you remember, a “pearly band” played in the animated portion of the movie. I can’t remember the last time I saw this group. They are playing in front of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland, the current home of the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction.

This fourth picture, also taken from the Skyway, is of Tomorrowland under construction. The Carousel of Progress would eventually be built here. Like Disneyland in 1955, when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Tomorrowland was just a shell of what it would finally become.

I took this final picture of a popcorn vendor because of the costume he was wearing. I had never seen this outfit as the Disneyland vendors wore different apparel. Eventually, this look would find its way to California. Like the pearly band, this costume is now just a memory.

Also notice the spires that marked the entrance to Tomorrowland. The design called for columns of water to cascade from these towers. However, even a slight breeze would send droplets all over the walkway and they were often turned off to save giving the guests a shower.

Here we go again, another set of pictures taken in January, 1972.

These first two pictures were taken of the Indy Speedway from the Skyway. In the first picture, look to the left and you can see the 20,000 Leagues building. And if you look toward the back of the picture, you can see the monorail and steam train roundhouse.

In this next picture, look toward the center. You can see the monorail spur that runs to the roundhouse. Also notice the construction trailers. A lot of work was still underway in those early months. And the lack of landscaping was apparent everywhere.

This picture was taken from the steam train looking over vacant land. This land would one day be occupied by Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain.

This picture was also taken from the steam train, a little further down the tracks. Notice the “Cabin on Fire” on Tom Sawyer Island. Construction had not even begun on the guest portions of the island, but Disney made sure there was something to see while riding the Joe Fowler steamboat – not much, but something.

This final picture was taken from the Skyway in Fantasyland, looking across an unfinished Tom Sawyer Island. You can see the steam train in the background.

Last time I posted old pictures of WDW I received numerous emails requesting more. So here goes. Once again, all of these pictures were taken in January 1972, just a little more than three months after the “World” opened.

These first two pictures are of topiary as seen while driving from the Main Entrance toward the Contemporary Resort. An interesting note… These were fake – made out of plastic. I’m not sure exactly why. Perhaps they were an afterthought and Disney didn’t have time to sculpt real plants before opening. Or maybe they didn’t have sprinklers out this far yet. Whatever the reason, I was a little disappointed to see fakes since I was used to seeing the real thing at Disneyland.

This next picture is of more plastic topiary. The Magic Kingdom bus loading area now occupies this space.

The newly opened Polynesian Resort, as seen from the monorail, is pictured here. The ferry landing is in the foreground. Notice the Poly was much smaller then. The two additions were still years away.

And this next picture was also taken from the monorail looking back across land that would eventually become an expanded Polynesian Resort.

This final picture was taken looking north from the Contemporary. Notice the utilities plant. It was an eyesore back then but is now hidden behind trees.

A couple of months ago, I published some old pictures I had taken at Walt Disney World. I received several letters asking that I publish more, so here goes. All of these were taken in January, 1972, just a little over three months after Disney World opened.

The first picture is of the Toll Plaza. Notice it says “Parking Entrance.” It doesn’t even say “Walt Disney World” yet.

This next photo is of the Contemporary Resort taken from the Skyway in Tomorrowland. Notice the lack of vegetation. Also, notice the crane. By this date, all of the modular rooms had been hoisted into place, but the suites, which were NOT modular, were still under construction.

This third picture is of a room in the Contemporary. So this is what the Imagineers thought the future would look like during their planning sessions in the late 60’s.

This next shot was taken from inside the Contemporary, looking south from the middle of the building. Notice how this area hasn’t yet been expanded out beyond the windows which would eventually become Chef Mickey’s. Also notice the orange and yellow plastic trees.

And finally, this last picture was taken from one of the balcony rooms of the Contemporary looking west. Once again, notice the lack of vegetation and a missing Grand Floridian Resort.

By the way, a Tower Room in the Contemporary cost $35 per night back then!