The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[Rich T]

The Sailing Ship Columbia makes Disneyland the greatest theme park in the world.

View attachment 794924

Yet somehow I've never been on it...

In the 65 years I’ve been going to DL, I think I’ve ridden Columbia maybe twice. Because, as much as I love looking at it… Given the choice between the Mark Twain and the Columbia, I’ll pick the Mark Twain every time. For one, the Mark Twain is actually propelled by its steam paddle wheel, while the Columbia sailing ship.. makes an outboard motor sound. And I usually only go around the river once per visit, so… there it is.

 

[Consumer]

In the 65 years I’ve been going to DL, I think I’ve ridden Columbia maybe twice. Because, as much as I love looking at it… Given the choice between the Mark Twain and the Columbia, I’ll pick the Mark Twain every time. For one, the Mark Twain is actually powered by its paddle wheel, while the Columbia sailing ship.. makes an outboard motor sound. And I usually only go around the river once per visit, so… there it is.

Same. I love the Rivers of America, and I adore looking up at the Columbia, but I always ride the Mark Twain. Maybe if they were to bring back its sails I would finally give it a go.

 

[PiratesMansion]

In the 65 years I’ve been going to DL, I think I’ve ridden Columbia maybe twice. Because, as much as I love looking at it… Given the choice between the Mark Twain and the Columbia, I’ll pick the Mark Twain every time. For one, the Mark Twain is actually propelled by its steam paddle wheel, while the Columbia sailing ship.. makes an outboard motor sound. And I usually only go around the river once per visit, so… there it is.

But, but...cannon!!

I also prefer the Mark Twain, partially because there's more shade, and because the museum part of Colombia has some low clearances and frankly would be easier to appreciate if the attraction wasn't actually operating (which is apparently how it used to be).

 

[Disney Analyst]

But, but...cannon!!

I also prefer the Mark Twain, partially because there's more shade, and because the museum part of Colombia has some low clearances and frankly would be easier to appreciate if the attraction wasn't actually operating (which is apparently how it used to be).

Yeah - it was so hot last week we opted for Mark Twain only.

 

[eddie104]

Sorry I'm not a grifter like that, as I don't deal in that type of sensationalism.

Thank you for being the only sane and reasonable poster on this side of the aisle.

Please stay true to who you are and provide the much needed balance over here because everybody posts like it’s the 1950s still.

 

[TP2000]

The Sailing Ship Columbia makes Disneyland the greatest theme park in the world.

View attachment 794924

Yet somehow I've never been on it...

It's one of those things that is purely from the Walt era. The Columbia is an attraction that truly is part of "the hard facts that created America" as Walt said in his dedication speech.

But as someone who grew up in the Northwest and went to schools who taught us who Captain Gray was and why the Columbia River has its name, I can't imagine most Californians know why that ship is there and why it is important. Much less a tourist from east of the Rockies. Especially now when you've got Gen Z who can't answer questions like the painful video below that has all of Beijing laughing their heads off, let alone what the importance of the Sailing Ship Columbia's first expedition in.... (scans memory banks from Miss Warber's history class many decades ago...) 1787 was for our country's expansion.



EDIT: I checked Google after I typed that above. Captain Gray left Boston harbor on the Sailing Ship Columbia's flagship exploration trip around the world in September, 1787. Miss Warber for the win!

 

[Consumer]

Thank you for being the only sane and reasonable poster on this side of the aisle.

Please stay true to who you are and provide the much needed balance over here because everybody posts like it’s the 1950s still.

They called it Happy Days for a reason.

 

[Communicora]

I just checked, the fun Kubicle Kidz over at the Parks Blog have put the whole "Halfway To The Holidays" thing to rest today. Apparently they don't celebrate Boxing Day there, and December 26th doesn't count as anything.

It's now just an article about Disney Cruise Line's new ship based out of Singapore. Kind of odd to put it there it would seem, but maybe they're going after the Australian and Crazy Rich Asian market?

View attachment 794886

They bought this ship from a cruise line when it was already 75% complete. I recall people were saying the layout was designed for the Asian market so it was likely where Disney would use it there as well.

 

[Rich T]

The 1950's vibe you get is because so many of us here, regardless of our age or generation, are naturally gracious and polite people who respect others and know Disneyland is a special place worth preserving, even if just in our memories. …

I too have very fond memories of early DL. But it wasn’t a completely perfect paradise, and if I went back in time, I probably wouldn’t be admitted with my Beatle-length haircut. Such a hippy!

Now I’m sitting here missing the giant magic 4-color pencils with the Dumbo head erasers.

And the flip books.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

They bought this ship from a cruise line when it was already 75% complete. I recall people were saying the layout was designed for the Asian market so it was likely where Disney would use it there as well.

My understanding is it was built as a casino ship for the Asian market. Slightly smaller rooms and gambling halls to pack in the gamblers? She's a big ship... I've only been on one cruise (booze cruise out of San Diego) on the Wonder and can't fathom wanting to be on a bigger boat.

 

[Parteecia]

Now I’m sitting here missing the giant magic 4-color pencils with the Dumbo head erasers.

And the flip books.

Those were exactly my favorite souvenirs when I was very young. Although it did take a while for lefthanded me to realize that my flip books were going in reverse.

 

[eddie104]

The 1950's vibe you get is because so many of us here, regardless of our age or generation, are naturally gracious and polite people who respect others and know Disneyland is a special place worth preserving, even if just in our memories.

Disneyland 1950"s:

Disneyland 2020's:

I really don’t understand the infatuation with that generation(1950s).

People tend to present that time period with rose colored glasses.

Change is good and necessary in a lot of ways.

Trying to cling to the past is not very healthy in the long run.

 

[Phroobar]

I really don’t understand the infatuation with that generation(1950s).

People tend to present that time period with rose colored glasses.

Change is good and necessary in a lot of ways.

Trying to cling to the past is not very healthy in the long run.

The 1980s were far superior. For sure. For sure.

 

[Disney Irish]

The 1980s were far superior. For sure. For sure.

Hey, late 80s early 90s was awesome!

 

[TP2000]

I really don’t understand the infatuation with that generation(1950s).

People tend to present that time period with rose colored glasses.

Change is good and necessary in a lot of ways.

Trying to cling to the past is not very healthy in the long run.

You're right. It wasn't all happiness and E Tickets and sunshine. There was Polio, grizzly automobile deaths without seatbelts, grizzly motorcycle crashes without helmets even on a perky Honda, rampant sexism in the workplace, racial bigotry still legally acceptable in many states, and homosexuals weren't even legal to exist period. The smog used to be so bad in SoCal from 1955 to 1985 that you couldn't even tell if the sky was blue on many summer and fall days; it was just a dullish bronze grey. Your lungs would have a dull ache walking around Disneyland by 2pm because of the smog.

Ironically, as the old cigarette ads used to say, we've come a long way, baby!

But when it comes to public decorum, and certainly the ability to wear attractive and flattering casual separates to a theme park, things have really gone downhill in the past 40 years.

Medically and legally and other ways, we've advanced.

Aesthetically and decorum-wise, we've crashed into the trash dumpster as a society in the past few decades.

*Judging by hairdos and hemlines, this is around 1963 or '64 instead of the 1950's. But I just liked this fun group in a Google search. That sassy Aunt in the middle in the pink capri pants was probably a hoot to hang out with!

 

[Rich T]

I really don’t understand the infatuation with that generation(1950s).

People tend to present that time period with rose colored glasses.

Change is good and necessary in a lot of ways.

Trying to cling to the past is not very healthy in the long run.

Every decade is important. The 1950’s brought massive changes to a world still rebuilding from the trauma of WW2.

Just on the entertainment front, television changed the world, rock and roll changed music, and a little place called Disneyland opened.

And the cars looked amaaaaaaaazing.

Change and growth are what life’s about, but there’s also a difference between clinging to the past and appreciating past strengths and accomplishments. Without those achievements, we wouldn’t have the freedoms and innovations of today.

It’s the never ending torch passing. Or, as Walt put it, “Here, Age relives fond memories of the past, and here Youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.”

I just wish, in the Disney Corporation’s case, the torch had been passed to someone with more creativity and a better understanding of what makes a good story.

 

[Phroobar]

I'm half way thru watching the original Stepford Wives on Creative Features on Youtube. Everyone's wife is the perfect 50s wife, submissive and beautiful. One of the guys that is in the men's club has a PHD and used to work for Disneyland. I wonder what he did?

 

[TP2000]

Every decade is important. The 1950’s brought massive changes to a world still rebuilding from the trauma of WW2.

Just on the entertainment front, television changed entertainment, rock and roll changed music, and a little place called Disneyland opened.

And the cars looked amaaaaaaaazing.

I'm biased generationally, but I always thought it was the early to mid 1960's that had the best looking cars. There were some from Chrysler's Forward Look cars in '57-'58 that were svelte and stylish, but most cars from 1950 to 1958 looked like chromed bathtubs on wheels. Pudgy and doughy, quite frankly, and the expensive makes just put more chrome on the pudge.

Only when you got to 1959 and 1960 did cars and fins really go wild, like this 1960 Dodge Matador coupe below; a mid-priced model for everyday Americans. Can you imagine pulling up to Disneyland in 1960 in this thing?!? My Dad had a series of Lincoln's in the 60's that were gorgeous. IMHO, of course.

Change and growth are what life’s about, but there’s also a difference between clinging to the past and appreciating past strengths and accomplishments. Without those achievements, we wouldn’t have the freedoms and innovations of today.

Thank you. I'm constantly baffled at the young folks today who belittle the past and its previous generations, but don't realize they are standing on the shoulders of giants who came before them and who built the rewards they have today.

It’s the never ending torch passing. Or, as Walt put it, “Here, Age relives fond memories of the past, and here Youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.”

I just wish, in the Disney Corporation’s case, the torch had been passed to someone with more creativity and a better understanding of what makes a good story.

The way Disney in particular has strayed and fallen the past few years has been really alarming. The change has been swift and yet rarely successful for them. Luckily, we seem to be seeing an adjustment, and a pendulum that is swinging back to the middle. I only fear it will be too little, too late for Disney specifically.

They still have work to do, and stuff like Tiana's Bayou Misadventure isn't helping.

 

[TP2000]

I'm half way thru watching the original Stepford Wives on Creative Features on Youtube. Everyone's wife is the perfect 50s wife, submissive and beautiful. One of the guys that is in the men's club has a PHD and used to work for Disneyland. I wonder what he did?

That was such a HUGE movie when it came out! As I remember, the guy in the Men's Club who was in charge of the lady robots was called "Diz" because it was alluded that he used to work for Disney. Of course, the whole thing is ridiculous, because in the 1970's they were just building singing chickens and alligators. How the heck could you have an autonomous robot that looked like a real human, let alone a lovely wife with... shall we say... special talents?

I mean, America Sings was fabulous in 1974. But this wasn't exactly on the level of building a Stepford Wife.

 

[Rich T]

I'm half way thru watching the original Stepford Wives on Creative Features on Youtube. Everyone's wife is the perfect 50s wife, submissive and beautiful. One of the guys that is in the men's club has a PHD and used to work for Disneyland. I wonder what he did?

Please let me know when you finish the movie, because I’d like to comment on it.