Disneyland’s theme is fantasy and nostalgia.
If you’ve stumbled upon this blog,you probably know that already.The more I think and visit that park,it always reaffirms that fact.Even historical lands like Main Street USA,Frontierland,and New Orleans Square are fantastical recreations of familiar places in America. New Orleans Square isn’t just a straight reproduction of a city block in New Orleans. It is an idealized slice of New Orleans,one that has a dark and mysterious feeling that pervades it,thanks to the ghostly events occurring in the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean,not to mention the voodoo priestess’s chants coming from her window.But,this article isn’t about New Orleans Square.It’s about one of the major repeating elements that occurs in every land in the park:Vehicles.
How many of you have stopped to think about how many rides based on a mode of transportation have been at Disneyland?The list is staggering:
- The Disneyland Railroad
- Main Street Omnibuses
- Main Street Horse and Buggies
- Main Street Firetrucks
- Jungle Cruise
- Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- The Columbia Sailing Ship
- Indian War/Davy Crockett Canoes
- Mike Fink Keelboats
- Raft to Tom Sawyer’s Island
- Pack Mules
- Conestoga Wagons’
- Stagecoaches
- Autopia
- Midget Autopia
- Junior Autopia
- Viewliner
- Submarine Voyage
- Phantom Boats
- Motor Boats
- The Skyway
- The Monorail
- Peoplemover
- Rocket Rods
Some of these rides are major visual elements,while some are more minor elements.Nonetheless,they all play an important role in creating a sense of nostalgic fantasy.
Lived Space
There are two kinds of theme park areas.There are the areas that attempt to look like they are lived spaces,spaces that has inhabitants just out of sight.Examples would include New Orleans Square and Main Street USA.The second kind of themed area is the the area that does not attempt to be a lived space,but more of a visualization of ideas and concepts.Examples would include Tomorrowland and EPCOT Center’s Future World.First,I will discuss these transportation rides in relation to the “Lived Space” lands of Disneyland,which is everything except Tomorrowland.Since,this is a more historically oriented blog,I will focus on the lands pre-1984,in the Golden Age of WED.
Main Street USA
The turn-of-the-century town of Main Street USA is bustling with vehicles.Main Street is supposed to exist during the turn of the century and the “town” is designed in such a way to reflect the “changing of the times”.One of the ways this is visualized is through the disjunction of an older way of doing things with the newer way of doing things.For example,on the actual “street” of Main Street,there are gas lamps lighting the way,but,in the Town Square,which is supposed to be the “newer” part of town,has electric lights.This disjunction is used with the vehicles as well.Newer vehicles,such as omnibuses,are scene traversing the same street as old horse and carriages.This helps suggest that the town is changing with the times.
Adventureland
Now Adventureland has one transportation-based ride,but it is,without exaggeration,the most important component to Adventureland.After all,in 1955,Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise were practically the same thing.Before guests climbed the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse or got serenaded in Tiki Room,the only thing to do in Adventureland was the Jungle River Cruise.Why is the Jungle Cruise so important?The answer is that it is the heart of Adventureland.One of the important things to remember about Disneyland is that it was designed for white,middle-class families.Places like Afrrica,Asia,and Polynesia were areas thought to be filled with danger and mystery.The Jungle Cruise takes us Americans on a tropical fantasy to the jungles of the world.The other important role the Jungle Cruise serves is to support Disneyland’s Adventureland is a jungle river outpost.If you look at the architecture for Disneyland’s Adventureland,it is clear that this is supposed to be a jungle river outpost where colonists have started to settle.The coming and going of the Jungle Cruise boats helps support this idea.
New Orleans Square
New Orleans Square is my favorite land at Disneyland.Not just because it hosts the Haunted Mansion,but because it invites you to walk around and it’s alleys,shops,and windows have the ability to really fire up your imagination. One of my earliest Disneyland memories is staring up at the voodoo priestess’s balcony with the masks and the chickens,I would always wonder what their meaning was.Now,I know,but it’s the kind of thing that adds to the mystique of New Orleans Square.Now,New Orleans Square is made up of three areas.There is the actual city block where the shops,restaurants,and Pirates of the Caribbean all are.There is the little park,with the fountain and the train station,and finally there is the old plantation,The Haunted Mansion,along with Fowler’s Harbor.It’s important to remember that Disneyland has grown in bursts.It’s one of the most charming parts of Disneyland,but it means that Disneyland doesn’t have the thematic transitions that the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World has.This also means that the Disneyland Railroad Station and the Mark Twain Riverboat predate New Orleans Square to even before it’s conception.Therefore,the benefit of the Railroad and Riverboat,in terms of atmosphere,isn’t so much planned design,as it is a happy accident.However,anybody who has dined at the French Cafe knows how amazing it is to see the old train coming into its station and see the grand Mark Twain meandering along the river knows how much atmosphere they add.The two vehicles also provide an important thematic job.Remember that New Orleans Square is supposed to be taking place in around 1869.The sight of those two steam-powered vehicles helps bring us back to old New Orleans.
Bear/Critter Country
Bear Country gets a lot of flack,but it was beautiful little corner of Disneyland,especially considering the entire reason for its existence was the Country Bear Jamboree. It was basically an extension of Frontierland. In fact,it was listed as a Frontierland attraction.However,this subland has many interesting details.In my opinion,one of the most amazing aspects of Bear Country was the trestle that passed over the land.That wooden structure with its fire buckets,not,only adds to the conceit that you are in a ravine,but to really make it feel like a rustic old mining town high in the Sierra Nevadas.The other transportation ride is the Davy Crocket Canoes,but this attaction adds to the atmosphere of the Rivers of America.
In part two,we will cover Frontierland,Fantasyland,and Tomorrowland.
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