No, the devil isn't symbolic. I didn't do any mischief at Disneyland. I just like the way the red sculpture looks against the Disneyland map. It's a figure from Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland.
The day actually began placidly at a friend's house where we all assembled for the trip. You won't see those friends here because they never allow me to take their pictures. They think I add double chins.
At the park we started with a double decker bus trip down Main Street. From up here you get a good view of the rooftops.
I never noticed it before but lots of them are Post Modern simplifications of traditional tops. Here's (above) a classic French roof. Er...you don't suppose that Post Modern styling actually began in the 50s with these Disneyland shops do you? Naw, it couldn't be...
...but if it is, you heard it first here on Theory Corner!
Here's (above) a French roof railing adapted to a Midwestern American top. Am I imagining it or is there also a Canadian North Coast Indian influence on that roof?
For comparison here's (above) a North Coast roof decoration from elsewhere in the park.
And here's (above) a modification of what looks like...believe it or not...a Chinese roof. Wow! What an interesting mixture of styles!
Fantasyland roofs appear to be a combination of French and Central European styles. Elsewhere in the world beautiful rooftops are wasted on high buildings where you'd need an airplane to see them. Disneyland wisely brings them down, close to the ground.
Here's a German/Swiss roof topped by a weather vane of the crocodile from "Peter Pan."
Here's (above) a detail from the Snow White ride. The Baroque twisted pillars remind me of the castle in the film, "Horror of Dracula."
Wow! You could do a whole book on the wrought iron (above) at Disneyland.
This (above) is a view from the Small World ride. Most of my SW pictures were too blurred to show here. The camera just couldn't make the low light adjustments fast enough on a moving boat. This is the only photo that came out okay.
I'm guessing that this white drape might be cheesecloth dipped in liquid plaster. I used to make Halloween decorations that way.
I love the way the park (above) is designed to reveal different layers of reality wherever you look.
The designers somehow managed to make crowds interesting. It's a people watcher's dream.
This display (above) makes me want to try colored lights on my own shelves at home.
Nice, easy-to-do detailing on that pillar (above).
This type of open-front shop (above) isn't unique to Disneyland but it's nice to be reminded of how effective it is. It invites you in. The multiple proscenium dotted with bright lights is a real grabber at night. This store dominates this part of Main Street, even though it's only an arcade for showing penny hand-cranked films.
I'm tempted to speculate that if they were selling something there they'd clean up, but most places I've seen with fronts like this don't do serious selling inside. That happens in adjacent stores. I guess you have to give something away cheap to create an atmosphere of fun.
No trip to Disneyland is complete without a trip to the pirate store. I don't have to worry about being tempted to buy pirate hats...nothing ever fits my big head.
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4 comments:
Wow! It must take several trips to really appreciate the design and artwork in Disneyland. I never noticed all this great stuff! And I need a pirate hat.
I love the Disney parks, particularly for their quality of craftsmanship. With so much glorious design and attention to detail, it’s easy to get overloaded, and why repeat visits are necessary. The parks are an architect’s heaven and have influences from different historical times and styles from around the world. Then, there’s the pure fun of the rides and the ingenuity that makes them up. I am in love with that devil sculpture from “Toads Wild Ride” you opened this piece with. The way the thick and the thin black lines define the mouth and eyes are so aesthetically pleasing, and the overall posing, just knocks me out! Is it from the actual ride? I heard they were taking it down and putting something else in its place.
Joel: They're taking down the Mr. Toad ride!??? But that's one of the best rides in the park!
Ibcf: Yeah, you can't see it all in only a day. You need to devote a whole day just to study the architecture and, come to think of it, a day is inadequate even for that.
"Fortunately, the reports of the death of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland were greatly exaggerated." That's a quote I found from this site:
http://www.yesterland.com/mrtoad.html
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