This past Wednesday, the Disneyland Hotel completed the new FRONTIER (land) Tower. In it's lobby is a nice 1/4"= 1' scale model of Big Thunder Mountain RR. Continuing the Frontierland theme right into the restrooms is ATTRACTION POSTER WALLPAPER!!!
This isn't the first time I've seen attraction poster wallpaper however. Wally Boag's daughter's boyfriend showed me some pictures of a spare bathroom Wally Boag and he wallpapered with REAL 1950's/60's attraction posters! (yes--I cringed too!) They trimmed posters up and collaged them together creating what I though would be the only use of Disneyland attraction poster wallpaper --until a few days ago.
If you started to cry at the thought of real attraction posters being cut up for a 1970's home-improvement project, then you probably don't want to hear this: The Disneyland staff shop used to take attraction posters for rides that were no longer existing and tear sections from them so that sawdust and scraps could be swept into the torn sections like a dust pan!!! Thank GOD Disneyland was thinking green and recycling back then!! What else do you do with stacks and stacks of unusable poster for Flying Saucers, Space Station X-1, Casa De Fritos, Carousel of Progress, Rocket to the Moon, Nature's Wonderland,Tahitian Terrace, Rainbow Caverns etc...........Well, you can do what the Disneyland paint shop did: use old attraction posters as paint drip cloths or masking off things. Yup. Is everyone cringing again?
Well, one more attraction poster cringe: The Disney Attraction Poster Book by Disney Editions.........has had it's delivery date pushed to Spring of 2012!
"Torn into sections like a dust pan!" Amazing, but understandable. Who would of known back then just what these things would mean to folks today?
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the stories of employees playing "slip and slide" on piles of cels at the studio back in the old days! I had heard about Wally Boag's bathroom from a collector, and wish I could see it for myself, even though I would be weeping at the same time. From what I've heard, many of the posters that survive today were "appropriated" from wherever they were being stored so that they would not get thrown out.
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck, wonder why the book is taking so long? I imagine that it's mostly pages of (hopefully extra nice) pictures, and light text.
Darn it...I just got back from the parks and I had gone over to the hotel to check out the new restaurant and water slides, but I didn't think to go in any of the towers. Oh well...next time!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder my friends who visited the park recently experienced strange and confused looks from cast members when inquiring about the poster book! Hey Mike, any reason for the long delay?
ReplyDeleteHI All. The book has been delayed due to several factors. Mainly because the original posters have taken longer than expected to be re-scanned and digitally cleaned. They look beautiful though and will be seen with their original colors for the first time since the original silk screened posters were displayed in the Park!
ReplyDeleteSo yes, there will be many pages of super extra nice pictures!
Haven't seen an attraction poster wallpaper yet. I wonder when will I be able to make it to Disneyland and see one wallpaper. XD
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Grace | labor law posters
Well, Disney's treatment of old attraction posters didn't result in solely unhappy endings. My brother was an Imagineer around 1980, working on models for World Showcase. He chanced to find a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea poster in the process of being thrown away. He snagged it and got that sucker home!
ReplyDeleteMaybe there is an unhappy ending: He never really got around to hanging it and sold it on eBay after years and years. Oh well, somebody's got that thing hanging...