Greetings, Jungle fans, Disneylanders, Adventurers and Adventurettes! Today's episode features an exclusive behind the scenes look at---the backside of Main Street! You can't get this kind of riveting entertainment just anywhere, folks. Nope, only here at Jungle Is "101."So let's get started, shall we?
The photograph above shows you a rare glimpse "back stage" behind the West Side of Main Street U.S.A., looking north toward the back side of the Plaza Pavilion/Aladdin's Oasis/Tiki Room building. To the left side of the photograph is the storage area for the Jungle Cruise boats when they are not "on line" cruising the Jungle. You can see one of the smokestacks of a Jungle boat if you look carefully into the opening below the large, green storage structure on the left. And I believe you will get a sense as to how your Jungle boat stays on course if you look closely at the wheeled guides on the left in the foreground. By the way, if you were to climb up and over the structures to your left, you would find yourself in the vicinity of the headhunters' village scene of the Jungle Cruise. Cast members in this back stage area get to enjoy the incessant chanting of the natives throughout their work day.
The right side of the photo shows the rear of the Main Street shops, including Cast Member lockers---where we stored our backpacks and stuff during our arduous shifts. At the far end of the photograph, you can see the construction of the kitchen area of the Plaza Pavilion. This is a loading dock located there, where food and other supplies will be delivered. The opening you see is for the main doors that will lead to the kitchen/food preparation area.
In fact, why don't we zoom in for a closer look. In the photo above you can see the back "porch" or loading dock for the Pavilion food service facility. The steel framed structure looks like it will be a second-story porch or storage area of some sort. The plastic covered doorway will also lead to the food preparation area.
Moving around to the front of the Plaza Pavilion, we see a photograph from about 10 days ago showing the status of the rehab work. Keep the paint spreading! This area has always been one of my favorites. It is always shady and cool. It's also a great place to enjoy a Coke Corner hot dog and catch a parade.
The photograph above gives you another view of what is going on behind the construction wall. It looks like the rehab is on schedule folks, so we'll be enjoying the Pavilion again soon.These backstage areas are regularly opened to guests as part of a crowd "overflow" traffic device. Guests are actually led down the walkway depicted in the photograph as another means of getting people out of the Park. You may have walked through here yourself as a guest if you ever ended up in such a traffic diversion.
Stay tuned for more Disneyland updates. I promise we will continue with our simple trip plans for simple-minded guests soon!
--Mike
5 comments:
Very interesting look at backstage. I'm surprised more backstage photos haven't reached the internet.
Disney used to be so careful that the backstage was completely invisible to guests. As a kid, I was always fascinated with the backstage areas and used to go hunting for views (like turning around and looking backwards on the train etc. hoping to see something)
Today, it's quite different. For all the promo-talk about "magic", Disney doesn't seem to have a problem spoiling the illusion by not bothering to hide the working areas of the Park.
The service corridor between Main Street and Adventureland shown in your photo is now opened on very crowded days as a traffic by-pass. I understand that it has even turned up on "behind the scenes" tours of the park. For an extra fee of course.
... and don't get me started on the view you now get from the Monorail. I'm all grown up now and there's no thrill in it to see DCA's "enchanted dumpsters" and the mysterious "forest of HVAC heat exchangers". Honest-to-God, I didn't pay to to see the back sides of an industrial park.
When did "Bad Show" become a good thing?
Katella Gate, I agree completely. The shots I share are of the area that indeed is used as a pedestrian traffic bypass. Disney made some half-hearted efforts to "disguise" the back area here with some roll down screens and covers. Nice. DCA and the view from the Monorail is sickening. Did someone completely lose their mind during the design phase? Poor Walt is spinning somewhere.
Photos of "backstage" in all Disney Parks is strictly forbidden.
It is said that "castmembers" sign a specific clause in their contract that prohibits them from taking pics/video recs "backtsage".
How you managed you get your hands on these pics is beyond me. But congrats! You've broken the spell showing us how the 'real' magic is made! cheers a million times over.
I've always been facinated by what goes on behind the scenes at Disney myself. I'm most curious about what a day working at Disney entails. Where do the cast members break and eat?
Hey Mike, why don't you describe the smell you'd get in the first shot!
Post a Comment