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View Full Version : New Orleans Square - Sails in the rooftop?



RemainSeatedPlease
04-24-2005, 12:44 AM
Hm, I never noticed before..but there are sails sticking out of a rooftop in NewOrleans. Have they always been there..any info on them?

A Pic from one direction (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69827267@N00/10630811/)

Pic from the other side (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69827267@N00/10630810/)

Viva La Disney
04-24-2005, 12:58 AM
Yeah,I noticed these to. :confused:

Vegitabeta
04-24-2005, 01:17 AM
Maybe someone is just hiding a ship there?

Disneyfreak
04-24-2005, 01:25 AM
Yes they have always been there.

bradk
04-24-2005, 02:08 AM
according to kevin yee's and david koenig's books, the sails were added in 1994 to cover lighting used in 'the lights fantastic.' the sails also serve a couple of other purposes: first, the concept painting of New Orleans Square by Herb Ryman actually featured the sails (http://homepage.mac.com/wlwesq/Imagineering/nosquare.jpg) and second, they serve the purpose of convincing people that NOS/the park are even larger than they are.

AaronInCal
04-24-2005, 06:10 AM
according to kevin yee's and david koenig's books, the sails were added in 1994 to cover lighting used in 'the lights fantastic.' the sails also serve a couple of other purposes: first, the concept painting of New Orleans Square by Herb Ryman actually featured the sails (http://homepage.mac.com/wlwesq/Imagineering/nosquare.jpg) and second, they serve the purpose of convincing people that NOS/the park are even larger than they are.

Yes, they are to make New Orleans Square seem more realistic. I have never been to New Orleans, but apparently since the actual city is below sea level, a lot of times you can see the sails of the ships (at least back in the old days) over top the buildings from within the city as the ships sailed past on the Mississippi River. So it made sense to add those sails, even if their main purpose was to hide spot lights! :D

Opus1guy
04-24-2005, 08:17 AM
according to kevin yee's and david koenig's books, the sails were added in 1994 to cover lighting used in 'the lights fantastic.' the sails also serve a couple of other purposes: first, the concept painting of New Orleans Square by Herb Ryman actually featured the sails (http://homepage.mac.com/wlwesq/Imag...ng/nosquare.jpg) and second, they serve the purpose of convincing people that NOS/the park are even larger than they are.

I can't confirm the "lights fantastic" part, but I recall very specifically back when former Imagineer Eddie Sotto had a small ongoing discretionary budget for punching-up little things in the Park (and he may have even pinched a few bucks from the Adventureland re-hab too ;))...that he very much wanted to fulfill Herbie's original concept of placing fake sails on the back roofs of New Orleans Square, in order to give the perception of greater size and the illusion that there was a body of water behind there. The sails were cut from the original building of New Orleans Square in the 1960's, for budgetary reasons.

Can't recall the year specifically, but 1994 sounds about right for when NOS finally got it's sails.

sdfilmcritic
04-24-2005, 09:22 AM
I noticed those sails years ago. They are best viewed from Tom Sawyer's Island.

sunfun94
04-24-2005, 10:30 AM
apparently not only to cover the lights but as well as to add realism by forcing perspective that a ship is in the distance passing by...

Disney Vault
04-24-2005, 11:17 AM
You've got to love all the detail around the parks. They seem to think of everything.

SCUBAbe
04-24-2005, 11:23 AM
OMG I ahve never noticed those. I really need to be more observant when I'm there...LOL

HorizonsA
04-24-2005, 11:36 AM
I always thought the ship was there for Pirates of the Caribbean, since it is practically over the building where the Pirates are.

Drince88
04-24-2005, 12:21 PM
I always thought the ship was there for Pirates of the Caribbean, since it is practically over the building where the Pirates are.
Well, since there's Laffite's Landing in Pirates - and he helped Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans defeat the British - sounds like a connection to me!

MrsG
04-24-2005, 01:30 PM
-- derail --
I love your photos with Tigger, RSP! (sorry, I peaked at the rest of the pictures :eek: ) I had to buy that Tigger last time I was in the park, but never thought of the picture thing - very cute. And I will have to take a picture of my orange tabby on my lap while I'm trying to also have my iBook on my lap.

figmentspark
04-24-2005, 02:54 PM
I may be wrong on this but I heard that the sails are also part of the Haunted Mansion storyline. They are supposed to be the sails of the ship that the pirate who owned the Mansion sailed.
But don't quote me on that. :)

RemainSeatedPlease
04-24-2005, 03:26 PM
Cool you guys! thanks for all the intresting input!..I do love to seeing things I never noticed before (which can be very rare)...

MrsG: it's alright you peeked at the other pics...lol, they're for being looked at, it's my internet upload for pics! ..aww and u have a kitty catty that fights for lap space too! ..cool :D

h_lehmann
04-24-2005, 04:25 PM
The sails were gone for a while during the last year or so; I'm glad that they're back (assuming your pictures are recent). They're visible from Tom Sawyers Island as well as from the upper levels of Tarzan's tree house. To me those sails have always been one of the the best examples of the detailing that goes into Disneyland; it adds so much to the theming of the park, even if you have to really look to find it. (Sort of the like the mazuzza on Main Street, or the wicked queen peeking out of her window in the castle)

sdfilmcritic
04-24-2005, 04:42 PM
I may be wrong on this but I heard that the sails are also part of the Haunted Mansion storyline. They are supposed to be the sails of the ship that the pirate who owned the Mansion sailed.
But don't quote me on that. :)That would be correct. But there are so many loose ended storylines for HM, but the one about the navy man is the strongest story there is. Hence the naval themed wind thingy on top of the house.

sunfun94
04-24-2005, 08:49 PM
but the one about the navy man is the strongest story there is. Hence the naval themed wind thingy on top of the house.


Ohhh, would you please elaborate on this? I have never heard that story before!! :)

RemainSeatedPlease
04-24-2005, 08:56 PM
I do love all the HM stories...is there a thread on them somewhere...*searches*

Disney Vault
04-24-2005, 09:17 PM
I do love all the HM stories...is there a thread on them somewhere...*searches*
I remember one from a long long time ago. I think it was when I first started posting.

Disney Vault
04-24-2005, 09:33 PM
http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/PictFrame.php?Images/Disneyland/PAGE2.JPG

Here is an overview of the story.

sdfilmcritic
04-25-2005, 07:26 AM
Here's a link to the official fansite for the ride: Doom Buggies (http://www.doombuggies.com/). I'm sure that site will have some information you can look into.

animagusurreal
04-25-2005, 07:15 PM
I always assumed that it was The Columbia parked back there in preperation for Fantasmic!, but then this time I saw the sails just as The Columbia was going by in the river! Was just about to ask this question myself, glad to see it on here.


To me those sails have always been one of the the best examples of the detailing that goes into Disneyland; it adds so much to the theming of the park, even if you have to really look to find it

Yeah, I love that kind of stuff at DL.

No offense to Magic Mountain, which has some great ride-rides, but the first time I went there I really noticed the difference in theming. There was a facade of a fake building (I think in the vicinity of Riddler's Revenge) and you could see right through the "windows" to the hill on the other side! I thought, "Disney would never allow that!"