Today, we have another vintage Los Angeles Times article, from my childhood collection. I didn't write the date on this one, but if I am remembering correctly, it was from just after the opening of the "New Matterhorn" in 1978.
Unfortunately, the park doesn't have swans in the Castle moat anymore! I wonder if it was a cost thing? I remember hearing somewhere, that they supposedly got rid of them because the swans were mean, but I've read that swans are only aggressive when defending and protecting their nests. Does anyone know if there were any incidents involving guests? After all, swans had been in the moat for decades, so I'm willing to bet that Disney management just didn't want to pay those rental fees anymore. Thank goodness the Tiki Room birds aren't rented!
I remember reading that part about it taking one man all night, to polish all of the brass on the Carousel and thinking how tedious that job would be! I have ridden the Carousel and noticed all the fingerprints and smudges on the posts. I wonder if they even bother to polish the brass anymore? Unless someone who is reading this knows for sure, the only way to find out might be to go to the park at opening and head over to the Carousel first thing to see if it is smudge-free.
For anyone interested in seeing footage of a Swan in the Castle moat, here is a link to some brief video footage I shot back in 1992. (There's some footage of Snow White's Grotto in between the shots of the swan.)
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