Vintage Disney Mermaids

[Little_Orca]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/Submarinevoyage.jpeg/250px-Submarinevoyage.jpeg

Remember when Disney had real mermaids swimming in the submarine voyage ride? Me neither. I was not born yet when they started, then stopped, this practice, but I loved that ride (before they made it Finding Nemo) and I found some great pictures of their mermaids; both live and the dolls.


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CNk5peybvlw/TGh5tWNE5QI/AAAAAAAADDY/L1jnwgVyuOg/s1600/disneyland+mermaid+3+640.jpg

Back when the submarine voyage ride opened up, they had mermaids swimming in the lagoon. You can find a few pictures of the mermaids as they were in their and performing, but this picture above is apparently from a photo shoot from when they were holding mermaid auditions. For fun, I found more of the mermaids after they were performing and posted them below. :)

The mermaid dolls used in the ride (1950s):


http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/50s/2_14_59_SubRobtSewell.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/50s/2_14_59_SubMermaid.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m17663PoQA1qc8kimo2_1280.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50sb8xoWT1qgvquxo1_1280.jpg
http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog1/mermaid.jpg - Construction Image


Mermaid Auditions:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf6m6mTuhS1qf7075o1_500.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CP-pqqG4rxg/Tep6vabEcsI/AAAAAAAADIY/lewTZ3TdgvA/s640/tryout3.jpg
http://flaunt.com/sites/default/files/disneyland%20mermaid%202%20640.jpg



Mermaid Performers (1960s):

http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/CCS_7_60_N58HW.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/8_60_N08.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/tomorrowland/images/8_60_N20.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/PBTRedStars_8_60_N01B.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/KTPBKYC_9_65_N03B2.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/KTPBKYC_9_65_N09B2.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/EkTPBKBC_9_65_14B.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/CT_TSTS_65_Sub1.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/sub/images/60s/3D_6_25_66_Sub2_R.jpg
http://flaunt.com/sites/default/files/5619929442_9060133d6d-1.jpg
http://flaunt.com/sites/default/files/tumblr_lq6hnoJhFd1qa70eyo1_500.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7bvaxMkuT1qgvquxo1_1280.jpg
http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/files/mermaids.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9RXPLDowlY/T40PyaGFGiI/AAAAAAAAAOE/NOFeIlcqzBk/s1600/1959-Parade-Mermaid.jpg (In a Parade)


Video of the mermaids:

http://youtu.be/WHhJM5sJZVg

There is oodles more online, as well as other vintage mermaids. It's fun to look!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Ive seen a couple of these photos before, but nothing like this many. :> Nice job!

[SilverSiren]

They should bring back the mermaids, that's so cool!

[AniaR]

great post

[Mermaid Annariea]

WHAT.
THAT WOULD BE SUCH A COOL JOB!!!

[Sea Pearl]

Thank you for sharing all this cool stuff Little_Orca. Disney should bring back the live mermaids at their park. A lot of people on here would love to do that sort of thing, including me :) I wonder if anyone has pitched to them about bringing something like that back?

[Keiris]

Well I realize I am seriously dating myself, but I was 6yrs old when my parents took me to Disneyland and I saw the live mermaids firsthand! I was mesMERized!! My parents literally had to drag me away and I have never forgotten them. That is what started me on this strange quest all of my life. I found out later as an adult that the live mermaids only lasted for two summer seasons. They were released back into the wild because too many young men were jumping into the lagoon trying to catch them (decidedly NOT Disneyesque), and the heavily chlorinated water was turning their hair green. Not a bad thing for a mermaid, but not too great for a human girl. I have missed them ever since. They could at least do it for special events.

[Nate Walis]

Judging those auditions must have been some perk of the job...

[deepblue]

Hey hey I'm so excited finding this:
http://youtu.be/hAxd-eBjkPM

See footage of the mermaids from 31:52 to about 34:00.

[Ariel-Starfish]

wow <3 thanks for posting! I love those mermaids!

[Mermaid Kalliope]

Wow!! Too bad they don't have anything like this anymore... I really think they could incorporate something like this again for a summer thing. There's so much more research into how to keep water clean without the use of chlorine or using a very small amount. :< Le booooooo

[deepblue]

Seeing those metal zippers for the tails makes me wonder how long those tails lasted! Stainless steel, I suppose. But the tails are so cool, I'd love to have one. Just for fun. :D

[deepblue]

Video of the mermaids:

http://youtu.be/WHhJM5sJZVg


Holy sea cow, how did I miss that in your post thr first time I read it? Love love love!

[MermaidAine]

I never got to see the live mermaids at Disneyland, but I did love finding all of the mermaids on all of the rides that contained them (Peter Pan, Submarine and Small World) and I still do! After they removed the mermaids from the submarine ride I searched desperately to see if they were putting them up for auction. I wanted one for my collection so bad!