by Beth Keating
News/Commentary
DisneyBizJournal.com
January 25, 2021
Kungaloosh, Adventurers! Have we got some news for you today!
I’m sure you’ve all been on the Jungle Cruise when one of your fellow travelers was kindly sharing the punchlines to the Skipper’s jokes before the Skipper got there. As one of Disney’s classic Opening Day attractions on both coasts, and one of the parks’ most beloved attractions, the Jungle Cruise has spawned a legion of devoted fans. They have memorized the script, and know exactly when they will be stunned by the appearance of “the BACKSIDE of WATER!”
Today, Disney has a surprise for all the wanna-be Skippers in the audience. The Jungle Cruise will be getting some updates, as well as enhanced storylines. As an added perk, the changes will have the input of the Skippers themselves during the process. While there will be new scenes along the way, the quips and their Skippers will still be guiding visitors along.
The Disney Parks Blog announced, “Today, we’re excited to share that we are building on the story of the Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland park at Disneyland Resort and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort to include new adventures that stay true to the experience we know and love – more humor, wildlife and skipper heart – and also reflect and value the diversity of the world around us.”
In today’s blog, they’ve also posted a “transmission” from Imagineer and former Jungle Cruise skipper Kevin Lively, who shares a few of the details guests can expect to see during the refurb. His remarks are followed by reactions from some current Skippers who got a sneak peek at the upcoming changes.
In his message to viewers, Lively explains, “As part of this story update, we’ll get to follow a skipper and his passengers as their journey goes awry. That’s right, for the first time ever, the skipper role will not only be that of a live, experienced and witty guide, but also represented by a show figure within the attraction itself.”
The changes to the show are expected to take place later this year, and will be reflected at both Disney World and Disneyland California. Long time Disney guests who remember the boats Mekong Maiden and Kwango Kate will see these defunct vessels reappear in new show scenes.
The much-loved Jungle Cruise is one of those attractions whose devotion has generated a Christmas version – the Jingle Cruise – and also birthed its own restaurant filled with off-duty Skippers who bring their special brand of cornball humor to the dining establishment. (See our dining review here.)
The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen is a really big name for an off-shoot of the puns and backstories that populate the Jungle Cruise, and was opened by Alberta Falls, the granddaughter of famed Jungle Cruise persona, Dr. Albert…Falls. But it is so much more for Disney fans in the know, because, as is the case with the Jungle Cruise itself, there are a multitude of tie-ins to the original Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island, founded by Merriweather Adam Pleasure. The secret meeting room at the Skipper Canteen is known as the S.E.A. Room—the meeting place for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. Even the bookcase in the Skipper Canteen is filled with little nods to Disney’s history, the Jungle Cruise, and the Adventurers Club backstory. (Sadly, the Adventurers Club closed in 2008, but its mythos lives on in the hearts of its fans, and in Disney lore.) The live-action Jungle Cruise movie starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson is also due out this coming summer. (Hmmm, could that be when the changes will debut?)
As a Jungle Cruise fan, I’m excited to see what the new storyline will bring. The Disney Imagineers who are writing the script are no slouches when it comes to hiding Easter Eggs in their storylines and attractions, and Jungle Cruise will hopefully continue to enchant us with its off-beat and witty humor.
__________
Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment