Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland

by Christopher Smith

  Adventureland will recreate exotic far-off regions of the world. Here guests will dine in an old Caribbean village setting, shop in a bustling North African marketplace, and join an enchanted luau at the Great Ceremonial House. Offshore, on Swiss Family Isle, guests will climb to adventure in the towering Treehouse overlooking the entire jungle area. On the famous Jungle River Cruise, they’ll board explorers’ launches for a “danger-filled” safari encountering lions, elephants, hippos, and dozens of other “wild” creatures.

  True-Life Adventures

  Like many other lands in the Magic Kingdom, Adventureland drew inspiration from a series of Disney television programs and films. However, Adventureland is unique in that its original inspiration did not come from a classic Disney animated or live-action film, but instead from a documentary series known as True-Life Adventures.

  True-Life Adventures is the overarching name for a collection of full-length films and short documentary films produced by Disney from 1948 to 1960. As a whole, the True-Life Adventure films combined documentary footage of wildlife from a wide variety of geographical locations with charming music and narration. These documentary films maintain the nostalgic, adventurous, and wholesome “feel” of the better known animated and live-action Disney films from the 1940s and 1950s.

  The series series included the following 14 films:

  Seal Island (1948) focused on the wildlife of Alaska, including the seal population of the Pribilof Islands. The filming team spent over a year working on the project. The film won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Two Reel Live Action Short.

  In Beaver Valley (1950) showed the role of beavers in a pond environment, and their interaction with other animals in that ecosystem. The film won the 1950 Academy Award for Best Two Reel Live Action Short.

  Nature’s Half Acre (1951) examined the variety of wildlife in a meadow ecosystem, with particular emphasis placed on flowers and insect life. The film won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Two Reel Live Action Short.

  The Olympic Elk (1952) looked at the life of the Olympic elk from Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula.

  Water Birds (1952) depicted the lives of a wide variety of water birds, and how those species adapted in order to survive in nature. The film won the 1952 Academy Award for Best Two Reel Live Action Short.

  Bear Country (1953) focused on the life of the American black bear. The film won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Two Reel Live Action Short.

  Prowlers of the Everglades (1953) examined the ecosystem of the Florida everglades and the animal species that reside therein, including alligators, raccoons, otters, skunks and birds.

  The Living Desert (1953) looked at the life of animals in the deserts of the American Southwest and was notable as being the first full-length film in the True-Life Adventure series. The film won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

  The Vanishing Prairie (1954) explored the plant and animal life that lives and grows on the American prairie, including the buffalo and prairie dog, as well as species that are now extinct. The film won the 1954 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

  The African Lion (1955) portrayed the plant and animal life in Africa, with particular emphasis on the lion. The production crew spent three years in Africa filming for the project. As will be discussed in Chapter 4, The African Lion played a significant role in the design of the original Jungle Cruise attraction.

  Secrets of Life (1956) examined some of nature’s more underappreciated species, including ants and bees, and the substantial contributions those animals have on their surrounding environment.

  Perri (1957) was the first of what Disney called “true-life fantasies,” in which the documentary film coverage that had become so well-known from past films was combined with fictional characters. Perri focused on the title character, a young female squirrel.

  White Wilderness (1958) looked at the life of different animal species in the Arctic North. It is also the most controversial of the True-Life Adventures films for its supposed propagation of the misconception of lemming suicides. One scene depicts a mass lemming migration that ends with the lemmings jumping into the Arctic Ocean. The narrator explains that the lemmings are not committing suicide but are instead mistaking the size of the body of water and will keep swimming until they eventually become exhausted and drown. Some alleged that Disney staged this scene, as opposed to filming it in the wild. Despite this controversy, the film won the 1958 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

  Jungle Cat (1960) depicted the trials and tribulations of a female jaguar in the Brazilian jungle.

  The desire for a land that embodied the elements of wildlife, nature, and exotic species and cultures grew from both the popularity of these films and Walt’s own fascination with nature and adventure:

  It all started with an idea that sprang from our True-Life Adventure films. We would duplicate in Disneyland park actual scenes and setting from this nature series. Of course, to stock Adventureland with live animals was neither safe nor practical. So on paper, we began to sketch and design replicas that would be made of plastic and steel but when in action would be as life-like as their real counterparts.

  Storytelling Elements

  A Deliberate Transition to Adventure

  Before entering Adventureland, guests must first pass through Main Street, U.S.A., which represents an idealized version of America at the turn of the 20th century. In between these two lands a dramatic transition takes place. The lush, overgrown landscaping and exotic architecture of Adventureland stand in stark contrast to the Victorian Era elegance of Main Street, U.S.A. Imagineers thought long and hard about how to execute this difficult transition, and developed an almost perfect solution to tie the otherwise inconsistent lands together.

  At the end of Main Street, on the border of the entrance to Adventureland, stands the Crystal Palace. This popular table-service restaurant is themed as an elegant Victorian conservatory, complete with a stunning glass domed ceiling and many stained-glass windows. This architectural choice tied in well with the Victorian theme of Main Street, and provided a good transition to Adventureland because of its similarity to elegant conservatories of 19th century British colonial rule, when the influence of the British Empire spread its culture and architecture around the World. Guests will even notice that the landscaping on the Adventureland side of the Crystal Palace is much denser and less manicured than on the Main Street side, which provides another subtle Imagineering touch to help the transition from land to land.

  A distinctive wooden bridge marks the entrance to Adventureland from Main Street, U.S.A. and the central hub. Guests will notice that as they travel from the pristine walkways of Main Street into the overgrown landscaping of Adventureland, the bright and vibrant colors of Main Street give way to the much darker tones of green and brown. However, guests experience more than a visual transition. The upbeat ragtime melodies of Main Street are gradually replaced by the distant beating of drums, the boom of nearby cannon fire, and the squawks of parrots and other exotic birds. This auditory immersion conveys a more mysterious tone, while remaining positive and upbeat.

  A large sign marked “ADVENTURELAND” hangs over the wooden bridge and provides a distinctive entrance to the land. Make sure to take a close look at this sign, as you will notice several fun details that help set the stage for the many adventures to come:

  The sign appears to have been constructed with rough-hewn wood and bamboo thatched together with vines.

  An animal skull complete with horns hangs above the sign in the middle of a grass wreath.

  Four distinctive spears shoot up to the sky on both the left and right-hand sides of the skull.

  An ominous collection of eight human skulls is stacked on the logs below the sign on the left-hand side.

  The Adventureland entrance sign is also decorated with several wooden tikis and tribal masks.

  Reproductions of tribal shields and spears are affixed to the bridge leading into Adventureland
.

  The Architecture and Landscaping of Adventureland

  The landscaping and architecture of Adventureland play critical roles in helping to transport guests into this exotic land of mystery and exploration. However, in designing Adventureland, Imagineers faced a major creative problem: what exactly does “adventure” look like? Unlike Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Square, and Frontierland, no single geographic region (or continent for that matter) could effectively capture the spirit of “adventure.” Because of this, Imagineers drew creative inspiration from multiple exotic locales from across the globe:

  Since many disparate images come to mind when one hears the word “Adventure,” our Adventureland intentionally plays on several of these themes and settings. There are the deep, dark jungles of Africa, the islands of the Caribbean Sea, the South Seas tropics, and an Arabian bazaar. It is the combination of all of these locales that creates an overall sense of adventure to serve as a backdrop for the stories we want to tell.

  —The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), p. 38.

  As guests travel through Adventureland, they will encounter architecture from different geographic regions:

  Aloha Isle, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and the Sunshine Tree Terrace represent the Polynesian Islands and the South Pacific. These buildings include clay tile and/or thatched roofs, rough-hewn log construction, open-air balconies, and a compelling “island” feel.

  The Jungle Cruise represents the jungles of northern Africa and southeast Asia. Although the “jungle”’ aspect of that attraction is the strongest link to those geographic regions, the Jungle Cruise’s queue building also provides a connection, as it is constructed with weathered wood and rustic tin and decorated with dim lanterns.

  The mysterious Middle East is represented in the Agrabah Bazaar section of Adventureland, including the shop of the same name and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction. This section of Adventureland appears to be a desert oasis, with open-air markets composed of bright colored tents surrounding a central courtyard. Even the two spitting camels that stand guard around a tranquil pool (more on this below) helps to support this theming.

  The Caribbean is, not surprisingly, represented in the Caribbean Plaza section of Adventureland. The buildings in this area reflect Spanish-influenced architecture and provide a logical transition to the Southwestern United States-inspired architecture of the adjacent Pecos Bill Tale Inn and Cafe in Frontierland. Both Caribbean Plaza and the neighboring section of Frontierland include buildings with stucco walls and red clay tile roofs. These deliberate design decisions help to “avoid a disjointed transition between two lands—even in a case where their settings are worlds apart—and keep the story flowing from land to land.” [The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), p. 44.] Caribbean Plaza also includes many meandering pathways, tiled fountains (including the Fountain of Fortune), and an open-air marketplace, all of which combine to create a sense of wonder and relaxation reminiscent of the real Caribbean.

  Landscaping plays a larger role in Adventureland than in any other Magic Kingdom land. The work to transform a central Florida landscape into an area that reflected the spirit of Africa, Asia, the South Seas, and the Caribbean was a herculean task. When Disney purchased the property, most of the area consisted of a sandy marsh. Before construction on the Magic Kingdom could actually begin, Disney first had to make sure the land itself was stable enough to support a massive construction project. Draining the property was not a viable option because of the delicate balance Florida’s water table strikes with the surrounding environment. As such, Disney Imagineers decided to do the opposite: they would actually raise the level of the entire area by using a stabilizing landfill to create a platform upon which construction could take place. While this accomplished the goal of stabilizing the ground for construction, it also created a significant obstacle for Imagineers working on the Adventureland section of the park. Specifically, Disney horticulturalists now had to deal with an almost impervious layer of clay that, in some instances, reached a depth of 14 feet:

  For trees to survive, it was necessary to excavate generous pits and borings through the clay to the natural grade. The holes were then filled with sand and a special soil mix that permitted vertical drainage and healthy root development.

  —The Disney Company, Walt Disney World The First Decade (1982), p 45.

  Although the work was difficult, it resulted in a beautiful land with plants from across the globe scattered throughout its lush landscape:

  A veritable United Nations of plants was assembled to represent tropic regions of the world. From the South Pacific to the West Indies, from darkest Africa to the densest Amazon, flowering trees radiate the spectrum in brilliant, ever-changing patterns of blossoms. Vigorously twining vines and vast stands of bamboo, palms, ferns and grasses add contrasting textures and cooling shades of green.

  The paths of Adventureland are lined with many exotic plants. They include cape honeysuckle from South Africa, Canary Island date palms, Australian tree ferns, Mexican flame vines, Chinese hibiscus, Brazilian bougainvillea, sword ferns, banana plants, and spider plants.

  The man principally responsible for the landscaping work on the Magic Kingdom, including Adventureland, was Imagineer Morgan (“Bill”) Evans. Evans got his start with Disney in 1952, when he was called to do the landscaping work on Walt Disney’s home in Holmby Hills, California. Two years later, Walt asked Evans to work on the massive landscaping project for Disneyland. Evans and a team of others worked tirelessly to transform the 80 acres of orange groves in Anaheim, California, into a highly themed area for attractions, restaurants and shops. In describing the two-acre man-made jungle for Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise attraction, Evans said it was “the best darn jungle this side of Costa Rica.” Evans later worked on the master plan for Walt Disney World and EPCOT Center.

  Walt Disney’s

  Enchanted Tiki Room

  Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room was an opening day attraction when the Magic Kingdom first welcomed guests on October 1, 1971. In simplest terms, the Tiki Room is a musical revue featuring numerous audio-animatronic birds, plants, and tikis serenading guests with a variety of fun songs. But any true Walt Disney World fan knows that this attraction is so much more than that. In fact, an argument can be made that Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is the most influential attraction ever created by Disney. Notably, the Disneyland version of the Enchanted Tiki Room was the first attraction to use Disney’s “audio-animatronic” technology that forever changed amusement park attractions across the world. In other words, without the Tiki Room, there would be no Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Spaceship Earth or, dare I even say…Frozen Ever After!

  While thousands of guests have experienced different iterations of the Tiki Room over the years, few understand the captivating history behind the attraction. It is a story that includes a legendary shopping trip, a famous Chinese philosopher, a fascinating mechanical bird, and a dancing hillbilly. Ultimately, however, any story about the Tiki Room must begin with the man whose creative inspiration is inextricably intertwined with it: Walter E. Disney.

  A Famous Shopping Trip and the Birth of Audio-Animatronics

  The story of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room actually begins with a famous shopping trip taken by Walt Disney decades prior to the Magic Kingdom’s opening. The accounts of this trip vary widely depending upon the source. Some say that Walt took his famous shopping excursion while in Europe, while others swear that Walt was visiting unique gift shops while strolling through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana. Regardless of the actual location, the end result was that Walt purchased a mechanical toy bird. While this may sound like a mundane occurrence, Walt became fascinated with this toy, which could move its head, wings, and other features in an almost magical manner. Being amazed by this mechanical bird,
Walt handed it off to his creative team to examine, dissect, and improve upon.

  Walt’s ultimate goal was to create realistic, life-like mechanical representations of animals and humans (what would later become known as audio-animatronics). This was certainly a demanding project, the likes of which Disney had never undertaken before. Walt tasked two of his most creative minds to spearhead this work: Roger Broggie and Wathel Rogers.

  Broggie, known as Walt’s “first Imagineer,” was an expert machinist who, among other things, shared Walt Disney’s love of trains. Broggie was instrumental in helping Walt create the famous miniature Carolwood Pacific Railroad that Walt operated in his backyard. Rogers made numerous contributions to Disney including work on the classic Disney animated films Cinderella (1950), Peter Pan (1953), and Sleeping Beauty (1959). He later became known as the “father of audio-animatronics” due to his work on numerous Disney attractions.

  In order to further develop audio-animatronics technology, Walt famously hired Buddy Ebsen, a noted vaudeville performer, for a special project. Ebsen starred as Davy Crockett’s best friend Georgie Russell in the wildly popular Davy Crockett television miniseries that aired during the 1950s, and, most famously, as Jed Clampett in the CBS television series The Beverly Hillbillies. Ebsen was hired to dance in front of a large grid so that Walt, Broggie, and Rogers could record and track those complex movements. Walt himself directed Ebsen’s performance. Broggie and Rogers used this recording to painstakingly create a 1/8-scale model of Ebsen that could actually mimic his original dance routine! This famously became known as “Project Little Man.”

  Disneyland and a Unique Chinese Restaurant