“Please watch your head when you leave the boat, and if you can’t watch your head, then watch your mouth. This is a family atmosphere.”
“Well, folks, I hope you all enjoyed your trip around the jungle! I had such a good time that I’m going to do it again…and again…and again…every 15 minutes for the next 8 hours.”
The Exit Path
The story of the Jungle Cruise continues after the boat ride ends. Guests should look for several boxes in the exit path that provide more corny Jungle Cruise laughs. One box is labeled, “Quicksand! Rush!” Another reads, “Fragile! Handle With Care,” but includes another note that, “Who’s kidding who? Contents probably already broken.” A third box is labeled: “This end up…or was it this end up…or maybe this end up.”
A large, broken cage also sits in the attraction’s exit path. The cage’s bars have been broken open and mended with rope. A sign on the cage warns, “DANGER WILD ORANGUTAN (PONGO PYGMAEUS) KEEP AWAY.”
A large chalkboard sits atop a variety of trunks and boxes on the right-hand side of the exit path and lists several Skippers who have apparently gone missing:
Al Belaite
B.N. Eaton
Emma Boylen
C.M. Cooken
Ilene Dover
Ann Fellen
Seaum Yett
Albert Knot
Betty Dont
Skippers are not the only things that have gone missing, as the chalkboard also lists a number of missing boats:
Hapless Hortense
Lost Lucia
Unknown Usha
Sunken Sonya
Run Aground Sue
Burning Bianca
Missing Mele
Blown-up Bonita
Nabbed Naoko
Fateless Fiona
Troubled Titania
The chalkboard asks that, “ANYONE WITH INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ABOVE OR ANYONE HAVING MADE CONTACT WITH SURVIVORS—PLEASE MAKE YOUR REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.”
The Jingle Cruise
In 2013, Disney incorporated a Holiday overlay that transforms the Jungle Cruise into the Jingle Cruise, which now runs during the Christmas season at the Magic Kingdom. Disney released the following backstory for the Jingle Cruise:
In this new seasonal storyline of the attraction, the Skippers have grown homesick for the holidays, so they’ve added holiday cheer to the Jungle Cruise queue and boathouse with decorations that have been mailed to them from home (plus a few they’ve created themselves). The Skippers have also added a slew of new jokes to their tours that are the perfect way to get guests in the holiday spirit. Additionally, Jungle Cruise boats have been renamed with the holidays in mind, and if guests listen carefully, they may hear a holiday-themed radio broadcast playing in the background.
—Jennifer Fickley-Baker, “Jungle Cruise Goes ‘Jingle Cruise’ for the Holidays at Disneyland Park & Magic Kingdom Park,” October 23, 2013. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/10/jungle-cruise-goes-jingle-cruise-for-the-holidays-at-disneyland-park-magic-kingdom-park
The Jingle Cruise overlay includes numerous fun details and magical secrets:
The Jungle Cruise boats are renamed with a holiday theme, including “Icicle Irma,” “Fruitcake Zelda,” “Brrrr Bertha,” “Garland Gertie,” “Noel Nellie,” “Sleigh Ride Sadie,” “Poinsettia Sal,” “Vixen Val,” “Reindeer Ruby,” “Candy Cane Connie,” “Eggnog Annie,” “Orino-Cocoa Ida,” and “Mistletoe Mille.”
Tropical wreaths with reindeer heads are scattered throughout the queue.
A can of ethanol is changed to eggnog.
Trader Sam transforms to “Trader Sam-ta.” A sign in front of Sam encourages guests to “Get a HEAD START on your Holiday Shopping.”
Be sure to look for the chalkboard filled with “New Year’s Resolutions” for skippers on the attraction’s exit path. The resolutions include:
“75% passenger return rate.”
“Eat More.”
“Go Back to School.”
“BE FUNNY.”
“Smile More.”
“Werk on SPELLING SKILLZ.”
“Water plants every-ish day.”
“Overcome Fear of Passengers.”
The Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
The Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen is filled with even more storytelling details and props than the attraction upon which it is based. The exterior signage for the Skipper Canteen advertises “World Famous Jungle Cuisine.”
Inside the restaurant foyer, a plaque hanging on the wall honors “THE DR. ALBERT FALLS MEMORIAL AWARD FOR JUNGLE EXCELLENCE.” Also hanging on the wall are several “BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR” awards to Dr. Albert Falls from the Adventureland Chamber of Commerce. Alberta Falls also received similar certificates, with the “MAN” portion of the award marked out and “WOMAN” written above it.
A large banner that hangs inside the restaurant announces that the Jungle Navigation Co. first opened in 1911:
JUNGLE NAVIGATION CO LTD.
GRAND OPENING
THE EIGHTH OF APRIL NINETEEN HUNDRED ELEVEN
TROPICAL RIVER CARGO SHIPPING
AND LOGISTICS SERVICES
The Dining Rooms
The Skipper Canteen includes three separate and distinct dining areas. First is the Crew’s Mess Hall, the largest dining area. Disney is quick to note that the Mess Hall “is not messy at all, thank you very much.” The Mess Hall is adorned with various props that convey the backstory for the restaurant, including tribal masks, statues, and musical instruments, as well as a variety of vintage paintings. A second-story balcony seems to hold artifacts that were discovered during past Jungle Cruise adventures. A shelf labeled “Lost and Unfound” holds tribal masks, a torn boot, a broken boat oar, and a safari hat.
A banner hanging in the Crew’s Mess Hall announces the very first Jungle Cruise in 1931:
JUNGLE NAVIGATION CO LTD.
IN COMMEMORATION OF OUR INAUGURAL
JUNGLE CRUISE
OCTOBER 1, 1931
A bulletin board in the Mess Hall relays funny announcements. One note advertises a “Boat for Sale.” The boat is “Gently Used,” “All White,” and includes a “Carved Swan on Bow.” Interested parties are instructed to contact “Merry Time Traders,” an obvious play on “maritime.” This note is a tribute to the extinct Plaza Swan Boats, a fleet of slow-moving, natural-gas-powered vessels that transported guests from the central hub waterway to Adventureland and past the Swiss Family Treehouse before returning to the central hub. It operated seasonally from May 1973 until its closure in August 1983.
A letter addressed from “Tropic Al” on the “Lost River Delta” is addressed to “Rosita, c/o The Tiki Room, Adventureland Proper.” During Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, a roll call of “the girls” is taken, with Jose, the red, white and green macaw asking, “I wonder what happened to Rosita.”
A handwritten note on the bulletin board announces a holiday extravaganza:
Attention Skips!
It’s time for our annual
HOLIDAY PARTY!
December 22
After the last boat has arrived
at the boat dock
WHITE ELEPHANT
gift exchange
(no actual elephants, please)
BRING food for a POT LUCK
(except for Trader Sam)
HO HO HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
An article labeled “COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS” advertises:
“Open auditions for the Enchanted Tiki Room.”
“Talking pictures night: Cancelled due to missing reel, projector and projectionist.”
“Unclaimed luggage sale: Thursday at the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.”
“Proper Patti’s Piranha Petting Pool—closed until further notice.”
“Found: Dog, brown spots, sharp teeth, loves to laugh.”
A posted bulletin offers up exotic pets for adventurous takers:
&nb
sp; Free
Kittens!
to a good home
Adorable, playful
kittens have pretty
stripes and are
quite large
Contact the
shipping office and
take one home
today!
Please!!
An advertisement for the “Miracle Boat Engine Company” includes a picture of a Jungle Cruise-style boat and reads:
“If it gets you thru the jungle
it’s got to be a miracle!”
Conveniently located 3 miles outside town
(Down Quicksand Trail past Tiger Creek
at the top of Sun Blister Hill)
A “Schweitzer Follies Callback List” announces that “All callbacks will be held in Room 1071 between 6pm—10pm on Tuesday, March 22, 1938. Please arrive 10 minutes before your callback time.”
A note for the “Poetry Club” states that the group “meets Monday after the sun sets. Much fun to be had.”
An “urgent notice” states that “Due to inclement weather, tomorrow’s presentation of ‘How to Waterproof Your Vessel’ has been rained out. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
A handwritten note from “Skipper Brandon” provides a subtle nod to Indiana Jones:
We are sorry to announce that the lecture by famed archaeologist Henry Jones, Jr. has been postponed. We apologize for any inconvenience. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Jones wherever he may be.
Observant guests will notice a series of office doors on the second floor of the Crew’s Mess Hall. One door reads, “SKIPPER MARC ANIMAL BIOLOGICAL STUDIES.” This door pays tribute to Marc Davis, who is largely responsible for the incorporation of the Jungle Cruise’s humorous gags. Another door reads, “SKIPPER BILL PLANT STUDIES.” This window is a tribute to Bill Evans, the man largely responsible for the lush landscaping of Adventureland generally and the Jungle Cruise specifically. Another door reads, “SKIPPER HARPER CARTOGRAPHY.” This door honors the aforementioned Disney Imagineer Harper Goff. Another door is labeled “ALBERTA FALLS, OWNER.” The “A” at the end of the name was clearly added later, indicating this was originally the office of Dr. Albert Falls.
The Skipper Canteen’s second dining room, the Jungle Room, was formerly the family parlor of Dr. Albert Falls. This dining area is much more formal than the Crew’s Mess Hall and includes stained glass windows and exotic chandeliers with distinctive glass parrots affixed thereto. A large display case holds the precious china and crystal collection of the Falls family.
The third dining room is the most “secretive.” Hidden behind a bookcase, guests will discover the clandestine S.E.A. Room, the former meeting place for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. This dining area is home to the following hidden props and storytelling details:
The book used to open the secret passageway is Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.
A half-circle seating area includes numerous glass cases displaying butterfly specimens.
A large portrait hanging above a fireplace contains tributes to the Jungle Cruise attraction, including the ruins of a Cambodian temple in the background, a large python hanging from a tree, and even a Jungle Cruise boat floating in the water.
Numerous S.E.A. hats can be found scattered throughout the dining area, including a hat specifically designated for Henry Mystic, a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers who plays a key role in the backstory for the Mystic Manor attraction in Hong Kong Disneyland.
The Books of the Skipper Canteen
Some of the most clever magical secrets in the Skipper Canteen (and perhaps the Magic Kingdom as a whole) can be found in the hundreds of books that decorate the bookshelves in the restaurant. An inquisitive guest could spend hours examining these books and still not uncover all of the Easter eggs hidden by Imagineers. While it would be almost impossible to list all of these books, some of my personal favorites are listed below.
Books That Honor Extinct Attractions
If You Had Wings You Could Fly, B.L. This book pays tribute to the extinct Tomorrowland attraction If You Had Wings.
A View from Above, S. W. Buckets. The Skyway attraction transported guests back and forth from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland.
Mission to the Red Planet, Tom Morrow. This book is a tribute to another extinct Tomorrowland attraction, Mission to Mars. Tom Morrow was the host of the attraction that Mission to Mars replaced, Flight to the Moon.
The Wildest Ride, J.T. Toad. This book pays homage to the now extinct Fantasyland attraction Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and its title character, James Thaddeus Toad.
The Polar Voyage, Nemo, honors the extinct Fantasyland ride 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage.
The Grace of a Swan, Plaza, is another Skipper Canteen reference to the Plaza Swan Boats attraction.
Legend of Mythica honors a now extinct Tokyo DisneySea show of the same name.
A New Way to Manage Birds, I & Z Management Publications. This clever book references The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management, a revision of the classic Tiki Room attraction where Iago (Jafar’s pet macaw from the 1992 animated film Aladdin) and Zazu (the red-billed hornbill from the 1994 animated film The Lion King) took over the Tiki Room.
Books That Reference Current Attractions and/or Disney Imagineers
The Eyes of Mara, Jones. This is a reference to the Disneyland attraction Indiana Jones Adventure.
Everest Expeditions In Search of the Yeti, Harrison Hightower III. This book is a direct tribute to the Expedition Everest attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Hightower is a member of the S.E.A. and is the author of several other books on display in the Skipper Canteen.
The above-referenced Henry Mystic also authored several volumes on display in the Skipper Canteen, including A Manor of Fact and Treasures from the Manor, both of which reference the Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Mystic Manor. He also authored Primates as Shipmates.
Tiki, Tiki, Tikis of the South Pacific, B. Baker. This book pays homage to Disney Imagineer Buddy Baker who, among other accomplishments, made substantial contributions to the theme song of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
Profiles of Legendary Pirates of the Caribbean, Gibson. Imagineer Blaine Gibson sculpted the audio-animatronic characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
Crooning Flowers, Sherman and Sherman. This is a tribute to the famous Disney songwriting duo Richard and Robert Sherman, known collectively as the Sherman Brothers.
Songs of the Tiki Bird, Professor Boag. Wally Boag voiced the parrot Jose in Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
Universus Arboribus, B.M. Evans. This book is another nod to Imagineer and Disney landscape artist Bill Evans.
Leaders Throughout History, Professor G. Kalogridis. George Kalogridis is president of the Walt Disney World Resort.
A Journey to the Stars, Kimball. Ward Kimball was a Disney animator and one of Walt’s famed “Nine Old Men.” Kimball worked on classic Disney films such as Pinocchio (1940) and Dumbo (1941). He also shared Walt’s love and enthusiasm for railroads.
Banjos and Baboons, Goff. This is another tribute to Imagineer Harper Goff.
Primates of the Caribbean, Coats. Imagineer Claude Coats worked on many of the set pieces and backgrounds for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
Meeting Royalty, by Sklar. Disney Imagineering executive Marty Sklar’s career with the Disney company spanned decades during which he served in many roles, including as the President of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Great Characters of World Literature, J. Lasseter. John Lasseter is the former head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Castles of Magic Kingdoms, by Professor Ryman. Herb Ryman was a famous Disney artist whose work included the first drawing of what would become Disneyland and a famous initial sketch of Cinderella Castle.
Myths of The Supernatural, Gracey. This book references the Haunted Mansion and its fictional character, Master Gracey, as w
ell the Imagineer who provided many of the attraction’s special effects, Yale Gracey.
A Small World of Traditional Wardrobe, A. Davis. This book pays homage to Alice Davis, the Imagineer who created the outfits for the many characters in the “it’s a small world” attraction. Alice was married to fellow Disney Imagineer Marc Davis.
True Life Adventures, W.E.D. This book honors Walter Elias Disney and the True-Life Adventures television series that inspired both Adventureland as a whole and the Jungle Cruise specifically.
The Overwhelming Dodo Population, Dr. Francis X. Tinct. In addition to the funny “extinct” wordplay, this book also pays homage to Francis Xavier “X.” Atencio, who wrote the scripts for Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion, as well as the lyrics for their respective theme songs, “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” and “Grim Grinning Ghosts.”
The Harambe Chronicles, Wilson. This book references the Africa section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which is set in the fictional village of Harambe. “Wilson” is a character from the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction storyline in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which finally made Walt’s original dream of providing guests with an authentic view of wildlife a reality.
Jungle Cruise / Adventureland Books
Illustrated Guide of Radio Broadcasting, Albert Awol. This book references the radio broadcast heard in the Jungle Cruise queue.
The Jungle Cruise “head salesman” Trader Sam authored a few volumes on display, including Friends for Dinner, The Missing Mask and Tophats and Umbrellas.
The Lost Temple of Shir Lee, Mo Williams. Get it…Shirley’s Temple? This is also the nickname for the Cambodian temple in the Jungle Cruise attraction.
Albert Falls also authored a few books on display, including A Small Village With a Large Heart, and Rockefeller, Hippo, Pet, Family.
Native Orange Birds of the Southeastern United States, Dr. Sidd Truss (get it….citrus?). This book recognizes the significant role played by the Florida Citrus Growers in the early days of Adventureland.
Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland Page 11
