Design Detail: Walt Disney World's Jungle Cruise

With the "Jingle Cruise" already in operation at the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World, it's easy to focus on this rather hokey overlay versus the brilliance of the original. It's even harder as less and less of the original is left. Regardless of all the changes, the queue remains a brilliant example of design detail. Disney Imagineering doesn't have to do what they do when they go this deep. They do it for the love of the art of theme park design. Yes, when it is in the queue, it helps set the story and makes the wait time more bearable. But it is also just plain fun as this photograph proves.

(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Magic Kingdom Attraction Posters: The Adventureland Collection

Every Disney fan loves a good attraction poster! The tradition began at Walt's kingdom in California, but it continued with the opening of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom- on a much smaller scale.

My Tomorrowland collection of posters from Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is the most extensive of the park's lands because it has seen so much change. In contrast, today I present one of the smallest collections, the posters for the attractions in Adventureland. 

True to my word, the Jungle Cruise and Christmas layover themed Jingle Cruise are here. The former is an original that looks very much like Disneyland's of the same name. The Jingle Cruise is unique to this park and is now an attraction holiday layover left to rest.

The very top Tropical Serenade show was there at opening in 1971 as well, but now known as Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, an attempt to create a nostalgic feel toward a park Walt never stepped into. But I guess after 50 years of being in existence, that's probably ok.

Unlike at Disneyland, Swiss Family Treehouse was an opening day attraction in Florida. The poster is another classic designed after the original. Filled with vibrant colors and an exotic feel, it perfectly captures the atmosphere felt when climbing up high in the branches of the most amazing of all Disney treehouse attractions. After all these years from my first visit, the treehouse is still a must-do attraction, proving smaller and old school designs are still enticing.

In contrast to the poster created for Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square at Disneyland, this one for Florida reflects its unique Caribbean Plaza heritage. The attraction itself may be truncated compared to the California original, but the poster is much more exciting.

The attraction poster collection on this blog is among is most read posts. The full collection for Disneyland begins here. You can also find as a full collection of posters for Epcot. Enjoy cruising the entire blog for more hidden discoveries! Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disneysea, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland, too. There's even some for Disney California Adventure!

Why I'm Choosing California Adventure Instead of Disneyland This Christmas

Was this even necessary?

There's exactly one day that I can spend this year at the Disneyland Resort. One, and I had better choose wisely. So, I'm choosing California Adventure. The "whys" behind that choice may come as a surprise.

1- Freshness. The timing of my travels and the rebirth of California Adventure means I haven't seen it during the Christmas season. That alone is a big draw. What music do they play? What special treats are available? What's the entertainment like? The decor? As much as I hate to admit it, Disneyland is feeling old these days.

Christmas cuteness!

2- Less Overlays at California Adventure. Honestly, I'm tired of Haunted Mansion Holiday. Very tired of it. I absolutely love Small World Holiday, and it is right in tune with the season.  Jingle Cruise just doesn't ring true with me. What's next? Santa's sleighs taking over Space Mountain? I've been to Disneyland many times during the Christmas season, and there are few places as charming during the holidays, but the truth is, sometimes less is more. Until the day comes that "Jingle Shells" moves over to Ariel's Undersea Adventure, I'll be thrilled to ride that Omnimover ride over and over.

3- Crowds. Yep, they will be there, that's a given. However, nothing can be worse than the "Small World Crush" of crowds after the parade. It should be illegal from a safety standpoint. If there was ever a fire, some people would not be able to leave safely. 

4- Buena Vista Street. Disney Imagineers wisely poured on the charm here, and I have yet to really explore it at a leisurely pace. The way it used to be at Walt's park decades ago. Can't wait!

5- Cars Land. This will be a major calling card for me for many years. The Cadillac Range is stunning, and everything they've done to the area is a work of Imagineering art in the old school highest degree. Toss in the mix of unique merchandise here and the pending loss of Luigi's Flying Tires (which I have yet to ride), and this a must do destination.

(Photos copyright the excellent Magic Eye website.)

Jingle Cruise All the Way

Must be a Jungle Cruise kind of day! Disney Parks blog just released a poster to promote their Christmas themed Jingle Cruise. Happening at both Disneyland and at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, this should be an enjoyable diversion. Kudos to the suits for trying something new. (See my Jungle Cruise article below.)

(Art copyright The Walt Disney World.)

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Adventureland Collection

Now that we've taken a look at the posters which celebrate and advertise the variety of attractions on Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A., let's take a walk down this beautiful avenue and journey on to our first stop, Adventureland!

The Jungle River Cruise was an instantaneous hit upon its opening with the park. Nothing had ever been seen like this before! A waterborne attraction combining lush, varied landscapes, robotic animals, and the spiel of a lively narrator/guide was beyond cutting edge for an amusement park. It was Disney showcasing its unique storytelling at its best, quickly becoming the must-see attraction of its time. Was it based on the famous film The African Queen? Absolutely! Did it follow the narrative? Not at all.

As any long time Disneyland fan knows, the attraction has been "plussed" through the years, with new scenes and creatures added. From more elephants to stranded safaris, to gorillas taking over a camp, to an encounter with dangerous piranha, the journey is as constantly changing and wild as the jungle itself.

Whether viewed as charming, campy, mildly thrilling, passable or a classic to be revered, the ongoing popularity of the Jungle Cruise means it has earned it place among Disney's most beloved attractions. Earlier posters of the cruise reflected the simple yet sophisticated style of the era it was created, but decades later. the elegant and detailed artwork (directly above) redefined the cruise in a whole new light.

I've seen an even newer version based on the one for Hong Kong Disneyland, but I forgot to take a photo of it! New note 12/30: One of my readers sent it to me (above). Thank you.

Let me say, I've done a fairly good amount of home improvements and landscaping in my day, but regardless of my success, nothing compares to the dream of living in the unbelievable Swiss Family Treehouse! Spent many afternoons high above it all, taking in the spectacular views and enjoying a respite from the mobs below. Rarely missed my chance to climb it. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I visited Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom for the first time years later and found their namesake on its own island! Wow! I had the same wow factor during each visit to Disneyland Paris seeing their Adventure Isle.

Adventureland remained much the same for many years, with the now gone Big Game Shooting Gallery, a treehouse home, and a very popular eatery premiering several months before the groundbreaking Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. 

Here's Imagineer Paul Hartley's unused concept.

This single attraction changed the game for the Disney theme parks as well, bringing new guests to its exotic locale and raising expectations for attractions built in the future by Imagineering. Tiki culture captured our nation's fancy and love of the islands is still strong today.

Love the music, love the atmosphere, love the finale! And these posters capture it all. The two posters above are slightly varied in text and style, as well as tiki gods when compared to the first one shown! United Airlines was a sponsor for many years- and their beautiful pre-show film introducing the Hawaiian Islands was something I missed when Dole took over. Guess it was a trade off, as I really enjoy those Dole Whip desserts available at the entrance to the attraction!

Had Walt Disney had his way, desserts and other tropical offerings would have made its way into the Tiki Room as the attraction was first conceived as a restaurant with the birds presenting a show during the meal. Although this did not pan out, the lovely Tahitian Terrace was still nearby, offering delicious Polynesian treats, fire dancers and hula girls! Gotta say, I miss that place. I spent many summer evenings eating my meals and enjoying the sights...

Above is a newer addition to the Tiki Room attraction poster, one more that features United Airlines. Love the stylistic approach to this!

There's one more attraction poster for the Enchanted Tiki Room. It's a 50th anniversary poster, but beware- it could be a fan created fake.

Can there be any attraction in the last few decades that has been as eagerly anticipated as the Indiana Jones Adventure? Not in my book! (In fact, I love the Indy based attractions- and I have an entire post about them worldwide. You can find it here. There are many more Indy based articles to be found on my blog, too. Happy exploring!)

Another poster for an iconic addition!

Seems that this first poster is not all that visible these days. Unless I'm going through the wrong tunnel under the Main Street station of the Disneyland Railroad. Could it be? Regardless, the poster accomplishes the task of drawing us to the adventure. I was there opening weekend in 1995. Trust me when I say the advertising did the trick as the queue curled through Adventureland and Main Street resulting in a four hour wait my first trip through! Taking a fresh look at it, however, it is time for a newer version that celebrates one of Disneyland's finest Imagineering successes.

The last stop on our Adventureland poster tour is this little gem for Tarzan's Treehouse. The debut of this Swiss Family Treehouse remake came about exactly one day after the animated film Tarzan hit the theaters. The poster honors the style and most of the coloring of the Swiss Family one and is a near replica of the one used for the attraction found at Hong Kong Disneyland. (I'd like to take a moment and acknowledge the work of Chris Strodder here. His wonderful The Disneyland Encyclopedia provided me with this tidbit about the timing of the film and attraction debut, and for this post, I used it as a dateline resource to check my memory.)

Let me comment here: I was more than surprised to see my beloved Swiss Family replaced by an animated character. Although the rather ordinary stationary figures in the attraction detract from the climbers imagining living the life for themselves, the tree was cleverly redesigned. In fact, it's architectural elements are detailed and quite beautiful. The Imagineering team did leave a tribute of sorts to its former inhabitant, many actually. I won't reveal there whereabouts, but rest assured there will be some wonderfully nostalgic music playing for old time climbers.

Late addition as of November 2013: Walt Disney Imagineering decides to add some Christmas cheer in an overlay of the Jungle Cruise. Here's the poster they chose to release to promote it.

Until the Imagineers figure out how to squeeze more thrills into Adventureland, this is the end of our look at Disneyland's attraction posters for this most exotic of the park's areas. Next up on our list, my favorite land in all of Disneyland: New Orleans Square. Just its existance proves once again that change will always happen- and sometimes its even for the better!

(Artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company.)