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There are many thrills
at Disneyland
and many different adventures to embark on. The many different
rides at Disneyland
each send you on a different journey and take you to a different
place. Often some classic rides are overshadowed by the bigger
thrill rides. One of these unnoticed classic rides is The
Jungle Cruise. Everyone knows the
Jungle Cruise,
and some groan at the mention of it. But behind the well known
jokes is a classic ride, one Walt was proud of creating.
But what is it about
the Jungle Cruise that makes people shy away at the mention of
it?
People don't realize
the magic and history behind the Jungle Cruise. Let's shed some
light on this infamous ride. The Jungle Cruise is the original
Disneyland ride, and being such it has a lot of history behind
it. As one of the first rides ever
at Disneyland, the Jungle Cruise has been showing off its animals
for almost 50 years. Also, did you know the boats on the Jungle
Cruise were inspired by the boats in the movie "The African
Queen" starring Humphrey Bogart? This ride was Walt's dream,
although his original dream included real animals!
The original Jungle Cruise was actually supposed to be connected
to the Rivers of America and include orange trees as part of the
jungle vegetation.
Here are some other
interesting bits of information on the Jungle Cruise. The waters
that run through the Rivers of America and the Jungle Cruise are
actually clear, but dyed to a green color to help conceal the
workings that go on under water. The guns on the Jungle Cruise
are infamous, but they also reportedly have a hidden purpose behind
them. Not only a way to keep the hippos a safe distance away,
the guns are also used to signal emergencies during a trip. The
firing code* is as follows:
1. Two shots = All clear
2. Three shots= Mechanical difficulty
3. Four shots = Medical or security emergency
4. Six shots = Boat derailed
*While this information could be found in several different
locations, it is not officially confirmed (but very interesting
nonetheless).
The ride experience on the Jungle Cruise is completely different
than any other ride experience in the park. How much fun you get
out of the Cruise all depends on one thing: your Jungle Cruise
Skipper. Sure the animals are fun to see and the "jungle"
atmosphere is amazing considering your in the middle of Southern
California, but it is ultimately the cruise skipper that can make
or break a great ride experience. The best skippers, I find, are
usually the ones that interact with the tourists (oh my! Did I
just call myself a tourist?!) and stray a little from the "traditional"
jokes. The skipper's who use the skill of improvisation will make
a trip more memorable and more fun than a skipper that sticks
to the routine jokes. It's the little touches a skipper will add
to his or her routine that can make all the difference on how
you go through the ride. It seems that the skippers begin to get
freer with their jokes towards the end of the day, so it becomes
a better ride for adults than for children. Plus, the night setting
of the Jungle Cruise is very eerie! The animals almost seem to
be real which add's to the spookiness!
There is a lot of history and a lot of love behind the Jungle
Cruise. Walt's vision and dream of having an "animal attraction"
came true and there is no other ride like it at another park.
Walt's dedication to having this ride is evident with the story
that he rode it to make sure it was exactly seven minutes long.
It is sad it will be closing (shortly) for renovation before the
big 50 Anniversary but it will still be the same simple Jungle
Cruise we all love (even if for some of us it is way deep down
in our hearts ... WAY deep down).
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