Monday, May 18, 2015

60th Anniversary Trip, Pt. 4: The Jungle Cruise



This is how Adventureland looks before the rope drop. Pristine and uninhabited, other than a few cast members getting it ready for the onslaught of guests that are about to run through.



We have now reached our destination, where Tours are Departing Daily…The Jungle Cruise!



Feast your eyes on the luscious panoramic view of the loading dock:



Looking up from the boat, I was inspired to take this shot:



Before I knew it, I was encountering this rare yellow tiger:



Compare with the previous incarnation; I cannot begin to comprehend the color palette of today's Imagineers.





The indian elephant pool continues to entertain; these animatronics are amazingly realistic:











From elephants to apes…just as entertaining.



I risked back injury to turn around and get this view:



The initial view of the back side of water:



I don't think he'll ever get those bananas.



Our tour guide Alex did a great job.



For the first time I noticed the gun hanging on the front of the ship:



and the name "Pat" carved into the boat:



Next up: the African Veldt!



Still surprised by the natural violence of this scene; enough to make you a vegetarian!



The vultures are just waiting for leftovers:



Marc Davis' trapped safari scene still packs a punch:





A hungry hippo; looks like he needs a trip to the dentist.



Two views of the natives:





My best closeup of the cobra:



It's all about the souvenirs:



A final thank-you from our skipper:



NEXT UP: A Grand Circle Tour!

Venture deeper into the Jungle Cruise over at my main website.

3 comments:

Matthew said...

Good question Dave regarding the changing color palette. Speaking of changes over the years, when time permits could you do a comparison shot of Schweitzer falls. I have never figured out why they reduced the water flow over the falls. It was never a derailment point and the original flow over the falls made for a far more dramatic (and slightly misted crew if you were seated aft along the port side), right turn onto the Nile River. "We just turned down the Nile... it was much too loud."

Always your pal,
Matt - Amazon Belle

K. Martinez said...

Still to this day, the scene with the gorilla reaching for the bananas seems weird to me. I was so used to seeing the gorilla harass the now long-gone crocodile for many years. And then there was the river bend with another croc and a pair of toucans which was eliminated to accommodate the Indiana Jones Adventure queue footprint. Even with all the various changes, the Jungle Cruise still remains my favorite Disneyland attraction.

Anonymous said...

Hello Dave, thank you for a great tour of the Jungle Cruise. I think this one has suffered the least over the years from the modernizations. Might even have improved a bit with the shift to the "Indy" look. Still seems to be the fun ride of my youth.

I have to object to that horrid green/blue rock screening the entry restrooms, that color is just not found in nature and screams "Art Direction" to me. Especially when everything else has such a patina of age. Hope that gets changed out like the Tidy Bowl blue water.

Thanks Dave. Lots of fun.

JG