Adventureland Hidden Gems

Inspired by a post on the Disney Parks Blog, I thought I'd browse through my collection and see how many of these hidden gems I had photographed. Turns out I have all of them. I love when that happens.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” Patrol Truck: In the outside queue area of Indiana Jones Adventure is one of the patrol trucks used in the filming of the first Indiana Jones movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Eeyore Parking Lot Sign in Indiana Jones Adventure Queue



Once you enter the Temple of the Forbidden Eye and reach the Projection Room, turn behind you and look up. Next to the projector, you’ll be able to faintly see a sign from the now-defunct Eeyore parking lot. The space that is now Indiana Jones Adventure was once home to the Eeyore parking section of the Disneyland parking lot.



This is probably the toughest one to see/photograph. The room is so dark, it is difficult to see the sign, let alone photograph it. If you immediately look up, you will not see the sign; you have to get far enough away from it (towards the movie screen/tablets) to be able to have the right vantage point. Otherwise, you just see this:



Photograph of Tarzan’s parents in Tarzan’s Treehouse

It’s a little challenging to find, but once you cross the bridge onto the Disneydendron semperflorens grandis (“large ever-blooming Disney tree”), you’ll find a small hut that has been ransacked by the villainous Sabor. On the floor, you’ll find an old photograph of the young family.



This one didn't really ring a bell, but apparently I took this shot in 2008. That's me…shoot now, ask questions later. The same photo/drawing can be found on the wall:



Pulling back, here's the room for reference. Seems odd that the same portrait would be used in two different spots of this attraction.



A portrait of Tarzan's parents, pre-Tarzan:



Zooming in, this one looks pretty cheesy. The styling for the time is very off. I guess they figured people wouldn't be paying attention or looking too closely.



Canary Island Palm Tree



The palm tree right next to the entrance to the Jungle Cruise – believe it or not – dates all the way back to 1896! When Walt Disney bought the property that would become Disneyland, he promised the owner that he would not remove the tree because of its sentimental value to the family. Disney Legend Bill Evans, who guided the landscape design of many Disney Parks, moved the tree to the Jungle Cruise entrance, where it proudly stands today.

In my contemporary shot, you can barely see the Palm, as it is blocked by the other foliage in front.



However, in this vintage shot, you can clearly see the Palm and what appears to be a second one further to the left. I wonder if that one is still in the park?

Here's an image of Walt himself standing near the Palm:



Shrunken Ned in the Adventureland Bazaar:



Located in the center of the marketplace, South Sea Traders is home to one of my favorite people in all of Disneyland park, Shrunken Ned. Housed inside a bamboo kiosk, Shrunken Ned is the magically shrunken head of a 19th century British explorer, who – for a small fee – will diagnose any illness and provide a small souvenir!

I remember the first time I discovered Ned back in 2007; I thought it was such a cool hidden treasure inside the Bazaar.





Here's one of the cards that you get when you put your coins into the machine:



Sounds like my kind of diet!



Any other hidden Adventureland gems you can think of?

See more Daveland Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.