You’ve just walked up Main Street USA to the Hub, and you’re heading off towards the spoke that would be at approximately the 9:00 position if the Hub were a clock face, when suddenly it happens. You realize you’re no longer doing a skip-walk to the song “In the Good Old Summertime” which was playing out in front of Casey’s Corner on Main Street USA. Something has changed. Is that the sound of jungle war drums? Yes, yes it is. And that bridge ahead has shrunken heads on it. The pulsing drums of ADVENTURELAND beckon you onward.
Adventureland melds together a Walt-picked selection of exotic places from around the world. Here you’ll find the jungles of the East Indies around an ingenious Tree House, a pirate-infested Caribbean coastal town, an Arabian bazaar (watch out for low-flying carpets!), not to mention the rivers of Egypt, South America, Vietnam, and Africa.
WALT DISNEY’S ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM
The Tiki Room at Walt Disney World is based on the Disneyland classic which debuted in 1963 – Walt Disney’s first Audio-Animatronics show. Walt was always looking for technology that would enable him to create magic in the real world in the same way his artists created it in the world of animation. Thanks to Audio-Animatronics technology, “the birds sing words and the flowers croon.”
Can you Find?: the singing flowers in the baskets over your head!
SPITTING TIKI GODS
Across the path from the Tiki Room, adjacent to the Jungle Cruise, you’ll find a half-circle of six spitting tiki totems. This is a fun photo op – and a nice cool down for the kids on a hot day.
Can you Find?: the tiki god who is so angry he has steam coming out his ears.
THE JUNGLE CRUISE
As you approach the large, but ramshackle cruise outfitter building, you’ll wonder if it’s too late to turn back. But you are an intrepid explorer. Undaunted by the prospect of a two-week excursion into the dangerous unknown, you continue into the queue. Watch for wild escapees on the path – sometimes the cages are not strong enough to hold them. Listen to the jungle radio, your survival may depend upon it. Your “ship” awaits with a name to challenge your knowledge of the world’s rivers. You’ll see one-foot wide butterflies with a wingspan of a whopping … (your skipper will tell you more – you’ll definitely get the point in the end). Don’t miss the legendary elephant pool seen anywhere else in the world. Not every animal is friendly, but your skipper is equipped to protect your group. It used to be that the Jungle Cruise was the only opportunity to haggle with Trader Sam, but now you can visit his Grog Grotto at the Polynesian (just don’t lose your head!).
Can you Find?: a giant jumping spider in a cage in the boarding area of the queue.
MAGIC CARPETS OF ALADDIN
Soar above Agrabah on an enchanted carpet! As you approach the ride from the Hub side, you’re greeted by a friendly camel spitting water onto the crowd. Tell your kids it’s not really camel spit (or so they say). The pavement glitters with items from the Cave of Wonders. As you wait in line, you can search for other bits of treasures in the wall and the path. Aladdin’s lamp sits atop the middle of the carpets’ orbit. Your carpet allows you to climb above the crowd in the busy Agrabah marketplace (which the surrounding gift shops were designed to model). Riders in the front seats control how high each carpet goes. The ride type is nearly identical to that of Dumbo, though the carpets seat four rather than just two (as the elephants do).
Can you Find?: an earring with a hidden Mickey embedded in the surrounding pavement.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Generally speaking, when a Disney queue splits into halves, you want to bear left for a shorter wait – since human nature’s default sends more people to the right. But at Pirates, you might want to go to the right side queue so you can see a chess game going on between two skeletons. Peek down through the iron bars of an opening looking down on the dungeon. Imagineer Marc Davis intended for the chess pieces to be in stalemate, though they’ve never actually been set up that way. After boarding your boat, you’ll drift through some eerie pirate vignettes. Be prepared for the short drop down a rushing waterfall in the dark (you may get wet especially if you are seated in the front or on the edges). You’ll drift out into an active cannonade between a pirate ship and a defending fort of a town on the Spanish Main. Beyond, the pirates are sacking the town for loot. But they’re not going to get any secrets out of the Mayor (if his wife has anything to say about it). Maybe the pirates aren’t all bad, they do like animals since one even has a pet pig (or maybe vice versa). Captain Jack Sparrow fans get strategic glimpses of him and hear his rendition of the iconic theme song at the end of the ride.
Can you Find?: the pirate sitting atop a bridge whose (very) hairy leg dangles just above your head.
SWISS FAMILY TREEHOUSE
This attraction was based on the 1960 live-action film, SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. (Intriguingly, George Lucas of STAR WARS fame was a big fan of this film – the director of which was Ken Annakin {Anakin being Darth Vader’s original name}.) If you ever dreamed of having a treehouse, this is the ultimate arboreal palace (which you could reproduce if you found yourself stranded on a tropical island with access to your damaged 19th-century sailing ship just offshore). This also makes the Treehouse of especial interest to the DIY members of your group. The water supply system is ingenious. The kitchen has all the modern conveniences with a tropical/volcanic decor. Although you might think that no real tree could grow like this with secondary trunks dropping from the branches to the ground, it is based on the banyan tree (also known as the strangler fig). (There is a smaller (live) version of the species at Disney’s Polynesian resort near the Dole Whip window.) If you haven’t seen the movie, it is highly recommended and will enhance your enjoyment of the Treehouse. Who knows how long it will be available. Disneyland converted its Treehouse to a Tarzan theme (which has its own interesting story), so the Magic Kingdom is the only place where you can still see the nostalgic original.
Can you Find?: bamboo buckets hauling water up into the tree.
SUSTENANCE
After all the adventuring, you’re going to be ready to wet your whistle. Fortunately, two of Disney World’s most refreshing (as well as most popular) treats are offered in Adventureland.
Aloha Isle – This is the home of the legendary Dole Whip – a pineapple-flavored frozen dessert that you can only get at the Magic Kingdom, the Polynesian Resort, or Disneyland — otherwise, you’d have to travel to the Dole processing plant in Hawaii to get one! It’s offered in a cup or in a float. Buy Aloha Isle’s fresh pineapple spears to eat with your Whip, and you’ll be in pineapple paradise.
Sunshine Tree Terrace – If you could imagine frozen sunshine – the Citrus Swirl would be it. It’s a marriage of citrus slush swirled with vanilla soft serve ice cream. Unique, refreshing, and very Disney! Look for the cute Orange Bird mascot (originally created in 1970).
Tortuga Tavern – Across from Pirates of the Caribbean, Tortuga Tavern is only open at lunchtime – and only seasonally. They have a new menu of barbecued beef, pork, and chicken.
Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen – This is a new Adventureland table service restaurant hosted by Jungle Cruise skippers, open for lunch and dinner. They offer an exotic menu (available for advance perusal at disneyworld.com) inspired by African, American, Asian, and Latin Cuisine. Keep an eye out for the unique Tiffany-style lamp in the form of parrots in the Falls Family Parlor room! Meanwhile, the S.E.A. room has a nifty butterfly banquette booth. Choose a Schweitzer Slush which comes in a souvenir mug — the contents look like something Trader Sam concocted with boba balls bouncing on top.
ENTERTAINMENT
Check the guide map for times of Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial.
PLACES TO SHOP
- Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar – The Pirates of the Caribbean ride exits through this shop with its pirate hats and hooks, t-shirts, and more.
- Agrabah Bazaar & Zanzibar Trading Company – Middle Eastern clothing and souvenirs.
- Island Supply Company – Surfing duds, island apparel, grass skirts, and sunglasses.
PIRATICAL TRANSFORMATIONS
For $40 (and up) per person, you can get a pirate makeover and walk out looking like a member of Jack Sparrow’s scurvy crew. While that’s a pretty penny for makeup, an eye patch, and other swashbuckler swag, Pirate Masters put a lot of showmanship into the experience, so you’ll feel you got your money’s worth. Package choices include First Mate, Captain Hook, Empress, and Mermaid. If you sign on to Jack’s crew, be sure to participate in the Adventureland Pirate Parade (usually about 4:00 pm, though times can vary).
WALT’S WORDS
Walt Disney described Adventureland best: “Here is adventure, here is romance, here is mystery. Tropical rivers, flowing silently into the unknown, the unbelievable splendor of exotic flowers, the eerie sounds of the jungle … this is Adventureland.”
What is your favorite part of Adventureland?
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