Friday, July 17, 2009

Jungle Cruise, 1960

"It's a Small World" was "The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed 'Round The World", and you had the Motor Boat Cruise, but the Jungle Cruise was the grandaddy of all cruises. For years it was pretty much all there was to do in Adventureland, unless you count the shooting gallery.

Today's photos must be from autumn or winter (yes, SoCal has seasons, they are just very subtle). Some men are wearing long sleeves, ladies are wearing sweaters (women are always cold!), and that tree in the background is bare. The custodial staff must be on a break, just look at that litter (a vintage popcorn box). Walt wouldn't be pleased!


Those natives are dancing, but they sure don't look happy... maybe it is an emo thing. Much of the Jungle Cruise still reflects a kind of a 1940's Hollywood outlook towards native people. It's all in fun of course, and adds to the period feel of the whole endeavor.

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6 comments:

  1. Chiana2:42 AM

    emo !! Now there's a connection I just never made. And may never have...

    Oh I'd say '20s and '30s Hollywood outlook, even.

    Hm shooting gallery. Did we ever see any pics of it by the way? Are there any...? Maybe it's not so memorable but I can't seem to remember ever seeing pics of an adventureland shootin' gallery. Just the one the skippers enjoyed, called the Jungle Shootin' Cruise wasn't it...

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  2. TokyoMagic!6:04 AM

    Chiana, I believe it was called "Big Game Shoot" and it sat to the left of the Bazaar shop (they just expanded the shop into it's space.) I wonder if there are any pics of it out there that were taken by guests? There is a picture of it in one of the vintage pictorial souvenir booklets.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISNEYLAND!!!!!

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  3. Todd Franklin6:25 AM

    Have you heard the new Weird Al song Skipper Dan? It's about a Jungle Cruise skipper.

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  4. Katella Gate8:36 AM

    "I ain't no native, I was born here."
    -Lily Olay.

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  5. Anonymous9:49 AM

    I worked the Big Game Shoot. Wish I had taken some pictures of it. Thought it would be there forever. I feel like a relic myself.

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  6. mr wiggins3:20 PM

    I worked the Big Game Shoot. Wish I had taken some pictures of it. Thought it would be there forever. I feel like a relic myself.

    You want relic? To this day when I enter Adventureland or Frontierland, I miss the *plunkCLANK!* chorus of rifle rounds being fired and plinking the metal targets. When they switched over to electronic, it was like something authentic died and was replaced by a fake imitation.

    :(

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