Boathouse & Jungle Cruise, August 1961
Today we're going to visit the world-famous Jungle Cruise - for better or worse! Jungle Cruise pictures can get a bit repetitive, but I'm OK with that.
This first one is the most interesting, because it's a nice shot of the load area and the original two-story boathouse - the second story was removed sometime in 1961 (the year that this photo was taken) because the jungle had already matured to the point that the cast members (see them up there?) couldn't see the progress of the various boats. I don't really know why they couldn't have just left it the way it was (why go to the expense and trouble?) when it wasn't doing any harm. We need Geraldo to look into it!
I've always thought of this "nest" of fruit as some kind of offering, based on no research whatsoever. Maybe it was really just for hungry skippers. "I'm in the mood for a 'Nanner!". (Blogger changes "Nanner" to "manner" unless I capitalize it).
These crocodiles are guarding a nearby temple... you've got to try to get past them if you want the jewels therein. I recommend distracting them by throwing two packages of hot dogs into the water. That should give you plenty of time!
7 comments:
Jungle Cruise photos could never be repetitive to me, because it's my favorite Disneyland attraction. I even love the hippo shots.
I thought the entire boathouse was removed and not just the second story. Then the queue was reconfigured at the time they built the Swiss Family Treehouse. I wonder if the boathouse removal was done to accommodate increased foot traffic in Adventureland? I know the 1994 two-story boathouse was not built on the same footprint as the previous one, but pushed further into the "jungle". Thanks, Major.
think i'll have a "Nanner"!
K. Martinez, that makes more sense. I don't know if I'd ever heard that the entire building was redone, but it sounds like something Walt would do! Thanks for the info.
Anon, cut one up and put it on your cornflakes!
I'm with Ken, the JC seems to be my favorite now. The modernizations have been the most sensitive and so far, have been completely free of Johnny Depp.
At some point, maybe from the very beginning, the JC captains had a code for breakdowns, firing the pistol three times. Never sure why they didn't have radios, but the gun signal seemed to be the method for a long time, maybe still.
JG
Before I read K. Martinez's post, I was going to suggest that maybe they didn't want to have to station a guard to keep guests from going up there, like they have at the shuttered second floor of the Imagination Pavilion in EPCOT *grumble grumble*
JG, I have to agree, most of the changes to the Jungle Cruise have been welcome. I love the simple "piranha" effect, and the gorilla camp. I wish they'd bring Schweitzer Falls back to its thundering glory, but I'm not holding my breath. The "three shots" thing is sort of odd; you'd think even an inexpensive walkie-talkie would do the trick.
Melissa, what was on the second floor of the Imagination Pavilion? Something great that they removed? I know almost nothing about that attraction.
The second floor of the imagination pavilion was the home of an interactive "playground" called ImageWorks. When the pavilion was renovated and the Journey into Imagination ride radically re-imagined in 1998, they roped off the second floor and built a smaller, less ambitious set of games on the ground floor. The empty space is mostly used for storage now, although a lot of the original stuff is still up there gathering dust. Some areas are used for meetings and private events. A few urban explorer types have snuck up there, but are usually chucked out by security.
Walt Dated World article on the original ImageWorks
Lost EPCOT's photo gallery
Video of the abandoned area
Another video that cuts between old footage of ImageWorks in use and footage of the same parts in their abandoned state
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