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Jungle Cruise Re-Imagining
- Thread starter Rteetz
- Start date
DCLcruiser
Well-Known Member
Oooh, those sound good.
I can't wait until they are available near
Splash @ WDW
Oh, it's you who was on my boat.
Disneyson
Well-Known Member
First off, I love the character design for Alberta. Second, this character has been around since the Skipper Canteen, as has her entire backstory (Love that the mom is named Sneh Falls, hilarious). "Adventureland" as a place has been canonicalized far earlier with the opening of Skipper Canteen, too. Alberta Falls has awards from the "Adventureland Chamber of Commerce" that read Businessman of the Year over and over and over again, with the man crossed out and woman written in, with the final one in 1938 finally reading Businesswoman. I don't see how layering a story onto this is any different than Indiana Jones Adventure or the original Kilimanjaro Safaris, where there are human characters acting as story bookends to an attraction that doesn't really need them to function. I don't think this is wildly inappropriate, I kinda like the parks characters.
If I'm going to be honest, I think that if they mention Alberta in the beginning of the attraction, I wonder if part of the story might include finding her missing Grandfather? A skipper gets onto the radio as your boat leaves and you get a radio message from Alberta says something like "If you could please look out for Skipper Felix, he's been missing for a week and [joke joke joke joke]" "Yeah boss, I'm on it. [Joke joke joke joke joke. Normal spiel.]" "Now, we're approaching beautiful Schweitzer Falls, named after the famous African explorer, Dr. Albert Falls. Albert's my boss' grandpa. He's been awol for a while - [Joke about so many people missing in the jungle, that doesn't bode well for us, joke about throwing annoying guests overboard.]"
I can see how people might be torn about it, but I also think that it would make the attraction a little more bearable for guests that either a. Find the jokes unfunny, or b. Have a terrible skipper that has poor delivery. I just feel like this is a plus overall, I don't see this in any way "ruining" the attraction.
I also imagine that Alberta will take the place of Trader Sam at the end, thanking us in the way that the Warden or Indy thanks (thanked) us at the end of their respective rides. Neither a plus nor a minus for me, I liked the cannibal jokes, but I also think that we're likely to get a really nice Alberta animatronic and I'm very here for nice animatronics. Plus, if they keep the name of the grog grotto it's really a no-lose situation for me. He's not as iconic as the dog with the keys or the hitchhiking ghosts for me.
She's also said to have a Kakapo at her side in the Gnus article, which I think is gonna be hella adorable and will definitely push merch, which is... annoying, but I don't see how different this is from Albert in Mystic Manor or Chandu in Sinbad. Heck, they can have their own little spinoff Disney Junior series for all I care, it doesn't affect the ride's content all that much and it'll probably be more effective as a 'finale'. I did like that "dinner" stall while we wait for the other boat to move joke, though...
If I'm going to be honest, I think that if they mention Alberta in the beginning of the attraction, I wonder if part of the story might include finding her missing Grandfather? A skipper gets onto the radio as your boat leaves and you get a radio message from Alberta says something like "If you could please look out for Skipper Felix, he's been missing for a week and [joke joke joke joke]" "Yeah boss, I'm on it. [Joke joke joke joke joke. Normal spiel.]" "Now, we're approaching beautiful Schweitzer Falls, named after the famous African explorer, Dr. Albert Falls. Albert's my boss' grandpa. He's been awol for a while - [Joke about so many people missing in the jungle, that doesn't bode well for us, joke about throwing annoying guests overboard.]"
I can see how people might be torn about it, but I also think that it would make the attraction a little more bearable for guests that either a. Find the jokes unfunny, or b. Have a terrible skipper that has poor delivery. I just feel like this is a plus overall, I don't see this in any way "ruining" the attraction.
I also imagine that Alberta will take the place of Trader Sam at the end, thanking us in the way that the Warden or Indy thanks (thanked) us at the end of their respective rides. Neither a plus nor a minus for me, I liked the cannibal jokes, but I also think that we're likely to get a really nice Alberta animatronic and I'm very here for nice animatronics. Plus, if they keep the name of the grog grotto it's really a no-lose situation for me. He's not as iconic as the dog with the keys or the hitchhiking ghosts for me.
She's also said to have a Kakapo at her side in the Gnus article, which I think is gonna be hella adorable and will definitely push merch, which is... annoying, but I don't see how different this is from Albert in Mystic Manor or Chandu in Sinbad. Heck, they can have their own little spinoff Disney Junior series for all I care, it doesn't affect the ride's content all that much and it'll probably be more effective as a 'finale'. I did like that "dinner" stall while we wait for the other boat to move joke, though...
Attachments
Falls family
The Falls are a family primarily associated with the Jungle Cruise, introduced within the Skipper Canteen. The Falls family was generally associated with river pilots. The most notable member, Dr. Albert Falls, would establish the Jungle Navigation Company in 1911 and it continued to remain...
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
I believe they're referring to the Interactive Queue that was added to Big Thunder a few years back - with Barnabas T. Bullion and the Miners whose names I'll never know and all that. The conceit of Big Thunder has always been perfectly self-explanitory, which is part of its brilliance. Adding some bells and whistles and characters that we don't need and develop no connection to is the kind of excessive flourish that's more emblematic of poor design rather than great design. Barnabas T. Bullion has much more "backstory" than the Big Thunder Goat, but which one do the guests actually love?
That's part of what's great about the Disneyland Big Thunder finale upgrades - they build off the existing conceit, require no explaination, feel like they could have always been there, and add excitement to a scene that had been aging poorly and needed revision. I look forward to the day they're added to Florida.
In terms of Jungle Cruise, the jury still seems to be out on how this will go - I'm choosing to be cautiously optimistic at this point. I don't feel like the Jungle Cruise concept needed so much revision, just some of the execution - but the potential seems present to expand on the daffy fun that has become the hallmark of the attraction while doing away with its problematic elements. Hopefully the result stays easily understandable and doesn't end up overstuffed with information that fails to add meaning to the experience.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
THIS!!!!! Yes! 100% THIS!
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
Constance has all the Backstory in the world, meanwhile almost *nothing* is known about The Hatbox Ghost . . . Guess who guests clamor for.
There's "Disney Detail" and then there's overthinking it.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
And then there is not realizing that you’re ruing a punchline.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry to say the three aren't mutually exclusive.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Meet the characters of the ill-fated jungle cruise...
attractionsmagazine.com
EXCLUSIVE: Disney Imagineers talk new Jungle Cruise characters, S.E.A. connections, and Trader Sam’s
We got the inside scoop from Walt Disney Imagineering on new Jungle Cruise characters (new S.E.A. member!), Trader Sam’s, and more.
attractionsmagazine.com
Disneyson
Well-Known Member
To the point of the goat and Barnabas -- I don't think the inclusion of him hurts the actual attraction in any way. What the area did was make one of the most interminable outdoor queues at Walt Disney World less horrible to wait in. I can happily use my Fastpass at a different attraction because I just don't mind the queue as much as some others due to the stuff in it. Better to have stuff to look at than switchback.
You have much more faith in Disney big budgeting this than many of us. I am not saying it is impossible of course, but when was the last time Disney has gotten a new high quality Animatronic Figure that was not based on a huge blockbuster outside the park IP?(red was Jane from Great Movie Ride and was set to stage a character in upcoming films at the time)
We are more likely going to get radio chatter form Dwayne Johnson Voice Overs if the movie does well.
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IMO, Just like Jack Sparrow in POTC, it'll happen; especially under the new leadership
matt9112
Well-Known Member
Marketing....doing it there way makes cents. They can expand and market off of it like a spring board.
Tom Hanks as the new recorded Jungle Cruise spiel, confirmed!Maybe they could put him floating somewhere in the river as you pass by?
It was a joke.
Homemade Imagineering
Well-Known Member
I mean, the new animatronic skipper they’ve been referring to, must be at least somewhat impressive, or rather on par with recent AAs they’ve produced, especially if he’s going to be a signature figure with dialogue...
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
In California I don’t miss the random stuff to look at while waiting in line.
In Florida I do miss the goat and the improved finale.