Adventureland
Adventureland! Land of tigers, lions, snakes, birds and the occasional giant rock rolling straight at you! Adventureland was one of the original lands of Disneyland. It's right of Main Street to the left if you're on the Main Street side of the castle looking at the castle. In fact, some of the Main Street buildings and some of the Adventureland buildings share the same roof. Half white trim, half palm leaves. Disney ingenious! Adventureland is one of my personal favorites, so let's take a look at what's in there!
Attractions
The Enchanted Tiki Room presented by Dole Pineapple-
still one of my favorites! I don't care if people say it's corny, I like it and I think you will to if you go see it. It's not a high-paced ride (that's next door) and expectant mothers are welcome. It's a show of tropical birds. Your M.C. is Jose along with Pierre, Michael and Fritz. They are from Spain, France, England and Germany, respectively. They also have the "glee club" and together with the tikis and flowers sing many songs. I love to come and listen and see the beautiful fountain. Actually, as a young kid, I was scared of the moving faces on the wall. But I have managed to move past my fear and really enjoy this show. And I still don't know how they do that rain! (Don't worry about your kids getting scared like me, I was a bit of a wimp!)
Indiana Jones Adventure presented by AT&T-
this would be that high-paced ride I was talking about above. Boy, is it fun! Now, there can be quite a line (into Frontierland!!!) if you visit the Temple at the wrong time of day, but if you get it right when the park opens, right before it closes or during a show, the line is bearable, and actually quite fun!!! HINT: If the line snakes (a little Adventureland humor!) into Frontierland, come back later, the line will be shorter. This is one of the newer in the park, but it certainly doesn't look that way. The way these designers do it, they make it seem like the Temple of the Forbidden Eye has been there for years. The line is a big part of the experience!!! The detail here is amazing and there are some added bonuses to keep you entertained while on your feet. When the ride first opened they handed out decoder cards (I have mine in my wallet!) that you used to decode the "Mara", the symbols on the walls of the temple while you move through it. I have found you need three or four people to get a message decoded in time and even then you wished the line would slow down so you could decode more. Oh, well! Next time! As you walk through the line, you'll go through many different sections, like a cave of bats and skulls with stakes through them. When you see I large bamboo pole with a sign attached that says "Do not pull" or something like that, go ahead and give it a few good yanks. It'll scare the wits out of you and the unsuspecting people in line. I like to do it to see the expressions on the people's faces around me. Also, once you get in the area that has Mara's picture on the ceiling, pull on the rope leading down to the dig site and give the guy working down there some trouble. It's all fun. Also, the more you pay attention to the video, the more you'll know the story behind the ride. When you reach the storage area full of crates (notice the names on them) you're almost there. Whew, that's a lot and you're not even on the ride yet! Once you do board, guess among your friends which door you'll go into; there's 3 (or is is really just one?!) The ride is a fast drive through all the major scenes of the Indiana Jones' movies (mostly Temple of Doom). Caution to the rider on the right side of the car:Beware of snakes! The ride is complete with the rolling rock ball (don't ask me how you get out of that one) and appearances from Indy himself! Wow, glad I had that seat belt on (you'll need it, folks!) This ride also boasts a certain something-or-other that changes the ride each time, so you can ride again and again and it'll never be quite the same!
Jungle Cruise-
one of the more slow-paced, but very good rides. You enter the boat and your guide takes you through the deep jungle, all the way spouting corny jokes. You'll see lions, monkeys, rhinos, hippos (wiggle, wiggle, bubble, bubble) and the backside of water. This was one of the originals and I'm glad it is still remaining. After all, what is Adventureland without the head hunters special?
Tarzan's Treehouse-
Thanks to Master Gorsh of CritterCountry.com for this picture!
Well, the Swiss Family TreeHouse is no more....it was remodeled and is now the new home of Disney's animated Tarzan. The tree features a walk through with storyline and characters from the movie, including a live action Tarzan and Jane.
Stores
Adventureland Bazaar
Indiana Jones Adventures Outpost
South Sea Traders
Tropical Imports
Restaurants
Bengal Barbecue
Indy Fruit Cart
Tiki Juice Bar, hosted by Dole Pineapple; (umm, pineapple smoothee...)
SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ADVENTURELAND: The idea of "audio-animatronics" was made up when Disney wanted a Chinese restaurant in Adventureland. There would be a Confucius-type guy that would talk to the guests. This was ditched when the idea for the Tiki Room came about; Walt wanted it to be a dinner with an after-dinner show by the birds. That idea proved to not be practical for Disneyland, so the restaurant idea was canned. But the birds stayed and the show was expanded into what it is today.
Do you believe the Tiki Room is more than a small hut in Disneyland? Come become a Friend of Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room HERE!