Adventureland (Disney)

Adventureland

Adventureland at Disneyland
Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date July 17, 1955
Magic Kingdom
Status Operating
Opening date October 1, 1971
Tokyo Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date April 15, 1983
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Status Operating
Opening date April 12, 1992
Hong Kong Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date September 12, 2005
Shanghai Disneyland Park
Status Under construction
Opening date December 2015
General Statistics
Theme Remote jungles of Asia, Africa, South America, and the South Pacific

Adventureland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Disneyland-style theme parks run by the Walt Disney Company around the world. It is themed to resemble the remote jungles in Africa, Asia, South America, and the South Pacific. "To create a land that would make this dream reality," said Walt Disney, "we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa."

Adventureland provides a 1950s view of exotic adventure, capitalizing on the post-war Tiki craze. Lush vegetation resembles jungles while elements of the "other" surround the visitor. Art historian David T. Doris explains Adventureland as, "a pastiche of imaginary colonial spaces, conflated within the green and foliate milieu of 'the Jungle'".[1]

Disneyland

Disneyland's Adventureland was originally envisioned as True-Life Adventureland, and was to be based on Walt's famous award winning nature documentaries on Africa and Asia. The land was originally supposed to have real animals from Africa to inhabit a jungle river, but after zoologists told Walt the real animals would lie around or hide, the imagineers built mechanical animals instead. Adventureland opened with the Jungle Cruise as its star attraction, until the Swiss Family Treehouse was added years later. With the groundbreaking technology of audio animatronics Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room was added nearby the land's entry bridge. Oceanic Arts also created the series of tribal masks that now line the entry bridge.[2]

Many years later Indiana Jones Adventure was added with the expansion of Adventureland and gave the entire land a 1930s theme, which concurs with the setting created by the rustic boats of the Jungle Cruise and its DJ Albert Awol who plays big band music from the 1930s. The Swiss Family Treehouse was redone and made Tarzan's Treehouse and Adventureland has remained the same since, until 2008 with the summer event, Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries.

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Former attractions and entertainment

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Former restaurants and refreshments

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Magic Kingdom

Adventureland at Magic Kingdom

The Adventureland here is divided into two main sub-areas, one being the Arabian Village and the other one being Caribbean Plaza, which is home to Pirates of the Caribbean. The original Polynesian motif is still visible with the prominence of jungle surrounding the Swiss Family Treehouse and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. The 1930s adventurer/explorer vibe is clear with the background music heard over loud projecting speakers recently installed throughout Adventureland with a different vibe than that of Disneyland's, but with similar Big Band music and witty announcements. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction is unique to this version of Adventureland, based on New Orleans Square at Disneyland, which features Pirates of the Caribbean. Main Street, U.S.A.'s and Liberty Square's buildings fade into New Orleans.

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Tokyo Disneyland

Adventureland at Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland's Adventureland is a mish-mash of the various Adventureland interpretations. It features a unique ride – Western River Railroad – and a different version of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, minus the Walt Disney tag, with a more Hawaiian feel. It features a sub-land, similar to the Magic Kingdom Adventureland, based on New Orleans Square at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, which features Pirates of the Caribbean. World Bazaar's buildings fade into New Orleans.

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Disneyland Park (Paris)

The European Adventureland contains more Indian and Moroccan influences. It features four themed areas :

This Adventureland presented some construction problems, mainly due to the unsuitable local climate. Growing exotic jungles in a place where winters could be harsh was a tough task. This is also the reason why there is no Jungle Cruise ride, since most animatronics animals would have been exposed to this weather. However, abandoned ideas intended to build an adequate ride under a glass roof, but that never came true.

There is no Tiki Room attraction either, although the Explorers Club Restaurant (now Colonel Hathi's Outpost) features animatronics birds that used to sing.

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Former attractions and entertainment

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Hong Kong Disneyland

Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland's Adventureland is the biggest among all Disney parks and features a large island area home to Tarzan's Treehouse, which is circled by the Jungle Cruise, much like the Rivers of America in most Magic Kingdom–style parks' Adventureland area. It is also home to the "Festival of the Lion King" show.

In early May to August 2007, the land was converted into Pirateland, in conjunction with the release of the film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

The outer edge of the land was under construction from early May to September 2008, adjacent to Festival of The Lion King. A temporary structure was built for Demon Jungle, an exclusive attraction for the 2008–2010 Halloween seasons; it is now home to The Revenge of the Headless Horseman.

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Former attractions and entertainment

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Shanghai Disneyland Park

Shanghai Disneyland Park will feature an area similar to the Adventurelands found at other Disney parks, named Adventure Isle. Like Adventureland at Disneyland Paris, Adventure Isle will not include a Jungle Cruise attraction, but will instead feature a Dinosaur themed rapids attraction named Roaring Rapids, and Soarin' Over The Horizon, a new version of the popular Soarin' Over California attraction featured at US Disney parks.

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In popular culture

In the Epic Mickey video game series, Wasteland's version of Adventureland is Ventureland. Its main elements are the movie Peter Pan and the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

References

  1. ↑ Doris, David T. (January 1999). ""It's the Truth, It's Actual…": Kodak Picture Spots at Walt Disney World". Visual Resources 14 (3): 321–338. doi:10.1080/01973762.1999.9658460.
  2. ↑ Fanning, Jim (2009). Disneyland Challenge. Disney Editions. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-4231-0675-3.