Jungle Book Cruise?

[bigwavedave]

IF its not broke don't Fix it!

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

It's majorly broke. When was the last time either of you were on it? It's embarassing - It's not just me or my friends, I've taken three different kids under 14 for their first JC at various times last year, and none of them liked it.

[bigwavedave]

I think Doing a Huanted jungle Cruise during Halloween would be vary Cool, but I agree adding the Jungle Book would ruin a good thing.

[bigwavedave]

Another thing we could add Have the rhino shouve that horn up Nurv Turner's ***!

[bigwavedave]

Now That Would Be A Cool Overlay!

[fo'c's'le swab]

Originally Posted by HBG2

The JC is "lively and entertaining" exactly as it is. I wouldn't make the argument myself, and I would ultimately disagree, but I would pay respectful attention to an argument that it is the best all-around ride in Disneyland. Yes, I'm serious; a reasonable case could be made. Saying that you and your friends find it boring says more about you and your friends than it does about this perennially popular ride, which has one of the widest audience appeals of any major attraction.

A Jungle Book overlay would utterly ruin it. This is a grab-the-torches-and-pitchforks bad idea.

While I am in agreement with you regarding the Jungle Book Overlay, I would argue that while JC may very well be the best and most lavishly themed attraction in DL, it is far from the best. I find it rather irritating as well (as CAdventurer), so I suppose that's a black mark against me, too.
What I find a bit tedious about the JC is the skippers themselves. This has little to do with their performance, and more to do with the job that they are asked to do: ridicule the attraction. The skipper's speil does all it can to REMOVE YOU FROM this 'Jungle' that millions of dollars and countless man hours have been spent in order to put you IN. I still find it kinda funny when I hear a joke that I'd forgotten (God forbid a 'new' joke), but it's a floating Skipper Stand-Up, and I rarely choose to ride it. Which is a shame, because of its role-model status as thematic perfection, and as a 'touchstone' that embodies 'Adventureland'.

[techskip]

Originally Posted by fo'c's'le swab

While I am in agreement with you regarding the Jungle Book Overlay, I would argue that while JC may very well be the best and most lavishly themed attraction in DL, it is far from the best. I find it rather irritating as well (as CAdventurer), so I suppose that's a black mark against me, too.
What I find a bit tedious about the JC is the skippers themselves. This has little to do with their performance, and more to do with the job that they are asked to do: ridicule the attraction. The skipper's speil does all it can to REMOVE YOU FROM this 'Jungle' that millions of dollars and countless man hours have been spent in order to put you IN. I still find it kinda funny when I hear a joke that I'd forgotten (God forbid a 'new' joke), but it's a floating Skipper Stand-Up, and I rarely choose to ride it. Which is a shame, because of its role-model status as thematic perfection, and as a 'touchstone' that embodies 'Adventureland'.

Wish I could have had you on one of my tours. There is no requirement to "ridicule the Jungle" and it is actually a Skipper's decision as to what jokes they use. The sad fact is that you have a bunch of new Skippers who are all telling the exact same jokes, in a similar style, and the effect is a monotone ho hum crappy ride. It's not the Jungle that is physically broken, it's the new kids' spiels.

[TrojanSkippa]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

It's majorly broke. When was the last time either of you were on it? It's embarassing - It's not just me or my friends, I've taken three different kids under 14 for their first JC at various times last year, and none of them liked it.

I was doing a research for an Anthropology paper in the park the other day, and a part of that was riding the Jungle Cruise. I rode twice, and I had a great time. As a former skipper I'm one of the hardest people to please when riding the WFJC, usually I'll just ask the lead to pick out a good boat but Monday I decided to play a little Skipper Roulette. Both skips I had put their own spin on it, and both threw a in a few classics I hadn't heard in a while. The delivery wasn't perfect but almost none of the jokes were repeated and the enthusiaism was definitly there. I don't disagree that an upgrade to the animatronics, and that the *wink, wink* style isn't for eveyone. But personally, an overlay where a story is dictated rather than implied speaks volumes about how our imginations are slowly being deleted from our collective hardrives.

As to the opinions of the kids CAAdv. took on the ride, if they didn't genuinly like the ride...fine. But I've found that the opinion of children is greatly influenced by the non verbal and verbal cues they are getting from those around them. What I mean is...if you are taking them on something you don't personally enjoy...kids can pick up on the spoken, and unspoken attitudes.

Finally,
fo'c's'le said this

What I find a bit tedious about the JC is the skippers themselves. This has little to do with their performance, and more to do with the job that they are asked to do: ridicule the attraction

This is not entirely true...it's been pointed out in other threads there is a huge script with at least hlf a dozen official alternatives for each scene. Some of these alternatives include quite a bit of non-joke material. As far back as 2003, many of these were related directly to the 1938 theming of the attraction. The job of making jokes on the Jungle Cruise has been handed to the skippers by the guests, and has been an official part of the attraction since the late 1960's. The script has been updated numerous times since then, but always contain the non-joke alternatives. I and several others had a "National Geographic" that included a a speil made up of nothing but actual facts relating to the geography, and topgraphy of the "millions spent" on the theming of the Jungle. It wasn't particularly popular, and often reserved for guests who were not paying attention or, in rare occasions requested it. When i worked Jungle we were taught not to act as if we were the "whole show", but rather "an important part of the show". It should never be just a "floating skipper stand up", and the skips I had on Monday had the right blend of keeping the theme, and just enough *wink wink* to keep it interesting.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

/\
No, I wanted them to like it. They were just not impressed. "It was OK." Want to go on it again tomorrow? "Naw."

[fo'c's'le swab]

Originally Posted by TrojanSkippa

The job of making jokes on the Jungle Cruise has been handed to the skippers by the guests, and has been an official part of the attraction since the late 1960's. The script has been updated numerous times since then, but always contain the non-joke alternatives. I and several others had a "National Geographic" that included a a speil made up of nothing but actual facts relating to the geography, and topgraphy of the "millions spent" on the theming of the Jungle.

You and techskip then are the two exceptions to the rule, then. I have yet (in 30 years of DL trips) had a 'straight' version of the spiel. The most I ever got was the "See the Bengal Tiger--it is capable of leaping over 20 feet in one leap. Luckily we are less than 15 feet from him--he'd jump right over our heads". My complaints are not with the Skippers, as I have noted, just the role that they are encouraged (and specifically hired) to play. The 'wink wink, nudge, nudge' thing just doesn't have a terribly long shelf-life for me, I suppose. But to each his own. The JC is still a beautifully crafted and artfully presented attraction.

[IMAGINE]

I would really enjoy that kind of cruise, it would be a great change of pace from all the corny jokes for once...any idea if any of them still do?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Can't you just bring your own boombox and drown out the skipper by playing Aerosmith - sort of create your own "Rockin' Jungle Cruise"?

[TrojanSkippa]

Originally Posted by fo'c's'le swab

You and techskip then are the two exceptions to the rule, then. I have yet (in 30 years of DL trips) had a 'straight' version of the spiel. The most I ever got was the "See the Bengal Tiger--it is capable of leaping over 20 feet in one leap. Luckily we are less than 15 feet from him--he'd jump right over our heads". My complaints are not with the Skippers, as I have noted, just the role that they are encouraged (and specifically hired) to play. The 'wink wink, nudge, nudge' thing just doesn't have a terribly long shelf-life for me, I suppose. But to each his own. The JC is still a beautifully crafted and artfully presented attraction.

When I was working there we had at least three or four of us who had a NG speil in our back pocket. The problem with that speil is, it's not an easy one to pull off. The truth is that it's far easier to quote the same 6 jokes over and over...which is unfortunate. The skippers aren't nessecarily hired to tell jokes just get you around the river, the minumum requirement is one comment per show show scene, joke or non joke. Although the "funny" skipper is the expectation for many that has only grown in the last 30 years.

[techskip]

"Open up the spiel, pick one random joke, and use it the entire day until you figure out how to deliver it and make it either funny or interesting. Tomorrow pick a different joke and do the same thing". That is how I, and many before me as well as after me, learned how to deliver a spiel and keep it fresh on a continual basis. As to NG... I used that on Managers or if I was in an Adventurous mood. I also would switch into a combination of that and WW if we broke down out there. For some reason the pregnant lady always thought "A giraffe falls 6ft to the ground when it's born " was interesting. That wasn't in the script... but you can hear the original script on the old Jungle Tiki CD they used to sell in the Music Shop

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Experience Walts Disney's World Famous Jungle Cruise, equally boring from either side!

Originally Posted by fo'c's'le swab

I am equally bored on either side.....

Had to bring that one over, swab.