Jungle Cruise Question

[zestygirl]

There are tons of Jungle Cruise threads and I have glanced through them but can't find the answer to my question. Was the Jungle Cruise always done with jokes and humor or was it initially a more serious ride and gradually evolved into what it has become today? I've gone to Disneyland from the early days but can't remember how it was. Thanks and Happy New Year!

[akfandisney]

By the DVD walt Disney Treasures Disneyland Secrets Stories & magic
Jungle Cruise was more information and after a rehabe. shipper start doing the humor Jokes they do today.

[tod]

There are tons of Jungle Cruise threads and I have glanced through them but can't find the answer to my question. Was the Jungle Cruise always done with jokes and humor or was it initially a more serious ride and gradually evolved into what it has become today? I've gone to Disneyland from the early days but can't remember how it was. Thanks and Happy New Year!

It was very straight-faced in the early days but after the rehab in 1962 (including the addition of the Elephant Bathing Pool) it began to lighten up.

--t

[IMAGINE]

The Script for a "National Geographic" Educational type of spiel is still available to cast members but according to a Pessimistic Cast Member from the Jungle River, "It Just doesn't work, with the guests and they dont respond to it." I beg to differ and put money down that it can be done successfully... Public Speaking is all about delivery wether it be jokes or information...delivery

[Thisguy74]

The Script for a "National Geographic" Educational type of spiel is still available to cast members but according to a Pessimistic Cast Member from the Jungle River, "It Just doesn't work, with the guests and they dont respond to it." I beg to differ and put money down that it can be done successfully... Public Speaking is all about delivery wether it be jokes or information...delivery

I think I heard one CM trying that script. They weren't able to pull it off. Granted I am not sure this person could have done humor either!

[RumRunner31]

As has already been covered - yes, it was originally the same "travelogue" style of narration as the True Life Adventures. It evolved out of the skips getting bored with it and throwing a joke in here and there, and along with the addition of the Marc Davis scenes like the elephant pool and the lost safari it started to lean more and more towards the comical until it reached the point it's at today.

[SCUBAbe]

The Script for a "National Geographic" Educational type of spiel is still available to cast members but according to a Pessimistic Cast Member from the Jungle River, "It Just doesn't work, with the guests and they dont respond to it." I beg to differ and put money down that it can be done successfully... Public Speaking is all about delivery wether it be jokes or information...delivery

That's funny, because 98% of the time I go on the ride the passengers in the boats are not responding to their "jokes" either. So, I'm sure it would be much the same as it is now.

[techskip]

I had to blow the dust off an old thread but here

1962

• Elephant Pool and African Veldt (no animals)

1964

• Elephants placed in Elephant Pool
• Animals placed in African Veldt
• Trapped Safari and Rhino added, Rhino was actually recycled... it had previously been the charging Rhino.

1976

• Hornbill and Crocs added
• Cobras and Bengal tiger added
• Safari Camp added
• Gorilla and Croc added
• Baboons and Lion cave added
• Python and Water Buffalos added

It is from an old 1980's training manual. The official Disney stance is comedy arrived in 1964 with Marc's additions of the Trapped Safari and then expanded in 1976 with the humorous Gorilla Camp. The un-official story is that it began in 1956, when the Skips were bored, and most of what is now standard was well known before it was "official"... that tidbit came from a majority of the opening crew. They used to sell a CD in the Music Shop that had Ravenscroft doing the old spiel.

now to address the questions, comments, and concerns about the National Geographic spiel.

Every Skip had a different take on that spiel. It is official, it's actually the first "joke" in every scene. Only a few took the time to learn it, and fewer still could deliver it. It's pretty dry. Some Skips would use it as "punishment" for a non responsive boat, or as "payback" to an over-zealous Lead or Manager doing a show check (not my taste... I would just embarrass the crap out of them!). I would do it on request, or if I was in the mood to do it. It's not something you heard a lot. To pull it off well requires a great deal of attention to detail, near perfect timing, great delivery, and a good deal of character... standard anything just won't cut it with that spiel.

There was a time when Skippers developed their own characters, when each one had his or her own style, own spiel, own delivery, and own trip. That was when you could ride multiple boats, might hear a couple of the same jokes, but rarely heard the exact same spiel. It was with those characters, mainly Professor and Adventurer, that I delivered that spiel... and it worked!

That spiel also contains a lot of great facts that some of us would use while in the boats during a downtime. Some Skips try to stall with jokes, some do Disney Trivia. I always enjoyed teaching the kids Swahili names of jungle animals, random facts about jungle animals (found in the script) and survival skills/ native tricks (also found in the spiel). Depending on the boat I would also use some of the Walk in Walt's facts... that would kill the magic so I tried not to use it if I had a lot of young kids.

There are a lot of little sayings that Skips have. The appropriate one for this is "Either learn it, and say it right, or don't bother".