88 Days to Go: Adventureland

The next few posts counting down to my Disney vacation will be spent discussing the individual lands within the Magic Kingdom. Since it looks like our first stop this trip might be to Adventureland, I will start there!

Adventureland has a mixture of Hispanic and Polynesian achitecture in the buildings. There are five attractions within the land. The one meant for little children is the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, where they can climb and run amongst the trees. Good to get the energy out of them so as to get ready for an afternoon nap. One of the newer attractions in Adventureland is Aladdin's Flying Carpet, what I like to call Dumbo's second cousin twice removed. You board a flying carpet and not only can go up and down, you can dip the carpet as well. Also, if you time it correctly, the camel may spit some refreshing water in your direction.

The three big rides--and mainstays--are the Jungle Cruise, the Tiki Room and the Pirates of the Caribbean. The Jungle Cruise is a guided tour down the rivers of the world, through the jungles. You can see many different animals and cultures, all with pun-filled commentary. The Tiki Room has undergone a rehaul since it was first installed. A group of singing birds lead you on a musical journey celebrating Polynesia, with interruption from a meddling Iago while a cautious Zazu tres to stop him. It's filled with great tunes and is a great place to hear some late greats one last time, such as Phil Hartman as an agent during the pre-show and Jerry Orbach as Pierre, the French bird.

And lastly, there is the Pirates of the Caribbean. This ride has skyrocketed in popularity. Prior to 2003, I used to be able to run down the ride's queue area and jump aboard a ship, startling a bored cast member. Now, the queue area is filled and both loading areas are utilized. However, they do keep the ride moving as quickly as possible, so don't be entirely intimidated by that sign reading "45 minutes from this point on." It gives new meaning to "online chat." The ride has also undergone a makeover courtesy of the popular movie franchise. I, like many DIsney fans, aren't too thrilled every time Disney decides to "reboot" a ride--I'm still not entirely sold on the new "Tiki Room" and will go more into this when we come to Epcot--but this was a case of Disney Imagineering doing it right. They didn't mess with the basics of the ride, merely integrated Jack Sparrow, Barbossa and Davy Jones in a way that makes you think they were always there. For those goign the first time and have seen the movies, try to spot the references the movie makers put in--like the man sleeping with the pigs.

There are a few places to eat in Adventureland, but I have never stopped there. But it is a good place to check out and go on a swashbuckling adventure.