After we slow down a bit to really take some time and enjoy the sights, sounds, and other immersive details on the new Main Street USA, we are gonna make a left turn, put on our safari hats, and explore into the deepest reaches of the tropical jungle. A land where birds can talk, dark forbidden temples loom large, and where you may just get a glimpse of the backside of water.

Much like Main Street, Adventureland has so much going for it and there isn’t a lot to change. That said, there are few things around the jungle that could use a little polish and spruce up.

Big Change #1
Let’s All Sing Like The Birdies Sing… in its entirety

I’m of the opinion that without Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Disneyland just would not be Disneyland. The show is special for a number of reasons, and it is on my “Must Do” list each time I go.  I know all the words, backwards, forwards, sideways, and diagonally.

Or at least I thought I did until I borrowed my friend’s Musical History of Disneyland CD collection.  Only then did I learn that the show had been trimmed (in the 1990’s I believe?) to make the overall show four minutes shorter and a bit tighter.

So this is a purely selfish decision (And why not? This is a re-imagining of my dream Disneyland after all), but I would restore those four minutes and make the show whole again.

While we are at it, in my dream Tiki Room, all 200 of the Audio-Animatronics (birds, flowers, tikis) would be refurbished and working perfectly like new. And bring back the barker bird! Wait… hold off on that… I have an idea…

Big Change #2
The Most Ferocious Dining Experience In All the Jungle

We already know that Aladdin’s Oasis is leaving and being replaced with the all new Tropical Hideaway.

 

Details are a bit short at the moment for what this new neighbor to the Tiki Room will entail, but from what I can gather from the brief descriptions online, it’s a rest area with some food and shopping, with a full view of the Jungle Cruise.

I love the design of this new little area, but I also think it is kind of a missed opportunity.  Adventureland needs a proper sit-down, full jungle themed, table-service style restaurant. Why couldn’t it be the Tropical Hideaway?  I picture a wait staff dressed as Jungle Cruise skippers, who get to tell jokes and have fun with the patrons. Imagine the opportunity for puns on the menu.

And remember that barker bird I mentioned? I would put him in here to do a little show from time to time. Though based on the parrot in the concept art above, this may already be in the works.

Big Change #3
Oh, The Claustrophobia…

One of the biggest issues that needs attention is the tight, claustrophobic condition of the overall land, especially at its entrance. Disney has already made a few strides in this regard by moving the stroller parking area into Tropical Imports and out of the land’s main pathway, but sadly, any further changes there would likely be near-impossible due to existing space limitations.

The only other option would be to expand the entryway, but to do this they would have to move the Dole Whip stand away from the Tiki Room entrance (the queue for the tasty treat isn’t doing the entryway any favors), the shaded hut/canopy opposite the stand, or the bathrooms.

If I suggested moving the Dole Whip Stand, I would likely be flogged with pineapples by angry mouseketeers, so that option is out. However, I think the bathroom area should be to be redesigned and/or moved to somewhere else entirely as it creates a weird bottleneck both coming from Main Street and Frontierland.

And what exactly is that shaded canopy for anyway?  I’ve always wondered…

Coming And Going Lightning Round

Things to Keep:

• The Jungle Cruise: Like the Tiki Room, it just wouldn’t be Disneyland without it. I would give the skippers more freedom to ad-lib though, just to keep the ride fresh. Also, all the animatronics/effects would be refurbished to new.
• Indiana Jones Adventure: One of the best rides in the whole park, so it ain’t going anywhere. Like above, spruce up all the effects and fix all the fun environment interactions in the queue.  It would be fun to allow guests to decipher the wall ruins too… if they didn’t just advertise for AT&T.
• The Bazaar: Perfect theming for the land, and a lot of unique items not found in other areas of the park.

Things to Lose:

I might get hate for this, but I would lose the Tarzan Treehouse.  I know, I know, believe me, this was a hard choice. It’s just Tarzan seems so much more dated than a lot of other Disney properties, and it feels like this whole attraction is just taking up space, plus contributing to the above mentioned claustrophobic condition of this land.  If it is going to stay where it is, it needs to re-themed to something relevant.

Final Thoughts

Like Main Street, Adventureland is a very important part of Disneyland. It contains two attractions (The Jungle Cruise and The Enchanted Tiki Room) that are considered to be requisite to the overall park experience, and one of the best thrill rides on the planet (Indiana Jones). Because of this, there are not really any drastic changes to make. Rather just make sure the amazing things already there look shiny and new, so that they continue to hold the interest of generations to come.

What are your thoughts? Anything you would add to or remove from Adventureland? Start a discussion below and we can throw ideas around!

PREVIOUS: Re-imagining Disneyland – Part 1 – Main Street USA