5 Reasons To Love Adventureland

Walt Disney World for Grown-ups has told you all about why we love Walt Disney World Resorts, in our popular "5 Reasons To Love" series, but today we're turning the Disney Parks as we begin to highlight some of our staff's favorite places to play. I'm often asked what my favorite "land" is, and since I was a small child I've always replied with the same thing - Adventureland. So read on and find out what makes this area of the Magic Kingdom feel so special to me.





The Jungle Cruise

When I was a little girl I could ride this one attraction for hours and never get bored. What makes this ride magical is the world famous Jungle Cruise Skippers, a rather "elite" corps of cast members that bring this exotic river cruise into an attraction league of its own. As an adult I usually stick with two rides, once in the daylight and once after dark, because once the sun goes down the Jungle takes on a whole different feeling. Perfect for guests of all ages, the Jungle Cruise is a Disney classic. A fun fact: The original attraction in Disneyland was planted its artificial jungle in 1955, since then the climate and eco-system at the attraction has changed so much it has developed into a real jungle!


Slide all the way forward now... That's the only way we have of keeping the cushions clean!


Pirates of the Caribbean

Yo-ho-yo-ho a pirates life for me! The fan favorite attraction that launched a movie franchise also makes its home in Adventureland. Updated since the opening of the films, this rowdy adventure takes guests on the pillage and burn of a Caribbean town with a group of really bad eggs. Captain Jack Sparrow, even makes a couple appearances throughout the ride. A bit of a bonus to me is that the attraction empties into a pirate themed gift shop, so you can snatch up all the loot you can afford to buy, or have a whole pirate make-over!


Adventureland's Pirates of The Caribbean


The Orange Bird

The little Orange Bird in the sunshine tree. Rapidly gaining popularity by new Disney fans, old timers will remember the days where Orange Bird was a full on character in the Magic Kingdom, and Adventureland was his stomping ground. These days you can find Orange Bird merchandise in the shopping bazaar, and you can pick up a citrus swirl (his favorite treat) at the Sunshine Tree Terrace. It you look carefully when you order, you'll even find the original Orange Bird Statue perched up on top welcoming guests.

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

This is one of those attractions that divides guests into either the "love it camp" or the "hate it camp." I fall into the love it camp " but before you jump to arms, let me tell you why. When you take a bench in this small, dark, tiki hut you are sitting down to watch the dawn of Walt Disney's early Audio-Animatronics. The theme is a nod to the very popular tiki culture of the 1960s era. The room is filled with a chorus of tropical creatures who sing, move, and tell vaudevillian jokes are synchronized to a fun musical score and controlled entirely by on/off electromechanical means. What you see inside Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is the spark of imagination that laid the groundwork for more and more advanced technologies to come into the parks and push the envelope of reality creating even more immersive guest experiences. This is where I pay homage to Walt himself.


A Cast of 225 Audio-Animatronic Performers


Dole Whip

Ever popular, the Dole Whip is a "must eat" treat for many a Disney fan, a right of passage even. This sweet and creamy pineapple flavored non-dairy soft serve dessert has its own cult following. At Adventureland's Aloha Isle guests can order it up in a cup, as a float with pineapple juice, or in a souvenir tiki mug. Any way you take yours, you'll be in for a special Disney Treat.


We give you the Dole Whip Float


Thanks so much to Sam Howzit for sharing the Tiki Room Interior shots through Creative Commons. Do you love Adventureland? Is it your favorite spot to escape in the Magic Kingdom? Leave a comment below and share what you love best about this Disney classic.