Tired of Jungle Cruise "schtick"

[disneydeb64]

So we are happily preparing for another trip to the parks next month and as we discuss our itinerary and favorite attractions, the jungle cruise is something of an enigma. I love the history, concept and theming of this ride but I've grown tired of the skippers jokes. I have fond memories as a kid of the immersive excitement of this ride with the skipper adding to the whole experience. Now when you ride, it's all a big joke. It was amusing at first but hearing a lot of the same jokes over and over again gets old. Can you imagine if Pirates had a tour guide that made fun of every animatronic and scene? It would ruin the immersiveness of the experience! I would love to see them plus up the ride, add some new surprises and return it to classic attraction status like pirates and HM. Maybe i am in the minority here but I would love to see Jungle Cruise become a true adventure again! What are your thoughts?

I agree, so I just don't go on it! I love the ride and this history of the ride, but the jokes have become boring to me and almost secondhand embarrassment. I go on it every once in a while but it is not my favorite.

I have to agree with you both to a point. Whatever your feelings, this ride was never intended to be the corny attraction it is today. Riding this as a kid, it was a bit more serious, with a few puns thrown in for good measure. The adventure was definitely played up more than the comedy. When the attraction first opened, the animatronics wowed the crowds. Unfortunately with the passage of time, they began being viewed as outdated and comical, hence all the jokes. That said, I still enjoy the ride. Especially if I'm lucky enough to have a skipper with great personality. That alone can make or break the experience.

 

[Geemo]

The best CM we had in a long time was Lucy, on our Jan trip in 2012. She was extremely entertaining with script and non-script commentary of the ride.

Geemo

 

[PinkBudgie]

My sister tells of the time they rode it and were the only English speaking people on the boat. You gotta feel sorry for the Skipper when he has to tell jokes to an entire boat that doesn't understand.

I also can't help but think of the Weird Al song. Love the part about the hippos that have been wiggling their ears for the past 50 years.

To me, it's the skipper that makes or breaks the ride.

 

[maltdizzy]

ZLove the schtick, but they have to be able to deliver it well.

When a boat breaks down the boats behind it have to return backwards through the ride, there is a whole other "script" for that. Kinda neat to do the ride backwards.

At least the ride survived Eisner, who spent a good deal of time trying to tear it down since it used so much real estate and was so expensive to maintain.

 

[tdhickey]

This is one of those rides where I can truly appreciate the classic part if DLR, there isn't enough room there to put in anything spectacular so I am glad they kept it. I would like to see a little more diligence in picking the CM's and for those who can't deliver the lines properly they need to not let them run this one...but who knows, they may have been subbing in too!

 

[disneyobsessed808]

jungle cruise is probably my favorite non-thrill attraction at disneyland. i love it. and i love the cheesy jokes - if you are going for excitement, thrill, or suspense (like you find with jaws), i think you're missing the point of the ride.

besides the fact that i love the cheesiness. i love that every experience is different depending on the skipper, to some extent. the jokes are usually the same. but sometimes they add in a new joke that is fun and surprising.

 

[JosieGirl71]

My boys and I love the Tiki Room. DH had never been. He was hungry and cranky and he made us miserable he was so unhappy! Too bad because he loves parrots and birds, go figure! Nothing's fun if you are starving I guess!

Midnightred

The bolded section made me laugh.

 

[goooof1]

The "immersive adventure" of the Jungle Cruise was decidedly MORE when we were kids! Once you have been on it a few times, you know what is out there. It's a known jungle and not so mysterious. Yes, the jokes are silly and corny, but they have ALWAYS been! That is part of it's charm and the fun.
The "first time" on a ride is always the best, so put yourself in a first time mode and enjoy it.

 

[iheartdisney]

It depends on your skipper, it depends on which jokes he tells, and it depends on your attitude.

Last trip it was kind of backed up getting back into the dock so our skipper started doing what would be called "crowd work" if you were at a comedy club. He made asked about my DD's zombie Barbie and when she told him it was a Monster High, he said something about getting a Monster High later on tonight, and every single younger adult and teen on the boat got a bad case of the giggles. best skipper we've had in awhile!

 

[disneydeb64]

It depends on your skipper, it depends on which jokes he tells, and it depends on your attitude.

Last trip it was kind of backed up getting back into the dock so our skipper started doing what would be called "crowd work" if you were at a comedy club. He made asked about my DD's zombie Barbie and when she told him it was a Monster High, he said something about getting a Monster High later on tonight, and every single younger adult and teen on the boat got a bad case of the giggles. best skipper we've had in awhile!

I'm far from being a prude, but if any CM made cracks about getting high within earshot of my child, I would be none too happy.

 

[DisneyMarvelStarWars]

I'm far from being a prude, but if any CM made cracks about getting high within earshot of my child, I would be none too happy.

Maybe this one is up to the individual mind. What might be offensive to one could've been meant as an innocent joke. Why did the kids giggle? The innocent ones giggled because they pictured him buying himself a doll later on. The others probably have grown up too fast and know more than they should and they interpreted it as such.

 

[disneydeb64]

Either way, not acceptable. IMO.

 

[iheartdisney]

Either way, not acceptable. IMO.

I actually would consider myself prude-ish, and it was fine with me. It wasn't said on the mic, and it went over the head of those whose heads it should have gone over. Maybe I've been in So Cal too long!

IMO, it is no worse than at the end of Toy Story 2, Buzz's erection-style wing pop when he meets Jessie, or in the Incredibles (my favorite line of the movie, BTW) when Syndrome says "Elastagirl? You married Elastagirl....and got BUSY!" Except that instead of being a comment made by one CM to a few dozen people those are seen by millions of children every year.

 

[Iceman93]

I'm far from being a prude, but if any CM made cracks about getting high within earshot of my child, I would be none too happy.

In this case, though, you are most certainly being a prude.

 

[ahsquared]

I'm far from being a prude, but if any CM made cracks about getting high within earshot of my child, I would be none too happy.

Where I live smoking pot is legal soooo it's something my kids will hear about directly from me and plenty others I'm sure. I definitely wouldn't be offended by a silly joke that would go over their head. It's not like he urged them to go get a monster high.
I think this is an example of the American "don't say anything that might offend someone" mentality. It just results in things like jungle cruise scripts. They are so worried someone will get offended and throw a fit they dull the ride for everyone. Just because someone's offended doesn't mean they have the right to dictate others words, thoughts, or behaviors.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I actually would consider myself prude-ish, and it was fine with me. It wasn't said on the mic, and it went over the head of those whose heads it should have gone over. Maybe I've been in So Cal too long!
.

Same here. I'm not really prudish, but I am pretty strict with what my kids are exposed to. This joke would not have bothered me. I would have chuckled and my kids (ages 7 & 10) would not have understood anyways.

 

[old lady]

I like the old Jungle Cruise because it was exciting to be attacked by hippos and dangerous to see old Smiley who is always lookig for a hand out. I didn't go on the ride the last time since the line was too big.

 

[whoever]

Where I live smoking pot is legal soooo it's something my kids will hear about directly from me and plenty others I'm sure. I definitely wouldn't be offended by a silly joke that would go over their head. It's not like he urged them to go get a monster high.
I think this is an example of the American "don't say anything that might offend someone" mentality. .

I don't expect to hear that kind of insinuations from any establishment which caters to children... EVER.

 

[monkeymers]

Is it just me, or is this thread getting off track a bit?

 

[MolonLabe]

It depends on your skipper, it depends on which jokes he tells, and it depends on your attitude.

Last trip it was kind of backed up getting back into the dock so our skipper started doing what would be called "crowd work" if you were at a comedy club. He made asked about my DD's zombie Barbie and when she told him it was a Monster High, he said something about getting a Monster High later on tonight, and every single younger adult and teen on the boat got a bad case of the giggles. best skipper we've had in awhile!

That's funny. I've got 3 daughters and I wouldn't have been offended had we been on that boat.

As to the ride itself, I honestly can't recall it not being cheesy.

It's a once and done ride per trip. I do want to ride it in the dark this trip, I've never done it at night. Which is bizarre considering how many times I've been to MK. Perhaps it's because at night we always wind up in Tomorrowland for some reason?