Introduction to Adventureland |
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"The spirit of adventure is often linked with exotic tropic places. Many of us dream of traveling to these mysterious, far-off regions of the world. To create a land that would make this dream a reality, we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa. Here is adventure. Here is romance. Here is mystery ... This is Adventureland, the wonderland of nature's own design."
-- Walt Disney
Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland is an unforgettable safari for the armchair traveler. The courageous spirit lurking in the hearts of everyone comes alive on this exotic trek into the world's unexplored regions. Mystery, intrigue and surprise are around every bend as guests cruise into a jungle along hidden waterways, explore an island featuring the treetop home of the Lord of the Apes and revel in a colorful African festival starring characters from Disney's hit animated feature film, "The Lion King."
Adventureland represents the unexplored regions of the world during the romantic era of discovery, just after the turn of the 20th century.
This was a time before air travel was common, when trips to and from the remote corners of the world were arduous, dangerous and uncommon. The "dark heart" of Africa held untold, uncharted dangers. Asia was a secret and mysterious land and the South Seas islands were an unspoiled tropical paradise. Civilization was sparsely dotted about the more remote regions of most continents and the boundaries between it and nature were almost indefinable. Adventureland is an amalgam of these exotic regions, a place where every step of the journey is into the unknown, the unfamiliar, the mystical and the magical.
Adventureland is a mosaic of many of the world's most adventurous realms. It is a place, though not one that can be specifically pinpointed on a map of the world. The inspirations for its designs span the globe, from Africa and Asia to the South Seas, sometimes in the same attraction.
The architecture ranges from the two-story wood beam and plaster main building of the River View Café (an example of European Colonial-era design found in North Africa) to the conical thatched huts of the waiting area at Theater in the Wild (examples of family living quarters indigenous to West Africa). There's also the Polynesian-inspired architecture of both the Tahitian Terrace and Professor Porter's Trading Post, as well as the eclectic "shipwreck" accents of Tarzan's Treehouse.
Landscaping plays a vital role in the Adventureland story, more so than in any other land in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. The land is not specific to any region in the world, but it is designed primarily as a tropical jungle with a river and waterfalls, rocky crags and cliffs, simulated packed earth walkways and an abundance of trees, flowers and grasses.
The landscaping has been designed to look as if there has been no "hand of man" in its creation. Plant materials in the land appear to be natural and informal, growing over time through evolution (rather than careful planning, which was actually the case). The trees in the land are enormous and broad leafed, often with voluminous canopies. Examples include banyan trees, palm trees and banana trees. The flowering trees, shrubs and vines burst with bright, exotic, tropical colors: deep oranges, fiery reds, brilliant yellows and shocking pinks.
Adventurers will find mystery and intrigue from the moment they enter the land (under the Adventureland sign) and encounter Safari Falls (which offers guests the unique opportunity of walking behind the waterfall and discovering pictographs depicting ancient safari scenes that gave the falls their name). From there, more adventures lurk around every bend.
On the Jungle River Cruise, intrepid explorers board jungle launches to experience the mysteries and wonders of the Rivers of Adventure. Along the way, they encounter hippos, gorillas, elephants and other jungle wildlife, all carefully described by their irreverent and witty skipper.
At the vast Theater in the Wild, guests experience "Festival of the Lion King," a colorful pageant of music and dance inspired by and celebrating Disney's animated classic, "The Lion King."
The Rafts to Tarzan Island take guests to visit Tarzan's Treehouse on Tarzan Island, a remote archipelago filled with caves, grottos, waterfalls and streams. Inspired by Disney's animated feature, "Tarzan," the treehouse is a moss- and vine-covered treetop dwelling that is home to the Lord of the Apes, his adopted mother, the ape Kala; and his companion, Jane Porter.
Surprises abound in every corner of Adventureland and such is the case along a trail leading past the Jungle River Cruise, where the Liki Tikis, circular set of totem-like poles, beat out a steady jungle rhythm while squirting water on unsuspecting passersby. Across from the Liki Tikis is an area filled with drums where guests can pound out their own beats. There is also a greeting area where guests can meet up with their favorite Disney "adventure" characters from such Disney animated classics as "The Jungle Book" and "The Lion King."
Those seeking refreshment and replenishment during their adventures can relax and dine at the River View Café, a 192-seat table-service restaurant in a British Colonial-era North African-inspired building that overlooks the Rivers of Adventure. The restaurant is located across from the entrance to the Jungle River Cruise and features table service with both set and a la carte menus.
There's also the Tahitian Terrace, a 220-seat food court-style restaurant themed to the South Seas with tropical plantings and an architectural motif of bamboo and thatch, all under the watchful eyes of tiki gods.
Professor Porter's Trading Post, offering "Souvenirs for Every Safari," is located adjacent to the Tahitian Terrace. Professor Porter is Archimedes Q. Porter, father of Jane, from Disney's animated feature "Tarzan." He's taken ownership of this Tahitian-themed trading post and is now using it both as a base for his scientific experiments and storage for the many eclectic artifacts collected during his global excursions as well as a supply stop for tourists and locals.
Cast members play a wide variety of roles, from visiting archaeologists and jungle boat skippers to South Sea island restaurateurs and African village caretakers. The time frame for most of Adventureland remains frozen in the romantic era of the late 1920s and 1930s.
The original inspiration for Adventureland was the "True-Life Adventure" series, 13 nature films produced by Walt Disney between 1948 and 1960. In fact, the original name for Disneyland's Adventureland was True-Life Adventureland. The six features ("The Living Desert," "The Vanishing Prairie," "The African Lion," "Secrets of Life," "White Wilderness" and "Jungle Cat") and seven featurettes ("Seal Island," "Beaver Valley," "Nature's Half Acre," "The Olympic Elk," "Water Birds," "Bear Country" and "Prowlers of the Everglades") depicted the wonders, awesomeness and harsh realities of life in the wild. In all, eight of the 13 films won Academy Awards plus honors from nature and environmental organizations.
Inspiration for Adventureland also came from the 1951 Humphrey Bogart-Katherine Hepburn movie "The African Queen" (which served as the basis for the original Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland).
Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort honors those previous inspirations, while also drawing on Disney's more recent films, including "The Lion King" (1994) and "Tarzan" (1999).
Tarzan's Treehouse is based on the attraction of the same name in Adventureland at Disneyland. However, the treehouse at Hong Kong Disneyland is unique in that it's on an island (Tarzan Island) in the middle of the Rivers of Adventure and that guests must take rafts to access it (at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland, guests take rafts to Tom Sawyer Island).
The live theatrical production, "Festival of the Lion King," debuted at the Lion King Theater in Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in 1998. The version at Theater in the Wild at Hong Kong Disneyland is very similar, although it now includes two new characters, Chinese monkeys, who comment on the action in Cantonese (the rest of the show is in English).
