Refurbishing The Magic Kingdom (Part 8): Adventureland
At last we've come to the eighth and final land of the park, Adventureland!
A journey into the far-off, exotic regions of the world!
Just like Frontierland, this refurbishment would see the land being split into five sub-areas.
The first sub-area is Tropical Junction.
This area is modeled and themed after the colonial periods of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.
However, the buildings inspired by the British and Spanish colonial architecture of those locations are actually very few and far between.
Instead, most of the buildings and architecture of this area are replicas of the ones from the original people of those locations.
These include the Takienta mud tower houses of Togo, the painted houses of the Kassena people of Ghana, the mad brick buildings of Mali, the Hindu temples of India, the stone snake sculptures of the Mayans of Guatemala, and the giant Olmec head statues of Mexico.
This area features two attractions, three forms of entertainment, one dining option, and three shopping options.
The first attraction is The Jungle Cruise, which will see a pretty notable expansion.
The ride will start off now in South America, on the mighty Amazon.
The scenes in this section will include a family of red-eye tree frogs sitting on a series of tree stumps sticking out of the water; a scarlet macaw, a blue-and-yellow macaw, an Amazon parrot, a hyacinth macaw and a toucan sitting on a tree branch, a tree covered entirely in blue morpho butterflies, a troop of howler monkeys howling about, two spider monkeys teasing an angry caiman, a boa constrictor slithering up to an unknowing group of marmosets, a sloth napping while hanging from a vine with its young, a bunch of hummingbirds getting a drink from the lobster-claw flowers; a tapir, an anteater, and a herd of capybaras getting a drink from the river, all while they're being stalked by a jaguar, an anaconda lounging on a log, a pack of river otters playing on the shores, a river dolphin poking its head out of the water, and a school of piranhas leaping out of the water.
The boat then heads to Asia, sailing along The Mekong River.
This portion takes guests through the ruins of an ancient Cambodian city, once among The Khmer Empire, built right on The Mekong.
However, thanks to a devastating earthquake centuries ago, the city got wrecked and partially sunk into the river.
And soon enough, the city was abandoned.
Ever since, the jungle and its inhabitants have claimed the city.
The scenes here include a float of crocodiles coming towards the boat and opening their mouths; a group of macaques and gibbons jumping up and down, screeching, all while surrounding a statue of the monkey god Hanuman, a massive pile of riches being surrounded by a pack of cobras, a tiger and a panther fighting each other; a water buffalo, a tapir, a pangolin and a hornbill all looking up a python in a tree, a sun bear licking a honeycomb, and a massive natural bathing pool full of Indian elephants, all surrounding a statue of the elephant god Ganesha.
And lastly, right before the boat returns to the docks, it heads to Africa, cruising down The Congo.
The first portion of the trip down the African river takes guests by a massive waterfall known as Schweitzer Falls, named after the famous explorer, Dr. Albert Schweitzer.
Guests are then taken to a section of savannah.
The scenes here include herds of zebras, wildebeests, gazelles and cape buffaloes grazing, a cheetah readying to pounce on the herds, a two giraffes eating leaves, a pride of lions feasting on the carcass of a zebra, some jackals trying to sneak some food, a few vultures eyeing the several carcass from above, a diverse safari group being chased up a tree by an angry rhinoceros, all while a pack of hyenas laugh at them, a leopard lounging in a tree, and an ostrich resting on its nest.
The boat then takes guests deeper into the jungle, bringing them to a campsite, which has been raided by animals.
The scenes here include a bunch of gorillas tossing plates around like frisbees, an African elephant trying to paint a portrait on side of one of the tents, a few chimpanzees and vervet monkeys making themselves a massive banana split, with an okapi using its tongue to swipe some sprinkles, a baboon admiring it's....rear in a mirror, and a marabou stork drinking some coffee with its massive beak.
As the boat continues down the river, it suddenly finds it amidst a massive battle between a pod of hippopotamus and a float of crocodiles, which the captain keeps at bay with their gun.
And right before returning to the docks, the boat passes a tribal village, it appears to be holding some kind of party, consisting of people from the various tribes of Central Africa.
The tribes represented here include Kongo, Teke, Mbochi, Baka, Mbendjele, Twa, Luba, Mongo, Bambuti, and Babinga.
The second attraction is Krazy Kan.
This is an rollercoaster set in the ruins of an ancient Mayan city, with the centerpiece of it all being a pyramid.
And guests can ride through the runs on a series of cars that when put together, resembles a massive stone snake sculpture.
The first option for entertainment is The Djibouti Drum and Dance, a band that performs with djembe drums, all while dancers before traditional tribal dances from all across Africa.
The second option is The Mumbai Movers, a dance group that performs traditional dances from India.
And the third option is Música de los Andes, a group that performs traditional folk music from Peru with a wide array of instruments. From the charango, to the antara.
The sole dining option here is The Skipper Canteen, which will see a overhaul with its menu.
Appetizers would include suya, moi moi, meat pies, dodo, asun, peppersoup (with either goat or catfish), samosa, aloo tikki, sambar, pakora (fish or chicken), aloo puri, chicken 65, chuchitos, arroz con pollo, garnachas, elote loco, empanadas (beef of chicken), and mixtas.
Entrees and sides would include grilled croaker, roasted goat meat, ponmo, grilled beef, roasted hen, palm nut soup, jollof rice, white rice, ogbono soup, pounded yam, edikang ikong, efo riro, asaro, ayamase, ewa riro, fried plantains, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, chicken vindaloo, chicken biryani, chicken tandoori, lamb curry, garlic naan, tandoori bread, vegetable korma, aloo gobhi, masala dosa, pepián de polo, arroz con pollo, chori pollo, taquitos (chicken or beef), hilachas, tacos, burritos, nachos, fajitas, enchiladas, arroz amarillo, black beans, and refried beans.
Desserts would include malva pudding, koeksisters, hertzoggies, bolo de ginguba, atadwe milk, banana cake, gnonmi, gulab jamun, ras malai, kheer, kulfi, falooda, tres leches cake, rellenitos de platano, arroz con leche, flan, empanadas dulces, and polvorosas.
And drinks would include palm wine, banana beer, maghrebi mint tea, zobo, mazagran, dawa, jus de bissap, ginger tea, mango lassi, aam panna, nimbu pani, kokum sherbet, masala chai, chaas, mahua liquor, horchata, licuado, ponche de leche, quetzalteca, chicha, limonada con soda, atole de elote, cusha, rosa de Jamaica, and various types of fruit juice.
And lastly for the shopping options.
First there's the still-standing Zanzibar Trading Company, which now specializes in African pottery, metalwork, sculptures, textile art, basketry, beadwork, and wood carvings. Plus it also sells merchandising of The Lion King.
Then there's The Maharaja's Palace, which specializes in Indian jewelry, textiles, garments, ceramics, leather crafts, and paper art kits.
And lastly there's Artesanías de América Latina, which specializes in Latin American weaving, pottery, wood and stone carvings, jewelry, textiles, leatherwork, and basketry.
The second sub-area is Mystical Desert.
This area is modeled and themed after The Middle East and North Africa.
Specifically cities such as Istanbul, Jerusalem, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Marrakesh, and Baghdad.
Guests here can travel along stone-paved pathways accompanied by palm trees, buildings and structures of Islamic influence.
This area features two attractions, one form of entertainment, one dining option, and one shopping option.
The first attraction is The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, which will remain the same.
And the second attraction is Indiana Jones Adventure: The Cursed Pyramid.
Set in an replica of an Egyptian pyramid, this Audio-Animatronic ride will see guests hop aboard a series of military troop transport vehicles as they accompany the eponymous explorer (voiced by Troy Baker) on an new expedition into the titular Cursed Pyramid.
The ride starts off in The Hall of Secrets, which showcase various scenes involving Egyptian gods in the in form of hieroglyphics.
Eventually, the guests reach The Chamber of Chaos, where at the center of it lies The Idol of Osiris, a small golden statue of the Egyptian god of the afterlife, the underworld, and the resurrection, atop of a pedestal.
Luckily, Indy uses his classic swticheroo method to grab the idol.
Unfortunately, it didn't work as well as he thought when the booming voice of Set (voiced by Daran Norris), the god of chaos, disorder, deserts, violence, and storms, suddenly starts rumbling through the pyramid.
Set shames Indy and the guests for taking the idol and tells them that they're not gonna be making it out the pyramid with their lives.
And so, the vehicles instantly take off as the entire chamber starts to quake.
But right when the vehicles were about to head back down The Hall of Secrets, the passage gets closed off by falling rumble.
Luckily, Indy points out another passageway on the other side of the chamber.
And so, the vehicles quickly make their way to the passageway, narrowly avoiding falling rumble.
Once making it through, the guests find themselves carefully crossing a stone bridge over a massive chasm.
Unfortunately, Set is about to make things even worse.
He summons strong winds to try and blow the vehicles off the bridge, all while lightning rages on all over the place.
And just as the guests were about to make it across the bridge, it suddenly breaks in half and falls!
Luckily, the front half manages to land on a ledge.
But it's not gonna hold for long.
Fortunately, right up ahead is a passageway, so the vehicles immediately take off down it.
But when it seems like the guests could finally get some relief from the chaos, scarabs suddenly start crawling out of the walls, which Set reveals that he made particularly carnivorous.
And so, the vehicles hightail it out of there!
After that bit of speeding, the vehicles arrive in The Warriors Tomb, a tomb filled with the sarcophaguses of ancient warriors.
Suddenly, the sarcophaguses start to open and soon enough, the warriors (now mummified) pop up, having been brought back to life.
The mummified warriors look at the guests with angered looks as they hold khopeshs in their hands, looking like they're planning on using them.
Not wanting to stick around to see if they do, the vehicles speed off once again.
After some right twists and turns down hallways, the vehicles arrive in a room that's just a dead-end.
Just as they were about to head out, the guests see the exit being blocked-off by rumble.
Set announces that he finally has them trapped and there's no escape.
Soon enough, the room starts failing up with sand, ensuring that the guests will be buried alive.
Just as it seems all hope is lost, a hole in the ceiling suddenly bursts open, with none other than Indy popping up on the scene.
He reveals that he had found another passageway out of the pyramid and quickly grabbed some dynamite from the nearby base camp in order to make a way for the guests to escape.
And with that, the vehicles are finally able to leave the pyramid.
For the sole form of entertainment, there's The Crazy Camel Caravan, a group who perform all kinds of traditional Arabian acts such as Tanoura dancing, snake charming, belly dancing, sand art crafting, sword dueling, and band performances.
As for dining, this land would see the return of a Disneyland classic: Aladdin's Oasis, which will instead be renamed to Genie's Oasis.
This establishment specializes in Arabic food.
There's hummus, falafel, kebabs, baba ganoush, pita bread, tabbouleh, fattoush, kibbeh, shawarma, madrouba, curry, jasheed, machboos, mathrooba, margooga, dates, shuwa, jellab, Tamar Hindi, carob juice, baklava, katayef, kanafeh, halva, umm ali, basbousa, maamoul, rangina, znoud el-sit, and a special Genie Punch (berry blue) punch
And lastly for shopping there's The Agrabah Bazaar, which sells Turkish silver art, ceramics, carpets, kilims, jewelry, leather goods, fragrant oils, and Aladdin-themed memorabilia.
The third sub-area is Oriental Gardens.
This area is modeled and themed after East Asia.
Guests here can witness replicas of the pavilions, pagodas, temples, palaces, gardens, bridges, Hanok houses and Shinto shrines found in China, Japan and The Koreas.
This area features two attractions, one form of entertainment, two dining options, and one shopping option.
The first attraction is The Red Dragon, a rollercoaster designed to resemble a red Chinese dragon, with cars designed to resemble guardian lions.
The second attraction is The Yokai Karūseru, a merry-go-round where kids can ride atop the backs of Japanese yokai.
There's bakenekos, kitsunes, oni, tengus, kappas, tanukis, kotobukis, mujinas, jorogumos, and shussesos.
For the entertainment, there's The Dazhou Dancers, a dance group that performs traditional Chinese dances.
As for dining, first there's The Shogun's Palace, which specializes in Japanese cuisine.
They've got seaweed salad, kani salad, avocado salad, snow crab salad, tataki (tuna or beef), tako-su, kani-su, miso soup, vegetable soup, edamame, harumaki, katsu (chicken, pork or fish), fried tofu, fried calamari, gyoza, shumai, takoyaki, tempura (shrimp, chicken or taro), teriyaki (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu or vegetable), fried rice (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu or vegetable), soup noodles (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu or vegetable), stir-fry noodles (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu or vegetable), a wide variety of sashimi and sushi, white rice, noodles (choice of udon or soba), Japanese vegetable mix, ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or green tea), fried Oreos, banana tempura, cheesecake tempura, tempura ice cream, mochi ice cream, matcha Swiss roll, iced tea, iced green tea, and Ramune (comes in original, melon, orange, blueberry and strawberry).
Then there's Yolisa Kitchen, which specializes in Korean food.
They've got Korean fried chicken (comes in a choice of regular, soy garlic, spicy, or Korean bbq), potstickers, shumai (pork and shrimp), bao buns (pork belly or fried chicken), Korean tacos, popcorn shrimp, edamame, bulgogi, japchae, tteokbokki, buldak, house fried rice (chicken or bulgogi), bibimbap (chicken or bulgogi), udon soup, French fries, onion rings, coleslaw, kimchi, pickled radishes, steamed rice, Korean corn dogs (comes in a choice of classic, potato, Cheetos, Hot Cheetos, and ramen), kimchi pancakes, kimchi fries, kimchi ramen, Korean donuts, eggettes (comes in plain, chocolate, strawberry, coconut, and matcha), and wide array of boba tea.
And lastly for shopping there's Oriental Ornaments, which sells various East Asian goods such as silk textiles, porcelain, teas, jade jewelry, kimonos, yukatas, maneki-nekos, fans, Daruma dolls, noren, sake, buncheong ware, hanji, hanboks, and Mulan-themed memorabilia.
The fourth sub-area is Paradise Island.
This area is modeled and themed after The Caribbean and The South Pacific.
From the Spanish colonial architecture of cities such as San Juan, Havana and Santo Domingo, to the Polynesian tribal houses of islands such as Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, Palau and Hawaii.
This area features five attractions, three forms of entertainment, four dining options, and two shopping options.
The attractions consists of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Liki Tikis, The Swiss Family Treehouse, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and A Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas.
For entertainment, there's still The Pirates League.
But there's also two new forms of entertainments.
The first is The Saint Vincent Steel Drum Band, which, as you would expect, are a steel drum band that perform calypso music.
And the second is Tropical Troupe, a dance group that performs various traditional dances from across The South Pacific.
As for dining; there's still Aloha Isle, Sunshine Tree Terrace, and Tortuga Tavern.
However in the case of the latter, it will be receiving a massive overhaul with its menu, now specializing in Caribbean food.
They've got jerk chicken, conch fritters, ackee and saltfish, rice and pigeon peas, pepperpot stew, fungee, flying fish and cou cou, cracked conch, monfongo, callaloo, roti, plantains, oxtails, curry goat, cutters, macaroni pie, green figs and salted cod, bammy, sancocho, toto, fire-grilled chicken, mojo roasted pork, churrassco steak, white rice, black beans, yuca fries, soursop ice cream, sweet potato pudding, cassava pone, duff, rum cake, flan, and Bigga soft drinks.
There'll also be a new dining establishment in the form of another Disneyland classic: Tahitian Terrace.
This establishment specializes in Polynesian cuisine.
They've got teriyaki (chicken, beef and short ribs), barbecued pineapple ribs, chicken katsu, fried fish, fried shrimp, huli huli chicken, kalua pork, spam musubi, roasted mahi mahi, roasted taro, roasted vegetable medley, fe'i, fafaru, po'e, tropical fruit salad, green salad, poke salad, macaroni salad, white rice, brown rice, garlic rice, pineapple rice, chow mein, poi, fried uru, firi firi, coconut bread, banana crepes, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, chocolate haupia pie, pineapple upside down cake, pineapple coconut bars, shaved ice, and Hawaiian Sun drinks.
And lastly for shopping, there's still Island Supply and Pirate's Bazaar.
But in the case of the former, it's gonna start selling items of The South Seas like hats, wood carvings, tapa cloth, aloha shirts, sarongs, pearl jewelry, tiki decor, spices, coffee, baskets, and Moana-themed memorabilia.
And the fifth and final sub-area is Mysterious Cove.
In contrast to the four other sub-areas, whose designs were based in real world cultures, this area's design is completely rooted in fiction.
The area would be themed after the lost world and steampunk genres, particularly of the works of the legendary Jules Verne.
The area is primarily a jungle filled with dinosaur fossils and ancient ruins with Atlantean symbols.
And the centerpieces are a massive lagoon and a volcano.
This area features three attractions, one form of entertainment, two dining options, and two shopping options.
The first attraction is a returning attraction from The Magic Kingdom's yesteryears: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Here, guests are taken on a journey through the depths of the ocean aboard The Nautilus, all while Captain Nemo (voiced by Phil LaMarr) guides us.
First we start off in the middle of a tropical coral reef, where we see all kinds of sea life included giant sea bass, sea turtles, fighting lobsters, giant clams, algae, seaweed, a shark fighting an octopus, a pod of blue whales, a moray eel, and a school of jellyfish.
We also see some of Nemo's own crew, doing research while in diving suits.
We then transition to The Graveyard of Lost Ships, which as the name suggests, is an underwater boneyard filled with the wrecked remains of ships from all across the ages.
One scene from this section includes some divers finding some treasure in a pirate ship getting into a tug-of-war with an octopus.
Out next destination is beneath The South Pole, where we find ourselves navigating through a field of iceberg bottoms, marveling at the strange sea creatures that reside where the sun doesn't shine, and of course, running into a giant squid.
We then arrive at the sunken ruins of the fabled lost city, Atlantis, which is now swarming with mermen and mermaids.
But soon enough, we find ourselves having to surface when an series of undersea volcanoes start to go off.
And right before making it to the surface, we come face-to-face with a comical, cross-eyed sea serpent.
The second attraction here is Journey to the Center of the Earth.
On this Audio Animatronic ride, guests hop aboard a series of steam-powered mine vehicles as they're taken on an expedition to the heart of our very planet, all while being guided by Professor Otto Lidenbrock (voiced by Nolan North).
First we start off in the caverns of the Iceland volcano Snæfellsjökull, where must endure falling stalactites, a icy pathways, and the harsh frigid winds of a sub-polar tornado.
After all that, we then experience a mighty drop.
Soon enough, we find ourselves sailing across an underground ocean with a vast ceiling of clouds above us, with a permanent Aurora giving light.
But immediately upon reaching the ocean, a lightning storm kicks in and soon we find ourselves having to endure rough waves, turbulent winds and lightning bolts striking all around.
But if that wasn't bad enough, we also have to avoid the likes of sharks, Pterodactyls, and a fight between an Ichthyosaurus and a Plesiosaurus.
But soon enough, we make it to dry land and find ourselves in the middle of a lush tropical jungle filled with giant trees, ferns and even mushrooms!
But that's not all! We also encounter a variety of dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, birds and reptiles.
These include the likes of a herd of Brontosaurus, a Stegosaurus, a herd of Triceratops, a herd of Saurolophus, a pack of Velociraptor, an Ankylosaurus, a bask of crocodiles, a giant python, a mammoth, a giant ground sloth, Glyptodons, a woolly rhino, a pack of dire wolves, a terror bird, a herd of wild boars, a troop of apes, all kinds of tropical birds, a giant vulture, and a pack of sabre-tooth tigers.
But we eventually come across a rather unnerving sight hiding in the underbrush.
That sight being this strange human-like creature that's about 9-feet tall, wearing actual clothing made from animal skins, and holding a spear.
But before we could even dwell on that, we find ourselves having to flee from a stampeding herd of mastodons.
Luckily, we manage to escape the stampede by taking shelter in a cave.
Unfortunately, the trembling caused by the stampede results in a cave-in.
As we search for a way out, we notice that cave starting to get hotter and hotter.
Soon enough, lava starts to shoot out of the ground. And it’s at that moment when we realize we’re in the middle of an erupting volcano!
We soon find ourselves fleeing for our lives, dodging lava spouts and falling rocks.
Eventually, we reach a huge circular stone platform at the heart of the volcano, which ends up being our one-way ticket to the surface thanks to the rapidly rising lava.
And the third and final attraction is the once cancelled rollercoaster ride Fire Mountain, themed after Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
The ride will take guests into the volcano of Mysterious Cove via cars resembling Akitraks.
Along the way, guests will have to look out for lava geysers, falling stalactites, and giant lava whales jumping out of the rivers of lava below!
The sole form of entertainment here are The Whalers, a folk music group that perform all kinds of famous sea shanties such as "The Drunken Sailor", "Blow the Man Down", and even "A Whale of a Tale" from Walt Disney's 1954 live-action adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
As for dining, the first option is The Nautilus Galley, where guests dine on seafood in a recreation of the dining room the submarine is named after.
They've got fried fish, boiled crab, boiled lobster, fried shrimp, fried clams, calamari, seafood boil, French fries, coleslaw, fried okra, all kinds of cakes, and Pepsi products.
The second option is The Explorers' Hall.
Set in a huge army tent, guests can experience cuisine that's a fusion between American and Atlantean flavors.
And by Atlantean, we mean Southeast Asian.
Dishes you can expect for find here include salted, cheesy congee, bird's eye chili cornbread, johnnycakes that come in coconut and banana flavors, pork belly skewers, citrus-flavored roasted chicken, vegetable stir fry, spicy collared greens, char siu bacon cheeseburgers, sambal fries, frozen coffee, bubble soft drinks, coconut milkshakes and dragonfruit pie.
And lastly for shopping, first there's Nautilus Gifts, which sells all sorts of Jules Verne-themed memorabilia, including telescopes, maps, diving suits, and even mini-replicas of The Nautilus itself!
Then there's The Hearts of Atlantis, which sells Atlantean trinkets, toy weapons (such as spears and daggers), all kinds of jewelry, and Atlantis-themed memorabilia.
Finally for character greets; we've got The Sensational Six (all dressed in adventurous attire; with Mickey being a safari explorer, Minnie being a hula dancer, Donald being a mummy, Daisy being a pirate, Goofy being a steampunk explorer, and Pluto being a lion), The Orange Bird, Tarzan, Jane Porter, Terk, Tantor, Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Scar, Baloo, Mowgli, King Louie, Shere Khan, Mirabel Madrigal, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Jafar, Indiana Jones, Mulan, Mushu, Li Shang, Jack Sparrow, Moana, Maui, Captain Nemo, Otto Lidenbrock, Milo Thatch, and Kida Nedakh.
