Jungle Cruise Refurbishment
The Jungle Cruise closed this past Friday for a refurbishment and will remain closed through August 2, 2012.
What is interesting, is the new addition that has appeared on the Jungle Cruise boats.
New netting has appeared along the lower portion of the rails and ‘bumpers’ have been added to the lower portion of the boats. It is not clear as to the exact reason why, after 57 years of operation, this was necessary, but it seems to have either CalOSHA or Disney’s legal department written all over it. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of safety railings, netting and signage across the resort. Most infamous has been the Alice in Wonderland attraction, which saw some very ugly tarps and scaffolding installed along the entire outdoor section of the attraction nearly two years ago.
This may be reactionary to an incident that I am not aware of, but it seems like another example of a classic Disney attraction being tarnished by yet another ‘safety’ installation.
Notice the addition of the ‘bumper’ as well.
Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise closes for week
From: The Orange County Register
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]NAHEIM – Disneyland is making it easier to hop aboard the Jungle Cruise – a week from now.
The popular attraction is closing for a week to undergo a project that will shrink the over-the-water gap between the dock and the boats where visitors board and leave the ride, said Kevin Rafferty Jr., a Disneyland Resort spokesman.
Bumpers will be added to the boats. The ride is closed Thursday through Wednesday. ”The (refurbishment) is a safety enhancement that is meant to allow our guests to enter and exit the vehicles with greater ease,” Rafferty said.
Disney did not say if anything prompted the refurbishment.
Take a ride on the World Famous Jungle Cruise with one of the funniest skippers I’ve seen in years
Filmed (Sept of 2011), you’ll notice the lack of these new ‘safety features’ on the boat.
Photos & News from Around Disneyland this Week
Meet Otto, Your New Disneyland Assistant Giving You Wait Times and Resort Information
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney Imagineering have launched a new test program to provide guests with a way to get answers to some of their questions about wait times, FastPass return times, show times and more. Otto, the new automated assistant is now taking your calls!
When you give Otto a call, he answers the phone and immediately asks, “what can I do for you”. Asking Otto questions such as “What is the wait time for Radiator Springs Racers” will prompt a response giving you attraction information, the current estimated wait time and FastPass information. It does take a bit for Otto to process your request and respond, but while Otto processes your request he will give you a bit of entertainment whistling and humming Disney songs such as “There Are No Strings On Me” from Pinocchio. If Otto is unable to answer your question he will promptly transfer you to a live Guest Service Cast Member who can.
Here is a quick video of me asking Otto a few questions.
Tickets for the 2013 D23 Expo Go On Sale August 9, 2012
Tickets for the 2013 D23 Expo, the world’s largest fan event for all things Disney, will go on sale starting Thursday, August 9, 2012 starting at 10 a.m. PT. The 2013 D23 Expo will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, across the street from the Disneyland Resort.
The previous D23 Expo, held in the fall of 2011 drew more than 40,000 Disney fans. Those in attendance were entertained by stars such as Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Billy Crystal and Dick Van Dyke! Fans were also able to get inside looks at Buena Vista Street and Cars Land, which were still under construction at the time. The 2013 D23 Expo will also include exhibits and special presentations about the Walt Disney Studios, Disney Products, ABC, the Disney Channel, and Disney Interactive.
This will be the third D23 Expo, which has proven to be so popular that D23 is promising to “expand capacities at some of our most popular venues”, as the 2011 D23 Expo saw a very large attendance and long lines for presentations. Those in attendance at the 2013 D23 Expo will be treated to a Disney Legends Ceremony, Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives and Collectors Forums. Also, in years past, the D23 Expo has featured a Disney Parks Presentation.
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That’s going to do it for this week’s update. You can see the past updates here.
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