Monthly Archives: April 2016

The Jungle Revealed! Trivia Answered!

Did you take a shot at answering yesterday’s trivia, my friends?  No?  Then, by all means, please stop back HERE to “test” your knowledge.  How well do you know the Jungle Cruise?

Did you know that one of the inspirations for this great attraction was the movie “The African Queen”?  Starring Humphrey Bogart – one of my personal favorite actors of all time – it is a great film!

Here’s one more nugget of trivia … Walt originally wanted live animals to line the banks of the Jungle Cruise’s rivers!  Can you imagine what the attraction would be like if that had been possible?

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So, how did you do on yesterday’s trivia “test”.  Do you feel that you’re a Jungle expert?  Could you “skipper” the rest of us up and down the world’s rivers?  Let’s see!

Question #1:  “The queue for the Jungle Cruise takes place in the office of the fictional Jungle Navigation Co.

According to a sign in the queue, the company takes guests on riverboats which depart from the Adventureland Dock.  [In] the backstory, the Adventureland Dock is itself located on the Amazon River.”

That turned out to be a tough one, folks.  Only 17% of respondents got it right.  Sorry.  I didn’t mean to kick off the “quiz” with such a brain-buster!

Question #2:  Every boat on the Jungle Cruise has an individual name, but only one of them has ever sunk in the Magic Kingdom.  It sank in 2004, but it did return to service.  It was the Sankuru Sadie.

OK.  I confess.  I knew that this one would be hard.  Only 15% of those who answered chose Sadie.  Hey!  I can’t make them all easy.  We are “testing” our knowledge, aren’t we?

Question #3:  Which of these statements is FALSE?

1. The Schweitzer Falls marks the transition between the Nile and Mekong Rivers.
2. The Jungle Cruise has the lowest elevation of any attraction in the Magic Kingdom.
3. The squid from the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is discreetly hidden in the Jungle Cruise.
4. The attraction was ready and opened on the Magic Kingdom’s Opening Day on October 1, 1971.

47% of you knew that #3 was the false statement, of course.  Think of it, though.  How cool would it be if the squid from the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was discreetly hidden in the attraction’s midst?  Pretty cool.

I’ll tell you this … Walt originally wanted to use that squid as part of the cruise.  Great thinking, Walt!

Question #4:  The Winter holiday layover, “Jingle Cruise”, first-appeared in 2013.  48% got this one correct.

Yes, the holiday overlay (sign pictured above) first-appeared in 2013.  It has been back every year since.  We’ve gotten a chance to enjoy it a couple of times and highly recommend that you do, too, if you visit Mickey’s World at Christmas-time!

Jungle Cruise Trivia! How Well Do YOU Know The Jungle?

Good morning, my friends!  How are things out in your personal slice of the “Disney-verse”?  I hope all is well.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, one of the All in WDW family’s overall favorite WDW attractions is the Jungle Cruise.  When I run a Favorite Attractions poll, it always gets our votes.

Jungle Cruise

Sadly, however, it never seems to get quite as much love as other Magic Kingdom icons – such as Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

In fact, where that trio finished 2016 as the All in WDW Readers’ Favorite Top 3 Attractions in all of Walt Disney World, poor Jungle Cruise only mustered a 12th Place finish in our Magic Kingdom “competition”.  Very sad.

For results of all our 2016 Attraction polls, click these links:

Top 10 Disney’s Animal Kingdom Attractions
Top 10 Disney’s Hollywood Studios Attractions
Top 15 Epcot Attractions
Top 15 Magic Kingdom Attractions
Top 25 WDW Attractions

It makes us very happy that Disney, themselves, has paid some additional homage to Jungle Cruise in recent years – with the opening of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto in the Polynesian Resort as well as Skipper Canteen in the Magic Kingdom, itself.

Anyway, I thought we could spend a brief bit of time today sending a little bit of love the cruise’s way with a tiny dose of trivia!  How well do you know the Jungle Cruise?  Let’s see!

“The queue for the Jungle Cruise takes place in the office of the fictional Jungle Navigation Co.  According to a sign in the queue, the company takes guests on riverboats which depart from the Adventureland Dock.

[In] the backstory, the Adventureland Dock is itself located on the _______________ River.”

[]

Every boat on the Jungle Cruise has an individual name, but only one of them has ever sunk in the Magic Kingdom.  It sank in 2004, but it did return to service.  It was the _______________.

[]

Which of these statements is FALSE?

1. The Schweitzer Falls marks the transition between the Nile and Mekong Rivers.
2. The Jungle Cruise has the lowest elevation of any attraction in the Magic Kingdom.
3. The squid from the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is discreetly hidden in the Jungle Cruise.
4. The attraction was ready and opened on the Magic Kingdom’s Opening Day on October 1, 1971.

[]

The Winter holiday layover, “Jingle Cruise”, first-appeared in ______________ .

Celtic Cuisine Reigns Supreme!

Wow!  The culinary kingdom of Celtic cuisine will just not be denied.  In the face of new, and very strong, competition, Disney Springs’ Irish eatery triumphs … once again!

Yes, my friends, it was a slim victory, but we have a winner!  Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant is the 2016 All in WDW Readers’ Favorite Disney Springs Table Service!

Although they took valiant shots, two rookies – “The Boathouse Amphicars” and “Morimoto Asia Iron Chefs” – were, ultimately, no match for Raglan’s “Celtic Thunder”.

Great new restaurants, both of them, but they just didn’t have enough support – this early in their “lives” – to topple the Irish pub that’s long-been a Walt Disney World fan favorite.

Interestingly, as you’ll see in a minute, Raglan is followed in our Top 10 by Disney Springs’ four newest venues.  Clearly, stout competition has already arrived.  With STK Orlando on the horizon, it’ll get tougher yet!

For my part, how did I rank yesterday’s twelve competitors?  Well, like this …

  1. The BOATHOUSE
  2. Splitsville
  3. Morimoto Asia
  4. Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant
  5. Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe
  6. House of Blues
  7. Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas
  8. Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar
  9. Portobello Country Italian Trattoria
  10. T-REX
  11. Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs Marketplace
  12. Bongos Cuban Café

In the end, what is your All in WDW Readers’ Top 10 Disney Springs Table Service Restaurants?  Here you go!

  1. Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant
  2. The BOATHOUSE
  3. Morimoto Asia
  4. Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar
  5. Splitsville
  6. Portobello Country Italian Trattoria
  7. T-REX
  8. House of Blues
  9. Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe
  10. Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs Marketplace

Great work, all!  Thanks for voting, and we’ll see you really soon with more fun and games!

The 2016 All in WDW Readers’ Favorite Disney Springs Table Service Poll Has Arrived! VOTE!

As we ran through this past week’s “mini” dining polls, one of All in WDW’s readers asked, “When are you going to do a real dining poll, Bob?”

That caused me to look back into All in WDW’s archives.  When did I run our last full-blown dining poll?  I can tell you this … I ran a Downtown Disney “tournament” way back in June of 2014.  Yikes!  Almost two years ago?

Back then, of course, Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant became the All in WDW Readers’ Favorite Downtown Disney Table Service.

Raglan

However, with so many new venues already dishing out culinary delights, and more restaurants on the way, I think it’s way past time for a “refresh”!

My friends, welcome to All in WDW Readers’ Favorite Disney Springs Table Service … 2016!

I present you with a group of TWELVE, below.  You can VOTE for THREE!  Yes, three!  At which three of these great establishments would you most like to dine?

Remember, you’re making your recommendations to the rest of the Disney-verse.  Where should they go when they have a craving to have a relaxing sit-down meal in Disney Springs?

Go ahead, my friends!  VOTE!

All in WDW’s Readers Recommend … BBQ Pork!

So, our son and his wife will very soon move to Nashville, Tennessee.  You see, he earned a residency position in Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University!

Anyway, that’s not the point I wanted to highlight.  It’s this … the last time they visited the Music City, he commented, “You have to love Nashville.  Everywhere smells like BBQ!”

Looking at this week’s dining polls, the All in WDW “universe” would very likely wholeheartedly appreciate Nashville!

Take a look back at both Whispering Canyon and Captain Cook’s, if you “voted” your opinions several days back.  If not, please jump back and weigh in now!

Of course, Captain Cook’s Pulled Pork Nachos aren’t necessarily BBQ, but they’re close enough, I’d say.

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Those that have tried them?  100% of the respondents, thus far (myself included), would definitely recommend them to friends and family alike!

Plus, 89% of those who have visited this quick service, rate it a 4 or 5 on a scale from 1 to 5.  High marks, Captain!  Congratulations!

Whispering Canyon earns a similar level of your love.  82% of those that answered rank their experience there as a 4 or 5.  In other words, they had a great time!

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And, what did they enjoy most?  You guessed it … pork!  86% of you declared your affection for Canyon’s Slow-smoked Pork Ribs and Barbecued Pulled Pork!

In the end, I think it’s safe to say, my friends that “All in WDW’s Readers Recommend” Whispering Canyon Cafe in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge as well as Captain Cook’s in the Polynesian Village Resort.

Take our advice!  Add both locations to your future “menus”!