The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (21 page)

Tropical Imports Fruit Cart
(S)

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FastView:
 
Cool off, hyrdrate, and buy the kids a stuffed animal at this jungle fruit stand.
]

Just east of the
Jungle Cruise
entrance stands the
Tropical Imports Fruit Cart
.  It’s more elaborate than it sounds.  In addition to juices and waters ranging from about $2 to $4.50 each, there are fresh and packaged fruits like apples, oranges, grapes, mango, and watermelon slices as well as chips, trail mix, and veggie cups priced from $2.79 to $4.  Little ones and the young-at-heart will be drawn to the shop’s plush animals–crocodiles, monkeys, hippos and other exotic creatures.

Snacks
and cool drinks are presented in ice-filled bins under a thatched roof that provides deliciously cool shade on summer days.  Tattered netting and wooden carvings hang from the ceiling.  The mysterious green river of the
Jungle Cruise
is visible through the shop’s southern partitions.  Consequently, at
Tropical Imports
, you really feel for a few moments as if you’re wandering through a tropical fruit market during a pause between your adventures. 
Did You Know? 
This fruit stand replaces the
Indy Fruit Cart
, a beat-up, scruffy old jeep that vended fruits and beverages near the
Indiana Jones Adventure
from 1995 to 2006.

Adventureland Character Meetings and Performers

Perhaps because of its somewhat dark and dangerous atmosphere, unlike other lands,
Adventureland
doesn’t have much character greeting activity.

The adventurous
and handsome couple
Aladdin
and
Jasmine
sometimes appear near the defunct
Aladdin’s Oasis
at the east end of
Adventureland
to greet Guests, sign autographs, and pose for pictures, but that only happens sporadically.  If it’s important for you or someone in your party to meet
Aladdin
or
Jasmine
, check in advance online for an up-to-date appearance schedule, or check the park’s
Entertainment Times Guide
when you arrive.  You can also catch the
Aladdin
stage show in
Hollywood Land
in
DCA Park
.

When the film
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
opened in May 2008,
Disneyland
launched a related promotional activity; Guests could request maps and search for clues in
Adventureland
, and several times during the day and evening,
Indiana Jones
himself would appear, searching for clues and battling thugs, including a rip-roaring hand-to-hand fight on the
Tarzan’s Treehouse
bridge.  Sadly, that gleeful street theater was a limited-time-only event.  If you want to find
Indiana Jones
now, you must board the jeep transports in the
Indiana Jones Adventure’s
Temple of the Forbidden Eye
, where you’ll encounter
Jones
in his
Audio-Animatronic
form.

If you really want to interact with some “characters” in
Adventureland
, your best bet on any given day is one of the wise-acre
Skippers
of the
Jungle Cruise
!

Critter Country

Critter Country At-a-Glance

Attractions:
 
Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
,
Splash Mountain
(FP) (S),
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Gear:
 
Briar Patch
,
Pooh Corner

Grub:
 
Critter Country Fruit Cart
(S),
Harbour Galley
(L, D, S),
Hungry Bear Restaurant
(L, D, S),
Pooh Corner bakery
(S)

Critter Country Introduction

Located northwest of
New Orleans Square
, on the western bank of the
Rivers of America
,
Critter Country
is one of the more recent park additions (if the 1980’s can still be considered recent!).  Originally developed as the
Indian Village
area of
Frontierland
, from 1955 to 1971 this realm presented teepees, lodges, totem poles, archery, and traditional Native American dancing, ceremonies, sports, and regalia.  In 1972 it was transformed into musical
Bear Country
and in 1988 it became the thrilling yet still charming
Critter Country
that we know today.

I first heard about
Critter Country
from my sister, who discovered it one night when she and her toddler daughter found themselves hemmed in by
Fantasmic!
crowds on the one hand and fireworks crowds on the other.  Packed like sardines among the other Guests, they could hardly move, and the attractions they were able to reach had incredibly long lines.

Walking
north of the
Haunted Mansion
in the dark, sis and her little daughter noticed that the crowds vanished.  Within a moment they found themselves on a broad path (named, as I later learned,
Mill View Lane
) in a tranquil, wooded land where they discovered a restaurant with short lines, delicious cheeseburgers, and placid views of the moonlit water.  Just beyond that, they discovered a whimsical
Winnie the Pooh
adventure, and then a large shop featuring baked goods, candies, and a treasure-trove of
Winnie the Pooh
clothes and toys.  Sis didn’t know the name of this amazing haven, but the next time we were at
Disneyland
at night, and the crowds got overwhelming, she brought us there.

As we soon
learned, we were in
Critter Country
.  Located west of
Frontierland
and northwest of
New Orleans Square
, this district of the park has the air (both literally and metaphorically) of the deep backwoods.  It’s the remote forest expanse of the U.S. frontier.  An abundance of evergreen and deciduous trees smell delightful and provide swaths of cool shade on hot summer days.

Critter Country
’s eatery, the
Hungry Bear Restaurant
is a woodsy, double-decker structure on the tranquil western shore of the
Rivers of America
, and provides hearty meals for those heading for or returning from
Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
,
The Many Adventures of Winnie
the Pooh
, or
Splash Mountain
.

Even if you aren’t interested in
its attractions,
Critter Country
is a restful place to do a little shopping, meet
Tigger
, or relax on a shaded bench in
Pooh Corner
.  Be sure to look around while you’re relaxing on your bench.  Don’t miss the sign on the second story of
Pooh Corner
; it reads
Teddi Barra’s Swingin’ Arcade
, a relic from the days when this was
Bear Country
.  Look carefully at the tree boughs and the stream banks, and you’ll find the wee houses of the
Hundred Acre Woods
residents, with their backwards letters and quaintly misspelled signage (“howses” not “houses”).

Critter Country
is a toddler must and a refuge for Guests of any age.

Critter Country Attractions

Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes

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FastView:
 
Great exercise and great frontier fun.  Generally short lines are a bonus.
]

This was one of my eldest niece’s favorite adventures when she was small, because she got to splash and be splashed with impunity, and
without
racing down a stomach-flipping flume á la
Splash Mountain
.

To be clear,
Disneyland
and its
Cast Members
neither encourage nor condone Guests splashing each other on this attraction.  However, given that many Guests are city-slicker types with little familiarity with canoeing, the splashing just kind of happens.

On a hot summer day,
paddling the canoes is refreshing.

However, f
or Type A’s who think everyone should be handling their paddle expertly, the journey can be frustrating.  Most Guests are pretty awkward with the paddles—but it’s not like it’s a race.  The Cast Members do most of the work paddling and steering.

I
f you decide to venture onto the
Rivers of America
, board these canoes for a simple taste of wilderness excitement, not competitive paddling.  You’ll have a heck of a lot more fun!

Launching from a dock located between
Frontierland
and
Critter Country
, one of the odd things about this attraction is that it exhausts you (unless you’re one of those Guests who only pretend to paddle!), but it’s just so gosh-darned fun you don’t care that it wears you out.

This is a genuine
“retro-adventure”.  The canoes aren’t propelled by underwater conveyer belts or chains; Guests and Cast Members provide the only propulsion.  Guests and Cast Members paddle the canoe in a clockwise loop around
Tom Sawyer Island
.

Your arms will ache by the end of the trip, but the fatigue
is worthwhile thanks to the beautiful views and the unique sensation of being a canoer on a busy 19
th
-century frontier river.  Along the route you’ll see wildlife, verdant glimpses of the river banks and
Tom Sawyer Island
, rafts, rapids, a Native American village, flocks of adorable ducks, the mighty
Mark Twain Riverboat
, and maybe even the
Sailing Ship Columbia
.  It’s like gliding through living history.

Originally named the
Indian War Canoes
, the craft are nautical works of art, their bows and sterns decorated with symbols like clouds, buffalos, and suns.

Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
are not open all the time, so check their operating hours in advance online if this is a not-to-be-missed attraction for you.  Typically the canoes operate during the summer, on weekends, and on holidays.  This is a fun attraction, but if your time at
Disneyland Resort
is limited, this is something you can safely leave off your itinerary.
Did You Know?
 
Disney
’s
Davy Crockett
television programs sparked the coonskin-cap craze of the 1950’s. 
Did You Also Know?
The late
Fess Parker
, who portrayed
Davy Crockett
in the
Disney
movies, was a Guest and entertainer at
Disneyland
on
Opening Day
in 1955.
Safety Vision:
  Children aged 6 or younger who ride in the canoes are required to wear the flotation vests provided.  (The
Rivers of America
are much deeper than you might think.)  Adults who want to wear flotation vests can request one from a Cast Member.
FastPass:
  No, but the canoes are capacious and the Cast Members are efficient, so you shouldn’t expect to wait longer than 10 – 20 minutes except on the most crowded days. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  I like
Davy Crockett Canoes
because you get splashed, but it does hurt your arms.  If there are people in front of you that don’t know how to paddle, that’s good if you want to get splashed!

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

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FastView:
 
A sweet treat for Guests of all ages, especially toddlers and
Pooh
fans.  Look for the hidden
Country Bear Jamboree
tribute.
]