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The Jungle Cruise: The Wild History of Walt's Favorite Ride Paperback – July 5, 2021

by David John Marley (Author), Bob McLain (Editor)
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You've been on the ride, maybe seen the movie, you've read Skipper Stories, but you've never seen a book like this before. This is the first history of a Disney park attraction told from the point of view of the men and women who worked there.

This ground-breaking book covers the history of the Jungle Cruise at all four of its Disney parks, but it also goes much deeper. After the Imagineers left, the skippers took over and the story of how the attraction has been run since has never been told before. You'll meet the first skippers from 1955 and see how a serious boat ride through the jungle became a comedy tour that has entertained guests across the world. You'll see what happened during the wild 1970s, and how Walt Disney World skippers became just as crazy as their West Coast cousins. You'll learn about the Jungle Cruises in Tokyo and Hong Kong and find out why there isn't one in Paris or Shanghai.

Along the way you'll see it all; the training, the mishaps, the wild parties, skippers and managers trying to out-do each other, and much more. You'll see the several radical changes the Jungle Cruise has undergone and how skippers and guests adapted.

More than anything, you'll come to see why this was Walt Disney's favorite ride.

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  1. Print length
    296 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    July 5, 2021
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.67 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1683903129
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1683903123
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Theme Park Press (July 5, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1683903129
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1683903123
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.67 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
64 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very readable, fun, and fantastic. They also say the storyline is great and laid out in chronological order.

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ReadabilityEnjoymentStoryline
6 customers mention "Readability"5 positive1 negative

Customers find the book very readable and fun to read.

"...It was so fun to read and entertaining. I highly recommend it to any Disney fan" Read more

"...I so enjoyed reading this book! It is so well written and shares so much history and behind the scenes to one of my favorite Disneyland attractions...." Read more

"...This is an encyclopedic read and I can’t imagine he has left any stone unturned. Entertaining for the Disney Fanatic...." Read more

"David Marley's book on the Jungle Cruise was great. Very readable. He covered the history of the ride at Disneyland and the other parks...." Read more

5 customers mention "Enjoyment"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a fun, fantastic read.

"...It was so fun to read and entertaining. I highly recommend it to any Disney fan" Read more

"...-The Jungle Cruise: The Wild History of Walt's Favorite Ride- is entertaining, and a little bittersweet at times...." Read more

"...Entertaining for the Disney Fanatic.If you want to know anything about the Jungle Cruise but are afraid to ask, this is your book!" Read more

"...the massive amounts of terrible English practices, then this book is worth reading." Read more

3 customers mention "Storyline"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline great and laid out in a chronological order.

"...It covers the history of the ride and tells stories about the skippers who work there. It was so fun to read and entertaining...." Read more

"...I so enjoyed reading this book! It is so well written and shares so much history and behind the scenes to one of my favorite Disneyland attractions...." Read more

"...He tells a great story, laid out in more-or-less chronological order (he does skip around at times, but he makes it seem like he doesn't) and gives..." Read more

Great read, wild adventures!
5 out of 5 stars
Great read, wild adventures!
The Jungle Cruise is my favorite ride at Disneyland, so this was a must buy. It’s a great read, full of stories and tales from former Skippers to the origins and changes the ride has undergone. I love the nostalgia this book brings to the rides great history and it’s current changes that I don’t completely agree with.If you’re a fan of Disneyland , adventure or Walt Disney this is a must have book!
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Top reviews from the United States

Punk Doctor
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun fantastic read
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
I loved Marley's Skipper Stories books and this one is even better. It covers the history of the ride and tells stories about the skippers who work there. It was so fun to read and entertaining. I highly recommend it to any Disney fan
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Wulfstan
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, and a little bittersweet at times
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
This fabulous book-The Jungle Cruise: The Wild History of Walt's Favorite Ride- is entertaining, and a little bittersweet at times.

We get the full history of the Jungle Cruise "Walt's favorite ride", from 1955 to present day. All the attractions ups and downs.

The antics, pranks are jokes of the skippers are the real highlight, and "Dr Skipper" should know, as he is one of the most famous Skippers.

But there was been celebrity skippers, of course- Jon Lassiter, Ron Zeigler, :Sully Sullivan and others. All mentioned and listed - not to mention two celebrities thought to be skippers but never were.

For Disney trivia and history buffs- the full attraction history with all the majors changes will be fascinating.

The sometimes there are clampdowns by managers who ruin all the good fun.
One person found this helpful
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Tony
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
The Jungle Cruise: The Wild History of Walt's Favorite Ride
I so enjoyed reading this book! It is so well written and shares so much history and behind the scenes to one of my favorite Disneyland attractions. I loved this book so much I sent a copy to my 89 year old mother and she is loving every moment with this book. If you are a Disney fan this book needs to be in your library! You won't be disappointed!
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Lifelong Learner
5.0 out of 5 stars Like drinking from a fire hose
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
Written by a PhD who worked on the Jungle Cruise in college and beyond.

This is an encyclopedic read and I can’t imagine he has left any stone unturned. Entertaining for the Disney Fanatic.

If you want to know anything about the Jungle Cruise but are afraid to ask, this is your book!
2 people found this helpful
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Sandra M. Beebe
5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be a Skipper to love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
David Marley's book on the Jungle Cruise was great. Very readable. He covered the history of the ride at Disneyland and the other parks. He also let us know what it was like to be a Skipper. You don't have to be a Disney employee to enjoy this book.
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Ed L.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read for Disneyphiles
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
Everything you ever wanted to know about Jungle Cruise.
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kelly cartter
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, wild adventures!
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2021
The Jungle Cruise is my favorite ride at Disneyland, so this was a must buy. It’s a great read, full of stories and tales from former Skippers to the origins and changes the ride has undergone. I love the nostalgia this book brings to the rides great history and it’s current changes that I don’t completely agree with.

If you’re a fan of Disneyland , adventure or Walt Disney this is a must have book!
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kelly cartter
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, wild adventures!
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2021
The Jungle Cruise is my favorite ride at Disneyland, so this was a must buy. It’s a great read, full of stories and tales from former Skippers to the origins and changes the ride has undergone. I love the nostalgia this book brings to the rides great history and it’s current changes that I don’t completely agree with.

If you’re a fan of Disneyland , adventure or Walt Disney this is a must have book!
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One person found this helpful
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Lawrence E Janiec
2.0 out of 5 stars Expanding What the other 2 star review said about errors in English/grammar and factual errors
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
(Michael), who left the other 2 star review, said that he had issues with the book only 30 pages in. I read it cover to cover, so this is the expanded review of what he said and how it more or less gets much worse, the farther you go in.

First off, for just plain storytelling and readability, this gets an A. This is why the book gets the second star instead of one. If you don't have a commanding grasp of the English language, then this book will be easy to read.

He tells a great story, laid out in more-or-less chronological order (he does skip around at times, but he makes it seem like he doesn't) and gives you a feel for what it was like to BE on the ride for the past 50 years. That part of it was very enjoyable.

I admit that it got a little old when he started talking about his own era that it turned into more of a "Stick it to The Man" feel than a storytelling feel, very slanted against anyone higher up than a lead at the attraction, but it was still a good yarn to be read. I also believe that (as stated elsewhere) even non-Skippers can appreciate this book.

However.

But if you understand English at more than a conversational level, then this book will make you cringe. On. Every. Page. I think I went 2 pages at one point without finding an error, but then the following pages had multiple errors, as if to make up for it. He has a doctorate level degree in a field (history) that requires a LOT of writing. He has several books published. The fact that this is NOT his first rodeo, coupled with his educational level, means that I wonder as to his "actual" education level. Well, legitimately earned educational level. The English and grammar is that of a junior high school student, and not one of those honors kids.

As an aside, though, some of his misuse of language was good for some laughs. The snake peaking at the boat as it was coming closer. Well, was the snake climbing a mountain or doing drugs? (Peaking instead of peeking.) I also just LOVED that after he went on and on about how amazing his own era was, he spelled the word incorrectly describing his era while there. I'll give you a hint: look up the difference between the word "rogue" and "rouge" and then consider which word he chose and labeled HIMSELF with. Yeah, apparently everyone in that era was into that sort of thing. I don't judge, this is the 21st century. People can wear whatever they like. Just be happy with yourself. Clearly he's proud of being in that era, though, and what they were apparently all wearing.

As for factual errors, some of his information is NOT first hand information. From someone who used to go to Hong Kong Disneyland at least once a month for about a year straight (and ride JC every time) while living there? Well, he presented "facts" about HKDL's Jungle Cruise from someone who watched a YouTube video or two showing the ride and just filling in the blanks with what sounds correct. He made it sound like the boats that crossed the path of the JC boats "got out of the way" (not a direct quote, but I think that's what he said about it) of the JC boats. You know, because Disney would allow for such an unsafe sort of situation with the possibility of two boats on the same waterway colliding and possibly injuring guests. Safety first! The Jungle Cruise boats at HKDL leave the dock at full throttle, and then every time (EVERY TIME) they come to a stop and wait. The dockmaster on the left bank holds his/her arm straight out (Disney "all clear") and then the dockmaster on the right bank holds his/her arm out straight as well. When the Skipper has received the double "all clear" signal from the boats not on a track (meaning the boats not on a track have right of way), only then does the boat proceed into the rest of the ride. Misrepresenting this completely safe situation as a possibly unsafe one is simply carelessness on the part of the author for not fact checking and making assumptions which he then presented as fact, when indeed, they were false. Speculation instead of fact is NOT something I would expect from a PhD to be using when presenting information as fact. I say presenting as fact, since most of the things in his book he gave references to other works, interviews, etc. Of course, his description of what happens there, how could he possibly just give a link to the YouTube videos he watched of someone's home movies to get his information, right?

Anyway, if you're okay with most (but not all) of the truth and can get past the massive amounts of terrible English practices, then this book is worth reading.
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