Extraordinary Strides
Welcome to Extraordinary Strides, the podcast that celebrates the spirit of running and the inspiring stories of those who lace up their shoes and hit the pavement.
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Our episodes feature seasoned runners, coaches, and everyday athletes sharing their triumphs, challenges, and the joy they find in every run.
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Extraordinary Strides
Jungle Cruise Magic: Jokes, Jungle, & Joyrides
Step aboard our adventure-filled podcast as we navigate the fascinating world of Disney's Jungle Cruise—from its humble beginnings as one of Disneyland's opening day attractions to its global status as a beloved cultural icon.
You'll discover how Walt Disney's original vision for a realistic wildlife experience transformed when Imagineers like Harper Goff and Bill Evans created a convincing jungle through innovative techniques—including flipping orange trees upside down to create instant exotic foliage. We explore how the initially serious, educational tone evolved into the pun-filled, skipper-led experience that guests cherish today, sharing some of the most groan-worthy jokes that have become part of Disney lore.
Our journey takes you through the different Jungle Cruise iterations across global Disney parks, each with unique elements—from Magic Kingdom's extended riverways to Tokyo's dynamic lighting effects and Hong Kong's supernatural finale. With special guest Lynn Kinny in full skipper attire, we unpack fascinating behind-the-scenes details that even devoted Disney fans might not know, including how Disneyland's man-made environment officially became a self-sustaining ecosystem after 55 years of growth.
The adventure continues as we dive into the 2021 Jungle Cruise film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, exploring its development, production challenges, and the numerous Easter eggs that connect it to the beloved attraction with co-captain, Sally Weyant. And, to cap things off, our Disney snack expert Kimba Watson rounds out the expedition with delicious jungle-inspired recipes perfect for your 5K celebration—from DIY Dole Whip to tropical hydration stations that will fuel your adventure.
Whether you're preparing for the Run Disney Virtual 5K Summer Series or simply fascinated by Disney history, this episode delivers skipper-worthy entertainment while providing practical tips for making your own jungle adventure extraordinary. Tag us in your Jungle Cruise-themed runs!!!
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Welcome, welcome adventurers, to another episode of Extraordinary Strides, a podcast that makes movement magical. I'm your host, Coach Christine, and today we're going to grab our canteens, we're going to hop on board and heading straight into the heart of the jungle. This is our unofficial companion to the Run Disney Virtual 5K Summer Series, and this episode is themed to none other than the funniest cruise of them all jungle cruise. My friends, if you don't know yet and if you are part of the stride collective, you likely have already seen the photo. I have an incredible co-host with me and she is fully decked out in her skipper attire.
Speaker 1:But before we bring Lynn officially on, I want to say that we are welcoming you to tackle this wherever you are. So, whether you're running in your neighborhood hiking through the heat, or you're power walking with an umbrella drink, this one's for you. Today we're going to dive deep into lush jungle, lore behind the scenes, secrets, laugh out loud puns and all the rivers of history that feed into this iconic ride. And again, to help me steer the boat let's be honest, she's really the captain. I'm just along for the ride. We've got our incredible Lynn Kenny. Hey, Lynn, how are you doing?
Speaker 2:I am ready as ever. As you know, I have my skipper hat on mosquito repellent and more fun facts than Trader Sam has shrunken heads so and probably a few puns that he hasn't heard, yet I mean, I believe it.
Speaker 1:You came prepared to this, my friend. Okay, before we dive or skip through history with Lynn, I want to, of course, chat about our one of my favorite memories from earlier this summer our first in person meetup of this year for the Ren Disney virtual 5k series at Caribbean Beach, where we had Dead Men Run no Miles. Thank you to Lynn, you were such a fantastic host and we had so much fun.
Speaker 2:It was so much fun to take our crew from virtual to reality.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And a little shout out to talking about those virtual crew runners and athletes. We had Courtney O'Brien who absolutely crushed the pirate scavenger hunt from home. She won the $20 gift card to Crowns. I mean, she really hit up that bingo card with all the pirate items. So again, friends, definitely look into that with here for this run We'll have a great prize as well. All right, my friends, let's turn it over to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's also a really good reminder that, um, whether you're in person or virtual, virtual, that's one of the magical things about the community. It can be in person or from afar, so either way, there's always magic.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well, as we're rolling to this Jungle Cruise again, we can participate in the weekend prize bingo, find details and episode notes, and we're going to officially board our boat before it takes off and dive into the story of how Jungle Cruise came to be. So, lynn, I want to say that with Jungle Cruise it wasn't just a ride, or it's not just a ride. For me anyway, it's a statement, but nobody says it more than you in your actual power statement skipper outfit right here. But Walt Disney for friends that do know him a little bit of behind the man, behind the incredible magic that we all know, he wanted Disneyland to transport people around the world without them ever having to leave Anaheim. So the ride I know it's incredible. I mean, I love how he created that and he's definitely done that at this point around the world. So he debuted this ride in 1955 as one of the opening day attractions and it was inspired by two key sources disney's own true life adventure documentaries and the 51 film, the african queen.
Speaker 2:And walt really wanted the to have the animals be real. He wanted the jungle crews to have real lions and tigers and all of that. But he did chat with some animal behavior experts and realized that probably they would always be sleeping and not moving. Not very thrilling for a safari ride. So that's when the Imagineers like Harper Goff and Bill Evans stepped in and dreamed up a new approach. And that way they built a convincing jungle with animatronics and clever landscaping. And that way they built a convincing jungle with animatronics and clever landscaping. Evans even had the thought to flip the local orange trees upside down and then train the vines to grow on the roots, to turn it into an instant jungle.
Speaker 1:It's so cool and truly. This is why we love the Imagineers as much as we do, because they do create this incredible landscape. So that is definitely some creative botany there. The ride used to be very serious. There was no jokes, no winks. Skippers were basically nature documentarians. They'd say things like this is a Bengal tiger, they can jump over 20 feet. It was all facts and ferns, of course.
Speaker 2:That is true, but all of that changed in the 1960s thanks to Mark Davis he's a legendary Disney animator behind the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean and he added scenes. He liked to add visual humor to scenes, so like, for example, the rhino chasing the explorers up a pole, or the trapped safari group, or the camp taken over by gorillas. All of those gags paved way for the pun-filled experience that we know and love today.
Speaker 1:And Lynn. Speaking of puns, we'd be remiss if we didn't drop in a few favorites. I think that you're the pun master, though, so can you fire up that pun engine and let us get started.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. Here are a couple of crowd pleasers. The first one is my personal favorite. And there it is, folks, the eighth wonder of the world, the backside of water.
Speaker 1:Okay, I have to ask, lynn, before you drop in a few more, how often do you say that randomly throughout your week or your day as it goes by? Because I feel like you drop that in quite frequently.
Speaker 2:I do not just water, but anything. If I'm on the backside of something I'll say and we're on the backside of the parking lot or the backside of whatever it is.
Speaker 3:So I do use that frequently.
Speaker 2:The next one I really love it says it goes this is inspiration falls. People ask me why it's called that. Well, if you stare at it long enough, it'll inspire you to go deeper into the jungle.
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can look at it different ways. There's also one that goes there's a boa constrictor in that tree. He's always looking for a crush.
Speaker 1:That one's fantastic. Actually, I do love these.
Speaker 2:One that I heard recently on a Jungle Cruise visit was elephants have a wonderful memory. I wish I had a memory like that. It would make my job a lot easier. And then, about two minutes later, when we see other elephants, the skipper said again elephants have a wonderful memory.
Speaker 3:I wish.
Speaker 1:I had a memory like that it would make my job a lot easier. I love it so much I think I need I need a little bit of my life as well, because I tend to repeat things. I do love it Truly. I love that you can go on to this experience and it'd be a different time every single time that you go Absolutely Okay.
Speaker 2:My favorite one, though, and you'll have to help me with the answer to this one, because it's a riddle. We're now on the Nile River. It goes on for Niles and Niles, and, if you don't believe me, you're in the Nile. Incorrect, you are in a boat.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's true. That is true. You gotta love it. They always kind of they zig when you zag and they zag when you zig. As a skipper, they definitely are on top of their game. And that's part of the magic of Jungle Cruise, because it's not just a ride, it is truly a performance. The skipper drives the entire show. They improvise, they play off the audience. They deliver hundreds of rides a day, each with its own flavor, and some skippers even become cult legends.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and celebrities have stepped into the skipper's shoes too. Dwayne Johnson famously took the mic as part of the promotion for his 2021 film Jungle Cruise. John Lasseter and Neil Patrick Harris have also jumped aboard as well as, more recently, Josh Gad took a turn. There's even a tradition among former skippers that they host reunions and comedy shows where they trade stories and puns.
Speaker 1:Do you have you ever actually jumped on to one of the rides and had a celebrity skipper?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:What if you had to have a celebrity skipper? If you can make your choice of anyone, who would you want to steer the boat through the jungle in the backside of water?
Speaker 2:I think Kevin Hart would be hilarious.
Speaker 1:Oh, he would be so good. Yeah, he's a natural skipper. I mean, truly I agree with you there. I think it'd be fun to see Dwayne Johnson and see kind of a little bit of the movie coming to life, and I wonder if he arches his brow just so.
Speaker 1:But we're going to, of course, talk a little bit more about the different ride versions, because while the original, of course, was in disneyland, over time it got rerouted waterways, there's new show scenes and a beautifully themed queue with radios, crates and vintage typewriters. We also have had the privilege of jungle cruise, expanding to other theme parks as well. So in magic kingdom we got it in 1971. It it's a little longer. I've never been to the Disneyland one I've mentioned before, but in Magic Kingdom it features the Amazon, congo, nile and Mekong rivers with different animals and set pieces. The queue includes a broadcast from Albert A Wall, the voice of the jungle. Did you know that? I did not know that. So cool. And you know, what I find interesting specifically on this ride is that I do think it does a great job of kind of transporting you through all these different sets. Agreed.
Speaker 2:And Tokyo.
Speaker 1:Disneyland came to be in 1983, jungle Cruise, so it was rebranded, though, in 2014 as Jungle Cruise Wildlife Expeditions, with music, dynamic, dynamic, lighting and even a spooky night version. I'm so bummed I missed the night version because we just didn't have time, but I will say that the skippers really do make this attraction special, because, since it was in a different language, I just didn't have the same appeal, even with all of the fun, music and lightning that they had.
Speaker 2:Right. Well, an interesting another note in 1998, animal Kingdom opened the Kilimanjaro Safaris which, even though it's not technically a jungle cruise, it uses obviously real animals, which was originally what Walt wanted. So the Imagineers all felt like Walt would have been very proud of this safari. They don't use all of the puns, it's more back to the educational. Here is a tiger, this is what they do and you know it's more of the educational which is, you know, kind of goes back, pays homage back to what the original intent was. So I think that is kind of a nice thing.
Speaker 1:Well. The Kilimanjaro Safari I love all the facts and information they have. I've learned so much over the years of popping onto that ride. I also love that it becomes again a different experience every time, like if you go in summer in the midday, maybe those animal behaviors were right they might be sleeping quite a bit more active in our Florida winters and the evening times. I'm curious if you had to choose one over the other. I'm curious if you had to choose one over the other, which one would you choose? Kilimanjaro Safari or Jungle Cruise? Wow, I know it's kind of mean.
Speaker 2:Well, I really can't, because they're different. They are Completely. If I want to go for the fun, if I'm in Magic Kingdom, I'm always going to ride Jungle Cruise and if I'm in Animal Kingdom, I'm always going to ride the safari. So both of them are a must-see anytime I'm in either of those parks.
Speaker 1:I would agree, but if you had to choose one, what magical day pass? Which one are you choosing?
Speaker 2:Probably the safari, because I do at the end of the day like the real animals I do too.
Speaker 1:I do, and I will never forget the time that I actually did get to hear the lion roar extraordinary. It was well worth all of the many times where there was not a lot necessarily going on, right, um. So still they, they're definitely really fun. I just I love jungle cruise for the nostalgia, value and the silliness and the lightness that it brings. So they are very different rides, I will agree with you. So I don't think that's it, though, right, we also have a jungle cruise in hong kong, want to tell me more about that.
Speaker 2:Well, that one is very unique. It circles tarzan's treehouse and it ends up with a supernatural fire and a water god battle. So they had had interestingly, they had three different language cues, so you know the problem you had with the other. You shouldn't, because they do it in Cantonese, mandarin and in English, so you can choose which cue to go through Every single time that we have now met for these recordings.
Speaker 1:you have made it. You specifically have now made me want to go to hong kong because, from the pirates of caribbean, which I went and watched the behind the scenes upon your suggestion afterwards, to the fact that they have this tarzan's treehouse and the supernatural fire and water battle, I want to do that too. I think we we're going to have to do a Hong Kong trip now. It's all your fault, Lynn, I know Well and there's also a lot of other interesting details.
Speaker 2:The water is dyed a bluish green for a couple of reasons. One is to hide the underwater track and also, you know, there's a lot of hydraulics and things, so it makes it look different. They don't want you to see all that's under there. The boats do look rugged now, but they used to be shiny replicas of boats when they debuted, so each one has its own honey name. Like you know, there's the Congo Queen or Zambezi Miss, but my favorite is during the holidays, when they rename it to the Jingle Cruise, and I love going to the Jingle Cruise. It started in 2013 and it adds a holiday chaos to the jungle. You know the skippers wear Santa hats, the boats they rename them. They have different names, like the Peppermint Miss and the Garland Gertie, and the whole script gets a festive twist. One of my favorites is that's our fruitcake float, just like Aunt Edna's fruitcake. It's been around for decades and no one knows what's really inside.
Speaker 1:Lynn, can I admit to you that I've never stood in the line to go to Jingle Cruise? Oh no, I want to, but it's always one of the longest lines, and now I can see why it sounds like it really does have. So do they change up the actual scenery as well? They just decorate the scenery Okay, okay. So it has a little bit more of like a Christmas flair.
Speaker 2:Oh, 100% Winter holiday flair Got it.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I love again how, in all of these homages and rides, there's always so many layers, because in 2021, both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom received major story updates. Gone were some of the problematic portrayals of indigenous people In came Alberta Falls, the new heroine and granddaughter of Dr Albert Falls. Now, each scene tells the story of failed expeditions, mischievous monkeys and diverse explorers getting tangled up in hilarious mishaps. They also linked it and I thought this was really cool and I just literally learned about this when we went to Tokyo. They also linked the ride to the SEA the Sea, the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, and I'm curious if you know anything about it.
Speaker 2:I have not heard of them.
Speaker 1:It's a shared story universe that connects Mystic Manor, big Thunder Mountain and Tokyo's Tower of Terror, along with Jungle Cruise.
Speaker 2:That is very cool. Another fun tidbit is in Disneyland's jungle. It was declared a real jungle. After 55 years of growth, the man-made ecosystem has become self-sustaining as an actual jungle.
Speaker 1:That is absolutely the coolest thing and it makes me think a little bit of that series Earth after man what is that series called? But basically, like what happens if, if humans were to cease to exist. That nature kind of just takes. Oh, yes, I have seen that. I've seen one of those. That's exactly what it sounds like. How cool to know that. And I I feel like that's how my yard looks every single weekend Its own ecosystem itself sustaining, and I don't know how to keep it mowed back. Well, jungle crows again. It's living history. It's constantly evolving. I can't wait to see what they have in store in the future, because whether you are boarding in Anaheim, orlando, tokyo or Hong Kong, it's a new journey every single time.
Speaker 2:That is true. And to everybody who's listening and tackling the Jungle Cruise 5K, we're challenging you to create your own skipper style joke while you're out on your run. Want you to post it, tag us and make trader sam proud. Who are you already working on yours? I am well. I had to get the outfit first, then we'll work on I mean, you have priorities, you know.
Speaker 1:You definitely brought the outfit, there's no doubt about it. Well, friends, whether you get lost in the jungle or your own neighborhood, a little laughter and imagination can turn any route into an adventure.
Speaker 2:And just remember, if you enjoyed this podcast, my name is Lynn, if not, I'm Christine, and this was. It's a Small World.
Speaker 1:Oh, lynn, I so appreciate all of your skipperness Coming up. Next we're going to swing over to the world of cinema with Sally, who's got the popcorn a little behind the scenes and a deep dive into the Jungle Cruise movie. So I'm going to ask you, friends, to stay tuned as we welcome her in. But, lynn, thank you so much for joining us and making this special.
Speaker 2:Have a lovely three month expedition next time you ride the ride.
Speaker 1:All right, explorers, we have rafted through theme park waters, but now it's time to dive headfirst into the cinematic jungle. There's only one person that I trust to navigate this real adventure Movie buff, trivia whiz, and the woman who makes every popcorn kernel count. Hello Sally, how are you doing?
Speaker 4:I'm doing. Great Thanks for having me on. I brought my jungle guide, I brought a film notebook, a survivor kit of like candy, my popcorn, my coffee, and I'm ready for the deep dive into this Disney Jungle Cruise, a film that has more twists than a vine swing Sally.
Speaker 1:I'm ready too. I brought my coffee. I didn't come quite as prepared as you did for this jungle survival, but I have the coffee. So I think we're ready. But let's go ahead and swing back to the beginning, because the idea of Jungle Cruise movie was first floated in 2004. Disney saw a lot of success with Pirates of the Caribbean and thought, hey, why not give the Jungle Cruise its own cinematic spotlight?
Speaker 4:Yes, and it stalled for years. There were early scripts, there's talks about casting Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, but nothing really docked. But say I do love that they gave it to the Rock because he brought major star power and passion.
Speaker 1:Not only did he co-produce this, which means that he definitely really believed highly in the project, but he studied the old Jungle Cruise ride scripts and even surprised Disneyland guests by becoming an honorary skipper. Can you imagine you're queuing up for a regular day at Disney and you jump onto Jungle Cruise and you have the rock at the helm? Incredible. So Disney committed to authenticity. Johnson insisted on practical sets and even helped develop La Quilla Frank's boat. The team built a full-size version and it had to both float and be CGI ready.
Speaker 4:I mean that's just awesome, and I cannot imagine anyone else between Johnson bringing this to Roll Now. The movie hit some real movie-like rough waters with COVID delays, but it finally premiered in July 2021 at Disneyland Resort. How perfect is that? Like I just can't imagine any place else to premiere that movie. It cost about $200 million to make, but then it earned $221 million worldwide in theaters, plus an additional $66 million on Disney Plus Premier Access. All in all, a solid performance in a pandemic-era release.
Speaker 1:I would say so because I think that all of the movies kind of struggle during that time frame. But with that said, I know it's definitely become a classic. Let's get right into the plot. So this is the point where I should say, if you haven't yet seen it, there's going to be a few spoiler alerts. But honestly, I can't imagine you'd be here with us if you hadn't already at least know some of it. So the Jungle Cruise movie follows Dr Lily Hodden, a daring botanist, her posh and endearing brother McGregor and, of course, frank aka the Rock, a riverboat captain with centuries of secrets. Together they search for the mystical tree of life, all while dodging cursed conquistadors and a German villain with a submarine. Now Emily Blunt shines as Lily, don't you? What do you think of her, sally?
Speaker 4:Oh, I absolutely love her. She is one of those people that can shine in any role that she is brought forth, like she does in the Quiet Place, this movie. I just love her to death.
Speaker 1:She's truly brilliant. She's one of my favorites absolutely. But in here as Lily, you can see that she brought this typical like. She immersed herself in the role. She was determined, she was brainy and of course she immersed herself in the role. She was determined, she was brainy and of course she wore trousers in 1916. Jack Whitehill, as McGregor brings the humor and heart, Definitely gave me quite a few giggles, especially in his big moment with Frank where he shares why Lily is his only real family, was totally endearing. And of course Jesse Plemons, who I also love. I will never hear a grandma phone the same way again, so shout out to jesse for bringing it yes, I mean the effects in this movie are stunning.
Speaker 4:They filmed in hawaii and georgia. Then I added over 10 million digital plants to simulate the amazon. I mean you can tell it was. I felt like they were filming in the Amazon. They even built a giant water tank in Atlanta to recreate the rapids.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, you can tell. I mean like I want to go there, like what did they do with this leftover giant water tank?
Speaker 4:I mean I would love to go there just to write on that. And then, speaking of the creatures from the side, they also have proxa, frank's jaguar sidekick that was modeled after a real big cat from the san diego zoo. They had a stunt actor in a morph suit on set and even used stuffed proxa for close-ups. She deserves her own spinoff, honestly. And Disney has brought their A-game with some of the real-life animation for CGI with these animals from the Jungle Book I'm thinking the Little Mermaid. They did fantastic work.
Speaker 1:I don't know how they do it. I mean, I've seen some of the behind-the-scenes and, honestly, the behind-the-scenes I mean I've seen some of the behind the scenes and, honestly, the behind the scenes, I think, for me, is really what makes me think. Okay, I get now why. Being an actor is not easy, because I can't imagine somebody in a morph suit acting as a big cat and I'm supposed to actually like, allow myself to be in the moment. But they all did a great job and obviously Hollywood's not going to come looking for me anytime soon.
Speaker 4:I know the actors deserve an Oscar for any time they have to act with a Morph suits character and pretend to pet whatever animal they're petting. Yeah, absolutely Okay. So let's drop some anchor and dig into some Easter eggs with this movie, Because you know Disney loves to drop those easter eggs and that's what I love, sally.
Speaker 1:And when you host our movie nights I feel like you are again. You've got so much information on those easter eggs and trivia, so I love that. So here we go, let's think about all the different things they had. Schweitzer falls check the backside of water, which you know lynn loves, you bet it was definitely featured. Trader Sam I love that. They reimagined Trader Sam as a woman and it still was hilarious. And of course, rosita, the long lost tiki room bird, is here squawking that Frank owes her money. And then Jungle Navigation Company. Absolutely, they made it part of the plot, just like the ride.
Speaker 4:Yes, and we cannot forget the music. James Newton Howard created Eptex 4, but it was also a collaboration with Metallica on Nothing Else Matters. That adds a surprising emotional depth Moody, rich and oddly perfect, and I honestly cannot believe Metallica would ever collaborate in a Disney movie.
Speaker 1:I know If you would have bet me, like I don't know, vegas style dollars on this. There's no way that I would have thought that to be the case, but it definitely did lend quite a bit to it. Okay, sally, we know you're our official trivia titan and I think it's time that we drop in a little jungle trivia. I am ready. I think I've done my homework, so hit me with your best shot.
Speaker 4:Okay, so my first question for you and I'm all of the people listening in what inspired an Emily Emily Blunt's wardrobe? Was it a safari tour guide? A, 19 or B 1950s British botanist, C Amelia Earhart or D Jane Goodall.
Speaker 1:Ooh, this is tough. So, friends, if you're playing along, lock in your answer, because I think this one is super difficult because you think Safari tour guide I mean hello, Jungle Cruise tour guides that's kind of what I would think. I mean, we know that she was playing a botanist, so I could see a little bit of that, but she wasn't giving me 50s vibes, so I'm going to cross that one out giving me 50s vibes, so I'm gonna cross that one out. I don't know about Amelia Earhart and what she would have to do with this movie, but the vibes and the outfit definitely did look like it and I could see a little Jane Goodall, but Jane had a slightly different outfit, so I'm gonna go with Amelia Earhart you're absolutely correct and I was re-watching this movie last night and when I watched it I was like you know what?
Speaker 4:I watched it previously and I watched it again before the recording and I go this outfit did look familiar. And then when I researched it, I go, definitely I can see Amelia Earhart with the tie, the little tie around her neck and the outfit. It looked like her and it was designed perfectly um for the period, age and the action star mobility.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got to be able to move and groove in those different scenes, so they did a great job. Shout out to the costume designers, because they really definitely helped us to immerse it. Okay, I'm ready, sally, I think I've done my homework, so what else do you have for us?
Speaker 4:All right. How many costume changes did McGregor have? A 8, b 14, c 25, or D 30?
Speaker 1:I mean I don't feel like they. I mean I know he had he brought trunks of clothes, but I would think I don't know. Like you're on a jungle cruise, how many outfits do you need for a Jungle Crows? Okay, friends, locking your answer. I'm curious on this one. I think it's between 14 and 25. So I don't know if I have a final answer. Can I phone a friend and can my friend be Sally? Yes, yes.
Speaker 3:Okay, what was the answer, my friend? I'll give you a hint, okay.
Speaker 4:It's a little bit more than 14, but a little bit less than 30.
Speaker 1:Oh, you are the best phone a friend I could ever have. Okay, I'm going to go with C25.
Speaker 4:You nailed it and I believe each outfit was more extravagant than the last one, and I love that.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, that's so fun. Okay well, I think it did definitely lend a little bit to the character development as well. Okay Well, thank you for phone a friend. I'm going to have to figure out how I'm going to get my next hint. But what's? What's question number three on deck for us friend.
Speaker 4:Okay, what award did the film trailers win? Was it a the people's Choice Award, b Golden Trailer Award, c Oscar for Best Sound Editing or D VFX Guide Prize?
Speaker 1:Weird, I don't know. That's okay. I mean, I didn't know that half of these existed. To be honest with you, like Golden Trailer Award, I've never heard of VFX Guild Prize. I guess I get it because of the visual effects. I get it. Um, I don't remember this being an oscar movie, so I'm gonna check that one off, if they're. If they did get an oscar, I would think that they would talk a little bit more about that, so I'm gonna check that off. People's Choice Award I don't think. I think that those are two things that they would probably put on to like the movie trailer whenever they're talking about it. It's either going to be Golden Trailer Award, because it's so obscure I've never, ever heard of it, or the visual effects, but I'm going to go with Golden Trailer you got it.
Speaker 4:They went for Best Digital Fantasy Adventure, so you absolutely nailed it. Some of these I did not hear of, like the Guide Prize I'd never heard of it before and even the Trailer Award. I won't be honest. I never heard of.
Speaker 1:But I guess it makes kind of sense. But okay, let's go behind the scenes, because the temple scene that was shot in a real tank with Emily Blunt doing most of her own swimming. They even built emergency exits into the set in case she needed to pop out quickly. I bet that was because they needed to cover something for their insurance clauses, but I know you've got a lot of trivia. What else do you have for me? Yes, their insurance clauses, but I know you've got a lot of trivia.
Speaker 4:What else do you have for me? Yes, so dwayne johnson had two stunt battles, but he still did most of the action himself and he reportedly carried around 50 pounds of gear in some scenes. Um, his routine workout routine deserved its own documentary. I mean, I cannot. You know like I feel like with his background with wrestling, I'm sure this helped extremely for this movie Waro.
Speaker 1:Plus, his workout routine to this day is pretty intense. I know that it's changed a little bit in the last two years, but I think when he was gearing up specifically for this movie and some of the other ones, at that time I think his wake-up call was like 3 am and he would do a couple hours at the gym, then he would have breakfast and then he'd go play a couple rounds of golf and then he would hit the gym again. I mean, the man is super active, so I could see where that is. But you know what I'm curious about? Tell me to find now, what do these stunt doubles look like? Because how do you stunt double Dwayne Johnson? He's huge.
Speaker 4:I know I like sometimes when they do behind the scenes and they show you the photograph of the actor or actress with the stunt devil and it's like, oh yeah, as long as they don't show the face.
Speaker 1:you wouldn't be able to tell Like from behind.
Speaker 4:You would be like oh that's Dwayne Johnson, oh that's Emily Blunt or whoever it is.
Speaker 1:We'll have to. We'll have to see if we can maybe find some of that in the interwebs, but of I want to share that. The curse conquistadors each had their own jungle motif, which I thought was super cool, very subtle, but again, shout out to the costume set designers, because I think that's so awesome. So aguirre had snakes, gonzalo had vines and tree bark, sancho was honeybees and melcher was mud and frogs each character was digitally enhanced using textures from real animals and force elements.
Speaker 4:For example, the mud guy had a real frog motion capture data layer into his animation, which this is so this goes back to.
Speaker 1:I think they should have won an award for visual effects Cause. How, how do you even begin to do that Incredible? But jungle cruise, as we mentioned, isn't Disney's first ride to film, because Pirates of the Caribbean became a five film franchise. Haunted Mansion had a 2003 version and a 2023 reboot. Again, shout out to Sally, who's hosted Haunted Mansion movie nights for us at the League Tomorrowland. I didn't know about Tomorrowland until we started doing this research. Starred George Clooney, but Jungle Cruise I like that. It stayed probably about the most faithful to the source of the ride puns and all.
Speaker 4:Yes and the critical response to this movie was mixed. Ron Tomitis gave it about a 62%. Meerkat gave it about 50%, but audience loved it Gave it about a 62%. Meerkat gave it about 50. But audience loved it. A cinema score gave it an A and it was streamed by millions. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think when it comes to critical response, like maybe it's not like Oscar-winning acting, but it was fun and nostalgic, and I think that's why we see a sequel on the way. I mean you're going to have the same cast, same creative team. There's a buzz that the next one might leave the jungle for a new frontier. So maybe the Himalayas, maybe Africa. We will see.
Speaker 4:Well, I hope they bring Proxa back with some kittens or something, because I love the little animal in there. I knew she was my favorite.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know. Plus I mean how can you not? I loved her relationship with Frank as well. Okay, let's end this segment with an official pun off, a little skipper style.
Speaker 4:Oh no, no, I'm bad at this. I hope you're not challenged me to do this because I'll probably lose?
Speaker 1:No, you won't. You're fantastic at it. Okay, Sally, what do you call it when Frank gets stuck in the river?
Speaker 4:A current situation.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, you got it. See, listeners, we want to hear your jungle cruise puns, so message us or tag us with your best one. Sally, as always, thank you for joining me on this cruise, but, even more importantly, for steering us through those hippo laden, alligator, crocodile infested waters of the cinematic jungle lane great christine.
Speaker 4:Thanks so much for letting me sail the volleys on with you. I'll be back back next time with some more trivia, behind the scenes tales and, hopefully, fewer bee-covered villains, yes, but no guarantees there might be a bee or two.
Speaker 1:With that said, friends, we're going to swap some canoes for some churros, because we have our snack and sip queen Kimba as she takes us through Adventureland Eats. And until then, stay ponderful, my friend. All right, explorers, after winding those rivers of silver screens, it's time to refuel and refresh. And who better to guide us to the jungle flavors than the culinary queen of the Extraordinary League, Kimbo Watson. Kimbo, welcome to the Jungle Kitchen.
Speaker 3:I am beyond excited to be here, christine. I've packed snacks, drinks and just the right amount of jungle flair. Whether you're prepping for your 5k or celebrating your finish line, we've got something delicious and thematic for every explorer.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, kimba, I think whenever I'm considering I'm going to go to Magic Kingdom and I want to have something that's new or fun or on theme that you've already been there, done that, so I'm really excited. I think we should start with the obvious. For me, it's always going to be the Dole Whip, because I think it's the most tropical of all. What do you think?
Speaker 3:Absolutely not, whether you're at Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom or Tropical Hideaway at Disneyland. Pineapple Dole Whip is the queen of the jungle, but don't sleep on the seasonal twist Mango, coconut. Even watermelon Dole Whip is the queen of the jungle, but don't sleep on the seasonal twist Mango, coconut, even watermelon Dole Whip, yes, please.
Speaker 1:I'm thinking they have that space out at Disney Springs that has a lot of the seasonal Dole Whips. I can't think of the name off the top of my head, but I will make sure to have that for you guys. If you're looking for the name and have you been to it, do you know which one I'm talking about? I for the name and have you been to it? Do you know which one I'm talking about? I feel like they always have like some Dolwit.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's right there. It's on the bridge, right before you get to rainforest or leaving rainforest, and they always they have flights, which is amazing. So they have flights. Yes, swirls on the water.
Speaker 1:My friend swirls on the water is what?
Speaker 3:it is, that's it.
Speaker 1:Okay. So we see we've got you, even with like these little little tidbits. I love that Kimba is giving us the actual directions as to how to get there. Okay, so for those at home, how would they make Dole Whip?
Speaker 3:So actually it's pretty easy. As long as you've got a cup of frozen pineapple, you can do a splash of coconut milk and a squeeze of lime juice. Boom, instant sunshine in a bowl. Pro tip. Freeze it again for a firmer, soft-served texture, which, again, you're going to want that soft-served texture to be, just like the Dole Whip to mirror it.
Speaker 1:I've been hearing that a lot of the TikTokers, all of the Instagram influencers, are using this Ninja like creamy. I think that's what it's called. It's like this.
Speaker 1:Yes, I've seen that, yeah, and they're all making Dole Whip with it and I am super, super jealous. If anybody out there has a Ninja creamy, you have to give us your review, because it seems like I don't want another kitchen appliance. But if it can make me Dole Whip at home, I'm down with it. All right, let's talk about what people can maybe have. It's a little jungle cruise inspired for pre-run or post-run, or maybe even on the run. What do you think, my friend?
Speaker 3:Well, obviously, before your run it's going to be that tropical smoothie, pineapple banana, maybe some spinach in there for a little power punch of green, and some coconut water, easy on the stomach and big on energy. And then again after your run, grilled pineapple chicken skewers. Teriyaki tofu wraps are my favorite Plantain chips with mango salsa, yum.
Speaker 1:This entire thing sounds like I want to. I want to consume everything you just mentioned at this very, very second Um, but that is basically. You just nailed it Like, if Adventureland was to ever come to us and come up with, like, what would our menu of our dreams be? That's everything that I would want in that menu.
Speaker 3:Speaking of Adventureland, let's take a little world tour. At Walt Disney World we have Tortuga Tavern sometimes has jerk chicken or pulled pork with tropical slaw. Then we have Sunshine Tree Terrace. That's where you can get your Dole Whip and they have different variations where you can have a drink with the pineapple juice and then some Dole Whip in there. So a lot of fun things. And then also they carry special things as well. And then if you walk over to the Jungle Navigation Company Skipper Canteen, that's the jackpot and that is actually my go-to when I am at Magic Kingdom. They have spicy Thai noodles, cachapas with beer, braised pork and the hearty har char pork with jasmine rice flavor packed and themed to the nines.
Speaker 1:It's my favorite, like seriously all time favorite restaurant at Magic Kingdom, specifically Because it's just delicious and I love like they always have like something a little bit more like truly authentically tropical. They have a really great fish. It's just, it's my favorite. But Disneyland brings its own fire. Of course there's the Tropical Hideaway and the Home of Flavor Flights, so you can try those swirl combos that we're talking about, like pineapple, mango or raspberry coconut over in California. Or you can hit up the Bengal barbecue. It has some jungle style skewers, maybe some bacon wrapped asparagus, spicy beef and sweet and sour chicken.
Speaker 3:And if you're feeling really inspired, throw your own jungle juice hydration station at home. Here's my go-to recipe One cup of pineapple juice, one cup of orange juice, half a cup of passion fruit or mango, a big splash of coconut water, and then you can garnish it with some mint, fun little paper umbrellas and a gummy snake for drama.
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, what kind of adult beverage are we adding into this? Because I feel like we need to add a little bit of a little jazz, for maybe I don't know a post-evening fun run kind of a thing.
Speaker 3:Well, in the jungle and anything tropical, I always think of rum. So definitely you can add some dark rum, you can add coconut rum, and then we could also do a tiki style with the jungle bird dark rum, campari, pineapple juice, lime juice and simple syrup.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I'm going to Kimba's house because she seems to have all the goods on this. Okay, we have talked about some eats and sips, which are all very important, but, kimba, I am really actually struggling. I don't know what I'm going to wear for our in real life fun run. So help me prepare. What should I wear for the ultimate Jungle Cruise race day?
Speaker 3:look, Well, you can lean into the Explorer, cheap khaki shorts or utility skirt. Definitely you're going to want a breathable button-up knee socks and you can even make a fun name tag that says skipper, add a helmet, aviator sunglasses are a must.
Speaker 1:And then also you could do a fake parrot or rubber snake for flair so, with that said, um, I'm thinking, though, that we're gonna need to go full rhinestone jungle with some animal print run skirts. Is that something you think that we could do instead? If I don't want to do the safari skipper whole look, because I feel like, of course, we know that our good friend Lynn is going to take that what else could I do?
Speaker 3:I mean, obviously we've got leopard prints, We've got tiger prints, definitely all the animals. Zebra print. You could have some real fun with it and just blend in the jungle.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm going to make that happen. I'm going to actually do some shopping, and or I should just head over to your closet. I feel like you probably have all of that in more. All right, my friend? Well, with that said, let's create a little bit of a fun time where I'm going to ask you to tell me your favorite jungle snack or drink pick, and we're going to do it rapid fire. Are you ready? All right, let's go. Ok, so you've just finished your 5K and blazing heat. What are you having?
Speaker 3:Obviously that Dole Whip float with the pineapple juice and swirl.
Speaker 1:OK, and we're going to your house for a post-run jungle brunch. What is on the menu?
Speaker 3:Definitely some tropical pancakes with banana, coconut, maybe some papaya salsa and, obviously, pineapple mimosas.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh, this really does. This is the most delicious segment I think we've ever ever recorded. Okay, so you want to surprise your incredible run club with some themed treats? What?
Speaker 3:are you thinking that we should have Definitely again those gummy snakes for that drama? You could do trail mix bags with them, mango smoothies and many canteens and a coconut water cooler labeled backside of water.
Speaker 1:I love it. Well, Kimba, I want to thank you for this jungle size feast of flavor and fun. Friends, you guys know how to roll. Just because you're not necessarily able to go to Magic Kingdom or Disney World, Disneyland or any of the other parks doesn't mean that you can't make this a whole lot of fun at home, inspired by Kimba. So I thank you so much for joining in, Kimba. We really do appreciate all of your advice, your sage wisdom.
Speaker 3:Anytime, fairy Run Mother and remember everyone. Adventure is better when you're well-fed and a little bit fabulous.
Speaker 1:Well, there you have it, my friends and explorers. I want to let you know that this extraordinary episode of Extraordinary Strides with Jokes, Jungles and Joyrides is officially docking back at the station. I want to give a huge thanks to my fabulous co-captains today Lynn Kenny, sally Wyant and Kimba Watson for keeping the journey informative, delicious and packed full of laughs. Now, if you've enjoyed this episode and come on who wouldn't? After that pun-tastic journey, please make sure you subscribe, rate and leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcast. Your feedback helps us keep creating the magic and spreading the joyride. Now, don't forget, you can join in on the adventure by tagging us in your photos from your own Jungle Cruise 5k adventures. No matter where you're running at, whether it's your best skipper joke, your jungle inspired snacks or your stylish explorer chic outfit, we can't wait to cheer you on. Find all of our contact details and social links right in the episode notes.
Speaker 1:And, speaking of adventures ahead, get ready for our next stop because, dropping on Friday, august 8th, our next podcast episode will be this here's the wildest run in the West or South North East, wherever you're running at, my friend, it's going to be a runaway ride through Disney history. Gold Rush trivia. Of course we're going to touch on a little bit of that big thunder energy with lots of extra fun. So hang on to your hats. This one's going to bring the thunder. Join us virtually august 9th through 10th, or in person on saturday, august 9th, at 7 am for a western themed celebration. And if you want in on all of those wild, wild west vibes, well, make sure to join the stride collective, the facebook community, to learn more. Until we meet again, I want to remind you that every step forward is an extraordinary stride. Keep moving, keep laughing and keep sprinkling your Run With Sparkles and Pixie Dust. This is, coach Christine, your fairy run, mother signing off. We'll see you real soon.
