Disney Actor on Classic Attraction as He Lives Out His Lifelong Dream

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Disney really does make dreams come true–and not just in the classic Disney films, as a beloved actor found out recently.

Before 2013, the world knew nothing about Sven the Reindeer, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, or Kristoff the Ice Harvester. But late that year, fans, young and old, were introduced to these characters and to the storyline of Disney’s Frozen. Not only were the characters and the story engaging, but the actors and actresses behind those iconic characters became household names, especially Idina Menzel (voice of Elsa), Kristen Bell (voice of Anna), and Josh Gad (voice of Olaf the Snowman).

The second installment of the Frozen franchise debuted in November 2019, and fans were once again smitten by the storyline, the lyrics to the music, and the characters.

In September 2022, four of the franchise’s characters were named Disney Legends at the D23 Expo held in Anaheim, California. Each of the stars was honored individually–Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff.

When Josh Gad took to the stage at the D23 Expo, he shared a story of being rejected by Disney when he was much younger. It had been his dream to work as a Jungle Cruise skipper at the iconic classic Disney attraction, but he didn’t make the cut. But recently, Disney made Gad’s dream come true, and he finally got his wish–to work as a skipper at the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland.

(And his Cast Member tag even shows that he’s from Arendelle.)

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The Frozen star referred to himself as the “moderately famous” Josh Gad as he served as skipper on the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland. He hosted a boat full of Guests who were visibly excited to have the famous voice of Olaf as their skipper, and–truth be told–no skipper has ever introduced the “backside of water” with more excitement than Josh Gad. He even warned Guests aboard the boat that since he was the skipper, it would be good for them to call their loved ones and say goodbye.

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You can see the entire hilarious spectacle of Gad “skippering” at the Jungle Cruise ride here:

Jungle Cruise Water Turned Bright Pink

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

When riding Disney’s world-famous Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, you see a lot of things. You see Indian and African elephants, you see exotic plant life, you meet the Nile crocodile Ginger (be careful, she snaps), and you see Trader Sam’s Lost and Found. One thing you don’t expect to see on your boat ride is pink water. However, that’s exactly what Guests riding the attraction at Disneyland Resort saw. They were shocked and intrigued, and now we are finally learning what happened that caused the water to turn the strange shade.

On July 18, the Twitter account Fresh Baked! (@FreshBakedDisney) shared a picture of the shockingly pink water.

Twitter users were intrigued by what possibly could have caused it. Some said maybe it was a fluid leak from one of the boats. Another person took a funnier approach and said that it was someone who didn’t listen to their Skipper. However, we now have an official answer to exactly what happened to make the water look like someone help a special gender reveal.

The Orange County Register spoke to Disneyland officials, who said that it was routine water maintenance. Per The OCR: 

Select locations at Disneyland underwent water treatment on Monday, July 18 that resulted in the water turning a purple/pink tint, according to Disneyland officials.

No Disneyland guests rode on the Jungle Cruise attraction during the temporary water treatment process, according to Disneyland officials.

The Jungle Cruise was closed for a short period of time on Monday as part of a standard water treatment process used to treat bodies of water throughout the Disneyland resort. The pink waters dissipated within a few hours and the attraction returned to normal operation later in the day.

Sean Patrick, a computer programmer from Pismo Beach, speculated on Twitter that the pink stuff in the Jungle Cruise river could be potassium permanganate, a chemical used to treat wastewater, combat rust buildup and remove rotten egg smells from the water.

Because the Jungle Cruise — like every Disneyland attraction — gets so much use, routine maintenance must take place. Sometimes, Disneyland is forced to shut the ride down for days or weeks. Luckily, this treatment was quick, and the ride was only down for a few hours. If you are visiting Disneyland Resort, you can always check the Disneyland app for current ride closures at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

Sequel to Jungle Cruise Movie Already in Development at Disney

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney+

Thanks to the success of the already $100 million-plus earning film Jungle Cruise, based on the Disney Parks attraction, work is already underway to bring audiences a sequel.

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to return as riverboat captain Frank Wolff and the explorer Dr. Lily Houghton, as well as the directing and producing team of the original film.

Currently, the film has a worldwide box office of over $187 million.

New Disney Parks Designer Collection Jungle Cruise Skipper Ear Hat

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

The next item in the Disney Parks Designer Collection is a Jungle Cruise skipper ear hat designed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The hat is now available on shopDisney, plus Walt Disney World guests can find it in Uptown Jewelers at Magic Kingdom.

This ear hat is inspired by the hat Dwayne Johnson wears as Skipper Frank in “Jungle Cruise.”

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The hat is a limited release and comes with a bag and certificate of verification.

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New Jungle Cruise Photo-Op Now Available in Disney Springs

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Ahead of the official premiere of Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt on July 30, Disney Springs has added a new photo op area near the AMC Dine-In Theatre.

The area includes a large backdrop featuring the story’s main characters Lily Houghton and Skipper Frank Wolff adventuring their way on a boat, as well as a smaller movie poster to the right.

In front of the characters you can also find a cut-out of the film’s logo and premiere date that are placed at the tip of the boat. Guests can stand behind this in their photos to appear as if they are exploring with the main characters.