The Jungle Cruise is a guided tour---led by a real human being, not an animatronic character. The cruise takes place on along a twisting, turning man-made river that's supposed to be a composite of several of the wildest, most "jungly" rivers of the world. When I was a kid and the plants were new and small, it took some imagination to think of this area as a jungle---but now it needs NO imagination whatsoever. It IS a jungle! And, a beautiful one, too. As you cruise along the river, your guide points out such attractions as a "tiger" waiting to pounce at the boat, elephants bathing, hippos diving and resurfacing, or a large boa wound around a tree. The animals---some animatronically operated, an...Read More

I couldn't even TYPE the name of this attraction without automatically breaking into song! If you've seen this attraction, you know what I mean! If you haven't, you'll soon understand, and you'll start humming when you hear the words "tiki room," too! This show is a musical---you've gathered that much by now, right? Its hosts are audio animatronic birds. The show is cute and the music is fun. The performance is full of surprises---which I can't mention because I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't seen it! This show is also a good attraction to do during the afternoon hours, when other lines are long. The Tiki Room holds a crowd, and the show runs continually every 20 minutes, so your ...Read More

Tarzan's Treehouse makes great use of Disneyland's valuable real estate. Its "footprint" is small because most of the attraction is up in the air! Sometimes I climb this attraction just for the exercise! I guess you've gathered that there are lots of stairs on this attraction. Well, yes, stairs make just about ALL of the attraction! It’s stairs, plus dioramas of scenes from the "Tarzan" movie. When you descend back to the ground, you'll end up in the base camp erected by Jane's father, and there are things in the camp your kids will enjoy exploring. Tarzan's Tree House is another attraction that will only have a moderate crowd when most of the lines are bulging. At times, characters from the T...Read More

Though the Indiana Jones Adventure is no longer brand-new to the park, you'd never know that by its long lines. Fortunately, there's a FastPass option. Also, there's often a "single rider" option that lets singles enter through the FastPass line. Sometimes they put out a makeshift sign advertising the single-rider option and sometimes they don't, so it never hurts to ask. The Indiana Jones Adventure is hard to describe because it's a one-of-a-kind type of thing. It's something that kids, teens, and adults alike can enjoy. Riding in the cars involves some jostling, but it's not physically scary in the same sense as a roller coaster. Its special effects are unlike those found in any other ride...Read More

Character greeting has really become a BIG attraction at Disneyland. Some people are content for their kids to see whatever characters happen their way. Other parents, particularly season-pass holders, are dead-set that they (oops...I MEANT to say that THEIR KIDS...)will see and get autographs from every, single different character in the park! Well, in order to do that, a trip to Adventureland...and a little good luck...is necessary. Now, Aladdin and Jasmine have a permanent place for meeting and greeting guests in Adventureland, so seeing THEM is pretty much assured (except for their break times, they'll be there.) Meeting other characters in Adventureland will be hit-and-miss. Usually, though...Read More

I LOVE window-shopping! I'm a cheapskate and I usually don't buy too much...but I really get a kick out of admiring all the imaginative merchandise that the Disney stores have to offer. I personally find the shops in Adventureland interesting and entertaining because they sell merchandise that's quite different from the rest of the park. Want a scary spider or a stuffed snake? Adventureland is your place! (My grandson took up a sudden interest in shopping when he saw the slithery, creepy reptiles and arachnids on display in an Adventureland store! He generally HATES shopping, but it was hard to get him OUT of the Adventureland shops!) You can find Mickey dressed up for a safari here... or you c...Read More