Dateline: Adventureland/FrontierlandNestled above the Riverbelle Terrace, at the intersection of Frontierland, Adventureland and New Orleans Square, are the manager's offices for Adventure/Frontier and New Orleans/"Critter" Country. A small conference room sits behind the second story porch pictured above---or at least it used to in the 1980s. Given that things "back stage" don't change much at the Park, I'll bet you the conference room remains.
After ducking behind a large door near the Bengal Barbeque, Adventure/Frontier cast members would make their way to a narrow staircase and up to a break area/porch. A door at the far end of this small porch led to the offices.
On rainy, cold days, a dash upstairs into the cozy office for a styrofoam cup of mediocre coffee was a small slice of heaven.
The Area Managers who worked there had their hands full with the wacky crews at Jungle and Thunder Mountain (and probably still do). It was cool to be upstairs and look out the curtained windows at the crowd along the Rivers of America.
I envied those managers.
They had radios.
They got to wear civilian clothes.
They always had an earpiece.
They looked like CIA and Secret Service all wrapped up in one.
They got called in for all the exciting stuff: an injury in the area, an attraction shutdown, a VIP in the Park, etc.
They were Disney cool.
When one of them stepped onto your Jungle boat, you prayed that the S.O.P. ("Standard Operating Procedure") version of your spiel would pour easily from your mouth---without accidentally letting out a non-approved joke.
Well, that is today's "remember when" cast member snippet.
Today's post has been brought to you by "Jungle Is 101," where dreams really do come true, if only occasionally and with some additives and preservatives.
