Making Memories: From the Jungle and into the Sea

on August 10, 2021

Each week through the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary, we will be taking a look back at various parades, entertainment, and nighttime spectaculars throughout the history of the resort. Walt Disney World has seen so many different things come and go throughout its 50 year history. So, let’s take a look back at what people remember dearly or forgot quickly.

We head back to the Animal Kingdom this week looking at shows that have come and gone over the years in the “Theater in the Wild.” This space sits between what is now Expedition Everest and Dinoland U.S.A. Over the years only three shows have called this space home. First up, Journey into the Jungle Book.

Journey into the Jungle Book was an opening day attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The show used Jungle Book characters in elaborate puppeteered costumes. Disney called this humanimals, which were highly mobile costumed characters combining performers and puppetry. Characters from the film appear to step out right from the story in a giant multi-plane book. The shoe had to include music of course, including songs such at Bare Necessities, I Want to be Like You, Trust in Me, and My Own Home. This 30-minute show was not long lived, its wrapped up its run in 1999 after just a year to make way for the next show.

Disney released the next Disney Animated hit Tarzan in 1999 which led to our next show, Tarzan Rocks! Tarzan was based in the jungle so a great fit for the new animal park that Disney was trying to promote. Reportedly, Disney early on wanted to create a rollercoaster of sorts based on Tarzan for the park. This idea never got to the finish line and we ended up with the show inside the Theater in the Wild instead. The show made its debut in July 1999, less than a month after the film was released.

When the show started, a curtain rolled up to make way to a concert like stage where the performers would sing the iconic songs from the film. The show was not just a concert though, Tarzan, Jane and other characters made appearance too. From live performers, to aerial acrobatics and much more this show had a lot going for it. Tarzan Rocks! made way for the next hit in 2006.

Opening in 2007, Finding Nemo – The Musical capitalized off one of the more recent Pixar hits. This 40-minute show was very much in the Broadway style adapted for the parks. Finding Nemo also was not a musical film but this show was adapted to be a musical. Large puppet like characters representing Nemo, Marlin, Dory, Bruce, Crush and more are the stars of the show. Tony Award-winning director Peter Brosius is the director behind the show along with puppet master Michael Curry who worked on the Broadway version of The Lion King. The famous husband and wife duo of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez composed the 14 original songs for the show. The show continued to run daily until March 2020 when Walt Disney World was shutdown for covid. It has since to return.

What memories of these shows fo you have?

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