Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats

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Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats was an attraction located in Adventureland.

Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats
Shrunken Ned.jpg
Some of the obstacles guests must avoid when steering the Junior Jungle Boats.
Magic Kingdom
Land Adventureland
Theme Jungle Cruise
Opening date 1997
Closing date September 20, 2012
Ride duration 5 minutes

Attraction History and Summary

Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats opened in 1997 [1]. Located next to the exit of the Jungle Cruise, the Junior Jungle Boats allow guests to become skippers of their own miniature Jungle Cruise boats. A sign outside the area read, "Jungle Expedition Skipper Training School, established 1854". Token machines which accepted one and five dollar bills were located nearby. To use the boats, guests entered two tokens into the large steering wheels which were located near the edge of the water. Guests could then steer their boats using the wheel (as well as a throttle), through a small obstacle course. Obstacles located in the water included:

  • Tiki God statues
  • Elephant Shrines
  • Spears
  • Ancient ruins
  • A head hunter
  • A volcano

Sunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats was removed on September 20, 2012.

Shrunken Ned

The attraction gets its name from Shrunken Ned who is a fortune telling witch doctor, located in the South Sea Traders store in Disneyland. Shrunken Ned’s real name is Col. Nedley Lostmore [2].

Ned's backstory states that while he was exploring the dense jungles, he was turned into a shrunken head. Col. Nedley Lostmore brags that he is “the jungle’s only self-service witch doctor” [3].

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • This is one of the few attractions located in the Magic Kingdom that required an additional fee (the other being the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade).
  • Each token cost one dollar.
  • The skipper training school being established in 1854 could be a reference to the fact that in 1854 David Livingstone started his journey to Africa. On the trip he would name Victoria Falls and the Zambesi River. Also in 1854, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke started their African expedition in Somalia [4].
  • Each wheel corresponded with a specific boat, so guests could choose which boat they want to steer.

References

http://disneydispatch.com/content/columns/disney-pi/2011/04-shrunken-neds-junior-jungle-boats/

http://disneydaybyday.blogspot.com/2011/08/shrunken-neds-junior-jungle-boats-worth.html

http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_jcr.htm

http://www.florida-project.com/magic-kingdom-guidebooks-guidemaps/april-1997

http://dismarks.com/Disneyland/Magic_Kingdom_A_Z_Ned_of_Shrunken_Neds_Junior_Jungle_Boats_The_Daily_Mickey
  1. http://www.florida-project.com/walt-disney-world-photos/magic-kingdom/adventureland/shrunken-neds-junior-jungle-boats
  2. http://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2015/08/11/disneyland-diamonds-part-2-beyond-main-street/
  3. http://disney-pal.com/Disneyland/adventureland_bazaar_shrunken_ned.htm
  4. http://disneydispatch.com/content/columns/disney-pi/2011/04-shrunken-neds-junior-jungle-boats/