ADVENTURE ARCHIPELAGO
Aloha! South Seas romance comes to life in Adventure Archipelago, a fantastical place where all the Pacific islands meet in a singular world of adventure. It is the 1930s, a grand era of exploration as practiced by heroes such as Indiana Jones and the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. Guests follow their journeys across many isles, discovering deep undersea wonderlands, ancient acropolises, enchanted Tiki gods, and a mythical connection to prehistoric Polynesia.
Adventure Archipelago is vast, centered around the “Islands of the Pacific” waterways – imagine a South Seas version of Frontierland’s “Rivers of America.” Coastal towns and beaches surround the bay’s crystal blue waters. Design influence comes from throughout the Pacific, from coastal Thailand to Vietnam, Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, and the island kingdoms of Samoa, Tahiti, and Guam. All along the shore are ramshackle island villages, with jungle trails leading to extraordinary attractions. In the glistening lagoon, Asian and Polynesian boats glide past. Every isle bursts with life! Distant peaks, surrounded in puffy clouds, remind us that the islands are actually titanic mountains, rising from the unfathomable depths of the Pacific Ocean.
Adventure Archipelago is vast, centered around the “Islands of the Pacific” waterways – imagine a South Seas version of Frontierland’s “Rivers of America.” Coastal towns and beaches surround the bay’s crystal blue waters. Design influence comes from throughout the Pacific, from coastal Thailand to Vietnam, Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, and the island kingdoms of Samoa, Tahiti, and Guam. All along the shore are ramshackle island villages, with jungle trails leading to extraordinary attractions. In the glistening lagoon, Asian and Polynesian boats glide past. Every isle bursts with life! Distant peaks, surrounded in puffy clouds, remind us that the islands are actually titanic mountains, rising from the unfathomable depths of the Pacific Ocean.
ATTRACTIONS
Marianas Trench: The Underwater Mountain
Adventure Archipelago’s most forbidding coastline appears ravaged by typhoons. The palm trees are toppled, and shipwrecks from countless eras line the rocky shores. At a distant point is an otherworldly peak of coral and stone, revealed by the mystically receding seas. Moored alongside this foreboding Coral Peak is a modern (by 1930s standards) research vessel, the seagoing home of S.E.A.’s Captain Mary Oceaneer.
It is from this craft that Mary invites guests to set forth on a journey deep under the waves, down to the deepest depths of the Marianas Trench. As a member of S.E.A., Mary is an inveterate deep sea diver, and she is convinced that the region’s recent storms have filled the Trench with lost galleons from throughout history. Queued in her Oceaneer Labs (full of interactive sea-based gewgaws), guests learn from slideshows and a gramophone of their quest. Mary’s two animatronic blue parrots, Salty and Duncan, further amuse guests. Finally guests descend the craft’s bowels into its hull, filled with submersibles, where they board diving pods and set forth.
It is from this craft that Mary invites guests to set forth on a journey deep under the waves, down to the deepest depths of the Marianas Trench. As a member of S.E.A., Mary is an inveterate deep sea diver, and she is convinced that the region’s recent storms have filled the Trench with lost galleons from throughout history. Queued in her Oceaneer Labs (full of interactive sea-based gewgaws), guests learn from slideshows and a gramophone of their quest. Mary’s two animatronic blue parrots, Salty and Duncan, further amuse guests. Finally guests descend the craft’s bowels into its hull, filled with submersibles, where they board diving pods and set forth.
“Marianas Trench: The Underwater Mountain” is an E-ticket flume ride much in the spirit of Splash Mountain. In fact, for ease of design it uses Splash Mountain’s layout. Logs are replaced with high-tech diving pods, metallic submersibles designed to withstand the sea’s incredible pressure. Once riders move indoors (and “underwater”), a dry-for-wet effect is achieved with careful lighting, bubble machines, and other niceties. It isn’t a “realistic” simulation, but a fantastical voyage much like Space Mountain, where we accept that open-air pods can certainly carry us through outer space or liquid space.
The pods begin outside, sailing through the storm-ravaged tide pools surrounding Coral Peak. Guests get an early preview of the splashdown climax, as other pods tumble from Coral Peak, from the torpedo tube of an overturned submarine.
The pods begin outside, sailing through the storm-ravaged tide pools surrounding Coral Peak. Guests get an early preview of the splashdown climax, as other pods tumble from Coral Peak, from the torpedo tube of an overturned submarine.
Pods ascend within a beached cargo ship, headed towards what Salty calls “the dive point.” Guests emerge amidst low-lying tide pools, affording glimpses of many (animatronic) sea creatures – urchins, starfish, crabs. Breaks in the bizarre coral arches reveal panoramic views of Adventure Archipelago. Ultimately, the pods enter a pumping station very near the peak. Pressurization devices chirp. Ahead, entirely indoors, is a pipeline plummet. The pods plunge down this first drop, speeding through a “dive tube” and into an underwater wonderland.
The ocean’s beauty unfolds! Alien multicolored sea plants sway, illuminated by shafts of sunlight. A massive civilization of animatronic sea creatures welcomes guests with color and song. In fact, Mary has equipped all diving pods with specialized “Dictorobitary” translation devices, meant to translate the fish’s speech…rather, their singing. The result is a musical joyride very much the equal of Splash Mountain, boasting an all-new soundtrack written by Hamilton’s (and Moana’s) Lin-Manuel Miranda. This is the first of three new tunes (Mr. Miranda to himself late reveal further song details), sung by a host of fish, octopi and marlins. Riding through submerged pirate ships, riders view giant clams inside treasure chests, dueling swordfish, and other wonders. Mary (animatronic) within a diving bell watches alongside.
Pods continue through a kelp forest, huge leafy stems swaying in the currents. More and more creatures are seen, like a family of sea turtles and a school of swirling tuna fish. A cavernous expanse of jagged, eerie rockwork looms ahead, swarming with eels. Captain Mary over a diving pod P.A. announces the next dive, to take us to the greatest depths of the Marianas Trench, a place never touched by the sun’s light.
Pods continue through a kelp forest, huge leafy stems swaying in the currents. More and more creatures are seen, like a family of sea turtles and a school of swirling tuna fish. A cavernous expanse of jagged, eerie rockwork looms ahead, swarming with eels. Captain Mary over a diving pod P.A. announces the next dive, to take us to the greatest depths of the Marianas Trench, a place never touched by the sun’s light.
Tumbling down a swirling whirlpool, riders arrive in an entirely black chamber. The only lights come from glowing deep sea monsters overhead, from frightful anglerfish and tube worms.
Further along, phosphorescence illuminates a spectacular grotto deep within the Marianas Trench. Angelic firefly squid swim about, singing another song. Their glow reveals great piles of doubloons. More bizarre creatures await: Viperfish, giant isopods, dragonfish, hatchetfish, even a coelacanth.
Further along, phosphorescence illuminates a spectacular grotto deep within the Marianas Trench. Angelic firefly squid swim about, singing another song. Their glow reveals great piles of doubloons. More bizarre creatures await: Viperfish, giant isopods, dragonfish, hatchetfish, even a coelacanth.
Pods enter a tunnel surrounded on all sides by the tentacles of a giant squid! They proceed into the wreckage of a submarine. The squid peers in through a porthole. Mary on the P.A. announces a return to the surface via the submarine’s torpedo tubes. Bubbles outside the portholes suggest that the sub itself is rising. Pods climb high, high up a lift hill within the sub’s weapon chambers. The giant squid crushes the vessel from outside. Water sprays everywhere.
At last the pods emerge from a torpedo tub at the very top of Coral Peak. Adventure Archipelago stretches before them. They plummet 50 feet!
Splashdown occurs within a tangle of coral!
Pods proceed along a sandy cove, in full view of guests. They continue through a peaceful valley of coral walls filled with starfish and trilobite fossils. Back they go into a grotto, into…
At last the pods emerge from a torpedo tub at the very top of Coral Peak. Adventure Archipelago stretches before them. They plummet 50 feet!
Splashdown occurs within a tangle of coral!
Pods proceed along a sandy cove, in full view of guests. They continue through a peaceful valley of coral walls filled with starfish and trilobite fossils. Back they go into a grotto, into…
The grand coral palace finale! Again underwater, Miranda’s third and best song serenades riders. Coral reefs of all colors fill the realm. A multitude of animatronic sea animals serenades. A family of dolphins, clown fish, sting rays and sea horses, and best of all, a grinning life-size sperm whale (complete with a chorus of krill within its mouth). On top of this, we see salvage nets lifting great heaps of treasure from the Marianas depths, sign of a successful adventure! Trawlers collect the diving pods and return them to Mary’s research vessel for unload.
Moana: We Were Voyagers
The Polynesian world of the 1930s has a long and storied ancestry. The history of the Polynesian peoples can be traced to antiquity, to a time of wayfaring island tribes. Traces of this distant time can still be seen throughout the isles, and the natives’ heritage still speaks strongly. The village elders tell of a magical grotto hidden within the crags of Motunui, the Polynesian island of plenty, where brave travelers are transported back in time to the world of Moana!
Those seeking such adventure begin down an overgrown jungle pathway lined by carved Tiki idols of an unknown age. They continue towards a mountainous peak at the center of Motunui. Vines give way to a secret rocky passageway, one littered with ancient Polynesian artifacts. Pictographs and tapestries throughout recall the story of Moana.
The queue continues through the hulls of ancient ships, and down to an underground river. Here, in a dried-reed loading area, guests gather into high-capacity Tiki boats. Moana: We Were Voyagers uses the same ride system (and layout) as Shanghai’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle of the Sunken Treasure. This means boats glide magnetically across the water, able to turn on a dime. Such an enveloping approach is only appropriate for such a beloved story.
Boats begin their voyage through a small grotto, and out onto the nighttime ocean. Here riders may view the receding island shores, home to Motunui Longhouse Luau (see “Dining”). The moon lights the seas. From here, boats proceed into a massive cavern behind a waterfall.
All is deathly still. Boats creep silently past abandoned skiffs and catamarans, millennia-old craft from Moana’s time. A faint song (“We Know the Way”) echoes through the catacombs. A cold wind blows. The sails flutter lightly; their masts spin. It’s as though they want to return to the sea.
Those seeking such adventure begin down an overgrown jungle pathway lined by carved Tiki idols of an unknown age. They continue towards a mountainous peak at the center of Motunui. Vines give way to a secret rocky passageway, one littered with ancient Polynesian artifacts. Pictographs and tapestries throughout recall the story of Moana.
The queue continues through the hulls of ancient ships, and down to an underground river. Here, in a dried-reed loading area, guests gather into high-capacity Tiki boats. Moana: We Were Voyagers uses the same ride system (and layout) as Shanghai’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle of the Sunken Treasure. This means boats glide magnetically across the water, able to turn on a dime. Such an enveloping approach is only appropriate for such a beloved story.
Boats begin their voyage through a small grotto, and out onto the nighttime ocean. Here riders may view the receding island shores, home to Motunui Longhouse Luau (see “Dining”). The moon lights the seas. From here, boats proceed into a massive cavern behind a waterfall.
All is deathly still. Boats creep silently past abandoned skiffs and catamarans, millennia-old craft from Moana’s time. A faint song (“We Know the Way”) echoes through the catacombs. A cold wind blows. The sails flutter lightly; their masts spin. It’s as though they want to return to the sea.
Drumbeats echo in a cavernous chamber. Suddenly, one-by-one, torches light up. A supernatural glow permeates the sails’ illustrations. Magical sparkles highlight one sail in particular, which depicts Maui. The drumbeats quicken. And in a truly astounding special effect, an actual animatronic Maui emerges from the sail! With a quick war dance, the demigod greets riders. He tells of his tattoos. He tells of Moana, of the Heart of Te Fiti, and quickly ushers boats gliding backwards, back in time, past mystical rising walls of water!
Boats emerge within a massive IMAX dome! They emerge on open ocean, eons ago! Over mountainous waves, riders catch sight of Moana piloting her camakau boat, the dimwit rooster Heihei by her side. A glowing manta shape – the spirit of Tala – passes under the waves. Moana sings triumphantly (“How Far I’ll Go”) as we follow her on a quest to locate Maui and restore the Heart of Te Fiti.
Boats emerge within a massive IMAX dome! They emerge on open ocean, eons ago! Over mountainous waves, riders catch sight of Moana piloting her camakau boat, the dimwit rooster Heihei by her side. A glowing manta shape – the spirit of Tala – passes under the waves. Moana sings triumphantly (“How Far I’ll Go”) as we follow her on a quest to locate Maui and restore the Heart of Te Fiti.
Through a stone archway, boats slow beside a physical set – it is Maui’s tiny desert islet, screens beyond depicting the seas. An animatronic Moana confronts an animatronic Maui: “You will board my boat and sail with me to restore the Heart of Te Fiti.” Maui counters, claiming he stole the Heart for mankind, so what Moana really means is “Thank you.” To which Maui is very, very quick to say “You’re welcome.” And then sing it!
(“You’re Welcome”) Daylight fades into a phantasmagorical set piece of animated tattoos and glyphs. Cutout characters and fish and totemistic suns dance and sing. An animatronic Maui performs, an internal projection animating his body tattoos. All in all, it’s like a cabaret version of “small world,” and upbeat showstopper with a fantastic finish!
Lights vanish. “I’ll help you,” says Maui, “but to reach Te Fiti, first we must pass through Lalotai…The Realm of Monsters.”
Lights return. Guests find themselves in Lalotai, a surreal, psychedelic realm deep below the waves. There are strange beasties everywhere (a mix of screens and simple animatronics). A lime-green iguana snatches fish with its tongue. A palm tree with toothy fronds eats the iguana. Devilish fruit bats assail mango trees. A spiny creature the size of a battleship roams the distance. Geysers spurt.
Lights return. Guests find themselves in Lalotai, a surreal, psychedelic realm deep below the waves. There are strange beasties everywhere (a mix of screens and simple animatronics). A lime-green iguana snatches fish with its tongue. A palm tree with toothy fronds eats the iguana. Devilish fruit bats assail mango trees. A spiny creature the size of a battleship roams the distance. Geysers spurt.
A grotto glimmers gold with piles of treasure. Ahead is the whale-sized coconut crab Tamatoa, realized with a single gigantically impressive animatronic! His claws lunge at the boats as he sings (“Shiny”). Lights shift from disco to neon. This terrible scene doesn’t last long, as the glowing water spirit Tala swiftly ushers boats to the surface…
…into another astounding IMAX simulation dome! And into a battle at sea! Moana and Maui sail for the distant island of Te Fiti, but they’re blocked by a fleet of fearsome Kakamora coconut pirates! Arrows pierce the sea! Coconut cannonballs burst. Boats turn to the left, passing between two jaw-dropping multi-story Kakamora ships! Animatronic coconut men swing overhead. On shipboard screens, we glimpse Maui with his hook shapeshifting and fighting the little brigands. Palm tree masts tumble. An enormous conch shell blows.
Boats twist past lava reefs. Amidst glowing red seas, they pass the molten mass of Te Ka, evil volcano demon. Via screens, they see Maui battle the demon, amidst actual heat and flame. Within all this chaos, Moana emerges on screen walking between the waters, a heart of calm. She sings (“I Am Moana”). Te Ka calms, cools, and Moana inserts the Heart of Te Fiti into Te Ka’s chest.
Lava tumbles. The oceans steam. Huge physical waves rush the boats, which plummet backwards through a climactic flume!
Boats slow alongside a dead atoll. Lights glow, and projections magically transform the entire rocky world into a green paradise. This is Te Fiti, earth goddess! An animatronic Moana stands upon Te Fiti’s green hand, saying farewell to Te Fiti’s gigantic animatronic face. Te Fiti gleams beatifically. With this tranquil, peaceful moment, boats sail into a cavern, and forward through the years to the cavern where they started. Our amazing adventure is concluded.
Boats slow alongside a dead atoll. Lights glow, and projections magically transform the entire rocky world into a green paradise. This is Te Fiti, earth goddess! An animatronic Moana stands upon Te Fiti’s green hand, saying farewell to Te Fiti’s gigantic animatronic face. Te Fiti gleams beatifically. With this tranquil, peaceful moment, boats sail into a cavern, and forward through the years to the cavern where they started. Our amazing adventure is concluded.
Maui’s Outriggers
Today’s islanders still practice the ancient art of wayfaring. Upon outrigger canoes dedicated to Maui (hero of men, demigod of the wind and sea) they travel the waters of Adventure Archipelago, and explore the many Islands of the Pacific.
Like Disneyland’s Davy Crockett Canoes, Maui’s Outriggers are a guest-powered attraction. Armed with oars, guests paddle themselves through the land’s tranquil waterways. Cast member guides, clad as Polynesian tribespeople, steer the craft and provide a running commentary (often humorous) on the coastal sights. (See Adventure Bay Junk Boats for more on these sights.) Guides even perform war chants to psych up their crews! Unique to Maui’s Outriggers alone, riders pass through a portion of Rapa Moai Isle’s coastal caverns, through a bewitching glowworm cavern. Though a minor B-ticket, Maui’s Outriggers fills the bay with life and kinetic movement.
Like Disneyland’s Davy Crockett Canoes, Maui’s Outriggers are a guest-powered attraction. Armed with oars, guests paddle themselves through the land’s tranquil waterways. Cast member guides, clad as Polynesian tribespeople, steer the craft and provide a running commentary (often humorous) on the coastal sights. (See Adventure Bay Junk Boats for more on these sights.) Guides even perform war chants to psych up their crews! Unique to Maui’s Outriggers alone, riders pass through a portion of Rapa Moai Isle’s coastal caverns, through a bewitching glowworm cavern. Though a minor B-ticket, Maui’s Outriggers fills the bay with life and kinetic movement.
Adventure Bay Junk Boats
For a more relaxing voyage upon the Islands of the Pacific, we recommend Adventure Bay Junk Boats. A fleet of full-scale Chinese sailing ships continually travels the land, their masts towering over the palms. Aboard a dynastic junk, riders enjoy narration from a grizzled sea captain out of Guangzhou. These are his recollections of life in the South China Sea and abroad into the Pacific, a life filled with pirate encounters and fearsome sea monsters. Guests are welcome to explore the junk. They may descend to the hull to see how Chinese sailors lived ages ago.
Adventure Bay Junk Boats depart regularly from Adventure Archipelago’s Asian shores (near Incredibles Island, a separate mini-land). The coastline here resembles Vietnam’s gorgeous Ha Long Bay, where towering tropical rocks hide fishermen’s huts. The junk glides past whole villages of boats upon the water.
The junk’s voyage is a metaphorical journey across the Pacific, much like the Rivers of America’s U.S. voyage. For now, the junk continues “south” along the Indian coastline, where distant Himalayan peaks and Cambodian temples host Indiana Jones’ latest adventures.
Moving further into the Pacific Islands, the junk enters the world of Polynesia, the land which once belonged to Moana. In these waters, guests see catamarans ferrying other adventurers to Rapa Moai Isle in the waterway’s center. Strange “moai” statuary lines the breakwater coast.
Adventure Bay Junk Boats depart regularly from Adventure Archipelago’s Asian shores (near Incredibles Island, a separate mini-land). The coastline here resembles Vietnam’s gorgeous Ha Long Bay, where towering tropical rocks hide fishermen’s huts. The junk glides past whole villages of boats upon the water.
The junk’s voyage is a metaphorical journey across the Pacific, much like the Rivers of America’s U.S. voyage. For now, the junk continues “south” along the Indian coastline, where distant Himalayan peaks and Cambodian temples host Indiana Jones’ latest adventures.
Moving further into the Pacific Islands, the junk enters the world of Polynesia, the land which once belonged to Moana. In these waters, guests see catamarans ferrying other adventurers to Rapa Moai Isle in the waterway’s center. Strange “moai” statuary lines the breakwater coast.
Proceeding further, the junk enters a wasteland regularly buffeted by tropical storms. Past shipwrecks, riders catch glimpses of Coral Peak and Mary Oceaneer’s research vessel. The junk is now sailing directly over the unfathomable depths of the Marianas Trench, and out into dangerous open ocean.
Continuing on, the junk retreats through Polynesia back towards the Asian mainland. The coastline is now populated with thatch villas on stilts. These are a part of Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Hotel guests mingle and wave. Beyond a tree line is the Polynesian’s iconic Tiki roof. This resort hotel is not a part of our park, but seeing it from the waterways suggests a park land which might continue forever!
Lastly the junk passes a series of jagged rocks. These rocks hide the watery passage to Incredibles Island, allowing mere glimpses of its active volcano. The waters grow increasingly choppy. Looking back at the uncharted leeward side of Rapa Moai Isle, guests learn why. Here is a semi-animatronic turtle head the size of a building! Yes, the entire island is actually a gigantic sea turtle! We’ve been at sea too long, the navigator announces, and he is more than happy to return to his home shore.
Continuing on, the junk retreats through Polynesia back towards the Asian mainland. The coastline is now populated with thatch villas on stilts. These are a part of Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Hotel guests mingle and wave. Beyond a tree line is the Polynesian’s iconic Tiki roof. This resort hotel is not a part of our park, but seeing it from the waterways suggests a park land which might continue forever!
Lastly the junk passes a series of jagged rocks. These rocks hide the watery passage to Incredibles Island, allowing mere glimpses of its active volcano. The waters grow increasingly choppy. Looking back at the uncharted leeward side of Rapa Moai Isle, guests learn why. Here is a semi-animatronic turtle head the size of a building! Yes, the entire island is actually a gigantic sea turtle! We’ve been at sea too long, the navigator announces, and he is more than happy to return to his home shore.
Rapa Moai Isle
Catamarans (inspired by Kon Tiki) ferry guests across the land’s waterways to Rapa Moai Isle, an explorable island paradise at the center of the Islands of the Pacific. This is a fabulous playground muck like Tom Sawyer Island, but with a heavy Easter Island influence.
Giant stone heads carved from lava rock welcome guests. Stretched before them are innumerable pathways leading to unique discoveries throughout the island.
One route sends guests along the shore, past a tiny islet where seabirds make their nests, to a watery playground. Swaying rope bridges and cargo nets dangle over the ocean. A shipwrecked shrimping boat lets guests climb the masts, play on lifesavers, and even fire water pistols at a buoy.
Elsewhere on the isle, surrounded by basalt columns, is a fully explorable lighthouse cove.
Near the water’s edge, find a wave-carved cave which maybe – just maybe – is the secret treasure cache of South Seas pirates from ages ago.
On a sandy beach are the skeletal remains of an enormous whale, now transformed by the island’s natives into a fun playground.
Giant stone heads carved from lava rock welcome guests. Stretched before them are innumerable pathways leading to unique discoveries throughout the island.
One route sends guests along the shore, past a tiny islet where seabirds make their nests, to a watery playground. Swaying rope bridges and cargo nets dangle over the ocean. A shipwrecked shrimping boat lets guests climb the masts, play on lifesavers, and even fire water pistols at a buoy.
Elsewhere on the isle, surrounded by basalt columns, is a fully explorable lighthouse cove.
Near the water’s edge, find a wave-carved cave which maybe – just maybe – is the secret treasure cache of South Seas pirates from ages ago.
On a sandy beach are the skeletal remains of an enormous whale, now transformed by the island’s natives into a fun playground.
Catamarans (inspired by Kon Tiki) ferry guests across the land’s waterways to Rapa Moai Isle, an explorable island paradise at the center of the Islands of the Pacific. This is a fabulous playground muck like Tom Sawyer Island, but with a heavy Easter Island influence.
Giant stone heads carved from lava rock welcome guests. Stretched before them are innumerable pathways leading to unique discoveries throughout the island.
One route sends guests along the shore, past a tiny islet where seabirds make their nests, to a watery playground. Swaying rope bridges and cargo nets dangle over the ocean. A shipwrecked shrimping boat lets guests climb the masts, play on lifesavers, and even fire water pistols at a buoy.
Elsewhere on the isle, surrounded by basalt columns, is a fully explorable lighthouse cove.
Near the water’s edge, find a wave-carved cave which maybe – just maybe – is the secret treasure cache of South Seas pirates from ages ago.
On a sandy beach are the skeletal remains of an enormous whale, now transformed by the island’s natives into a fun playground.
Giant stone heads carved from lava rock welcome guests. Stretched before them are innumerable pathways leading to unique discoveries throughout the island.
One route sends guests along the shore, past a tiny islet where seabirds make their nests, to a watery playground. Swaying rope bridges and cargo nets dangle over the ocean. A shipwrecked shrimping boat lets guests climb the masts, play on lifesavers, and even fire water pistols at a buoy.
Elsewhere on the isle, surrounded by basalt columns, is a fully explorable lighthouse cove.
Near the water’s edge, find a wave-carved cave which maybe – just maybe – is the secret treasure cache of South Seas pirates from ages ago.
On a sandy beach are the skeletal remains of an enormous whale, now transformed by the island’s natives into a fun playground.
The Enchanted Tiki Room
Tiki magic pervades Adventure Archipelago. In the jungles of Motunui, a thatch palace upon a lush hill is the source of this magic. Climbing up soothing Tiki gardens, over bamboo bridges across flowing fresh water, guests come to The Enchanted Tiki Room. This is the famed Tiki Room as we know it, a mesmerizing animatronic cabaret show featuring dozens of singing songbirds. It is a Disney classic, perfectly in tune with the Polynesian influences of Adventure Archipelago, and a wonderful C-ticket addition to our land!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Adventure has a name: Indiana Jones! And adventure has a home in Adventure Archipelago, where Indy now finds himself deep within the Indian jungles at the foot of the Himalayas.
Here, far from the land’s tropical waters, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is cloned from Disney’s Hollywood Studios…with some light modification. Once again, the 25-minute live spectacular retells Raiders of the Lost Ark. But where the Studios version is framed as a film in production, our version is a tale retold by a village elder. Thus the arena and stage are redesigned to resemble the mountainous Indian village of Mayapore, the one seen in Temple of Doom. The village elder, aided by smoke effects and a cauldron, recalls when their village was aided by Indiana Jones. Using the powers of prophecy and psychic sight, the elder tells about Indy’s quest for the Ark of the Covenant, realized live with stunt performers and guest interaction.
Here, far from the land’s tropical waters, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is cloned from Disney’s Hollywood Studios…with some light modification. Once again, the 25-minute live spectacular retells Raiders of the Lost Ark. But where the Studios version is framed as a film in production, our version is a tale retold by a village elder. Thus the arena and stage are redesigned to resemble the mountainous Indian village of Mayapore, the one seen in Temple of Doom. The village elder, aided by smoke effects and a cauldron, recalls when their village was aided by Indiana Jones. Using the powers of prophecy and psychic sight, the elder tells about Indy’s quest for the Ark of the Covenant, realized live with stunt performers and guest interaction.
DINING
Pankot Palace
Adding to the fun of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is the Pankot Palace dining experience, a one-of-a-kind combination of restaurant and guided walkthrough. This, the land’s premiere dining establishment, expands upon the Indiana Jones legend with a journey deep into an ancient Greek ruin to discover Pandora’s Box.
Motunui Longhouse Luau
Pass through the doors of a Motunui tribal longhouse. Through a magical ceremonial chamber, guests discover an outdoors terrace where it is always night. The stars sparkle overhead. With strung up lights and Tiki torches, it is also an eternal luau. Live hula dancers on a stage serenade diners. Food is provided buffeteria style, with a full luau feast presented around a fire pit. Sample suckling roast pig. Fresh tropical fruits are abundant. Dine by the stage, or near the foliate shoreline overlooking the nighttime ocean. In the distance, diners even see boats from Moana: We Were Voyagers. Motunui Longhouse Luau is a high-demand restaurant in line with Blue Bayou or Barbossa’s Bounty, done with a delightful Polynesian twist.
Trader Sam’s Poi Pub
The old Tahitian governor’s mansion is now the property of the famed Trader Sam. As a beacon to sailors and other wayfarers, Sam has repurposed the estate into a wondrous Tiki lounge. Much like the Trader Sam variants in Disneyland and Disney World, the Poi Pub is an eclectic setting filled with crazy artifacts and Tiki paraphernalia. The menu consists of island delicacies such as poi, spam and pupu. It also includes tropical drinks (both alcoholic and non), all of them cleverly named after other Adventureland concepts from throughout the Disney Parks universe.
Kon Tiki Juice Bar
A variation on a Tiki Room classic, this juice bar serves the world famous DOLE WHIPS® out of a shack constructed from a beached, overturned replica of the Kon Tiki. Guests may order either from beachside, or from within the Tiki Room gardens. Treats include pineapple spears, Dole Floats, and soft serve pineapple DOLE WHIP®.
Ha Long Floating Palace
Near the Vietnamese coast where the junk boats make sail, this elegant floating restaurant sits atop gentle waters. The interior recalls a stately turn-of-the-century Macau casino. The menu encompasses all manner of southeast Asian foods, including Thai and Vietnamese. Enjoy delicious fried noodles, milky Thai tea, pepper catfish, pho soups, and other goodies. At night the Floating Palace lights up with hundreds of smaller floating lanterns, giving it a heavenly aura.
RETAIL
Marianas Trench Salvage
Here in an old merchant marine vessel moored in the bay, Captain Mary Oceaneer collects the treasures from her deep sea dives. Guests who have just enjoyed an aquatic ride through the Marianas Trench may now stop by to further explore its relics. The ride’s sea creature cast is recreated here as plush toys. Clothes and collectibles tie back to the greater S.E.A. universe. This shop is filled with diving props, from a suit to a one-man-sub. Add in numerous aquariums, and one’s mind never steers far from the ocean.
Tamatoa’s Treasures
Upon exiting Moana: We Were Voyagers, guests find themselves passing the glistening treasure grotto of the crab Tamatoa. This is Lalotai, where the walls are drenched in bioluminescence and gigantic discarded shells line the halls. The islanders sell all manner of Moana merch. Buy a magic oar, an enchanted fishhook, a musical conch, or a mesmerizing Heart of Te Fiti – unique souvenirs which flash and sparkle after nightfall, all in-time with the park’s nighttime spectaculars.
Samoan Bazaar
The 1930s-era facades of modern Motunui are a colorful, eclectic collection of sheet metal roofs, weathered tarpaper shacks, and assorted colonial structures. This resembles any 20th century South Seas village. The shared space within these storefronts acts as the town’s bazaar. These shops sell assorted Tiki-themed merch, including hula dolls, loud Hawaiian shirts, and leis. Trinkets on display tell of the island’s backstory, about its generations of adventurers, its S.E.A. bases and its ancestral myths.
Jewel of the Orient
Transitioning from Samoan Bazaar, guests find the Thai storefronts of Victorian-era Bangkok. Inside these hand-carved structures are a number of small vendors, like a traditional Southeast Asian street market. Musicians play on regional instruments. Vendors hawk fireworks, pottery, plus fine jasmine and jade. Discover a side shop where seamstresses weave silken robes. Discover another, where glass blowers fashion unique precious souvenirs.
Mayapore Outpost
The north Indian village of Mayapore, as seen in Temple of Doom, acts as a mercantile outpost for all manner of colonial Indiana Jones swag. Found near the stunt show’s stage, this is a complex of huts around a simple mud Hindu shrine. Inside, merchandise is arranged in a circle around a glowing Shankara Stone. Here you will find whips, leather jackets, fedoras, and assorted knickknacks pertaining to everyone’s favorite archeologist adventurer.
The boundless horizons of the Pacific Ocean give this land a peculiar mystique and intrigue. Amidst a crystal clear blue waterway, delighted guests discover attractions inspired by a wide variety of tropical destinations, from Southeast Asia to deepest India, from enchanting Polynesia to the very depths of the sea. Here guests may enjoy tropical feasts, exotic shopping, and boundless journeys. Come to Adventure Archipelago, where adventure awaits!