Ask a Skipper!

[albino_pygmy]

Since I'm not doing tours through the Jungle for a long while now, I thought I could answer some questions you might have about anything that you may be wondering, such as "Why am I creating this thread?" Well, because I think it'll be a way to keep us both entertained by me attempting to answer whatever question you might have, whether or not it's the correct answer. Feel free to ask anything you'd like and I'll do my best to answer all questions, but be warned! You may not get the answer or response you're looking for, even though I will try to answer all questions. There might be some questions that could be too personal or I don't feel like answering, so I'll come up with a reply and hope it'll answer your question. So, whatcha waiting for, Ask a skipper!


(Also, if there are other skippers out there, past or present, that would like to add their two cents to a question, they're more than welcome to because this is "Ask a Skipper!" and not "Ask Albino_Pygmy" so come on out of your hiding fellow skips and lets all be bombarded with ridiculous (hopefully Jungle related) questions!)

[vixen101485]

Are we limiting this to just the JC?

there I asked a question lol

[albino_pygmy]

Hopefully they are Jungle related questions, because that's pretty much all I know, but you could ask anything you'd like. (Be gentle!)

[vixen101485]

OK Skipper lol

HMMM....
Do you prefer the JC skippers who deadpan their jokes in a monotone type of voice or those who seem enthusiastic and have different tones when spieling?

[albino_pygmy]

OK Skipper lol

HMMM....
Do you prefer the JC skippers who deadpan their jokes in a monotone type of voice or those who seem enthusiastic and have different tones when spieling?

If the skipper can pull it off correctly, the monotone could be really funny but unfortunately, those that do the monotone approach can't really pull it off and still be funny with it. I've even tried it myself once. Yup, I went through the whole jungle without cracking a smile or changing pitch and sounded really boooring but I got several laughs and odd looks from it. When pulling around to the unload area, I snap back into my normal character which is really energetic and that's when I get the most laughs is when they knew I was 'only kidding' about being boring. On the other hand, those that are enthusiastic could sometimes be almost too enthusiastic to the point where it is boring (I know, it sounds weird but it's true) The reason is, because you're probably tired of hearing a loud happy-go-lucky voice constantly talk nonstop and you could barely understand them because they go a little too fast or try too hard to be energetic but can't quite get it right. It just depends on the skipper and their way of spieling, but if I had to choose one over the other, I'd go with the monotone because I can pull it off and takes less effort. Why give 120% to a boat load of people who don't seem like they even want to ride or even pay attention to you? (Not that every boat is that bad) A good tip to see if you have a good skipper or not, is to laugh at their jokes (nicely) and see how they react to them and if it looks like they're stepping up their spiel a notch, then they're a good skipper, laugh even more and they step it up yet another notch, then you've got a great skipper. If you laugh and they're still monotone all throughout and somehow your sides are splitting from laughing so hard at monotone jokes, then you've got a great skipper.

[HauntedGabe]

JC is a not to be missed attraction, a MK staple, in my boat.

Do you think the majority of your passengers love the JC or view it as a relic that needs to be updated or gone?

I would be so sad if Disney did anything beyond the deep clean/painting etc. but I hear other guests wonder why it is still there. So I was wondering what the Skipper observes; Loyalists like me or Thrill Seekers that want something for the new century? So what's the score Skip?

[SnwhtNdwrfs]

Have you ever been attacked by one of the animals? Are there any piranias in the water? Do you really drive or is it on a track? How come there aren't any huge squirrels out there?

[HdnMickeyGrl]

Oh, a real skipper. So tell us about the wild things that happen at night in the jungle. I've heard of the dead skipper cruise but what other hilarity ensues. I'm so curious to find out!

[albino_pygmy]

JC is a not to be missed attraction, a MK staple, in my boat.

Hehe, you made a funny

Do you think the majority of your passengers love the JC or view it as a relic that needs to be updated or gone?

It feels like people come on here because 'they have to, they've always done a cruise in the jungle every visit and need to do it while they're here now' and then afterwards come off wondering 'why did we even bother with it?' Or if they had a great skip "That's why we keep coming back, he/she was great!" I do think it needs to be updated, because the ride by itself without our corny jokes, the ride is just as boring as sitting on 'small world,' honestly. I've had a couple trips around where it was just me just to keep the boats cycling, so I'd sit and run the boat, and even though I get a little break from spieling, it does it a bit boring going through there and I'd think "we'd be doomed if they got rid of us and automated the boats" and gives me more reason to step up my spiel to try to bring some life into what looks like a dying attraction.

I would be so sad if Disney did anything beyond the deep clean/painting etc. but I hear other guests wonder why it is still there. So I was wondering what the Skipper observes; Loyalists like me or Thrill Seekers that want something for the new century? So what's the score Skip?

This is one of Walt's favorite attractions, we joke "it's Walt's baby" and shouldn't be removed or changed. (well, a couple scenes could be altered, and I'd love to have pirahnas attack the boat, but we'll see if that may happen) The real reason I don't see this attraction leaving is because it takes up a lot of space, and would be really costly to tear down, drain, and fill in where the river used to be and I think that it's highly unlikely they'll do that. I'd see them taking CoP out first before ever considering taking out the Jungle, because you could just remove the CoP and still have a building with space to use for future use, Jungle is all outdoors and will be a big empty space and then spend more on building something new there whatever they feel like it may need, possibly our Indy ride? But why bother with that when we've got Dinosaur when it's almost the exact same thing, but with dinos instead of snakes.

As for what I've observed, It's mostly families out looking for a good time in the jungle and then having second thoughts about why they're on here when we get to the butterflies with their amazing wingspans that can grow from a mere 12 inches to a whopping 1 foot, but they don't seem to mind them that much because they're finally glad to be sitting down after a 40 minute wait. At night, there are some that do see it as a "thrill" and request a certain skipper and have a really good time out in the jungle with their own personalized cruise.

Have you ever been attacked by one of the animals? Are there any piranias in the water? Do you really drive or is it on a track? How come there aren't any huge squirrels out there?

I've had some close calls with the ducks, one flew through my boat right in front of me, really creepy. No pirahnas, but there are some fish we jokingly call the baby pirahnas in the back near our break room we feed them little bred crumbs, and watch them all fight for it like pirahnas because we have no lives when we're on break :P

As for the second question, if you want the real answer and possibly spoil the magic, here it is: When I get this question while working, I always reply "I can honestly say that the boats are not on a track" and I'd be correct. But, there's still a catch because our steering wheels don't do a thing. The boats are free floating and have 2 pylons on the bottom of the boat with tires on the bottom of the pylon placed sideways, and there is a trench in the middle of the river that guides the boats through and the tires fit in that trench and keep the boat on the right track, but still giving the feeling of being in a free floating boat and not on a track. We are in complete control of the speed of the boats however, and can speed up and slow down anytime we want, so when you reach the secret bathing pool of the Indian elephants, there is a good chance you might get wet depending on your skipper if they stop the boat in time, if not, the elephants will spray as they're supposted to the first time, and the second time up they won't, just as they're supposted to. But not to worry, the skippers will be dealt with if they get their crew wet in squeezeplay, so they make sure they stop it just in time!

I dunno why there aren't any huge squirrels out there, I thought they were in some night time parade playing the piano?

Oh, a real skipper. So tell us about the wild things that happen at night in the jungle. I've heard of the dead skipper cruise but what other hilarity ensues. I'm so curious to find out!

Yes, we are real people, and yes, people think we're advanced audio animatronics and after hearing anyone comment that, I start going into 'auto pilot' mode and then 'malfunction' by repeating the same line and motion for about 10 seconds and then snap out of it and continue on and that shuts them up quickly

Wild things do happen on the night cruises, since hardly anyone's around, and we've been there all day so we start to get loopy and crazy, so things get interesting. I admit I've done dead skipper once but wasn't sure how well it went, well, because I was 'the dead skipper' and stopped my boat right infront of the waterfall and wait for the other boat to come around after the attacking natives, and I'd play dead and hunched over in a pose of death or so as I'm trying to catch if the other skipper makes note of me or just goes on or whatever. There have been other times when I have a small group of people in a boat and comment "nobody better shoot my hippos" and then stop at the natives and wait for the next boat to come around and as they shoot the hippos, I'd turn around and shoot them and they'd play dead and then I'd go on continuing the curise. I haven't done that one but would have loved to try to pull it off. I've heard of one time they've taken the service boat out on the river and stop one of boats and 'pulls it over' for speeding in the jungle, but I wouldn't know how they'd pull that one off wihout getting into real trouble but it sounds like it was a great gag back then. We'd say some pretty weird and random things both while in the queue and on the boats, the jungle isn't quite the same as it usually is during the day, and if you'd like to have some real fun, go at night during the parade when there's no one there

[BamaJenn]

Oh wise pygmy I have two questions for you...
1) Why is it that you aren't going to be "skippering" for awhile? (I missed something)
2) Have you ever been booed or heckled on a cruise? If so, did you toss the passenger overboard?

[albino_pygmy]

Oh wise pygmy I have two questions for you...
1) Why is it that you aren't going to be "skippering" for awhile? (I missed something)
2) Have you ever been booed or heckled on a cruise? If so, did you toss the passenger overboard?

1) Personal and financial reasons, the job wasn't paying enough for me so I had to say goodbye to the most fantastic job in the world and unfortunately had to find a 'real' job which I won't say where or what now because I'm sure I might have some stalkers out there. I do miss the jungle everyday and do spiel a little to myself here and there, and even in the shower (too much information, I know) but hopefully one day I shall return to the jungle where I feel like I truely belong.

2)Who hasn't? Tacky tourists are tough critics. I wish I could have tossed them overboard, but I found other ways of dealing with them such as making examples of them which gets them to stop acting the way they are really quickly, such as those that tell jokes in advance and ruin the punchline, I pause in mid spiel to let them finish their attempt at ruining the cruise, and then I'd continue on with one of many alternate lines that they probably don't know and after a couple times of trying to ruin the cruise, they finally stop because they realize they cannot outwit this skip.

[HauntedGabe]

Hehe, you made a funny

Hey Skippy, your spiels must rub off on your passengers, we tend to get punny too.

Since I'm not doing tours through the Jungle for a long while now, I thought I could answer some questions you might have about anything that you may be wondering, such as "Why am I creating this thread?" Well, because I think it'll be a way to keep us both entertained by me attempting to answer whatever question you might have

I missed this my first read through. What's up Skippy? (and now that I just posted, you answered above!)

[disneydreamer98]

Dear Skipper,

Has that giant snake ever made it onto your boat and swallowed a child?

Signed,
Need something to threaten them with during our next trip!

[albino_pygmy]

Dear Skipper,

Has that giant snake ever made it onto your boat and swallowed a child?

Signed,
Need something to threaten them with during our next trip!

Dear Cruel and unusually threatening parent,

Yes, there have been times the snake has jumped off the boat, but only when it was asked to for a picture with their family. Just make sure you don't sit in the back on the left side where the snake is, if he hasn't been fed recently, he'll go for his next favorite treat, misbehaving children who wear wheelies or sneakers with lights on the sides. But usually, Monty is really friendly, but be careful though because he might get a crush on you if you're not careful!

Signed,
Already been eaten

[disneydreamer98]

Note to self...pick up a pair of Wheelies....little one already has light up shoes.