Jungle Navigation Company

The **Jungle Navigation Company** (also referred to as the **Jungle Cruise Trading Company** or **Jungle Cruise Navigational Company**) is the fictitious company behind the Jungle Cruise.

## Description

### Company Establishments

* **The Amazon River**: The main base represented by Walt Disney World and its boathouse. It is this establishment which is home to the tribes of JNC allies Chief Nah-Mee and Trader Sam. This base is situated nearby the water-feature of Inspiration Falls which inspired explorers to delve further into the jungle while being home to strange fauna such as: giant butterflies, clouds of carnivorous bacteria, ravenous piranhas, giant water buffalo, and giant snakes.
* **Cambodia; Mekong River**: The JNC often passed through the Mekong river in Cambodia. This base holds the ruins of a flooded Cambodian temple (nicknamed as "Shirley's Temple" by skippers)
* **The Lost Delta, India;** **Mekong River**: The main base represented by Disneyland and its boathouse built from Colonel Blumbert's estate. This was found in the same region of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Due to this, the Mekong base and its respected outpost were frequented by archaeologists such as Indiana Jones.
* **The Congo River**: The Congo River base was located on the Congo River in Central Africa. It was found neighbouring a camp of "pygmy" natives and the JNC base camp itself was prone to being raided by gorillas.
* **The Nile River**: The Nile River territory of the company was located along the Nile in Northern Africa. It was adjacent to an African veldt, a hostile neighbouring tribe, and passed through a hippo pool and a region which they nicknamed "Crocodile country". Of course all of this hails in comparison to Schweitzer Falls, and which more impressively holds the colossal and stupendous, back-side of water.
* **Polynesia**: There is a cruise which passes through Polynesia, nearby the Enchanted Tiki Room and the Tropical Hideaway restaurant that has a history of catering to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.
* **Irrawaddy River:** Advertised in JNC promotional material.
* **Zambezi River**: Advertised in JNC promotional material.
* **Zanzibar**: Apparently holds a base with agents as advertised in JNC promotional material.
* **Calcutta**: Apparently holds a base with agents as advertised in JNC promotional material.

## History

The Jungle Navigational Company was originally founded April 8th, 1911 by *Society of Explorers and Adventurers* member Dr. Albert Falls. The JNC was originally a company for tropical and exotic shippings as-well as a logistics service, with members of the families DeNyle, Lyons, Temple and Cruz helping to build the company. At some point they would also be affiliated with the 19th century operation of the *Jungle Expedition Skipper Training School* which trained skippers that were hired by the JNC.

In 1930, the JNC purchased a boat-house in the Lost Delta of India along the Mekong River for their Mekong River base. The house was formerly operated by one Colonel Blumbert who used the house to serve as a rest stop for missionaries, explorers, scientists and travelers. However, Blumbert would contract malaria in 1928, and with no interest in maintaining the outpost from his superiors, would put it up for sale.

After passing away, Albert's granddaughter Alberta Falls would take over the family business. However, the Great Depression's impact on river travel and the decline of the shipping business would prompt a switch to tourism at the suggestion of one of the skippers. The inaugural Jungle Cruise would take place on October 1, 1931 and the company would find renewed success. On February 17, 1934, their luck began to turn after taking a Hollywood film director on a trip down the river to shoot nature footage and by 1935, they had switched to tourism as their primary business after Indiana Jones discovered the Temple of the Forbidden Eye directly nearby their Mekong River base. This of-course did lead to several tourists going missing in the temple and eventually Dr. Jones himself when he went searching for them.

Ever since the company's boom in success Alberta was recognized as a great businesswoman, even receiving an award for it in 1937 from the *Adventureland Chamber of Commerce*. In 1938, Alberta Falls would transform the mess-hall and company head-quarters of the company Amazon river base into the, "*Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen*", a restaurant designed to increase the company's income. Around the 1940s, the Jungle Navigation Company assisted their business affiliate Trader Sam in his opening of an Enchanted Tiki Bar in the Pacific islands with another establishment being opened later in the 1950s-1960s.

### Development History

The first reference to a Jungle Navigation Company could be found as a poster at the Magic Kingdom's boathouse, though it originally gave an 1852 establishment date.

The story of the company was primarily developed in the 1990s as part of renovations to the American versions of the attraction that brought in a 1938 period setting and a connection to the Indiana Jones Adventure that was being built at Disneyland. This also saw the change of the establishment date to 1911. The JNC storyline would be further revised down the road with the Skipper Canteen restaurant at the Magic Kingdom.

## Appearances and allusions

### Adventure Trading Company

The Adventure Trading Company employed the services of the Jungle Navigation Company only for the **Jungle Navigation Company** to have lost a shipment of their juju.

### Jungle Cruise

#### Jungle Cruise Adventure Game

In this game, players take on the role of skippers for the Jungle Navigation Company who must transport cargo from the company's boathouse to their headquarters. They also transport passengers belonging to the families Lyons, Cruz, Temple and DeNyle which assisted Dr. Albert Falls in the establishment of the JNC. During a vacation of company president Alberta Falls, one of these families has been named temporary caretakers of the Jungle Navigation Company and must be transported to company HQ.

### Magic of Disney Animation

The Jungle Navigation Company are listed on a poster for a film called The Jungle Cruise starring Mickey and Minnie Mouse as being producers.

### Skipper Canteen

The Skipper Canteen is themed to being the old headquarters for the Jungle Navigation Company and mansion home for the Falls family. In 1938, it was transformed into the Skipper Canteen restaurant by Alberta Falls.

### Trader Sam's

Several letters and other mailings addressed to Trader Sam and delivered by the Jungle Navigation Company are visible in these bars. In their fictional backstory, the JNC assisted Sam in opening up the Enchanted Tiki Bar through the manager Skip.

### Tropical Hideaway

The Skipper Canteen is themed to being a Polynesian outpost for the JNC.

## Connections

### Adventurers Club

At the Magic Kingdom's Fastpass kiosks, trunks and crates are being shipped to Adventurers Club members Pamelia Perkins and Emil Bleehall.

### Indiana Jones

The Jungle Navigation Company was involved in assisting Indiana Jones in his excavation of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. They are also identified with bringing in many of the tourists within the attraction's narrative.

### Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

The Tropical Hideaway restaurant is set in-between a dock for the JNC and the Enchanted Tiki Room. The character of Rosita is waiting along the docks for a JNC boat to transport her with Rosita being a bird from the Tiki Room.

## Trivia

* Up until the Jungle Cruise's 1990s refurbishment, the (typically red and white) striped canopies of the Jungle Cruise boats were replaced by more realistic looking canvas canopies. The fictitious history of the Jungle Navigation Company frequently references these old canopies from their boats:
	+ Chief Nah-mee has a skirt made from the fabric of one of these old canopies.
	+ Dr. Albert Falls, Cap'n Kevin, Charlie Allnut and Skipper John are all depicted as having had boats with these canopies.
* The JNC is seemingly sometimes erroneously referred to as the, "**Jungle Cruise Trading Company**".

## References

1. ↑ https://tomorrowsociety.com/skipper-canteen-review/
2. ↑ https://www.onlywdworld.com/2010/09/fun-waiting-for-jungle-cruise-in.html
3. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BeBeNool1MS/
4. ↑ https://www.ocregister.com/2016/05/09/jungle-cruise-reopens-with-a-brand-new-dock-at-disneyland/
5. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bht93FSDvDG/
6. ↑ https://attractionsmagazine.com/exclusive-disney-imagineers-talk-new-jungle-cruise-characters-s-e-a-connections-and-trader-sams/?fbclid=IwAR17iA26rlbPujJY7SLaV-17MfBXyja6SpX8LO18vDzCgzqGjLIgWEMujpM
7. ↑ https://jungleskipper.com/history/hong-kong-disneyland/characters/who-is-jonas-brisbane
8. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/11/magic-kingdom-park-honors-skippers-of-the-year/
9. ↑ https://www.wdwfanzone.com/2016/02/new-experiences-at-my-walt-disney-world/
10. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2015/12/happy-gnu-year.html
11. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb4xboDF\_9o/
12. ↑ https://d23.com/d23-video/five-treasures-youll-find-in-trader-sams-enchanted-tiki-bar/
13. ↑ https://blogmickey.com/2022/07/skipper-canteen-review-new-skipper-dans-dan-dan-noodles-and-baa-baa-lamb-chop/
14. ↑ https://twitter.com/Figment\_Jedi/status/1002616803166773249
15. ↑ https://themouseminute.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/the-jungle-cruise-trading-co-a-photo-blog/