New Switzerland

**New Switzerland** is a fictional location from *The Swiss Family Robinson* by Johann David Wyss and its 1960 Disney incarnation. The location is connected to Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise.

## Description

New Switzerland is a tropical island in the East-Indies, within a relative proximity to New Guinea. Through unknown means, the island was home to many wild animals not native to the region such as ostriches, monkeys, Indian elephants, tigers, and zebras. In the early 19th century, New Switzerland was used as a colony for the Swiss. The island was also one of many locations which made up the, "Wilds of Adventureland", a composite of exotic regions across the globe connected by the mystical Rivers of Adventure.

### Features

* **Beach**: This beach was located along *La Mer des Bretteurs* (French: The Sea of the Swordsmen) and was where the island's original Swiss colonists had their ship wrecked.
* **Le Ventre de la Terre**: Le Ventre de la Terre (French: The Stomach of the Earth) was a cavern passing underneath of the island's main treehouse.
* **Swiss Family Treehouse**: This treehouse was the home of the Swiss Family Robinson who were the original Swiss governors of the island. The tree itself was a Disneyodendron eximus (Latin: Out of the Ordinary Disney tree) which constantly bloomed.

## History

### Background

#### Piracy

This island was used for various pirates in the 18th century. By the late 18th century, the isle's waters were frequented by a Chinese pirate named Kuala.

#### The Swiss Family Robinson

On the July 17 of 1805, Kuala attacked a ship headed for New Guinea and stranded its passengers the Robinson family on an isle in the East Indies. The family made their base within a Disneyoendron tree and domesticated several exotic animals to serve as their pets. The family fought off Kuala and were later found by the Swiss government. After seeing how the Robinsons had settled on the isle, the government made Father Robinson the isle's governor as a representative for the Swiss government.

#### Later history

At some point, the Robinson family's treehouse was used as the likeness of the, "Treehouse Juju" used by the colonial *Adventure Trading Company* with said juju being used to represent the virtue of discovery. Around 1937/1938, the island became the home of Florida man Felix Pechman XIII who lived in the Robinson family's treehouse after losing his job in Silver Springs. In 1938, Pechman left to become a skipper for the Jungle Navigation Company, a business active in the Wilds of Adventureland.

## Jungle Cruise connections

### Attractions

#### Adventure Trading Company

The Treehouse Jujus in this game were modelled after the Swiss Family Treehouse.  *The Daily Gnus* spoke on these jujus in an interview by Tallahassee Glover who interviewed José and Shrunken Ned on their subject.

#### Jungle Cruise

On his application form visible in the Amazon River Base, Felix Pechman XIII mentions having lived in the Swiss Family Treehouse around 1937/1938. The Swiss Family Treehouse is frequently affiliated with the Jungle Cruise as it originally had a view of the Cambodian ruins scene of the attraction. Original posters for the Swiss Family Treehouse showed Jungle Cruise boats passing underneath of the treehouse. A looser connection is that in the boathouse of Walt Disney World's Jungle Cruise is a crate addressed to one Kenneth Annakin, the director of imports at the *Swiss Supply Company* in the colony of New Guinea. This references Kenneth Anakin who directed the 1960 Swiss Family Robinson and the Swiss Family Robinson's New Guinea/East Indies setting.

#### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

Trader Sam is identified as having been friends with the Swiss Family Robinson. It is likely that they are referenced via a bottled message in the Enchanted Tiki Bar which reads, "Sam, A recent occurance inspired an idea for a new concoction you could serve at you(r) bar. We call it 'Rowboat on the rocks.' A smashing idea, don't you think?".

### Television

#### Mickey Mouse (TV series)

In the episode Mickey Monkey, Mickey Mouse pilots a Jungle Cruise boat past the Swiss Family Treehouse in the jungle.

### Other connections

#### Pirates of the Caribbean

In Disneyland Paris, the Swiss Family Treehouse is located on Adventure Isle. This island is also themed to Pirates of the Caribbean in-addition to Peter Pan and Treasure Island.

#### Plaza Swan Boats

The boats in this attraction passed through the rivers of New Switzerland and under the Swiss Family Treehouse.

#### Skipper Canteen

There is a copy of a rare edition 1880s translated to English by George Routledge in the library of the Skipper Canteen.The Swiss Family Robinson is further referenced with a book in the library titled *Treehouse Construction* by Mills which tributes William Robinson's actor John Mills and the Swiss Family Treehouse. There are also several allusions to the Plaza Swan Boats.

#### Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

The treehouse was a notable and annotated location on Merlin's map of Adventureland.

#### Tarzan

The trees of both attractions are different species of Disneyoendron. In Tarzan's Treehouse, there is a victrola playing the Swisskapolka, a song from the Swiss Family Treehouse. During the Adventure Trading Company event, petroglyphs depicting New Switzerland's Treehouse were found at the base of Tarzan's Treehouse.

## Gallery

A map of the isle from the bookThe island's treehouse in Mickey Monkey
## References

1. ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/2021/08/29/jungle-cruise-changes-now-complete-at-magic-kingdom-photos-video/
2. ↑ https://www.yesterland.com/treehouse.html
3. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BwKlgwAAiKD/
4. ↑ https://jungleskipper.com/sea/attractions/skipper-canteen#&gid=1&pid=left-bookshelf-top-shelf-c76