ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Jungle Cruise skippers from the Disneyland Resort, Kevin Lively and Mickey Wright, set sail today for Tokyo, where they will join other lucky Jungle Cruise skippers from Disney Parks around the world to take part in a unique opportunity that can only be found at a Disney park.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/LA76255)
In conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Tokyo Disney Resort, the Oriental Land Company, which owns and operates the resort, granted a unique dream wish to Jungle Cruise supervisor, Kenichi Ito. Ito's dream was to bring to the Tokyo Disney Resort Disney Jungle Cruise skippers from around the world who delivered the best spiels - providing this select group of skippers with an opportunity to share best practices and, of course, their best Jungle Cruise material.
"This is an incredible experience for me," said Lively. "It is truly an honor to be a part of this elite group of skippers and to be chosen to represent the original Jungle Cruise attraction."
Lively and Wright competed against 60 other Jungle Cruise skippers, where they practiced their very best material in front of an esteemed panel of "celebrity judges." Judges included Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios John Lasseter, who once served as a Jungle Cruise skipper, and Executive Vice President and Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador Marty Sklar.
"All the skippers were terrific, every single one," said Sklar. "They were all able to use their own unique style during their performances to make the jokes funny every time. We had a tough time deciding the winners."
Since the attraction debuted at Disneyland in 1955, the skipper role has always been one of interaction and fun, telling the story of the Jungle Cruise through silly banter with the guests aboard.
The event, which is being paid for by the Oriental Land Company, takes place Feb. 27 through Mar. 6, and will include a two-day tour of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Skippers also will go through training on the Tokyo Jungle Cruise attraction and have the opportunity to present their winning spiels to fellow Jungle Cruise skippers.
About the Disneyland Resort
Located on approximately 500 acres in Anaheim, Calif., the Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks - Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney's California Adventure park - plus the Downtown Disney District composed of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The Resort's three hotels are the luxurious 745-room Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 988-room Disneyland Hotel and the "day-at-the-beach" fun of the 489-room Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. With 20,000 employees, the Disneyland Resort is Orange County's largest employer and a $3.7 billion annual contributor to the local economy. The Resort has welcomed more than 550 million Guests since opening on July 17, 1955. For detailed information about the Disneyland Resort, please visit www.disneyland.com.
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