Deep in the jungles of Adventureland, beyond the pirate-infested shoreline and the exotic Arabian bazaars, lies a thriving explorers’ outpost. Its white wooden construction and red roof contrast against the rich greens of the Indian jungle, its terraces and verandas buzzing with excited chatter and countless international tongues from the well-travelled clientèle.
They enjoy a meal and a drink at the bar, taking shelter and some much-needed rest as the storm gathers high above, sharing their stories of mysterious creatures and fantastical places they passed by along the way…
Original ‘Explorer’s Club’ concept art by Bryan Jowers [© Disney]
Inside, the bar is rushed with the sudden surge of new custom from the four corners of the Earth. Suddenly, everyone has become an explorer! Heated by the warmth of the jungle and dimly burning yellow gas lamps, the traditional wooden interior in typically British style has become populated by a squarking collection of parrots in every colour and size, perching in the beams of the roof and the branches of a tree which has, inexplicably, grown up through the middle of the inn.
Original ‘Explorer’s Club’ concept art by John Horny [© Disney]
This is the Explorer’s Club of Adventureland, a hidden oasis deep in the jungle. A welcome outpost of civilisation, far from civilisation. Unfortunately, the club’s fortunes took a tumble in the early 1990s, and, just one year after the first surge of new customers, those trail-leading explorers were forced to move on to new lands and new places. In 1993, the abandoned building was taken over by Colonel Hathi, the elephant of Jungle Book fame, its “exotic traditional” table service dining replaced by counter service pizza and pasta.
Whilst this sounds like a wildly extensive backstory for a Disney park restaurant, the real story is, of course, that this Adventureland restaurant was converted from table service in the early 1990s to provide much-needed extra counter service dining. With the less marketable ‘Explorer’s Club’ moniker and its more intimate feel on the out, what would replace it? The popular choice of the masses: a character name from Disney’s most popular animated feature, and a popular fast food.
No.7 - Keep Marching, Colonel Hathi
Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost is one of the most intriguing, exotic and beautiful restaurants in any of the Disney parks anywhere in the world. In the luscious green surroundings and exotic colonial architecture, you truly feel like you’re IN the jungle when you take a seat on the terrace or within the cosy interior. Sure, the trademark red roof has been turning rather green in recent years, but this entry on our Wish List isn’t a refurbishment…
Entrance to Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost
The Jungle Book name or theme doesn’t even particularly matter. After all, beyond the small image of Colonel Hathi, monocle in one eye, on the signage around the outpost, what connection does the restaurant actually have with that 1967 animated film, or the earlier Rudyard Kipling stories? It certainly shares the same environment and some similar theme touches, but the interior was left entirely reference-free during the changeover to a counter service operation.
Indeed, the only major change was the installation of those frustrating Disney-trademark double-queue lines…
The counter service pizza queues with props hanging above
You’ll only catch a glimpse of Mowli or Baloo on the menu choices, or the cardboard box which your pizza arrives in. And here, fellow explorers, lies the problem. Do they really serve pizza in the jungle? More importantly, would Colonel Hathi and his brigade really set up a restaurant serving that Italian/American favourite?
The restaurant has long been suffering from a problem evident right across Disneyland Park. Food — mostly only the counter service variety — is far too often served up as a fast-produced fuel to keep the masses quiet. Pre-packaged plastic salads and nondescript burgers fly out of the kitchens, regardless of where you’re meant to be…
Original decorations and details remain in place
But what makes Disneyland Park so wonderful? It’s the chance to explore all those different lands, locations and themes. So why can’t the food be a little bit more of an adventure, too? Taking a meal in Adventureland should be as interesting and exotic as the beautiful scenery around you, a chance to really try something new or different.
With its romantic setting and extraordinary detail, Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost deserves to be much more than a cheap fast food pizza outlet. After all, the beautiful Pizzeria Bella Notte has been serving those up perfectly well since 1992, and the larger Buzz Lightyear’s Pizza Planet Restaurant since 1999. Let’s freshen up the food of Disneyland Park, and introduce a whole new menu for this former Explorer’s Club.
The outer dining corridor, an open veranda in Summer
The setting lends itself immediately to rich Indian or Asian cuisine, something to really test those taste buds. The chefs could easily put their own spin on it, however, and include a few dishes to please everyone. The restaurant could easily remain counter service, but would be better suited to a buffet or table service operation, to bring back some of the exclusive, intimate feel that made Explorer’s Club so special. In substitute, the park should endeavour to keep the nearby counter service Restaurant Hakuna Matata open year-round.
And what of the name? Reverting to ‘Explorer’s Club’ would be fine, in an ideal world, but let’s keep The Jungle Book in there, it needs to be more marketable this time, after all. Instead, return the cheapened pizza restaurant to its more noble roots — say, ‘Colonel Hathi’s Explorers Club’. Or even ‘King Louie’s Explorers Club‘, for a more “swingin’” theme — not to mention the ape being a more likely animal to have taken over the place.
An ancient tree grows into the roofspace of the main dining room
On the subject of animals, commission Walt Disney Imagineering to return the Audio-Animatronic parrots to the branches of the trees. Have them perform a song every 15 minutes à la the Enchanted Tiki Room itself, making the restaurant into a real must-see dining location. With the Jungle Book character still tagged onto the name, reinforce this with frequent appearances from Baloo and King Louie, and more regular performances from the brilliant jazz band which luckily still bring the restaurant to life on occasion.
Finally, to bring back a little more of the Explorer’s Club charm and tradition, let’s have a new drinks bar near the front door, just like the concept art above, separate from the main dining area. Here, guests can order up all kinds of fresh, original, non-alcoholic cocktails and fruit smoothies in every colour of the rainbow, and enjoy them on the vast outside terraces all around the jungle outpost, many of which are empty even on busy Summers days.
All to often, the park serves up the same old popcorn for quick snacks, rather than something a little more original — that you can probably charge more for. This could even be the ideal time to finally introduce that legendary Disneyland staple — the Dole Whip — to Disneyland Resort Paris.
Parrots previously inhabited the branches of the tree [© Disney]
Returning the Explorer’s Club to its exotic roots should be top priority for the park’s restaurant managers at a time when the vast majority of guests have already rapidly moved away from the burgers and fries theme park cliché. An exotic buffet, with a general Asian influence, would add a much-needed new menu to the park and properly continue the adventure guests begin when they step through the thick desert walls of Adventureland Bazzar.
Keeping the small Jungle Book influence and bolstering it with regular character appearances and live music would make the restaurant hugely marketable, more so even than the character meals at The Lucky Nugget Saloon, whilst the important fruit smoothie and cocktail bar would still allow those guests not interested in a full meal the chance to sample a taste of the jungle and the wonderful environment of this lost Explorer’s Club.
Colonel Hathi take note — guests’ tastes are becoming more exotic as we speak. Pizza and pasta have had their day here. It’s time to catch up and take them on a real adventure.
[Photo sources: PhotosMagiques.com; Disneyland Paris - From Sketch to Reality]
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