We disembarked our craft at 07:54. Edith was there to congratulate us on becoming official members of F.L.O.S.S. She taught us the secret skipper greeting, which consisted of a code-word and hand gesture known only to true F.L.O.S.S. members… She demonstrated how to propose the gesture when we suspected another member of F.L.O.S.S., and when to pull it back if not immediately reciprocated. She also said that the Jungle Navigation Company and Trader Sam had something special for us as new members. We were directed to a table set up at the exit and told that we would know our individual items when we saw them.
Here you can see the full item once I got it home:
A real wood box with a picture of each member of the crew at the helm was provided by the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Along with a map of the river to help us navigate.
What could it be??? A real wood native headhunter mask….
Complete with wood hanging stand and crystal spear point!!!!
Truly awesome.
Afterwards, we all signed the guest log book and hung out between Aladdin’s Oasis and the Bazaar. It was so great seeing an empty Adventureland!!! I would have loved to headed west over to NOS. We also had some pics taken in front of the queue entrance by the Disney Photographers.
After what seemed like only moments, it was time for our group to head out and by 08:01 we were queued at the entrance to Adventureland from the hub. Ron was there telling us that we should let the stampede of dangerous animals pass on their way into the preserve before we would venture out (EMH had just rope-dropped).
After a brief wait for most of the EMH group to pass, we started making our way down Main Street on the West side against the flow. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream and all the while thinking… “I’M GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!!” I was pretty sad that I had to drive back to San Diego to go to work. I would make the decision later that day to come back that evening after work, so stay tuned for that TR too, but for now, I must leave with a grin on my face which would last me all the way until the stress of work caught up to me around noon.
I must admit, I felt like a little bit of a celebrity as we were walking out and all the people were looking at us incredulously as we left Advetureland with our trophies in hand lead by a team of Jungle Cruise skippers.
After walking through the arch under the train tracks, we queued at the West exit and were let out.
I hit the Grand’s entrance from DTD at 08:11 and made a quick, albiet expensive trip through the Grand’s gift shop to grab a few t-shirts/sweat shirts/coffee mug/print/hat to round out my complete collection of GCH swag I had neglected to buy on my last trip and regretted ever since.
I hit the valet station at 08:22, and chatted with one of my fellow skippers waiting for her car. As I got in, the valet CM asked how it was, to which I responded AWESOME!!! Great production!!!
I pulled out at 08:27. Traffic was pretty much at a standstill on the 5 for miles and miles and miles. I didn’t hit my hotel in San Diego until 10:08. And the office at 10:20… a bit later than expected. Oh well… you only live once, right? I’d spend the rest of the day thinking about my great adventure and weighing the pros and cons of making the drive back up to DLR later that day… Emotion would win out and I made the trip and had a BLAST that night, but that’s another TR which will be forthcoming.