The S.E.A., or Society of Explorers and Adventurers, evolved rather organically from Pleasure Island to Disney Parks all over the world – and even on the Seven Seas! What started as a tribute to the members of the dearly departed Adventurers’ Club at Walt Disney World, the S.E.A. now spans across every corner of Disney experiences. With the Jungle Cruise’s upcoming new storyline more heavily featuring S.E.A. characters, I thought you might enjoy this beginner’s guide to the who’s who of S.E.A. and how it’s all connected.
Members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.)
First, there was Jason Chandler, who bought a copper dinghy from a sailor named Ned Land after hearing his incredible tales of a monster submarine and its enigmatic owner; he went on to found the town of Discovery Bay, which had its own characters, such as Professor Marvel and his pet dragon, who eventually became the Dreamfinder and Figment. Over at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, millionaire Barnabas T. Bulion, who looks like a mean version of Tony Baxter, glowers from a portrait.
Merriweather Adam Pleasure founded Pleasure Island, a base from which he traveled the world and worked on his incredible flying machine. He put all of his treasures from around the world (always given, never taken) in a marvelous building and opened the Adventurers’ Club, with permanent members Mandora (later Samantha Sterling), club president Pamelia Perkins, aviator Hathaway Browne, ichtheologist Otis T. Wren, entymologist Fletcher Hodges, and visiting Emil Bleehal, who had a way with pigeons. There was Graves the Butler and a maid with a unique name. For instance, Dusty Cabinets was in the delivery room when my daughter Alice was born, jumping up and down on a table and cheering “PUSH HER OUT! PUSH HER OUT! WAAAAAAY OUT!” She’s Abby Cadabby on Sesame Street now.
Other notable members include Mr. C.K.Dexter Haven, Theodore Roosevelt and Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. After the Club’s closing, member Jock Lindsay opened his hangar bar, where sharp-eyed visitors can find a newspaper featuring the last members of the Adventurers’ Club and other Easter eggs.
Over at Typhoon Lagoon, the Miss Tilly, piloted by Captain Mary Oceaneer, is perched upon Mt. Mayday. Her faithful companion, a parrot, now regales visitors of their adventures at sea as they embark upon their own adventure on a huge waterslide. Mary also runs Oceaneer’s Lab on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder cruise ships, where kids get to explore the ocean-going bookworm’s own library.
Over in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom, you’ll find Skipper Canteen, where granddaughter of the famed Dr. Albert Falls, Alberta Falls, has opened scenic cruises through the jungle to eager tourists, along with a restaurant that boasts many S.E.A. tidbits on its bulletin boards and even a secret dining room behind the bookshelf (check out the titles on those books), featuring artwork of S.E.A. members and their adventures and a gorgeous butterfly wall.
In France, Colonel Hathi’s Pizza was once the home of the Explorers’ Club, an offshoot of the Adventurers’ Club, where there are still a few callouts. Closer to home we have Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. The West Coast version has a box hanging from the ceiling filled with mementos including a box of Jinkies cereal from the club’s nightly radiothon. “Jump up for Jinkies – I LOVE ‘EM!”
In Hong Kong, some of the club’s treasures have made their way to Mystic Point, to the collection of Lord Henry Mystic, who, with his monkey named after his Uncle Albert (is he Mary Poppins’ cousin?) lives in Mystic Manor, where magic is very real.
At Tokyo DisneySea, Captain Nemo and his home of Vulcania are the setting for several adventures, including a Journey to the Center of the Earth. Looming above New York Waterfront is the Tower of Terror, where Harrison Hightower (who scowls just like Joe Rohde) disrespected the Shiriki Utundu and paid the ultimate price.
There are quite a few fan-made SEA items like lanyards and mouse ears if you look around eBay and Etsy but not a lot of official merchandise…yet.
The society and its members add a special extra layer of theming without getting in the way of casual tourists. I have a feeling there’s a lot more to come from the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.
Disneyland’s journey with the S.E.A. will continue with the new story elements coming later this summer to the Jungle Cruise:
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Let’s Hear From You
Our adventures with the S.E.A. are a real exploration . . . many of the stories and artifacts are still out there in the Disney Parks waiting to be discovered. Is all of this new to you, or do you have a favorite S.E.A. story, character, or artifact? I’d love to hear more from you as we all piece together these marvelous mysteries.
