Albert Awol is a character from the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise.
History[]
Biography[]
Albert Awol and his sister, "Skipper Missy" Awol were employees of the Jungle Navigation Company during the 1930s. Albert's main job was to host AWOL Airwaves, a radio-broadcast which relayed messages and entertainment for JNC Skippers from the Disney Broadcasting Company, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Here, Awol received an assortment of music from the Headmaster at the Library of Lost American Melodies in Manaus, Brazil.
Around 1938, AWOL Airwaves and the Disney Broadcasting Company received additional sponsorship from Aero-Casablanca, an international airline company which Awol promoted. Prior to the year 1938, Awol wrote a book titled the Illustrated Guide to Radio Broadcasting.
Awol went on an expedition, during which time he left Missy in-charge of his broadcast. During this time, he asked Missy not to let rival broadcaster, Nigel Greenwater, near the microphone. Awol would send a Jungle Telegram to Missy, informing her of his expedition being extended.
Development history[]
Albert Awol was created in a 1991 refurbishment of the Jungle Cruise. He specifically occurs in the Walt Disney World version of the Jungle Cruise, being replaced in Disneyland by Nigel Greenwater. Awol was removed in the 2021 refurbishment and replaced by his sister, Skipper Missy.
Appearances[]
Jungle Cruise[]
Albert Awol could be heard in the queue for the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise. He is the host of AWOL Airwaves which relays music, entertainment and messages for employees of the Jungle Navigation Company. The songs played by Awol include:
- Jeepers, Creepers (instrumental)- Louis Armstrong (1938)
- Yes, Yes! My Baby Said Yes, Yes- Sam Browne & The Carlyle Cousins (1932)
- The Mooche- Duke Ellington (1928)
- Song of India (instrumental)- Paul Whiteman (1926)
- Love is Good for Anything that Ails You- Ida Sue McCune (1981)
- With Plenty of Money and You- Dick Powel (1936)
- I get a Kick out of You- Artist Unknown (1934)
- Let's Misbehave- Irving Aaronson, Phil Saxe (1928)
- The King's Horses (And the Kings Men) -Jack Hylton and Orchestra (1931)
- Diga Diga Doo (instrumental)- Duke Ellington (1928)
- Here Come's my Ball and Chain- Coon Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra (1928)
- (Listen to the) Rhythm King- The Coon Sanders Nighthawks (1928)
- It's the Girl- The Boswell Sisters and Dorsey Brothers (1931)
- What a Girl, What a Night- The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks (1928)
- Painting the Clouds with Sunshine- Jack Hylton and Orchestra (1929)
- Harlem River Quiver (instrumental)- Duke Ellington and Orchestra (1927)
- You're the Top- Unknown artist 1934)
Following his removal, he is mentioned on the Global Broadcasting Service by his sister, Skipper Missy.
Skipper Canteen[]
A book by Awol titled, "Illustrated Guide to Radio Broadcasting" is located within the canteen's library.
Other appearances[]
Tales from Adventureland[]
In these non-canonical books, Albert is the widower to one Lucy Awol and father of Abigail Awol. He is also a friend of Shrunken Ned, a protector of the Enchanted Tiki Room, and member of the Jungle Explorers Society.
Trivia[]
- The character is supposedly voiced by Philip Maurice Hayes though has not been confirmed.
- Awol makes various references in his audio-loop. These references include:
- Aero-Casablanca being a reference to the film Casablanca. This is due to an (allegedly authentic) airplane prop from the film being located in the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise. It might also be due to how Jungle Cruise imagineer Harper Goff worked as a set-designer on Casablanca.
- While advertising tours in the Amazon river, Awol references the film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). This occurs when he brings up golden idols being located on the river, alluding to the Chachapoyan Fertility Idol which Indiana Jones attempted to claim.
- Awol relays rainforst-advice from Skipper Bill, a tribute to botanist Bill Evans.
- Awol brings up holding showings for a film called Tarzan and Me. This might be an allusion to the film Tarzan and his Mate (1934) which Jungle Cruise imagineer Bob Mattey worked on. Albert also imitates Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan yell while messaging Colonel Williamson.
- He relays a message from historic explorers Sir Morton Stanley to David Livingstone to meet at the falls. Before relaying the message, he says, "Dr. Livingston I presume" which is a famous quote that Stanley is affiliated with having said to Livingstone when they met on the Zambezi river in 1874.
- Albert's quote, "Join the Elephant Safari Company as they search for lions, tigers, and bears. Oh, my" references the 1939 musical The Wizard of Oz where the main characters have a scene where they repeat, "Lions, tigers, and bears. Oh, my" in fear while passing through a forest.
- Awol advertises excursions to, "The Land that time forgot" in reference to the novel The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs, set on the island of Caprona which is inhabited by dinosaurs.
- The song Love is Good for Anything that Ails You might be somewhat anachronistic as it was recorded in 1981. However, the song itself was first recorded in 1937 and taken from the film Pennies from Heaven (1981), a film set in 1934 Chicago.
- Albert Awol had an American accent while his sister, Missy, has an Indian accent.
Gallery[]
