Felix Pechman XIII is a character from the Jungle Cruise.
History[]
Biography[]
Background[]
Felix Pechman XIII was born in a hospital of Silver Springs, Florida on the August 13 of 1897. Pechman seemingly came from a family of bakers. Throughout his whole life, Felix XIII suffered from supposedly paranormal amounts of bad-luck.
Starting in 1913, Pechman worked at his family's bakery until he was fired for a fire blamed on him in 1917. Following his firing, Pechman found work at an orange juice factory but was fired in 1920 because he, "Couldn't concentrate". After this, he found work at a sardine factory but was, "Canned" in 1925. From 1926 to 1929, Felix worked as a taxi-driver but was fired for what he described as going, "The extra mile". In 1930, he found work at an ice-cream factory but lost the job in 1934 due to having a meltdown.
Starting in 1934, Felix began working as a glass-bottom boat pilot. He presumably worked at the Silver Springs Nature Theme Park which was the oldest theme-park in Florida and had glass-bottom boat attractions. After three years of employment, Felix lost his job in 1937 for what is implied to have been wrecking one of the boats on rocks.
Adventureland[]
Through unknown means following losing his job at Silver Springs, Felix found his way to the island of New Switzerland in the Pacific Ocean. Pechman began living in a treehouse constructed on a large Disneyoendron tree in the early 19th century. At some point, Pechman found himself on a boat used by the colonial Jungle Navigation Company alongside a company, "skipper".[1]
In 1938, Pechman applied to become a Jungle Navigation Company skipper himself. Pechman was able to leave the island using the mystical, "Rivers of Adventure" which the company traversed. While at the company, Felix had a reputation amongst skippers as being, "The new guy". In this job, Pechman appeared to be stationed at the company's Amazon River Base in the Amazon rainforest, an outpost infamous for chaos and dangerous conditions.
Private Jungle Cruise[]
In 1938, JNC president Alberta Falls appointed Felix to captain a V.I.P. Jungle Cruise tour aboard the Kwango Kate. This tour included the likes of Siobhan Murphy, Rosa Soto Dominguez, Dr. Leonard Moss and Dr. Kon Chunosuke. Felix seemingly embarked on this expedition from the company boathouse in the Amazon rainforest.[2] The boat would also make an apparent stop the company's boathouse in the Lost Delta of India.
When Pechman's piloting was interrupted by Siobhan's interest in an exotic oxpecker, he wrecked the Kwango Kate along the Nile river of Northern Africa (either in Sudan or Egypt). Pechman and the passengers found themselves marooned in the African veldt of Africa. While in the veldt, they were chased up a tree by a rhinoceros. The group was still stranded in December when they were passed by at-least two, "Jingle Cruise" tour boats.
Later history[]
It is known that Pechman's passengers survived this experience but the further fate of Skipper Felix himself is a mystery.
Development history[]
Felix Pechman XIII was created for the 2021 refurbishment of the Jungle Cruise. He was largely based on the traditionally live-performed skipper characters of the Jungle Cruise. Pechman was also one of the characters created to replace Disneyland's Trapped Safari scene and a safari-goer in the Magic Kingdom. The sinking of Pechman's ship was inspired by the real-life sinking of the Magic Kingdom's boat Bomokandi Bertha in 2020.
Appearances[]
Jungle Cruise[]
Pechman appears at the bottom of the tree, having his rear impaled by the rhino. In the Amazon River Base, Felix's application form to join the Jungle Navigation Company is visible in Alberta Falls' office.
Other connections[]
The Swiss Family Robinson[]
Pechman mentions having lived in the Swiss Family Robinson's treehouse (referred to as, "The treehouse next door").
Trivia[]
- The surname, "Pechman" translates to, "Bad luck" in several European languages including Dutch, Polish and German. Him being the 13th of his name is a reference to the, "Unlucky number 13" motif.
- Felix originates from Silver Springs, Florida which holds Florida's oldest theme-park and which was the site where jungle adventure films such as Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) were filmed.
- Felix's hometown is also alluded to in Trader Sam's Grog Grotto with allusions to Trader Sam having visited the springs.
- While the updated Jungle Cruise attraction poster features silhouettes of Pechman's passengers, it does not feature Pechman as skipper.[3]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/2021/08/29/jungle-cruise-changes-now-complete-at-magic-kingdom-photos-video/
- ↑ The Kwango Kate is not mentioned on the board of Lost Delta boats.
- ↑ https://dlnewstoday.com/2021/07/photos-new-jungle-cruise-poster-pays-homage-to-original-features-new-characters-at-disneyland/