Hathaway Browne is a character from the defunct Adventurers Club attraction of Downtown Disney's Pleasure Island.
History[]
Biography[]
Origins[]
Hathaway Browne was a globetrotting play-boy during the early half of the 20th century. At some point, Browne was also the spokesperson for the Jinkies cereal brand. Browne was known for being an eccentric, womanizing, suave narcissist who frequently crashed incarnations of his plane, The Gipsy Moth.
By the year 1931, he became a member of the Adventurers Club of Pleasure Island in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. From 1931 to 1936, Browne was the winner of the Balderdash Cup, a New Year's Eve competitive event for members of the club to compete and see who had the best adventuring stories. On the New Year's Eve of 1937, Browne's winning-streak was broken by newcomer Emil Bleehall, Jr. during a club open-house.
Jungle Cruise & Trader Sam's[]
Browne was also a friend of the ancient magic-user Trader Sam and would often fly to his Polynesian bar for drinks. Around 1938, Hathaway crashed one of his planes in the jungles in the jungles along the Nile in North Africa (near Crocodile Country and Chimp Country). He may have been accompanied by one or multiple individuals who were then employed as skippers by the colonial Jungle Navigation Company.
By 1940, Sam often supplied Browne with enchanted liquor to use as fuel for his airplanes. At some point, Browne went on an expedition along with other members of the club and left a box of Jinkies cereal in Sam's safe-keeping. In 1941, Pleasure Island was devastated by a hurricane and Browne was amongst those who was able to escape. He would befriend fellow aviator Jock Lindsey who ran an air hangar in the town of Disney Springs, Florida.
Later history[]
In 1955, Browne was amongst the Adventurers Club members to assist Jock in turning this hangar into, "Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar".
Development history[]
Browne was a character created for the Adventurers Club in Downtown Disney's Pleasure Island. He was inspired by historic billionaire, playboy aviator, Howard Hughes. Even after the attraction's closure, Browne was referenced in several Disney Parks attractions including in the Jungle Cruise during a 2021 refurbishment which altered the down plane show-piece.
Jungle Cruise appearances[]
Jungle Cruise[]
In Walt Disney World, the crashed Lockheed plane along the Nile has the words, "The Amazing Hathaway Browne" printed on its side. Skippers would sometimes reference being employed by the JNC after surviving the crash in Hathaway Browne's plane.
Trader Sam's[]
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar[]
There are several references to Hathaway Browne in this bar. The propeller of his crashed plane The Gipsy Moth is mounted on the wall as part of Sam's collection. During the holiday season, he has a Christmas stocking hung up on the wall.[1] In a crate of Adventurers Club objects left in Sam's posession is a box of Jinkies cereal with a letter from Pamelia Perkins saying he probably sent it just to have his likeness in Sam's bar.
Amongst them are two photographs depicting Browne and his airplanes. The messages with these photos identify Browne as having been a friend of Trader Sam's who used his liquor as plane-fuel. One from the year 1940 reads, " Sam, Thanks for keeping the tiki torches lit! Would have made for a rough landing that night without them. Until we meet again. Hathaway Browne".[2] The other photograph reads, " Sam, thanks for the "high octane" fuel! You put me on the map!...or is it the other way around? Higher and faster, -H ".[3] Leading up to the bar's opening, a 1942 letter from Browne was sent to guests.[4]
Trader Sam's Grog Grotto[]
There is a post-card sent to Trader Sam from Hathaway in this bar at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. This post-card is sent by the Jungle Navigation Company and reads, “There is a man, a handsome man. As adventurous as he can be. And our friend Trader Sam, actually knows this man… it’s me”.[5]
Other connections[]
Indiana Jones[]
Hathaway assisted Indiana Jones' aviator Jock Lindsey in opening his Disney Springs bar.
Other appearances[]
Adventurers Club[]
Hathaway Browne was a live-performed character in this attraction.
Aunty's Beach House[]
Framed on a wall is a letter from Pamelia Perkins, mentioning how club-member Dreamy Ka'imi's looks rivalled those of Hathaway Browne.
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar[]
Hathaway is shown in photographs, assisting Jock Lindsey in opening up his Hangar Bar in Disney Springs and dining within said bar.
Trivia[]
- The ID on Hathaway Browne's Jungle Cruise plane is, "AC5189" which is a reference to the Adventurers Club (AC) which 05/01/1989 is the date that the Adventurers Club opened in Walt Disney World.
- In Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, the master-of-arms of the fortress is labelled H. Browne.[6]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BrKHtvgApQb/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B427Gc2gzOt/
- ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/2011/09/25/detailed-look-at-trader-sams-enchanted-tiki-bar-disneyland-hotel-from-august-2011/2/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B-vlpqMAvFc/
- ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2019/03/a-handsome-man.html
- ↑ https://blogmickey.com/2018/04/video-photos-pirates-of-the-caribbean-battle-for-the-sunken-treasure-at-shanghai-disneyland/