Joseph "Joe" Rohde (1955-present) is a real-life explorer who previously served as veteran executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. He developed various attractions including the Adventurers Club, Aulani, Captain EO, Epcot's Norway Pavilion, Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Rohde has also portrayed Disney Parks characters such as the Dreamfinder from Journey Into Imagination and Harrison Hightower III from Tower of Terror.
Jungle Cruise tributes[]
Africa (Disney's Animal Kingdom)[]
Kilimanjaro Safaris[]
There is an advertisement in Harambe for “Cap’n Bob"'s super safaris with the titular Cap'n Bob resembling Joe Rohde.[1]
Tusker House[]
There is a business in Harambe called, "Jorodi's masks and beads", referencing Joe Rohde.[2]
Pandora: The World of Avatar[]
Rohde has a fictional counterpart who is a member of the Pandora Conservation Initiative.
Avatar Flight of Passage[]
In the queue, Joe's hand-prints appear on the wall in red-paint and the initials, "JR". This hand-print is alongside those for James Cameron and Jon Landau.[3] On the ride, a prolemuris can be seen holding Joe's earring.
Pongu Pongu[]
In this shop is a Pandora Conservation Initiative identification tag showing Joe's face among other imagineers.[4]
Sat'uli Canteen[]
This restaurant contains a photograph of Rohde at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Valley of Mo'ara along with a Na'vi and ACE founder Marshall Lamm.[5]
Skipper Canteen[]
In the Skipper Canteen's library are books by Harrison Hightower III titled Treasures of the Animal Kingdom and Everest Expedition: Search for the Yeti. These reference how Joe Rohde portrayed Hightower and also developed Disney's Animal Kingdom alongside Expedition Everest.
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar[]
In this bar is a tribal mask with earrings modelled after those of Rohde's and a note from Trader Sam identifying it as, "Joe".[6]
Trivia[]
- A possible tribute to Rohde appears in Walt Disney World's Jungle Cruise with one Skipper Joe being given the 1935, "K.P. Rafferty All-Skipper Pun Championship".
- Joe Rohde's favourite dinosaur is Styracosaurus, hence its prominence in Disney's Animal Kingdom.[7]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://insidethemagic.net/2015/02/d-tales-10-kilimanjaro-safari-hides-huge-backstory-infused-with-disney-history/
- ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2010/08/masks-and-beads.html
- ↑ https://www.flickr.com/photos/autisticreality/38741852862
- ↑ http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/FunFindFridayPandora1.aspx
- ↑ https://forums.insideuniversal.net/threads/pandora-world-of-avatar-photos-videos-reviews.10937/page-9
- ↑ https://www.disneytouristblog.com/trader-sams-backstory-details/
- ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/a-digital-tour-through-disneys-animal-kingdom-with-imagineer-joe-rohde-part-5-dinoland/