Rosa "La Rosa" Soto Dominguez is a character from the Jungle Cruise.
History[]
Biography[]
Background[]
Rosa Soto Dominguez was a Mexican woman in the early half of the 20th century, originating from Mexico City.[1] Rosa was a succesful painter who was known as, "La Rosa". Rosa was close friends with Alberta Falls, the president of the Jungle Navigation Company. Rosa often supplied Alberta with artistic presents, including sculptures and a painting of Alberta outside of Inspiration Falls in the Amazon Rainforest. Around 1938, she attended an art-show in Paris, France where her artwork was shown off.[2]
Jungle Cruise[]
Around the December of 1938, Rosa was invited by Alberta to partake in a V.I.P., "Jungle Cruise" scenic tour of the mystic Jungle Rivers of Adventureland. This tour was held on a boat called the Kwango Kate with other guests including botanist Dr. Leonard Moss, entomologist Dr. Kon Chunosuke, and Alberta's cousin, the ornithologist Siobhan Murphy. However, the captain of this boat was, "New guy" skipper Felix Pechman XIII, a man who suffering from a purportedly paranormal degree of bad luck. Leading up to the tour, Rosa sent Alberta several artistic gifts including a portrait of her outside of Inspiration Falls in the Amazon.
The V.I.P. tour was seemingly launched from the company's Amazon River Base in the Amazon rainforest. The tour also made an apparent stop in the Lost Delta of India at a boathouse used by the Jungle Navigation Company. While passing the African veldt of North Africa (in Egypt or Sudan), the Kwango Kate was wrecked when Murphy attempted to intervene with the piloting to study a rare bird. The passengers were marooned in the veldt where they were subsequently 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 life[]
After returning to civilization, Rosa continued her operations into the 1940s. Around 1943, she spent time in Cairo, Egypt before returning to Mexico in the July of 1943.
Development history[]
Rosa was created for the 2021 refurbishment of the Jungle Cruise. This refurbishment was largely aimed at removing stereotypes from the Jungle Cruise. Rosa replaced one of the characters in the original trapped safari scene.
Rosa appeared to be inspired by a member of Walt Disney World's trapped safari who wore painting equipment and whose space on the pole Rosa took up. Rosa's surname is a likely tribute to Ron Dominguez and the Dominguez family which owned the Orange Groves which Disneyland was constructed on and who are made tribute to with the Dominguez palm-tree outside the Jungle Cruise. The name, "Rosa Soto" translates to, "Rose Grove", with the usage of the word Soto/Grove likely being a further tribute to Disney's history with the Dominguez family.
Appearances[]
Rosa's sculpture in Alberta's India office
Club 33[]
During the Tiki Takeover event, Rosa was referenced in the menus. This reference came in the form of a ticket from S.E.A. Global Charters Atlantic Lines which was for transit from Cairo to Progresso, Mexico for the July of 1943.[3]
A flower sculpture made by Rosa, in Alberta's Amazon River Base office.
Jungle Cruise[]
Rosa appears on the tree in the African veldt, run up by a rhino and, "Laughed" at by hyenas. In the queue are belongings of Rosa's along with art sculptures gifted to Alberta by la Rosa. Her silhouette also appears on the 2021 updated poster for the attraction.[4]
Rosa's portrait of Alberta Falls, found both in Disneyland's Jungle Cruise and the Skipper Canteen
Skipper Canteen[]
The portrait of Alberta Falls within the Skipper Canteen was retconned into being made by Rosa.[5]
Skipper Society[]
Rosa's art and easel hang on a wall.
Trivia[]
- In being a woman painter from Mexico City, Rosa Soto Dominguez may be influenced by historic painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).
- Rosa sending Alberta Falls gifts of flower pieces and paintings of her likeness may imply that she and Rosa are in a form of romantic relationship.
- Rosa's potential influence from Frida Kahlo may be further evidence of this, as Frida was historically bisexual and known to have affairs with women.
- It is unknown if Rosa is related to the fictionalized version of Ron Dominguez referenced as owning Orange Grove Property Mgt. on Main Street, U.S.A.. There is also a, "Mr. Dominguez", referenced as having lived on the fictional Buena Vista Street of Los Angeles around the 1920s where he owned the Los Feliz Five & Dime.[6]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/03/jungle-cruise-adds-new-characters-mischievous-wildlife-and-skipper-humor-to-classic-attraction/
- ↑ https://attractionsmagazine.com/exclusive-disney-imagineers-talk-new-jungle-cruise-characters-s-e-a-connections-and-trader-sams/
- ↑ https://jungleskipper.com/news/even-more-s.e.a.references-inside-club-33
- ↑ https://dlnewstoday.com/2021/07/photos-new-jungle-cruise-poster-pays-homage-to-original-features-new-characters-at-disneyland/
- ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/07/photos-video-new-jungle-cruise-with-cultural-sensitivity-changes-soft-opens-at-disneyland/
- ↑ https://disneylandmaps.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/vol-1-iss-4.pdf