- "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: the amazing...the colossal...the stupendous...the eighth wonder of the world... The Backside of Water!"
- —Skippers[[Jungle Cruise (attraction)|[src]]]
Schweitzer Falls also known as the Backside of Water is a fictional location in the Jungle Cruise.
Description[]
Schweitzer Falls is a waterfall along the Nile river in North Africa, near the rapids of Kilimanjaro and intersecting with the Congo river and Zambezi river. The falls have an outwards facing rock formation which small riverboats are able to pass under. The falls were located on the grounds known as, "Headhunter territory", the ancestral land of the Umbala people. The Falls would presumably be located in the nation of Sudan or Egypt due to their placement along the Nile river in North Africa.
Due to boats being able to pass under, Schweitzer Falls is well noted for holding, "The Backside of Water" which was widely considered to be the 8th wonder of the world. The falls were also a feature of the supernatural, "Jungle Rivers of Adventureland", a series of waterways that connected exotic locales across the globe.
History[]
Background[]
Indigenous history[]
Schweitzer Falls' original name is unknown but it was part of the territory of the Indigenous Umbala tribe of North Africa. The falls were a part of the, "Rivers of Adventure", a supernatural waterway that connected jungle rivers across the globe.
Colonialism[]
The falls were, "Discovered" and named in 1891 by the adventurer Dr. Albert Falls. Falls found the rivers while on the seventh day of his 13-day expedition to map the Rivers of Adventure. This event was certified on the August 12 of 1891 by one Luana Teixera of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. The falls were allegedly named for Dr. Falls and gained a reputation as being the, "8th wonder of the world" due to the backside of water.
The Falls would be imitated by 1916 by Frank Wolff, an employee of Falls' company the Jungle Navigation Company in Porto Velho, Brazil. Aboard his charlatanizeid, "Jungle Cruise" river-boat attraction aboard his vessel La Quila, Frank used a crude tube system to imitate the Backside of Water. Following 1916, Frank would map the real Schweitzer Falls while documenting an uncharted route aboard the Rivers of Adventure which he later gifted to Dr. Albert Falls.
Jungle Cruise[]
The falls were regularly passed by on the Jungle Cruise tours lead by Dr. Falls' granddaughter Alberta for her business the Jungle Navigation Company. In 1933, the JNC boat Congo Connie went off the side of the falls. By 1936, the company was connected to the , "Junior Skippers Annual Schweitzer Falls Diving Competition". By 1938, skippers attempting stunts at the falls became so common that the company had to expressly prohibit them. Around 1938, a sample of the water from the falls were sent off to the Marshall College of Connecticut to be studied by one Professor Marley. In the 1940s, a skipper brought aviator Jock Lindsey of S.E.A. to see the falls.
Development history[]
Schweitzer Falls is an artificial waterfall on the Jungle Cruise used to mix brown-dye in the water. This gives the rivers of the Jungle Cruise the appearance of being muddy while also hiding the machinery within the shallow waters. The waterfall was originally named for the historic theologist Albert Schweitzer but, "Albert Falls" was created as a joke by cast-members, later retconned into the attraction's backstory.
Appearances[]
Attractions[]
Adventure Trading Company[]
Schweitzer Falls' discovery is mentioned by Priyanka Manhas in the Daily Gnus in an article on the Elephant Juju. A barrel of the, "Backside of Water" also appeared as transported cargo in the attraction. This might have also been referenced on a Jungle Navigation Company board mentioning a shipment of, "Distilled water" going from the Nile River to, "Forbidden Landing".
Bengal Barbecue[]
There is a photograph of the Falls in this restaurant.
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar[]
Jock Lindsey's flight-log mentions being taken to see the falls by a skipper.
Jungle Cruise[]
Schweitzer Falls is passed by twice in this attraction. It is first observed while entering the Nile from the Congo and again when it is passed under along the Nile/Zambezi. In Disneyland's Jungle Cruise, it was mentioned by Nigel Greenwater that rains have caused the falls' currents to become dangerous and resulted in Settler's Field becoming flooded with bogs. Removed audio over the radios had Alligator Al say warn of the dangerous waters.
In the Amazon River Base, there is a sign informing skippers that they are no longer permitted to drive their boats off of the falls as a stunt, a photo of the 1936 diving competition on the falls, the photo of a 1936 puppet-troop called the, "Schweitzer Follies", and the, "Backside of Water Award" in a trophy case.[1] Albert Awol can also be heard requesting that historic physician David Livingstone meet with historic colonizer Sir Morton Stanley at, "The Falls", likely referencing Schweitzer Falls. The life-preserver mounted on the wall for the Congo Connie also mentions the boat going over the falls.[2]
Skipper Canteen[]
In the Skipper Canteen is a barrel containing, "The Backside of Water" being shipped to Marshall College. A certificate hung on the wall also certifies Dr. Falls' discovery of the waterfall.
Sunshine Tree Terrace[]
To tie in with the Jungle Cruise film, the Sunshine Tree Terrace had a, "Backside of Water" float made of cotton-candy and vanilla soft-serve.[3]
Trader Sam's[]
There is a drink called, "The Schweitzer Falls" served in these bars. It is described as a favourite drink of Dr. Albert Falls'.
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar[]
The house rules state to alert a cast-member "if Schweitzer falls".[4] There is also a photo in the bar of, "The Frontside of Water" and another showing a boat passing under Schweitzer Falls.[5]
Film[]
Jungle Cruise (film)[]
Schweitzer Falls is mocked in this film. In this film, "The Backside of Water" is a fake waterfall engineered by Frank Wolff for his Jungle Cruise tours. Incidentally, a map made by Frank Wolff in the Jungle Cruise ride features Schweitzer Falls.
Printed-materials[]
Skipper Survival Guide[]
Tales from Adventureland[]
Television[]
It's a Small World: The Animated Series[]
Video-game[]
Disney Magic Kingdoms[]
The Falls appeared in the Jungle Cruise attraction.
Disney Sorcerer's Arena[]
One of Frank Wolff's special moves is, "The Backside of Water", represented by an image of a waterfall.
Kinect: Disneyland Adventures[]
A reimagining of the falls is passed through in this game where several skippers are using it to tend to hippos.
Paraphernalia[]
Jungle Cruise Adventure Game[]
Trivia[]
- The Adventure Trading Company states that Dr. Albert Falls discovered Schweitzer Falls in 1903 while the Skipper Canteen states he did so in 1891.
Gallery[]
![[6]](/wiki/File:Falls-aerial.jpg "Falls-aerial.jpg (118 KB)")
References[]
- ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/08/photos-new-trophy-wall-alberta-falls-and-map-murals-added-to-jungle-cruise-queue-at-the-magic-kingdom/
- ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/08/photos-new-life-ring-props-come-to-jungle-cruise-at-magic-kingdom/
- ↑ https://mickeyblog.com/2021/07/30/backside-of-water-float-debuts-at-sunshine-tree-terrace/
- ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2015/08/management-is-not-responsible.html
- ↑ https://foroparquesdisney.foroactivo.com/t2093-trader-sam-s-enchanted-tiki-bar-disneyland-hotel
- ↑ https://www.inventingdisneyland.com/2019/12/backstory-on-back-side-of-water.html