Tales From The Jungle Crews

So, after 7 years of "Hey, you should come on my Podcast", and 7 years of "Who is this again? Kyle who?" We finally got Skipper Kevin Lively aboard. Famed as a Disneyland Skipper, Imagineer, and baby shampoo model, this chap has stories for years as we begin the first in our 10 episode series of 90 minute episodes, to be followed up with a 3 hour Marvel studios movie. It's amazing times to be a content.  But, seriously, Kevin is one of my best friends and he recently moved on from his role in Burbank. So, now he's slumming it with me and we chat about a ton of random things. (Including a 7 minute anti-tribute to Cincinnati to start off our episode...) We had a great time talking, and I hope he'll be back soon. 

Hey there Skips and Skipperettes! How ya doing? We hope you're well, and in the mood for some chatting about the Jungle Cruise movie. We've sort of been laying in wait for this big event, and to re-energize some of the great discussions about the movie and about our beloved ride. We are getting a lot of new listeners now, so it's time to get back into Jungle Mode. And what better way to do it than from the Red Carpet at the World Premiere?  Well, had they let me bring a microphone, I would have done that. Instead, I recap some of my thoughts (non-spoiler) about the movie, talk a couple of spoilers (timestamped), and talk about the "State of the Pod" and where we're going from here. Welcome to all the new adventurers... you've got a lot of catching up to do.

So this week (month, year... time is a meaningless construct during Covid times) on the podcast we welcome Skipper Joey to the pod. Joey hosts a fun postcast called Laugh it up Fuzzball, and was also a contemporary Skipper and my 3rd (4th?) Trainer on the Jungle Cruise boat ride. So, it was just time to have a friend on the show, get a little footloose, and chat about his time with Disney, but also some of the new changes on the ride. 

Hey there, Adventurers! Welcome back! So, 2020 was a challenging year, and it was particularly hard on Skippers. As performers and actors, we have a very different make up, and being away from our Jungle has caused a lot of mental health issues. This week we chat with Adrienne MacIain, the host of "That's Aloud", an excellent podcast on creating your own personal story, and getting your experiences out into the world. She is a fantastic author, and she has great experiences with mental health and the acting community. So we chat a bit about what you can do during the pandemic times to keep your boat afloat, mentally speaking. Her podcast is available everywhere fine podcasts can be consumed. I also spend a little time discussing the changes upcoming to the WFJC in the next few years, and address the news that has hit everywhere this week.

Hey there, Adventurers! 2020 has been, well... you know. But we are now all set up with our new SkipCast Broadcasting Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and we're putting together new content for you in this tumultuous time... This episode we get to meet and chat with Skipper John Rose, a Skip at Disneyland from 1991 to 1996, and a little extra bonus from 2001-2003. We had a fantastic time getting our wheels back on the ground and chatting about his time as Adventureland was going through the changes of the mid 90's. Super great discussion, and we really hope you enjoy it!

Hey there, Adventurers! This episode is a 20 minute "catch up" on what's been happening with the podcast, the ride, the merch, the pandemic, and Skipper Kyle. It's a non-interview episode where Kyle just chats at the microphone. So, be forewarned. Keep in touch with us, more episodes coming as we get them put together. (So, our normal thing we've been doing for 8 years)

Hey there, Adventurekateers! Your old pal Skipper Kyle here, with another episode of Skippertainment for you, to help keep you through these quarantined times... Today we are going to chat with a contemporary of mine, and someone I've been trying to get onto the show for a few years. Like 8. Skipper Jon Gruber! Jon was a Skipper, Trainer, and Lead in the late 00's to early Teens, and he was always a positive and energetic force on the docks. I loved working with him, and thought he would have some fun stories, and he did not disappoint. We know that this is a challenging time for everyone, and we appreciate the Skipper community and how supportive it has been. Thanks for all the kind Emails and words, and we are going to work on continuing to bring you episodes as often as we can.

Hey there, Quarantined Adventurers! We have something a little different for this week's episode. We took "calls" from Jungle Cruise Skips from around the world, and gave them a chance to tell their own stories. If you want to be part of the next round of this, send your 5-7 minute audio clip to JungleCrews@gmail.com. We've got more Skippertainment coming to you in the weeks ahead, and we hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Howdy, everyone! It's been a rough and wild holiday season and start to the new year. I forgot how working retail drains me during Thanksgiving/Xmas, and how no one wants to record podcasts during that time.  Well, we are back in the swing of things, and have interviews set for the next few weeks. This one is a special one that took us a solid 2.5 years to set up. Skipper Jeff Lessel has been on my "get list" since 2015 or so, and I was so happy when he became available to record with us. For those of you who are not WDW acquainted, Jeff was a Skip from 1989 for about 20 years, and then he moved over to the Hall of Presidents for 10 years. He was a MK fixture, and has taken as many trips as nearly any Skipper in WDW history.  Keep passing around the Podcast and Facebook links, and as always, drop into the Apple store and leave us a like and a review. It really helps us with the visibility.

Well, it took us a bit, but we're finally back and running at full steam. Well, half steam? Sort of a teakettle full of steam. Either way, we're bringing you new episodes. This episode we chat with Skipper Chuck, perhaps the only Muppet ever to be a Jungle Cruise Skipper. He worked in Orlando at the end of the 90's, and he brought his friend Skipper Brian Lynch with him.  Now, this was originally a video podcast on YouTube, but we just dropped the audio here for your amusement. Should you like to see the full episode in all of it's puppety-glory, check out https://youtu.be/fOihlWsTMzI Also, the Skipper Store has a new URL, so you can get us at http://TinyUrl.com/TheSkipperStore 

Well, hey there Skips and Skipperettes from all across the wild and untamed lands known only as Internetland. Welcome back to Tales from the Jungle Cruise. What a long, strange trip it's been. Two years back in the Jungle at Disneyland, and now I've parted ways again with a place that means so much to me. It was a tough decision, and a lot of people had asked me questions about my time back at the park, the state of the podcast, the Jungle Cruise movie, and so many other questions. I invite good friend Skipper Freddy Martin to the podcast to chat about all of that, and to bring us back into the podcast mode.  We did put up a 30 minute video of the first part of our recording. We may be doing more recording on video, and I am going to put all 150 episodes of the audio podcast up on YouTube as well.  Well, it's great to be back, and it's going to take me a while to ramp back up, but it's a great journey and I'm glad you are taking it with me. Skipper Kyle

Here's the part where I go "holy crap, I've known Dave Marley for nearly 17 years...". We're still doing our reruns for the time being until we get all the old episodes out there, but this one is a special one. The author of "Skipper Stories", "Skipper Stories 2, Electric Boogaloo", and "Really, Even More Skipper Stories?" sat down with us to chat about his time at the Jungle, the pantsless life of a Professor, and writing a book about the place we all have grown to love. Originally Published December 9th, 2016 New episodes have returned! This week we sit down with Skipper David Marley, author of the new book "Skipper Stories" to chat about what he learned during his time writing the book about the history of the Jungle and those who have dared to adventure on it.  His book is available here, from Amazon. We're continuing to push forward into the new year, and we appreciate all the support. Keep your eyes open, we're still doing a lot of fun stuff in the upcoming months. Kungaloosh!

Well, after 2 years, we have a new episode... sort of. I mean, it is new, but it's not strictly a Jungle or interview episode. Hi there, I'm Skipper Kyle, and I'd like to announce the return of Tales from the Jungle Crews. My time with Disney is coming to an end in a few months, and with that, I am able to start producing some new content again. This episode is a in-betweener from Season 6 to Season 7, as I take you through my experiences at the Black Spire Outpost at Galaxy's Edge, and give you some updates about my life, the Jungle, and what to expect in the coming months from the podcast. I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing you some new Skippertainment! Kungaloosh, my friends! Skipper Kyle

Back in 2016 we had a Kickstarter going for our 2nd card game "King of the Skippers", and we had a couple of recent Jungle expats from Disneyland (and cute as hell lovebirds) on the show to talk about their recent time at Jungle in 2015-2016. So, jump back into the very recent past and enjoy our time with Skipper Kelsey and Skipper Dave. Originally Published September 5th, 2016 Wooh Golly! What a couple of weeks we have had. Our Kickstarter is off and running, and we are well on our way to funding. We have tons of exciting backer rewards, and the game has super great Jungle art. So, search Kickstarter for "King of the Skippers", or check out all the information on Facebook...  Today's interview is a recent pair of lovebirds, Skippers David and Kelsey. They talk about life in the Jungle, relationship tips about how to keep your love alive at Disney, and we delve into a mysterious Jungle event, lost to the ages.  Thanks for all the support. We'll keep them coming, every 2 weeks.

The reruns keep on coming... This week we chat with Skipper Matt Gambino, and talk about WDW and its college program, and how to turn your time at the Jungle Cruise into a successful career.  Oh, and... Season 7 kicks off the first week of July! Looking forward to being back in front of your ears on a regular basis. Skipper Kyle Originally Released On August 23rd, 2016 Hey Skips and Skipperettes!  Season 6 is here, and we're in the swing of our Fall Kickstarter. Starting August 26th, we are promoting "King of the Skippers", an amazing party card game with art that brings to life characters from our Jungle Crews Radio Plays. It's a super easy to learn game with a competitive edge that will appeal to players of games like Uno. We have fantastic stretch goals, and backer rewards, and can't wait to see you there. Join us at www.Bit.do/KingoftheSkippers Today's interview is with Skipper Matt Gambino. Matt turned his Jungle Cruise experience at WDW in the early 90's into a launchpad for his career, and he has

We're down to the last dozen episodes and season 6, then lots of fun new things are in the works. I'm going to be making those announcements as May comes toward a close. I mean, there's nothing else that is happening at Disneyland around the end of the month, right? This episode is probably a little bit inconsequential to the catalog, but I'm including it for completeness. It's a recap of Season 5, details of my trip to Disney Paris, and info on our Kickstarter game "King of the Skippers". Hard to believe that's been 3 years already. Keep on Cruising, friends... and Kungaloosh! Originally Published August 15th, 2016 Hey there, Skips and Skipperettes,  Welcome back from our Summer Vacation. We had a fun summer, and we hope you did too. We have a ton of interviews scheduled, but most importantly we have our fall Kickstarter launching on August 26th. King of the Skippers is a fun family friendly party card game for 4-8 people. We have amazing art, and the game is only an incredible $8 per deck. Lots and lot

So, this rerun episode wraps up the 5th season of the TFJC podcast. The second half of our episode with Skipper Freddy Martin and Skipper Jeff Bailes. We had a great time with this, and you can see the greatness that is Freddy Martin as he takes his first podcast steps.  Originally Published June 6th, 2016 Hey Adventurers! Summer Vacation is here, and the podcast will be in re-runs for the next 5 weeks. To keep you entertained, we have one last new episode, the second half of our time with Skippers Fred Martin and Jeff Bailes. This contains one of my favorite Jungle Cruise stories ever, so take a listen.  If you need more Jungle Love, make sure you swing over to Facebook.com/JungleCrews for all of your Jungle news, photos, and vintage stories. (Curated by our very own Skipperette Jen...)  See you all Mid July!- Skipper Kyle Esq

What can I say about Freddy Martin? This guy has blown up and has become a major presence in the Disneysphere recently. He hosts a podcast called The Themed Attraction podcast where he interviews Imagineers and designers of the places we love to play. (Search for it on all your Podcast providers.) He's been involved in the recent Adventureland Days, and he is an incredibly pleasant chap. He brought Skipper Jeff Bailes with him and we had a lovely picnic in the park and recalled their days at the WFJC.  Originally Published on May 23rd, 2016 So, here's a little story... About a year after we started the podcast, back in 2012, Skipper Fred Martin reached out to me and said he'd like to come onto the show. After 4 years of passing emails back and forth, and having scheduling issues, he grabbed Skipper Jeff Bailes, and we had a lovely picnic in the park and chatted about their time in the early 90's at Jungle.  Very little story. But a nice one, no? We had a great time with this interview, and it has one of my

This week is the second half of our chat with Skipper Larry Kaml. It also has what is perhaps the greatest single and most requested Jungle Cruise story that we have ever had recorded on the show. This episode is, in some ways, the "most essential" listening of any of our episodes. Genuinely hope you all enjoy... Originally Released May 9th, 2016 Our first episode with Skipper Larry Kaml set records for it's first week, and we're expecting the second half of his episode to do the same. This episode features not only the best "Last Day" story in the history of the Jungle Cruise, but also perhaps the most expected Gerry York story ever. This one is an incredible roller coast of a ride, but instead of a roller coaster, it's a river, with botes on it. Enjoy!

When we started the podcast, Skipper Larry Kaml was one of those guests we never thought we could get. He was a heavy personality for years in the Jungle, and his devotion around the time of the Narrations program was the stuff of legends. After a few seasons of showing him what we were about, I got to drive up and sit down at his dining room table and listen to his stories. Some of the best of the Jungle is about to go into your ear-holes, so I hope you enjoy... Originally Published April 25th, 2016 Well, it took us long enough, but we're back with a new episode. Also, it took us 3 years to line up this guest. Skipper Larry Kaml was a strong personality during the late 80's and early 90's, and his role in the Narrations program led to one of the most interesting times in Jungle history. He was universally regarded by those he worked with, and I have been chomping at the bit to get him on the show. All it took was a 7 hour drive to central California, and we were golden!  Catch us over at Facebook.com/Jung