Does Disney have a secret society? Well, they kind of do, just not how you may think! I’m not talking about the super exclusive Club 33 or the not so exclusive D23. The Society of Explorers and Adventurers is a secret society woven into the Disney parks all over the world. This group is made up of interesting character from our favorite rides and attractions across the parks. Once you know about it, it’s so much fun to look for all the little Easter eggs in the parks. So yes, Disney’s secret society does exist and we are going to explore the lore behind it today!
Society of Explorers & Adventurers
Disney’s secret society or the Society of Explorers & Adventurers was first referenced by Disney in 2001. The creation of Tokyo Disney SEA may have been the first real reference to the group but it started long before that! The story goes that the SEA was founded in 1538 in the fort of Fortress Explorations which can be found in Tokyo Disney SEA. The group would be made up of scientists, explorers, researchers, artists, travelers and adventurers from all corners of the globe. The four Pilars of the SEA are Adventure, Romance, Discovery and Innovation. You can find these represented on the SEA crest in Fortress Exploration.
The original mission statement was short and sweet: “We the Society of Explorers and Adventurers shall acquire knowledge through exploration”. But later on a more detailed mission statement would surface in the Oceaneer Lab. You will find this on Disney Cruise Line and in Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland:
“The mission of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers is to collect, conserve, and curate valuable cultural and artistic artifacts from around the world and make them available to the public in an artistically pleasing and sensitive manner. It is furthermore the mission of the organization to equip and mount socio-cultural expeditions to discover, explore, chronicle, and protect the artistic achievements of human society, past and present, exalted and forgotten.”
The SEA would go through many changes over the years and has a couple of spin off groups as well. But exploration and adventure were always at the heart of group. You may recognize some the colorful characters that make up this group! You may have even come in contact with them and didn’t even know it. Disney’s secret society is truly all over the parks!
SEA Members
Disney’s secret society has had many real life honorary members like Leif Ericson, Sir Francis Drake and even Leonardo da Vinci. But let’s focus on the ones you see in the parks and help bring some of your favorite stories to life!
- Lord Henry Mystic: If you have ever been to Hong Kong Disneyland and experienced Mystic Manor then you have seen Lord Henry Mystic! Mystic and his pet monkey, Albert traveled the globe collecting artifacts and curating them into a museum at Mystic Manor. They opened the manor for the public to see all their treasures. But they opened an enchanted box they had collected on their travels. It wrecked havoc on the collection until it was once again contained! You will also find Lord Henry Mystic at the Explorers Club Restaurant, Adventure Trading Company, Jungle Cruise, Tropical Hideaway and Skipper Canteen. So be sure to look at all those little notes and posters at these places to see how they are all connected!
- Barnabas T. Bullion and Jason Chandler: You may recognize Barnabus T. Bullion from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. He was the president and owner of the Big Thunder Mining Company and Jason Chandler developed his mining technology. Chandler was also the president of the SEA at this time. After the Spirit of Big Thunder was angered by the mining and began interfering and causing trouble in the mine, Chandler advised Bullion to stop mining. Of course he didn’t, perished in the mine and the Wildest Ride In The Wilderness was born! You can find SEA crates in the queue’s of Thunder Mountain as well as notes throughout referencing these two and the mining company. You will also find their names at the Tropical Hideaway and Skipper Canteen.
- Harrison Hightower III: Hightower is the most nefarious of the members of Disney’s secret society. He would start a spin off group called the Pillager’s Brigade that did not operate at a high moral standard. Often resorting to grave robbing or trading artifacts for prophet, this was the dark side of the SEA. Hightower would go on to steal a cursed idol called the Shiriki Utundu. He disrespects by putting out his cigar on its head! The Shiriki Utundu comes to life and in an elevator and sends it plummeting down the shaft in Hotel Hightower! Sound familiar? Keep your eye out for Hightower in Tower of Terror, Jungle Cruise, Bengal BBQ, Trader Sam’s, Tropical Hideaway and even on Disney Cruise Line!
- Dr Albert Falls: This may be the one that sounds familiar to you! Dr Albert Falls of the Jungle Navigation Company can be found on the Jungle Cruise. Pay close attention to all those bulletin boards and offices in the queue line. There are so many fun Easter eggs here! You will also find reference to Dr Falls in Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar, Trader Sam’s and Skipper Canteen. It’s rumored that Alberta Falls, his granddaughter is also a member of the SEA.
- Captain Mary Oceaneer: This may also be a familiar name to you. Captain Mary can be found on Disney Cruise Line, mostly in the Oceaneer Labs where her portrait can even be found on some ships. Mary even participated in an archeological dig on Castaway Cay that you can find reference to there. You can find her at the Jungle Cruise and Miss Adventure Falls at Typhoon Lagoon as well as Skipper Canteen. She may have had contact with Ariel at some point in her ocean exploration. And she seems to have knowledge of the lost city of Atlantis!
- Jock Lindsay: If you are an Indiana Jones fan you know who this is! Indy’s pilot in Raiders of the Lost Ark who landed in Lake Buena Vista and turned his hangar into a bar! Take a look at the art and notes on the walls and in the cases here. You may just see letters between Jock and members of the SEA and Adenturers Club like Pamelia Perkins and Samantha Sterling!
- Merriweather Pleasure: Now we have come to my favorite member of Disney’s secret society! Merriweather Pleasure discovered and founded Disney Springs and most notably, Pleasure Island. If you don’t remember Pleasure Island, it was the nightclub district in what was then Downtown Disney. Pleasure was known as The Grand Funmeister because he had such a great sense of adventure and zest for life! Merriweather Pleasure would also start a spin off group headquartered in Downtown Disney called The Adventurers Club. A rag tag group of unlikely explorers with a great sense of humor. One of my most favorite places that I am so very sad doesn’t exist anymore. The location is now the Edison in Disney Springs.
This is by no means and exhaustive list! All of the members of the Adventurers Club and lots of side characters and honorary members are also on the list. But these are the main characters to keep an eye out for!
Where To Find The SEA
There are so many nods to Disney’s secret society hidden in the parks. Tokyo Disney has an entire park, Tokyo Disney SEA, that is all about it! This could get long so I am going to focus on Disney World. Next time you are here try to spot these little treasures! As mentioned, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has lots of SEA references. Letters between Barnabus T. Bulliona and Jason Chandler and even SEA crates in the queue with the groups emblem. Also in Magic Kingdom in Jungle Cruise there are a bunch! All the signs, bulletin boards and even the papers and books on the desk in the office reference these characters and their adventures. You can even see them mentioned in the props throughout the ride. That half an airplane? Belonged to Hathaway Brown who was a member of the Adventurers Club!
Across from the Jungle Cruise is Skipper Canteen. This restaurant has a whole secret SEA room! You have to go through a bookcase to get there. Pay close attention to the books and the props in the cases. There are lots of fun things here! The SEA emblem is on tables and artwork, even maps! There may even be a clue that Walt Disney and his wife Lillian were members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. If you have ever sat at the butterfly table in this room, most of those butterflies were from Lillian Disney’s own collection that Walt curated for her.
Over in EPCOT you will find an SEA handbook at the KidCot station in the UK Pavilion. This locations building is themed after the Royal Adventurer’s Society, so cool! In Disney Springs you will find Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar. This is where there are lots of artifacts and treasures from Jock’s expeditions as well as correspondence between him and club members. Also in Disney Springs is the Edison that used to be the location of the Adventurers Club. So you may find some fun Easter eggs here too. I highly recommend the Samantha Sterling cocktail named after the Adventurers Club member herself!
Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Polynesian Resort also has letters and artifacts connected to the SEA, I feel like you could find something new in here every time you go. And finally, Typhoon Lagoon! Here you will find Miss Adventure Falls and all things Captain Mary Oceaneer!
Conclusion
As I mentioned this is by no means an exhaustive list of people and places you can find the SEA. There are so many more and I encourage you to go dig a little deeper into Disney’s secret society. I love how deep these storylines go and how connected they make all of the parks and attractions. Disney should do a movie or series about the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. I feel like it would be amazing!! This was a bit of a deep cut this week but it’s one of my favorite subjects and with the reopening of Big Thunder Mountain coming next weekend, I am excited to see if there are any new additions there. I hope you enjoyed diving into this with me and that you have the most magically adventurous day!
