- Not to be confused with Disney Adventures.
The official Disney Adventurers lineup: (from left-to-right) Tarzan, Peter Pan, Hercules, Aladdin, Captain Hook
The Disney Adventurers were a line-up of Disney characters which were intended to serve as a male counterpart to the Disney Princess franchise. The characters were mostly those from Disney films with male protagonists. This franchise is smaller than the princesses due to the few Disney films with human male protagonists. The franchise was sold at the Disney Store from 1999 to 2004. While the series did well among children, it could not match the success of the princesses.
List of Disney Adventurers[]
Tarzan[]
Tarzan is the protagonist of Disney's 1999 animated feature of the same name. He is a man raised by gorillas in Central Africa who is trying to find out who and what he is. He is initially mistrusted by his ape father, Kerchak as a threat to the jungle's safety. Tarzan finally gains Kerchak's trust when he saves the gorillas from a leopard named Sabor, who had previously killed Tarzan's birth parents. He comes across his answer when he meets a woman named Jane Porter. His ape family wants him to protect them, but Tarzan spends all his time with his new friend learning about the world of his birth. When Jane is set to leave Africa for her home in London and never return, Tarzan is tricked into revealing the apes' whereabouts to the humans so the apes can be captured and sold. Seeing shame in this act of betrayal, Tarzan decides to go to England with Jane, but when he is captured by hunter John Clayton, he sees greater shame in his acts of treason. Tarzan, along with Jane, is rescued by his friends Terk the gorilla and Tantor the elephant. Together, they return to the jungle and fight the hunters to save the gorillas. After Tarzan defeats Clayton, Kerchak dies, and names Tarzan leader of the gorillas. With his rightful place as king of the jungle, Jane and her father join Tarzan and his family for a new life.
Hercules[]
Hercules is the protagonist of Disney's 1997 animated feature of the same name. Hercules is a man born of the Gods of Mount Olympus and raised a mortal. Growing up he begins to wonder where he truly belongs in the world due to his immense strength. His father, Zeus, tells him of his origins and that the only way to retain his immortality is to prove himself a true hero. Hercules, with his winged horse, Pegasus, meet Philoctetes, trainer of the great Greek heroes, who helps Herc begin his training. Eventually, Phil decides to test Herc by taking him to help a city called Thebes. Along the way, Herc meets a woman named Megara, who is secretly working for Hades, the lord of the underworld who had tried to kill Herc to avoid threats to his plan to take over Olympus. Herc's first act of heroism comes from the death of the Hydra, which Hades had sent to kill him. Hades continually sends his creatures to kill Herc, but he triumphs over every monster. Hercules becomes the most famous person in Greece, but Zeus tells him that he is not yet a true hero. After spending a day with Megara, Hades makes a deal with Herc to give up his strength so Meg doesn't get hurt. Eventually, she does get hurt, after Hades sends his minions, the Titans to overthrow Zeus. they are eventually stopped and destroyed by Herc, who fails to return to Meg before dying from her injuries. He offers Hades his life in exchange for hers, and as a reward for his heroism is given his immortality and he revives Meg. Hercules decides to remain mortal, however, due to his romance with Meg so he can live with her.
Aladdin[]
Aladdin is the protagonist of Disney's 1992 animated feature of the same name. He starts as a street rat with a pet monkey named Abu looking for a better life, and for people to see him for what he's worth. He comes across the key to his happiness when he meets Jasmine. He sees his chance to win her hand when he is sent by Jafar, an evil sorcerer, into a Cave of Wonders to retrieve a magic lamp in exchange for a reward. Upon giving it to Jafar, he attempts to slay Aladdin, revealing his true colors, but Aladdin escapes his clutches with help from Abu, and a magic carpet ending up with the lamp in the process. Upon rubbing it, he unleashes a genie who gives him three wishes. Here he sees another chance to win Jasmine and promises to set Genie free once he wins her hand. He parades into the palace posing as a prince named "Prince Ali Ababwa", but fails to attract Jasmine's interest. After a romantic carpet ride he wins Jasmine's heart. Jasmine agrees to marry him, but he feels guilt for lying to the kingdom. He goes to tell Jasmine the truth but by then, the city is under attack by Jafar who has stolen the lamp. Aladdin, Abu and Carpet are banished to the ends of the earth leaving Jafar in control. He returns with Abu and Carpet to battle Jafar. Aladdin tricks Jafar into using his third wish to become a Genie, which results in him and his sidekick Iago, trapped in their own lamp and banished to the Cave of Wonders. After Jafar is defeated, Aladdin has Genie freed and he and Jasmine set out to begin their future.
Peter Pan[]
Peter Pan is the protagonist of Disney's 1953 animated feature of the same name. He is a boy who never grows up and lives on an island in the sky called Never Land, with a group of boys called the Lost Boys. He and his fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell, meet a girl named Wendy Darling and her brothers John and Michael, who are familiar with him from his stories. He takes them to Never Land so Wendy will never grow up, but Tink becomes jealous of her. When she tries to shoot her down, Peter banished Tink and shows Wendy around the island. Meanwhile, Peter's enemy, Captain Hook, kidnaps Tiger Lily, the island's Injun princess, to interrogate her about the whereabouts of Peter's home, but Peter saves Tiger Lily, and the chief makes Peter a chief for saving his daughter. When Hook hears of Pan banishing Tinker Bell, he kidnaps her and tricks her into revealing the location of Pan's hiding place. Wendy, having decided to grow up, sets to return to London with Michael, John, and the Lost Boys, but are captured by Hook and his pirates and forced to walk the plank. Hook hides a bomb in Peter's home and it goes off before Tinker Bell can warn him. Luckily, they survive, and save Wendy and the boys and bring them home as He, Tink, and the Lost Boys return to Neverland.
Captain Hook[]
Captain Hook is the main antagonist of Peter Pan. He is the only villain to be part of the Adventurers line. He is the captain of a band of pirates who got his name from the hook he wears in place of his left hand, which was cut off by Peter Pan and fed to Tick-Tock the Crocodile. Tick-Tock liked Hook's taste so much, he followed Hook ever since, hoping for more. Because of this, Hook wanted his revenge and for years searched the island for Pan's hideout. He sees his answer in Tiger Lily, the Red man chief's daughter. He kidnaps her to interrogate her for the answer, to no avail, as Pan comes to rescue her, leaving Hook to be chased by Tick-Tock. When Hook hears of Pan banishing Tinker Bell, he kidnaps her and tricks her into revealing the location of Pan's hiding place. He and his pirates find their way there, kidnap Wendy and the Boys and leave a bomb in the house, Which goes off before Peter finds out. Peter survives and goes off to save his friends. Peter throws Hook off the ship to be chased again by Tick-Tock into the sunset as the pirates follow them.
Trivia[]
- Aladdin is the only actual Disney Prince to be part of the Adventurers franchise. While not a prince, Tarzan is a Lord.
- Captain Hook is the only villain to be included in the franchise. For some reason the series logo has him standing alongside the heroes.
- Hercules might be the leader, as he is seen to be in the middle in most covers of the franchise in the same way that Cinderella is with the Disney Princesses as the leader.
- The Disney Store also issued Buzz Lightyear merchandise similar to the Adventurers products around the time of their sales.
- Most of the 11" Action figures are sold for at least $50.00 on online shops such as Amazon and Ebay.
Gallery[]
