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Feature Interview:

Mike Deforest

This months Feature Interview is with Mike DeForest, a TV News Reporter in Chattanooga, TN and an ex-Jungle Skipper from Disneyland.

JGR:     First of all, tell us how you came to be a Jungle Skipper - when, where, and how?
MD:     Ever since I was seven years old, I had one dream: to own a Disney nametag and to pilot a Jungle Cruise boat. In college, I got the chance to work at Disneyland. I started on the Skyway, then moved to Toontown. In the Summer of 95 I was invited to join the "Narrations Team"... an experiment of hand-picked CM's to work Jungle and
Storybook.
JGR:     What is the Narrations Team, exactly?
MD:     Instead of getting "drafted" to Jungle, CM's who had a genuine interest in enhancing the guest experience could "volunteer". The result was the best summer in Jungle history. Dozens of guest compliments and NO complaints.
JGR:     That's a great Idea - do they still do this?
MD:     Not anymore. The experiment was also done to test a new style of management, which I believe they still use. But CM's are still "drafted", resulting in some skippers who don't really want to be there.
JGR:     Interesting. Mike, tell us your favorite Jungle Cruise Story.
MD:     Oh. So many. There was the night a guest boarded the back of my boat with crutches.  I said, "You better watch out, sir, or the crocodile will get your OTHER leg".  Then he stepped under the light. He had no leg. I almost jumped ship. Fortunately, he  laughed the whole trip.
JGR:     Wow! Should we put that one down as your most embarrassing moment, too?
MD:    Definitely!  Then there were the countless "safaris" where CM's would scale the Indy Temple, ply through the dense trees, avoid being seen by passing boats, doing a quick dance with the Natives, and returning to dock... all in a 15 minute break.
JGR:     How long did you serve as a skipper?
MD:     Two years, until my career pulled me from that musty river.
JGR:     Was Jungle an essential part in getting that career?
MD:     It certainly helped. I'm a TV News reporter, currently working for the NBC station in Chattanooga, Tennessee. My wacky Jungle experiences taught me how to improvise in front of  a live audience... something I do every day now (except I don't get to see my audience!)
JGR:     What kind of news? IE, 6:00 anchor, sports, field?

 MD:     I'm a field reporter, usually doing live reports for the 5, 5:30, and 6pm shows. I was an anchor and weatherman at my last job in Minnesota.
JGR:   What's the most exciting thing you've reported on?
MD:     Everyday is an adventure, not knowing what I'll be covering. As a college intern, I covered the OJ civil trial. In Minnesota, I covered the "hometown" of the Arkansas school shooter. It's really hard to pick just one... every story I've done, both "bad" and "happy" news, has been memorable.
JGR:     How about the stupidest thing?
MD:     The grocery store Grand Opening... the day AFTER it happened (I began at a SMALL station in MN).
JGR:     How did you get from Jungle Skipper to TV news?
MD:     "Six years of high school and absolutely no ambition whatsoever (oops, that's how I became a Skipper)!" I studied Journalism at USC. The Jungle Cruise was my escape from the textbooks.
JGR:       Answer honestly now - how many times have you included a jungle spiel-type line in a TV  report?
MD:     You'd be amazed at how helpful it is to have those corny lines handy when you need to add spark to a news story.
JGR:     How often do you get back to the Jungle for visits?
MD:     I haven't been back since my last trip (when I refused to shoot at the hippos. However,when the skipper behind me fired at them, I slammed the boat in reverse and shot HIM). I have many trips saved on video tape (I'm a TV journalist!), and I'm always willing to break into a spiel for anyone willing to listen!
JGR:     Now that you're on the eastern side of the USA, do you ever make it to WDW's Jungle?
MD:     Actually, WDW was my first Jungle experience at age 7, and many trips thereafter.
JGR:     Cool - so which do you like better?
MD:     Gotta say Disneyland, just because that's MY jungle. The smell of the water and the hum of the engine bring back a flood of memories I'll always cherish.
JGR:     Mike, any advice for young skippers (or young TV reporters, for that matter)?
MD:     Follow your dreams, no matter what. Mine was to own a nametag and drive a boat. Today, I've got that nametag framed in a plaque saying "When You Wish Upon a Star, Your Dreams Come True." That plaque hangs proudly next to my Jungle hat.
JGR:     Mike, thanks for being with us - good luck in your TV career!
MD:     Thanks. Bye now. Bye now. Bye now, this interview should be over!