Disney completes the updates to the Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom

Table Of Content

• Nighttime Bayou Glow Added to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom
• First look: Updated Jungle Cruise at Disney World
• Guests Can Be
• & 2025 Disney World Crowd Calendar (best times to go)
• New Star Tours Merchandise Debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Hollywood Studios After Hours Review & Event Recap: Is It Worth It?
• Planning
• A new skippers office in the queue area

You will enter a hippo pool which will require some expert navigation from your Skipper as you see another tour cruise boat that did not fare so well going through them. Jungle Cruise’s boats are slow-moving and don’t have any fast turns, so motion sickness seems very unlikely. Feel free to check out our guide on motion sickness that’s filled with additional information and tips. A select number of boats are wheelchair accessible and have space for a single wheelchair.

Nighttime Bayou Glow Added to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom

Sign language interpretation and assistive listening are also offered on the Jungle Cruise ride on certain days. To obtain a schedule listing exact days and times, visit Guest Relations in the park. The majority of wheelchair sizes have no problem fitting on the boats. There is a separate wheelchair accessible entrance where your party can wait to board their boat. The Standby Line for Jungle Cruise is typically the lowest first thing in the morning and at the end of the evening.

First look: Updated Jungle Cruise at Disney World

So, if this ride is a priority for you, planning accordingly is a must. Before we get too far into it, make sure you check out our guide on the Best Rides at Magic Kingdom for information on every attraction and show at Magic Kingdom. Here's roughly how many minutes you'll wait for Jungle Cruise at each Magic Kingdom Crowd Level. There is an instance of gunfire sound effects, but guests can request that it’s not played if this will trouble someone at the party. There’s an extensive kids’ menu with menu items such as Junior Skip’s Macaroni & Cheese, or Chef Tandaji’s Crispy Chicken.

Guests Can Be

Pictures: Disney World's Jungle Cruise attraction – Orlando Sentinel - Orlando Sentinel

Pictures: Disney World's Jungle Cruise attraction – Orlando Sentinel.

Posted: Mon, 25 Jan 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Let us – and thousands of other Disney fans – know in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook. Other areas ripe for a material refresh include the dock overlooking the nearby Swiss Family Treehouse attraction. Most of the load dock area has been completed, but a portion of old wood remains at the unload area. Guests are routed to the left of the construction area, and then toward the “back” of the queue past the shipping office, as crowd levels necessitate.

& 2025 Disney World Crowd Calendar (best times to go)

Now in its third month, the Jungle Cruise dock refurbishment is past the halfway point as work moves to a new portion of the queue. The project includes removing wood paneling from the dock and replacing it with what appears to be a composite material. While visiting Magic Kingdom, we stopped by Jungle Cruise before the lines got too long to get an updated look at the work and progress. Skipper Canteen is located across from the entrance to the Jungle Cruise. Experience “World Famous Jungle Cuisine” in one of several unique dining rooms – including a crew mess hall and a once-hidden secret meeting room of the famed Society of Explorers and Adventurers. Lightning Lane access for the Jungle Cruise is available with the purchase of Genie+.

Most wheelchairs, including motorized and some ECVs, can be accommodated by these boats. Your boat will pull up with your guide at the helm when it’s your turn. There are 15 boats in rotation, each with its memorable name (like Wamba Wanda). You can find it by going to the hub and taking the first left to Adventureland.

The cruise takes on a whole different feel when ridden in the evening in the dark — this is also a less crowded time to take the ride. Disney World posted on its Twitter account this week that work is complete on the Jungle Cruise makeover, which had not forced the ride to close for day guests. New scenes were plopped in over several weeks, and some affected areas were tarped over during the transition. Kids are also required to remain seated completely during the entire tour. There is no exchanging of kids from one parent to another while the ride is in motion.

Disney shares update about changes coming to 'Jungle Cruise' attraction - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

Disney shares update about changes coming to 'Jungle Cruise' attraction.

Posted: Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Jungle Cruise was one of the original attractions ready in 1971 on Magic Kingdom’s opening day. It was also an opening day attraction at Disneyland Park in California back in 1955. Anyone riding with kids may want to tell them the animals aren’t real prior to riding. There is a small 6 inch gap you must step over and down into the boat.

You’ll pass a zebra watching a lion eat a member of its pack, and a group of lost safari goers hanging from a long pole, avoiding a black Rhino. The ride has a long wooden bench on each side of the boat, so guests face each other and sit side by side. However, due to public outcry, it was announced in 2022 that FastPass would be coming back to the parks. The Jungle Cruise story was expanded in 2015 with the opening of the Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant, Jungle Skipper Canteen. Bill Evans was tasked with creating a jungle within the park on a budget.

After some brief safety guidelines and a clear to go, your Skipper starts the tour sailing your cruise boat away from the dock and into the jungle. Since then, the ride has only improved– and despite having one of the longest wait times in the Magic Kingdom, guests of the park continue to visit this ride on every trip. That’s thanks both to nostalgia, and the fact that no two rides are ever the same. FastPass+ is offered and highly recommended as wait times will exceed 30 to 60 minutes on a typical summer day. There is some shade in the queue line while helps in the heat of the day.

In addition to the Bomokandi Bertha, we’ve heard that the Sankuru Sadie also had sunk back in 2004 but details on this are a little sketchy as the boat returned to service shortly afterwards. Most importantly, the outdated depictions and problematic scenes have been removed. The original script for Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise was written by Winston Hibler and inspired by Disney’s True-Life Adventure African Lion film.

It’s a long ride, it’s one of the most popular rides in the park, and if you can get it off your to-do list early you’ll have an easier time navigating the rest of your day. The Jungle Cruise population continues to feature a menagerie of automated animals, including zebras, lions, hippos, elephants and snakes. Humans on board also supply entertainment with groans for puns and cheers for the long-running “backside of water” joke. A kid in a Pluto cap Friday gave rounds of slow applause to skipper bits, while another covered her ears until approaching a tiger in the temple. Prepare to sail away on an adventure of a lifetime as your cruise boat arrives into the loading dock.

Due to the nature of this ride being open and on the water, the Skippers are very strict about this. As your tour boat approaches the dock again wait on your Skipper to give the word to gather all your belongings and disembark. There’s no visit to the jungle complete without a stop to see Trader Sam’s gift shop.

The average wait time for the ride is about an hour, one of the longest at the park. The ride is suitable for all ages and very accessible to those with disabilities. It’s a smooth, slow ride, but there’s never a dull moment thanks to the story unfolding around you and your skipper’s commentary.

A rhinoceros is seen trying to make his point, chasing a group of explorers up a pole. You will pass by your Skippers pet python snake and a camp being broken down by Gorillas. You’ll want to speak with a Cast Member at the attraction entrance (at the top of the path that leads to the attraction) for details and directions. Jungle Cruise is not available during Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours.