Photo, left by Brett 'DaddyB' Garrett

This seven minute cruise includes hippos (whose ears wiggle just before they attack), the "backside" of water, headhunters, (who will give you a deal today, two heads, for just one of yours) and numerous other corny jokes. The queue area  has been  themed  to fit in  with the Indiana Jones Adventure, however. There are several new additions to The Jungle Cruise, but we don't want to spoil it for you... (But you can see them featured in the video below!)

      The Jungle Cruise opened along with the park in 1955 and has changed very little since then. When Walt Disney was originally planning the Jungle Cruise, he had wanted live animals. Experts explained to Walt that the animals would most likely be sleeping during park hours, so mechanical animals were employed. These mechanical creations would be the forerunners to the modern audio-animatronics Disney would eventually develop.  Hippos, tigers, elephants, monkeys and even some human a figures are used throughout the ride. Additions such as the overturned jeep and the rerouting of the river when the Indiana Jones attraction was built are among the small changes to the ride over the years.

When Imagineers originally began the planning for the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction, there was a idea that the ride would begin with the Jungle Cruise, and guests would  disembark from the boats and board the troop transports for the Indiana Jones ride,  but because the Jungle Cruise  is unable to load and unload quickly, as well as other complications, the idea was scrapped. The ride was re-themed to fit the 1936 stylings of the Indiana Jones attraction next door.



There is nothing really "scary" on the Jungle Cruise, but you may want to avoid the attraction at night. Children may become upset because a lot of the attraction is very dark. The entire updated attraction is featured below.

VIDEO

The Jungle Cruise (updated) *

The Jungle Cruise (pre-refurbishment) **

*Video Courtesy of RU42 Productions
**Video Courtesy of Levelmaker99

 

Hi Resolution Photos - Click to see larger images
Photos courtesy of Brett "DaddyB" Garrett