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The History and Evolution of the Disney’s Jungle Cruise

Since it opened in Disneyland Park in July of 1955, Jungle Cruise has become one of the most iconic attractions in Disney’s theme park catalogue. Everything from the distinctive ride vehicles, comical tableaus, animatronic animals, and even the purposely over-the-top skipper spiel have become iconic elements of the Disney theme park experience, explaining why the Jungle Cruise has been cloned to nearly every Disney resort around the world.

However, despite its beloved stature, the attraction has met its fair share of controversy over the years, which has led to numerous changes, including a major refurbishment in 2021 .

To analyze this attraction’s controversial history, we must first look at its origins, years before Disneyland was constructed.

The origins.

The origins of the Jungle Cruise can be traced back to the late 1940s, when Walt Disney Pictures began production on their True-Life Adventures series. Beginning with Seal Island in 1948, these somewhat staged wildlife documentaries followed various groups of animals in their natural habitats. The series was so successful with movie-goers and critics that it eventually evolved from two-reel shorts to full-length documentary films that quickly became a cornerstone of Walt Disney Studios.  

Guests would view the animals from skipper-guided ride-vehicles modeled after the titular boat from the 1951 hit film The African Queen, while traveling through a jungle designed by Disneyland landscape extraordinaire Bill Evans.  

Welcome to the Jungle

Jungle Cruise opened with the rest of Disneyland on July 17, 1955. However, a modern guest would be hard-pressed to recognize much of the attraction. Sure they would be familiar with Goff’s general concept, and if they squinted they could imagine how the rather light jungle Evans planted would grow into the lush greenery seen today, but many iconic elements of the attraction would be absent. There was no ad-libbed humor from the skippers, who played the entire experience straight. In fact, there was no humor period.  

The Jungle Cruise, like Disneyland overall, was a massive success upon its opening, quickly becoming an integral part of American pop culture. However, as the park’s first decade came to a close, Walt Disney felt his park needed some new blood. According to legend, he once overheard a child ask his mother to ride the Jungle Cruise and was aghast when the mother responded that they’d ridden it last time and didn’t need to again. Whether this story is apocryphal or not, in the early 1960s Walt brought over animator Marc Davis from the Studios to “plus up” some of Disneyland’s attractions.  

One of the first attractions Davis – who would go on to become one of the company’s most influential Imagineers – worked on was Jungle Cruise. A visual comedian by nature, Davis decided to liven up the attraction by adding the playful elephant pool and comical trapped safari sequences.

These comedic elements in-turn influenced the ride’s skipper narration, which became more and more comical over the years. Davis’ changes led to the attraction becoming even more popular.  

Disney World’s Jungle Cruise

The Jungle Cruise’s status as one of Disney’s premier attractions was further solidified when a version of the ride opened with Walt Disney World and Magic Kingdom in 1971.

The Orlando version of the ride was similar to its Anaheim counterpart, though not a direct clone, and served the same purpose as the anchor attraction of the park’s Adventureland section.

Jungle Cruise International

A near-direct clone of the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction opened with Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, but when Disneyland Paris, then known as EuroDisney, opened in 1992, the park became the first “castle park” not to feature a Jungle Cruise on opening day. This was due partially to the cold French climate not being hospitable to water rides and partially because there were several knockoff Jungle Cruises already built at various French amusement parks.

Disneyland Levels Up

While these alternate versions of the Jungle Cruise were being built around the world, the Disneyland original continued to be “plussed” over the years. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, various new animals and show-scenes were added to the attraction. The biggest changes up to that point came in 1994, when the attraction was rerouted and shortened to make room for the then-upcoming Indiana Jones Adventure attraction. In addition, the ride (and the entirety of Adventureland) were rethemed to be set in the 1930s to tie into Indy.  

While these changes were substantial, they were nothing compared to the original plans , which were going to see a portion of the Jungle Cruise take place inside the Indiana Jones show building, as part of a plan to build a massive complex that would house four attractions.  

Holiday Overlays

Following these mid-90s refurbishments, the Jungle Cruise continued to be one of Disney’s marquee attractions. As a testament to said importance, in 2013, both American versions of the attraction were given a holiday overlay and temporarily renamed The Jingle Cruise.

The overlay was so successful that it was greatly expanded for 2014, and remained in both parks through 2016. For reasons unknown, Disneyland dropped The Jingle Cruise from its Holiday offerings in 2017, though the overlay remains a Magic Kingdom staple to this day.  

Controversy in the Jungle

Despite Jungle Cruise’s ongoing popularity, in recent decades the attraction has become controversial due to its purported negative depictions of native people, specifically the “headhunter” party as well as the Trader Sam “head salesman” character.  

In January 2021,  Disney announced that it would be making significant story changes to the Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World to alleviate these issues. Carmen Smith, creative development and inclusion strategies executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, explained the changes in a statement to the Los Angeles Times , saying:  

As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us. With Jungle Cruise, we’re bringing to life more of what people love – the humor and wit of our incredible skippers — while making needed updates.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger added , “The exciting changes we’re making to one of Disney’s most popular classic attractions, Jungle Cruise, reflect our commitment to creating unparalleled experiences that reflect, not only the best in storytelling, but also the values and rich diversity of our world.”

As part of these announcements, Disney made it clear that these changes to the attraction were not going to be related to the upcoming film based on the attraction.

Said film, simply titled Jungle Cruise , was released in July of 2021. The film starred Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti and was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It was such a hit, a sequel is already in the works.

How do you feel about the upcoming changes to the Jungle Cruise? Do you agree that they’ve been years in the making? Beyond that, how do you feel about the attraction overall? Let us know in the comments below.  

Jungle Cruise

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Jungle Cruise

• Water Rides

Head off to Adventure

Highlights of your unforgettable adventure include:

• Ancient Cambodian Shrine Come face-to-face with leaping tigers, lethal cobras and snapping crocodiles.
• Jungle Cruise Safari Camp Cruise past a former camp overrun by explosively curious gorillas.
• Indian Elephant Bathing Pool Venture into this sacred pool where you’ll see bathing Indian elephants. Feel free to take pictures—they have their trunks on.
• The African Veldt Behold angry hippos and hungry lions guarding a sleeping zebra.
• Schweitzer Falls Be awed as you take in a true natural wonder—the back side of water!

A Classic Cruise

The original Jungle Cruise opened on July 17, 1955 at Disneyland Park. Based on Disney’s award-winning True-Life Adventure films, the attraction had a more educational tone. In the early 1960s, Walt Disney introduced more drama and asked animator Marc Davis to sketch some humorous gags. 

Over the years, more “wildlife”—and new wisecracks—were added. These updates, along with our talented skippers, make for fun surprises on every trip down the river.

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The tropical hideaway, adventureland, plan your day with disney genie service, safety, accessibility and guest policies, times for jungle cruise.

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• Adventureland
• Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise (Disneyland Park)

• View history

The Jungle Cruise is an attraction located in Adventureland of the Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

The attraction was on the opening day roster of the park and has remained open and largely unchanged in theme and story since then. Aside from alterations and maintenance changes, four completely new show scenes have been added to date. In 1995 the river channel was rerouted to make way for the queue buildings and entrance courtyard of the Indiana Jones Adventure.

While the current version and most previous instances have made use of a comedic spiel, filled with intentionally bad puns, the original intent of the ride was to provide a realistic, believable voyage through the world's jungles. The original spiel had no jokes and sounded much like the narration of a nature documentary.

• 1.1 Effect on Walt Disney
• 2.1 Major changes
• 2.2 Description of specific changes
• 3.1.1 Names decommissioned in 1997

Inspiration and design [ ]

Sources of inspiration for the attraction include a 1955 True-Life Adventure about a pride of lions, and the movie The African Queen . Imagineer Harper Goff referenced the African Queen frequently in his ideas; even his designs of the ride vehicles were modeled after the steamer used in the film. The project was placed on the schedule to open on July 17, 1955, debut of Disneyland.

When plans began to develop, Bill Evans, the Imagineer responsible for landscaping Disneyland and most of Walt Disney World , faced the daunting task of foresting an entire jungle on a limited budget. Aside from importing many actual tropical plants, he made wide use of "character plants" which, while not necessarily exotic, could give the appearance of exoticism in context. In a particularly well-known trick, he uprooted local orange trees and "replanted" them upside-down, growing vines on the exposed roots. The clean water was dyed brown to prevent visitors from seeing the bottom of the "river," which varies between three and eight feet deep.

Although Goff and Evans can be credited with the creation and initial design of the ride, Marc Davis, recognized for his work on venerable attractions such as The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, added his own style to the ride in later versions and Disneyland updates. The "Indian Elephant Bathing Pool" and "Rhinoceros Chasing Explorers up a Pole" were among his contributions.

Effect on Walt Disney [ ]

In a popular story recounted by Jeff Lange, a writer for weblogging site Jim Hill Media, an experience at the Jungle Cruise helped bolster Walt Disney 's obsession with the concept of 'plussing', or continuous improvement. The story claims that Walt overheard a mother visiting Disneyland telling her child that since they had been on the ride the last time they visited the park, they didn't need to ride it again. In horror, he put his Imagineers to work designing upgrades to the ride. Many similar variations of this story exist.

Attraction Summary [ ]

The queue and station are themed as the headquarters and boathouse of the Jungle Navigation Company , located in a British colony in India during the 1930s. The queuing area is cluttered with appropriate props, such as pinned insects, an old radio on top of a bookshelf, and a chessboard with miniature animals and decorated shotgun shells replacing the pieces. The extended queue winds upstairs, underneath an Audio-Animatronic hornbill, and then downstairs again. Big band music from the 1930s plays overhead, punctuated by jungle-related news bulletins, helping to reinforce the setting and threading together the show scenes and boat.

Once aboard the boats, guests are introduced to their skipper and they head into the jungle, allegedly never to return. The first rivers simulated are the Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers, representing tropical Southeast Asia. The boats sail through a dense rainforest and pass by the Temple of the Forbidden Eye and a shrine of a cobra beholding a crystal ball. The boats pass a shrine to the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha and enter the Sacred Indian Elephant Bathing Pool where dozens of Indian elephants prance in the water and squirt water at the passing vessels.

The theme transitions to the rivers of Africa and riders see a family of baboons and a safari camp that has been overrun by gorillas . The boats careen past the dramatic waterfall, Schweitzer Falls, between two African Elephants, and large termite mounds. A tableau of the African Veldt follows, showing zebras, wildebeest, and giraffes watching a pride of lions feasting on a zebra beneath a rocky outcropping. Beyond the lion's den, an angry rhinoceros has chased a safari party up a tree. Antelope and hyenas watch from nearby. The skipper then pilots the boat into a large pool, disturbing a pod of hippos that signal their intent to attack the boat. The skipper frightens them away.

The boats enter through the Congo and pass another boat being taken over by chimpanzees raiding it of its supplies. The boats then pass by more chimpanzees who have raided the box of butterflies.

The boats pass behind Schweitzer Falls (referred to as "the Backside of Water") to enter the Amazon River. Skeletal animal remains and warning signs featuring pictures of dagger-toothed fish forewarn the next show scene, where the boats encounter a swarm of leaping piranha. The guests then pass a pool of water buffalo and pass by Trader Sam 's Gift Shop before returning to the dock.

Major changes [ ]

• 1962 - Addition of Indian Elephant pool
• 1964 - Addition of African Veldt and Lost Safari scenes
• 1993 - Various minor additions
• 1994 - Addition of boathouse queue
• 1995 – Rerouting of river to accommodate the Indiana Jones Adventure
• 1997 - Replacement of the original ride vehicles
• 2005 - Various replacements and reconstructions, addition of piranhas, and updates to Gorilla Camp scene

Description of specific changes [ ]

The baboons at the safari camp previously sat on the African termite mounds. A total of six lions have been removed since opening day: one that growled when the African Veldt was added, two lionesses from the Veldt that were fighting over a bloody strand of zebra meat, a lion and a lioness that each had a zebra leg in their mouth, and a dead lion hanging on a spit over a fire in the native village. Also removed from the Veldt were African wild dogs barking at the pride. The native village was originally a dense jungle filled with tikis, masks, and several more natives. Trader Sam previously wore a mask and a gorilla across the channel tried to grab his merchandise.

There are 12 vehicles, with a maximum of 9 in operation at any given time. The boats in 1955 were painted as clean, idealized replicas, but have since been given a more realistic theming reflecting the grunge and wear of actual watercraft due to the addition of Indiana Jones Adventure and its ruggedness.

Names in use [ ]

• Amazon Belle
• Congo Queen (gold-painted for 50th anniversary)
• Hondo Hattie
• Irrawaddy Woman
• Kissimmee Kate
• Nile Princess
• Orinoco Adventuress
• Suwannee Lady
• Ucayali Una (Wheelchair equipped)
• Yangtze Lotus
• Zambezi Miss

Names decommissioned in 1997 [ ]

• Magdalena Maiden
• Mekong Maiden

Gallery [ ]

• 1 Snow White
• 2 Mickey's Toontown Fair
• 3 Mickey and Friends Parking Structure

Jungle Cruise... the animatronic heavy, family-friendly boat ride you can experience while enjoying cheesy jokes told by your personal skipper has become a staple in Disney parks worldwide. While hundreds of guests board the boats every day, very few know the history behind the show scenes and animals features on the ride, and even fewer know just how many changes the ride's layout has gone through since its introduction. 

During its planning stages, Jungle Cruise intended to make use of live animals along the river, but Walt Disney and his imagineers were persuaded to use animatronics after being informed that most of the animals would be shy and reclusive during most of the day.

Because of this, the original concept for Jungle Cruise was reworked to feature a number of animal animatronics. When the ride officially opened in Disneyland in 1955, Jungle Cruise was short and its cheesy jokes favored a more serious and adventure-driven approach. After boarding their boat, guests would first pass by an abandoned Cambodian shrine, overgrown with foliage and currently inhabited by a gang of monkeys.

The monkeys play around the large mossy stones and fight over bananas, but after less than a year of operation, the monkeys were removed from the attraction and never returned. Guests would also encounter giraffes, elephants, lions feasting on a zebra, alligators, and rampaging hippos that the skipper would shoot a prop pistol at in hopes that they would back down. Toward the end of the ride, guests would experience the most controversial aspect of the ride--a hut owned by indigenous headhunters. 

During the next few years of operation, Jungle Cruise experienced its first big update, hoping to entice some visitors to ride again to witness the new show scenes and animals. In addition to some new animals, the indigenous hut was expanded into a full village of animatronics, including the addition of the now iconic Trader Sam.

Around this time, the boat house and attraction entrance were demolished and rebuilt with a new theme after the lookout tower built atop the boat house was no longer in service. It was believed around this time that the foliage in the jungle around the river had grown too tall and too dense for any of the lookouts to see the boats from the tower.

During the early 60s, Jungle Cruise saw another large expansion with an overhaul of the original Cambodian shrine and a new scene featuring a handful of Indian elephants playing and bathing in the river. The expansion's second half changed the lion pride eating a zebra to a larger scene with more lions and more zebra pieces scattered about. Another addition to the show scenes was a rhino standing guard at the base of a pillar while tourists and explorers took refuge just out of range of the rhino's sharp horn. A pack of hyenas watched from nearby, laughing at the explorers' predicament.

The attraction proved to be so successful that Walt Disney World adopted its own version. This second incarnation of the classic ride featured more show scenes and expanded areas, including another reimagined temple and a group of adorable large frogs. Unfortunately these frogs did not make it long into the attraction's history before being removed for being "too cartoony" for the Cruise.

The second incarnation's success encouraged the original to implement some changes of its own. Scenes were added in Disneyland's version where guests would pass by a gorilla facing off against an angry alligator, and a group of alligators snapping at a brave hornbill on a branch just out of reach. Around this time, some of the animals were shuffled and relocated to new areas. The lions were moved to a proper den, and a tiger took up residence within the shrine. 

Both Tokyo and Hong Kong introduced their own versions to their respective rosters and combined aspects from both the original and the Magic Kingdom's versions, as well as adding their own unique scenes and twists. For around twenty years, little changed on the Cruises. A few outdated animatronics that were beginning to show their age were occasionally replaced with new animals, but no scene additions were made for quite a long time. 

In 1993, the attraction's entrance was demolished and updated to fit the aesthetic of the new neighboring Indiana Jones attraction. Because of the addition of this new ride, Jungle Cruise's river was slightly shortened to make room. The hornbill and alligators scene was removed to adapt to this change. The boats were also changed to fit the surroundings and give them more of a jungle boat theme. In 2001, the longtime tradition of skippers firing guns at charging hippos was removed permanently, and four years later, the campsite was changed to add some gorillas playing around with the supplies. The lions were moved from their original spots and into a new expanded location, a group of piranhas chased the boat in a new scene, and a baby elephant was added near the river.

Aside from a few minor changes here and there, Jungle Cruise has not received a major update in several years. Were there any scenes or animals you enjoyed in particular and would love to have return? Let us know how you would like Jungle Cruise to change in the future by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Ellie is a contributing feature writer for Theme Park Tourist who loves to tackle abandoned locations, ride history, and theme park mysteries in her articles. Although she lives out of state, she makes frequent trips to the Orlando parks and is particularly fond of the Universal Orlando Resort. Her favorite ride is VelociCoaster and her go-to snack at the resort is a Big Pink doughnut from Springfield!

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Jungle Cruise

• Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element.
• 1916. Dreaming about saving countless lives and having another adventure, the feisty English feminist and doctor of botany, Dr Lily Houghton, embarks on a peril-laden mission to change the world. Along with her fashionable brother, MacGregor, Dr Houghton enlists the help of the arrogant, wisecracking riverboat skipper, Captain Frank Wolff, to guide them through the serpentine Amazon River in La Quila, his swift wooden boat. Now, as the intrepid trio ventures deeper and deeper into the heart of an impenetrable green maze, searching for something that cannot be found, a centuries-old curse and the ruthless aristocrat, Prince Joachim, threaten to put an end to their ambitious plans. And, sooner or later, the jungle always wins. Is it true that the Spanish conquistador, Don Aguirre, was lost in the same God-forsaken part of the world? — Nick Riganas
• In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors travel to South America in search of the Tears of the Moon, a mythical tree whose petals can cure any illness, heal any injury, and lift any curse. After most of the men die in the jungle, the survivors are nursed back to health by a local tribe using the tree petals. When they refuse to reveal the location of the tree, the Spanish destroy the village, and as punishment are cursed to never die and never be able to leave sight of the river. In 1916, Dr. Lily Houghton and her brother MacGregor detail Lily's research on the Tears of the Moon to an association of English explorers, explaining that the petals could revitalize medicine and aid in the war effort. The Houghton's request access to an arrowhead recovered by Dr. Albert Falls that Lily believes is key to locating the tree. When the association denies their request, believing the tree to be a myth and a female scientist unqualified to join their ranks, Lily steals the arrowhead instead. She narrowly avoids Prince Joachim, a German aristocrat who also wants the arrowhead and the tree. In South America, Frank Wolff takes tourists on jungle river cruises, which he embellishes with fake dangers and corny jokes. When his boat engine is repossessed by businessman Nilo, he attempts to steal it back. Caught in the act by Lily, Frank pretends to be Nilo and arrogantly tells her that the Tears of the Moon is a myth and that she will not be able to handle the dangers of the jungle, but changes his tone when he notices that Lily is in possession of the arrowhead. Frank's deception is revealed with the real Nilo shows up, but Lily hires Frank anyway after he underbids Nilo and bravely fights off a wild jaguar attack. Frank, Lily, and MacGregor depart on Frank's boat but are almost intercepted by Nilo attempting to get his engine back, mercenaries hired by Joachim to retrieve the arrowhead from Lily, and Joachim himself attacking in a German submarine. After they make their mistake, it is revealed that the attacking jaguar was actually Frank's pet Proxima, and Lily wonders if Frank can be trusted. Joachim locates the cursed conquistadors, whose bodies have turned to stone due to them traveling too far from the river, and have been infested over time by tree roots, snakes, and insects. Joachim frees them by diverting the river, and offers to help them break the curse if they help him to retrieve the arrowhead. As Frank, Lily and MacGregor continue down the river they become closer. MacGregor reveals to Frank that he was nearly disowned by his family due to his homosexuality, but Lily stood by him. Breaking into Frank's cabin, Lily finds photos and drawings of new inventions such as the automobile, but also discovers drawings of the arrowhead and research on the Tears of the Moon. Lily accuses Frank of wanting the tree for himself, but he explains he gave up searching for it a long time ago and believed it couldn't be found. They are attacked by a tribe of "cannibals" who demand the arrowhead, but this is revealed to be another deception by Frank working with a friendly tribe. Frank apologizes and says he was unable to call off the plan, but Lily rebuffs him. Trader Sam, the tribe's female leader, translates the writing on the arrowhead, revealing the location of the tree, and that it only blooms under a blood moon. The conquistadors attack and manage to take the arrowhead; Frank recovers it and gives it to Lily but is stabbed through the chest with a sword and falls to his death. Lily runs away from the river so that the Spaniards cannot follow her. The next morning, Lily discovers that Frank has miraculously survived. He reveals that his real name is Francisco, and he is actually one of the cursed conquistadors, unable to die or leave the river. The expedition to find the tree was originally a noble one to save the leader's sick daughter, but when the natives were attacked by the Spaniards, Frank switched sides to help the villagers. After years of fighting, Frank trapped the others in a cave away from the river. He then spent time searching for the tree to lift his own curse, but had been unable to find it without the arrowhead. An injured MacGregor stays behind with Trader Sam while Lily and Frank make the final journey to the tree. MacGregor is captured by Joachim and forced to reveal the location of the tree. Frank, Lily, the Germans, and the Spaniards all converge on the tree, which begins to bloom under the blood moon. The moon passes quickly as they fight, and Lily is only able to recover one petal. MacGregor kills Joachim, and Frank crashes his boat to block the river, turning himself and the other Spaniards into stone. Lily uses the petal to revive Frank and break the curse, only afterwords discovering that due to a shift in the moonlight there is one petal left for Lily's research. Back in London, the society has offered full membership to Lily, which she rejects. She shows Frank London and gives him his first driving lesson in her automobile as well as delivering a corny joke herself.

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Jungle Cruise

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• 3.1 Uncredited

Synopsis [ ]

• Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff
• Emily Blunt as Lily Houghton
• Edgar Ramírez as Aguirre
• Jack Whitehall as MacGregor Houghton
• Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim
• Paul Giamatti as Nilo
• Veronica Falcón as Trader Sam
• Dani Rovira as Sancho
• Quim Gutiérrez as Melchor
• Dan Dargan Carter as Gonzalo
• Andy Nyman as Sir James Hobbs-Coddington
• Raphael Alejandro as Zaqueu
• Simone Lockhart as Anna
• Pedro Lopez as Chief
• Sulem Calderon as Chief's Daughter
• Sebastian Blunt as Society Guard
• Mark Ashworth as Society Member
• Allan Poppleton as Society Worker
• Caroline Paige as Kid Tourist
• James Quattrochi as Italian Tourist
• Stephen Dunlevy as Middlepart
• Philipp Maximilian as Axel
• Romualdo Castillo as Animal Vendor
• Pedro Haro as Bird Vendor
• Christina Souza as Barmaid
• Michael H. Cole as Bus Conductor
• Hector Banos as Puka Michuna Warrior
• Peter Luis Zimmerman as Puka Michuna Warrior
• Travis Gomez as Puka Michuna Warrior
• Ismael Herrera as Puka Michuna Warrior
• David Lengel as Boat Tourist
• Justin Randell Brooke as Boat Tourist
• Victoria Blade as Boat Tourist
• Brooke Jaye Taylor as Boat Tourist
• Vince Pisani as Boat Tourist
• Piper Collins as Boat Tourist
• Keith Arthur Bolden as Boat Tourist
• Chip Steele as Boat Tourist
• Ben Jenkin as Proxima
• David Paris as Pilot
• Kevin Larosa as Pilot

Uncredited [ ]

• Jobe Allen as Merchant Vendor
• Al Saif Alshad as Extra
• James William Ballard as Society Member
• Pedro Barquin as Dying Conquistador
• Sharon M. Bell as Guitar Lady
• Nick Benseman as German Mercenary
• Shane Berengue as Society Member
• Larry Blanks as Society Member
• Ryan Boz as Soldier
• Madeline Brumby as Upper Class Tourist
• John David Bulla as Spanish Conquistador
• Serge Burack Jr. as Society Member
• Luis Burbano as Puka Michuna Warrior
• James Burns as Londoner
• Met Clark as Yaktunaru Healer
• Jeremy Connell as Society Member
• Paul Delacerda as Puka Michuna Drummer #1
• Marc Demeter as Archaeologist
• Mariama Diallo as Mfantse Woman
• Ryan Dinning as Soldier #2
• Nalehua'o Puna Donlin as Merchant Vendor
• Porter Drudge as Lollipop Tourist Boy
• Payson Durant as Hotel Guest
• Lionel Fase as Tourist
• Faith Fay as Hotel Guest - Savannah
• Charles-Joseph Fisher as Flower Vendor
• Tony Fontanez as Tourist / Townsperson
• Gavrielle Anne Fontanilla as Puka Lady
• Kylie Michele Fuller as Society Cruise Tourist Kid
• Ely Garcia II as Dockworker
• Daniel Giron as Extra
• Stephan Goldbach as Surviving Mercenary
• Brian Gonzalez as Puka Michuna Drummer #2
• Jay Gutierrez as Conquistador
• Josué Gutierrez as Puka Warrior
• David H. Hahn as Gambler
• Clyde C Harris as Puka Warrior #2
• Nicholas Ryan Hernandez as Young Aguirre
• Tom Holowach as Hairpin Man
• Kalanikauleleiaiwi Ka'auwai as Boater
• Jay D. Kacho as RADAS Member
• Ilana Kohanchi as Italian Woman
• Abraham Kyle IV as Boater
• Xavier Leblanc as Puka Michuna Warrior
• Eufemio Longboy Jr. as Bartender
• Roy Luke as Society Member
• Clay Mason as Nilo's Dockworker
• Shawn McBride as Hotel Guest - Peppa
• Luke McDonald as Puka Male
• Garrett M Miller as Lecture
• David R. Mitchell as Society Member
• Casey Nelson as Soldier #3
• Jason New as Hotel Maitre D'
• Keith Nussbaum as German Valet
• Emily Marie Palmer as French Woman
• Annika Pampel as German Woman
• Danny Pardo as Canoe Man
• Josiah Paul as 1920s Society Member
• Quintin Tyler Price as British Soldier
• Nathan Reyes as Boater
• Henardo Rodriguez as Native American
• Matt Rodriguez as Ride Tribe Marauder
• Jamey Russell as Tourist
• Sterling l Sheldon as Gambler
• James Siderits as Society Member
• Jaren Soto as Yaktunaru Tribesman
• Keekee Suki as Market Vendor
• Charles Surrett as High Society Man
• Jason Szabo as Tourist
• Alfredo Tavares as Gang Member
• Robert Tinsley as London Guard
• David Turner as Society Member
• Alexandra Velez as Puka Woman
• Ruben Vidal as Frank's Friend
• Tom Vodnik as Tanner
• Wes Weems as Society Member
• Tanya Wheelock as Boat Tourist
• Kiera Woodward as Boat Tourist Child
• Marn Zeeb as Pit Boss Gambler

Gallery [ ]

• 1 Billie Gadsdon
• 2 Carra Patterson
• 3 Disney+ Hotstar

• Characters in Disney parks
• Disney characters
• S.E.A. characters

Jungle Cruise characters

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All items (64)

• Albert Awol
• Albert Falls, Jr.

• Nigel Greenwater

• Victoria Marie Falls

• Jingle Cruise
• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
• Indiana Jones
• Skipper Survival Guide
• Theme Park items
• Kinect: Disneyland Adventures
• Epic Mickey
• Trader Sam's
• Tropical Hideaway
• Virtual Jungle Cruise
• Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions
• Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom)
• Jungle Cruise (Disneyland)
• Jungle River Cruise

Jungle River Boats

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The Jungle River Boats are the official names for the boats in the Jungle Cruise franchise.

• 1 Description
• 2.1.1 Decommissioned boats
• 2.2 Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions
• 2.3 Jungle River Cruise
• 2.4.1 Decommissioned boats
• 3.1 Background
• 3.2 Development history
• 4.1 Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
• 4.2 Jungle Cruise
• 4.3 Magic of Disney Animation
• 4.4 Skipper Canteen
• 4.5 Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
• 4.6 Tropical Hideaway
• 4.7 Virtual Jungle Cruise
• 5.1.1 Mickey Mouse
• 5.2.1 Disney Parks Presents: Jungle Cruise
• 5.3.1 Kinect: Disneyland Adventures
• 5.4.1 Jungle Cruise Adventure Game
• 5.4.2 Walt Disney's Adventureland Game
• 8 References

Description [ ]

The vast majority of these boats were small steamboats used by the colonial Jungle Navigation Company . Many of them had canopies (traditionally with colourful stripes though are often with a canvas material).

Disneyland [ ]

• Jingle Cruise name: Jingle Belle.
• Jingle Cruise name: Congo Caroler/Candy Cane Queen
• Jingle Cruise name: Ganges Garland/Gingerbread Gal
• Jingle Cruise name: Hondo Hollie/Hanukkah Hattie
• Jingle Cruise name: Irrawaddy Snowman
• Jingle Cruise name: Yule Kissimmee/Kissimmee Under the Mistletoe
• Jingle Cruise name: Nile Nutcracker/Noël Princess
• Comes equipped with a wheelchair lift.
• Jingle Cruise name: Orinoco Ornament/Navidad Adventuress
• Jingle Cruise name: Suwannee Sleigh/Sugar Plum Lady
• Jingle Cruise name: Ucayali Eggnog/Evergreen Una
• Jingle Cruise name: Yuletide Lotus
• Jingle Cruise name: Peppermint Miss

Decommissioned boats [ ]

• Magdalena Maiden
• Mekong Maiden

Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions [ ]

• Amazon Annie
• Congo Connie
• Ganges Gertie
• Irrawaddy Irma
• Kwango Kate
• Orinoco Ida
• Rutshuru Ruby
• Sankuru Sadie
• Senegal Sal
• Wamba Wanda
• Zambezi Zelda

Jungle River Cruise [ ]

• Wheelchair accessible.
• Lijiang Lady
• Nile Nellie
• Yangzi Ying Ying

Magic Kingdom [ ]

• Jingle Cruise name: Eggnog Annie
• Jingle Cruise name: Brrrrr Bertha
• Jingle Cruise name: Candy Cane Connie
• Jingle Cruise name: Garland Gertie
• Jingle Cruise name: Icicle Irma
• Jingle Cruise name: Mistletoe Millie
• Jingle Cruise name: Noel Nellie
• Jingle Cruise name: Orino-cocoa Ida
• Jingle Cruise name: Reindeer Ruby
• Jingle Cruise name: Sleigh Ride Sadie
• Jingle Cruise name: Poinsettia Sal
• Jingle Cruise name: Yule Log Lolly
• Jingle Cruise name: Vixen Val
• Jingle Cruise name: Wassail Wanda
• Jingle Cruise name: Fruitcake Zelda
• Albatross :
• Amazon Lil :
• Amazon Queen : The boat of Al B. Lost in Kinect: Disneyland Adventures .
• Blown-up Bonita :
• Branco Beauty :
• Burning Bianca :
• Fateless Fiona :
• Hapless Hortense :
• Jungle Princess :
• Kissimmee Kimmy :
• La Quila : This was the ramshackle boat used by Frank Wolff .
• Lost Lucia :
• Missing Mele :
• Molopo Marie : The Molopo Marie was the boat of the Falls family.
• Nabbed Naoko :
• Nile Lady :
• Run Aground Sue :
• Sunken Sonya :
• Troubled Titania :
• Unknown Usha :

History [ ]

Background [ ], development history [ ].

Imagineer Harper Goff was largely inspired by the 1951 adventure film The African Queen which involved a riverboat captain named Charlie Allnut piloting a boat called The African Queen . Originally, the boats of the Jungle Cruise had striped canopies in white and either red, blue or green. These canopies were altered for more realistic canopies in the 1990s, tying into refurbishments made with Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Appearances [ ]

Indiana jones adventure: temple of the forbidden eye [ ].

Tourists are shown in the Eye on the Globe newsreel as using a jungle cruise boat to travel to the Lost Delta.

Jungle Cruise [ ]

In the queue are blue-prints for the boats.

Magic of Disney Animation [ ]

Skipper canteen [ ], sorcerers of the magic kingdom [ ].

Merlin appeared riding a boat with Rafiki while dressed as a skipper. The boats were also illustrated outside the Amazon River Base on maps of Adventureland

Tropical Hideaway [ ]

Virtual jungle cruise [ ].

One of the boats would appear at the beginning and end of the ride.

In other media [ ]

Television [ ], mickey mouse [ ], printed materials [ ], disney parks presents: jungle cruise [ ], video-games [ ], kinect: disneyland adventures [ ], paraphernalia [ ], jungle cruise adventure game [ ], walt disney's adventureland game [ ].

• The skirt of Chief Nah-mee is implied to be made from the red/white striped canopies.
• In Na'vi River Journey , the boats are paralleled with wicker-boats owned by Alpha Centauri Expeditions .

Gallery [ ]

References [ ]

• 1 Lope de Aguirre
• 2 Frank Wolff
• 3 List of Secrets and Easter Eggs in Trader Sam's