Five Things to Know About the Jungle Cruise

We think every visit to Walt Disney World should include a couple of the classic attractions. And Jungle Cruise immediately comes to mind as a must-do. So, here’s what you’ll want to know as you’re sent up the river on your trip. Read on to learn more—or to dive right into the nitty-gritty details, here’s your shortcut.

1. Waiting to board can be an “oar-deal,” but the queue is terrific.

The queue for Jungle Cruise can extend out into the open air and heat. But once you enter the covered portion, you’ll quickly see that this is one of the most richly themed queues at WDW. And while there isn’t any interactive feature here, there’s much to take in!

 

The story is set in 1938, as you enter the offices of the Jungle Navigation Company, a company that books cruises for tourists. The boathouse’s radio plays music, and you’ll hear an occasional announcement. The queue is laid out in such a way as to ensure you wind past all the different period props and humorous signage. You’ll discover that the visual humor and pun-tastic narration of the Cruise begins before you even board the boat! As they say, “getting there is half the pun” – I mean “fun.”

2. You visit four rivers until you “Congo” no further.

The ride is an outdoor boat tour which Disney describes as, “a 10-minute, 10,000-mile journey that you won’t soon forget!” During your all-too-short around-the-world tour, you’ll glide through the Amazon in South America, the African Congo, the Egyptian Nile, and the East Asian Mekong River. But there’s no need to pack your Dramamine; the Jungle Cruise is a gentle, slow-moving boat ride. And while there’s a lot of water involved, the depth is never much greater than three feet (maybe around six feet at the hippo pool).

Your skipper pilots you safely through “the world’s most treacherous waters,” all the while delivering a pun-filled narration. You’ll come across scene after scene of audio-animatronic wildlife, visit a mysterious temple, and – pay attention here! – the eighth wonder of the world! As you pass behind the waterfall, you’ll hear a joke (or two) that’s made it into the lexicon of classic Disney jokes. You may get a little damp from the mist, but never soaked.

3. The cruise story has flowed with the times.

The Jungle Cruise attraction was inspired by Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures films and the classic movie, “The African Queen.”. The Disney World version was an opening-day attraction at Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. But the original debuted at Disneyland Park on July 17, 1955. (Other versions can be found at Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland.)

As first envisioned, the attraction was way more serious than today – no jokes or puns at all. It seems that Walt wanted it to be more like going through an actual jungle. He originally wanted live animals in the attraction, although it turned out that wasn’t a great idea. As time passed, the Jungle Cruise became more about the skipper’s pun-filled narration and visual humor of the scenes. The skippers are allowed to add their own touches of humor to the spiel while sticking loosely to a script. This means that you’ll never have exactly the same ride twice!

In January 2021, Disney announced updates to the ride. New characters, new scenes, more humor, and more wildlife were added. Some older scenes that had become dated and out of step with the times were replaced. Scenes of the “headhunter” party and the Trader Sam “head salesman” – portraying negative representations of native peoples – were eliminated. The experience would, as Bob Iger tweeted, “reflect, not only the best in storytelling, but also the values and rich diversity of our world.”

Once completed in August 2021, guests enjoyed a new skipper’s office in the queue, trapped skippers up a pole, a sunken boat near the hippos, chimps on the wrecked boat, and new animatronics added to Trader Sam’s. Even with changes and updates, the ride has retained much of its vintage charm, ensuring its place among the classic Disney attractions.

4. Cruisin’ for some secrets? Here are a few.

⭐ The full name of the attraction was originally the Jungle RIVER Cruise. Because you’re cruising down a river (four rivers actually), not just through the jungle. It’s still called that at Disneyland Hong Kong.

⭐ In 2013, the Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise received one of the park’s first holiday overlays. The “Jingle Cruise” has holiday-themed jokes and Christmas decor courtesy of homesick skippers. This festive makeover can be enjoyed yearly during the Disney Christmas season which starts in November and ends shortly after New Year’s Day.

⭐ Skippers don’t really steer the boats. Your boat follows an underwater track; to camouflage the track, the water is dyed to appear murky. It also hides the platforms of the Animatronics you pass, helping ensure the illusion remains intact.

⭐ I have read a story that says once Walt overheard a guest and her son talking in the park. The boy wanted to ride Jungle Cruise, but mom told him no; they did it last time, so they didn’t need to see it again. This comment helped Walt decide to always keep things evolving and updating in the parks in order to keep guests eager to return.

⭐ This one’s not really a secret, but in 2015, the Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen restaurant opened in Adventureland. The restaurant further expands the Jungle Cruise’s mythology. Here, the skippers are your servers, and the menu reflects flavors from all the parts of the world featured in the Jungle Cruise, as well as a few of the puns! How a-boat that?

5. The Nuts and Bolts.

Jungle Cruise is in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom, across from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. The main part of the queue is covered, but not enclosed, so it can get hot, and those in the extended queue will be in the sun. While the Jungle Cruise boats are covered, certain weather conditions may result in the attraction’s closure.

Each Jungle Cruise boat accommodates around 30 guests. Bench seats line the interior perimeter of the boat with some seating provided in the middle. There are no safety restraints due to the slow-moving nature of these ride vehicles. There are 15 boats, with a maximum of 9 in operation at any given time.

To board, guests must step over a moderate-height wall onto a bench and then down a moderate step. Cast Members usually lend a hand if needed to help guests step from the dock to the boat, as well as to disembark. Guests may remain in a wheelchair/ECV. There are no health and safety advisories for the Jungle Cruise and there is no height requirement to ride. In order for everyone to enjoy the cruise, assistive listening, handheld captioning, and sign language are available.

Jungle Cruise is not open for Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours. Lines can get really long, and standby wait times often exceed 60 minutes, especially during the middle of the day. If you don’t ride Jungle Cruise when Adventureland opens or near closing time, visit a bathroom before you get in line and bring along a refreshing beverage and the SPF of your choice. Options for a shorter wait include visiting when Adventureland opens or near closing time, or purchasing Lightning Lane Multi-Pass to use the Lightning Lane.

The Bottom Line.

The Jungle Cruise is the perfect ride for those who want a classic Disney attraction laced with puns that make even Dad groan. Some say it’s even better at night. Whenever you ride, the Jungle crews will ensure your Jungle Cruise is simply “pun-derful.”

Have you taken the Cruise? What was your favorite pun? Let us know in the comment below.

(Originally published February 9, 2023. Last updated/republished January 9, 2025.)