Disney Announces Overhaul of Iconic Jungle Cruise Attraction

An iconic Walt Disney World attraction is getting a makeover very soon.

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While the Walt Disney World Resort is full of incredible experiences, a large majority of the most famous rides, attractions, shows, and parades can be found inside the Magic Kingdom. Opening in 1971, the Magic Kingdom immediately became a success, allowing guests to explore different lands and some impressive (at the time) attractions.

Over the last several decades, the Magic Kingdom has only gotten better, with new and exciting rides opening, pushing the boundaries of what we once thought was possible within theme parks. A great example of this is the new roller coaster at the park, TRON Lightcycle / Run.

TRON Lightcycle / Run was announced several years ago, first opening at Shanghai Disneyland in China. This immersive coaster was promised to be a worthy expansion to Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland, sitting right next to the iconic Space Mountain. In 2023, TRON Lightcycle / Run finally opened, and while short, we can’t deny it’s a fast-paced adventure from start to end. Fans of Disney’s TRON franchise will get even more out of it, as the ride takes a lot of inspiration for TRON: Legacy (2010).

The Magic Kingdom changed big time in 2014 when New Fantasyland opened. This expansion of the decades-old Fantasyland section of the park breathed new life into an already-popular destination, bringing new rides, attractions, and theming. The most popular part of this expansion has been the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a roller coaster themed to Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

However, there’s a ride that any guests may miss, and it’s about to undergo changes of its own.

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The “World Famous” Jungle Cruise is an attraction that works overtime to convince guests they’re actually traveling through mysterious rivers. Along the way, guests will encounter various animal animatronics and stunning “natural” beauties all while a sarcastic and witty tour guide cracks jokes.

The ride is a classic and is present at multiple Disney resorts across the world. However, this doesn’t mean it can’t get a few upgrades and changes. Over the years, The Walt Disney Company has worked hard to ensure its rides and attractions are as “inclusive” as possible, swapping certain parts of rides or removing them entirely. A great example of this is the bride auction scene in Pirates of the Caribbean, which was removed and changed completely in 2018 to remove all mention of buying and selling women.

This change angered a lot of fans, but we have to admit that such a dark subject really has no place at a theme park that prides itself on being ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth.” The Jungle Cruise has also undergone inclusivity changes, with Disney changing entire sections of the ride over the last few years. However, the ride is not done and will undergo a major change in November.

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Jingle Cruise, the holiday edition of Jungle Cruise will officially open on November 3, 2023, for the approaching holiday season at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. This holiday takeover originally started back in 2013 and includes several new props and scenes.

We’re super excited to see this overlay return each and every year, and with this being the 10-year anniversary of the overhaul, it’s safe to assume this will be a consistent project for years to come.

Magic Kingdom has the largest selection of classic rides at the Walt Disney World Resort, featuring some of the most famous attractions in theme park history. Rides like Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Peter Pan’s Flight are all household names now and have entered the pop culture zeitgeist, becoming a lot larger than their humble origins as theme park rides.

Do you enjoy Jungle Cruise? What’s your favorite classic ride at Walt Disney World?

This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.