Walt Disney World’s Jungle Cruise Review
Earlier this week, I published a review of the Jungle Cruise at Walt Disney World in pictures. Today, I’d like to follow up with a written review of the classic ride in Adventureland.
First, the Jungle Cruise is a family-friendly ride. Your trip takes you on a slow moving boat ride through the rivers of three different continents. Along the way, a Disney cast member will act as your guide pointing out animals, explorers, head hunters and more. The guide will have you chuckling with many jokes and puns along the way.
You’ll begin seeing snakes and elephants from the African region followed by the African safari. Don’t be afraid when a family of lions is spotted eating a zebra. Your guide will let the youngest passengers know the lions are simply playing with it. And when a rhinocerous is spotted chasing a team of explorers up a pole, your guide will speculate that they’ll, “get the point in the end.”
The animals and people throughout the ride are all animatronic from the early days of Disney, but they’re great fun to see. One of the highlights of the trip is when your boat travels behind a waterfall and you have the opportunity to see what your guide will refer to as, “the backside of water.”
A word of caution for families with very young children – near the end of the ride, you’ll travel through an ancient Asian ruin, which is dark and might frighten small children. The tunnel is filled with monkeys, hidden treasures and snakes. Children with vivid imaginations could be scared, but gentle reassurance that the animals are pretend (and the fact that the cave is just a short tunnel that you’re out of within a few seconds) help to make it bearable for the easily frightened travelers on board.
Overall, the Jungle Cruise is a classic Disney attraction. It’s not a thrill ride, and you won’t see real animals. While it was cutting edge decades ago, today many guests are bored by it. I still love it though. I’ve heard rumors that the Jungle Cruise in Walt Disney World might be removed and replaced with a new thrill ride or more modern attraction. I’d hate to see the Jungle Cruise go, but I can see where an updated attraction might be more interesting to new visitors to Walt Disney World who don’t have fond memories of the Jungle Cruise from their childhoods.
What do you think of the Jungle Cruise? What do you think of the possibility of it being replaced?
Photo source: Susan Gunelius
4 Comments
I also enjoy the Jungle Cruise for the nostalgia, but would understand if they decided to update the ride. They better be prepared for the like-minded individuals who protested the closure of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” which has since been replaced by the “Winnie the Pooh” ride.
We love the ride, especially at night when it feels a little more realistic. My kids ask to go everytime we visit. I am sorry to see so many of the disney rides changing so much. Nostalgia is a reason to go to disney again and again. If I were to change anything, it would be the merchandise – once you’ve bought so much Mikey stuff you count on the rides more as the total expierence.
me and my Family went to Disney world on March! and i am 13 i got a sister named Zoe she is 10! the jungle crise was cool! wever been on the big rollercooter!
I am so glad you had a good time. The jungle cruise is one of my families favorites, too. Even all the silly jokes the cruise guide tells!!