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The Jungle Cruise

Sail along the Amazon, the Congo, the Mekong and the Nile in this fun-filled journey through the world’s wildest jungles!
Location:Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
Type of Attraction:Outdoor boat ride
Height Restrictions:None
Typical Wait Time:10-40 minutes
Is It Scary?Nothing scary here

Quick Links:

Magical Moments
Hidden Mickeys & Other Secrets
Did You Know…?
Touring Tips
Photo Gallery

Your adventure starts as you pass through a seemingly deserted jungle outpost-apparently the long forgotten starting point for many excursions. It is here that you board your tour boat, complete with a knowledgable, courageous (and very funny) guide.

As you leisurely make your way through the dense jungle, you’ll see lots of animals, natives, and a few hapless adventurers. Your trek eventually takes you to an abandoned, mysterious temple, where tigers, cobras, and long lost treasures await.

Once you leave the temple, you’ll encounter some “friendly” natives, and pretty soon you’ll return to the jungle outpost and civilization!

Magical Moments

  • The jokes! They’re corny all right, and if you have an enthusiastic tour guide they can make the ride extra magical. If you’re not shy you can participate too (or just sit back and enjoy while other guests are singled out for fun).
  • The temple portion of the journey is vastly different experience from the rest of the ride. Jokes and friendly jungle animals give way to exotic ruins, mysterious creatures and dark passageways. Be sure to keep a look out for the tiger’s eyes.
  • Tour the Jungle Cruise at night for a totally different experience. The jungle is much more mysterious, and you’ll truly feel like you’re taking a journey to a far off place. Of course, the temple becomes that much spookier when it’s dark outside (even more so if you have a light drizzle going!).
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Hidden Mickeys & Other Secrets

  • In the Cambodian Temple, there is a spider to the right of the treasure with three yellow circles on its back.
  • When you exit the temple, look on the left wall. There you will see a “chip” in the wall that’s actually a profile of Mickey!
  • When entering the temple, you may sometimes see three gold platters on the right side under the snakes forming a Hidden Mickey.
  • On the animal cage in the queue area, look for a tag bearing the name of Wathel Rogers. He was a key designer of the mechanisms that bring the Jungle Cruise animals to life.
  • As you approach the Jungle Cruise, check out the planter boxes that contain the large trees. You’ll see that they’re tagged “Evans Exotic Plant Exporters”, a tribute to landscape designer Bill Evans.
  • The queuing area is filled with visual jokes and puns. Look for the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd., Employee of the Month board near the boarding area. One of the names is E. L. O’Fevre. (Say the name a few times fast to discover one thing you don’t want to find on your cruise!)
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Did You Know...?

  • Walt Disney had originally wanted real animals in the Jungle Cruise attraction, but quickly realized that they might often be asleep or hiding away where guests wouldn’t be able to see them.
  • The lush jungle foliage was designed by landscape architect Bill Evans, who carefully selected a variety of plants that would be hardy enough to withstand the Florida climate (most importantly its relatively cool winters), while maintaining the look and feel of a tropical equatorial jungle.
  • Rumor has it that Disney is filming a Jungle Cruise film in the tradition of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and The Tower of Terror movies.
  • There are 16 boats in all, each named for an Imagineer that worked on the original attraction:Amazon Annie
    Bomokandi Bertha
    Congo Connie
    Ganges Gertie
    Irrawaddy Irma
    Kwango Kate
    Mongala Millie
    Nile Nelly Orinoco Ida
    Rutshuru Ruby
    Sankuru Sadie
    Senegal Sal
    Ucyali Lolly
    Volta Val
    Wamba Wanda
    Zambesi Zelda
  • Here are some of the jokes you might hear on your journey:”Here in the rain forest it sometimes rains 365 days per year…some years it even rains every day.””And look at all the elephants out here today! If you want to take pictures go ahead—all the elephants have their trunks on.””Over there is Schweitzer Falls, named after the famous Dr. Albert [pause] Falls.””There’s old Trader Sam, head salesman of the area. Business has been shrinking lately, so this week only, Sam’s offering a two-for-one special: two of his, for one of yours!”Groan…!
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Touring Tips

  • This is a FastPass+ attraction. If the wait time is more than 20 minutes (which is common since the line move slowly to load the boats), you’ll want to take advantage of FastPass+. The Pirates of the Caribbean and the Swiss Family Treehouse are great places to pass the time while you’re waiting for your FastPass time to arrive, they usually have shorter lines.
  • The jokes may be corny, but your guide is really fun to listen to!
  • The boats can be awkward to enter. If you have trouble a Cast Member will be glad to assist you. Be sure to listen to their instructions as you board, they are there not only to help you but to ensure that everyone gets a seat.
  • It doesn’t matter which side of the boat you sit on, there are wonderful views on either side.
  • The queue area is full of funny props and corny puns too, be sure to look around while you’re waiting (and even as you’re exiting).
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Photo Gallery

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