Jungle Cruise

Sign outside the queue for the Jungle Cruise. Sign appears to be made out of material from a shipwreck.

Embark on an exciting voyage! Enjoy numerous animatronic animals and corny jokes from the boat’s skipper on Jungle Cruise.

Ride Information  Restrictions  Accessibility  Location  Fun Facts  Top 5 Tips

Ride Information

Opening Day: October 1, 1971

Type of Ride: Boat

Age Recommendation: All ages

Duration of Ride: 8 minutes

Typical Queue Time: Moderate to long; usually peaks at about fifty minutes, but can reach about 90 minutes on the busiest days

Single Rider Line: No

Chicken Exit Available: No

Baby Swap Available: No

Type of Vehicle: Boat

Type of Restraint: None

Attraction Open During Extended Evening Hours: Yes. See our Extended Evening Hours page for more information.

Ride Photo Available For Purchase: No

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Ride Restrictions

Height Requirements: None

Flash Photography or Video Allowed: Yes

Image of the boat guests ride in for the Jungle Cruise.

Safety, Accessibility, and Guest Policies

Accessibility: 

  • Guests May Remain in Wheelchair/ECV
  • Sign Language
  • Assistive Listening
  • Handheld Captioning

Guest Policies: Children under age 7 years must be accompanied by a person age 14 years or older.

Location

Park Map of Magic Kingdom:

MKMapPin

Other Rides/Attractions In the Area:

This attraction is located in the Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland.

Shopping: Find an array of souvenirs among these shops in Adventureland: “Agrabah Bazaar,” “Island Supply by Sunglass Hut,” “La Princesa de Cristal – Caribbean Plaza,” “Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar,” and “Zanzibar Trading Co.”

Dining/Refreshment: Located nearby in Adventureland, the popular Aloha Isle and Sunshine Tree Terrace locations specialize in ice cream; the former serving the cult-favorite Dole Whip and the latter the Citrus Swirl. Guests looking for a sit-down dinning experience should check out Jungle Skipper Canteen. Loosely based on the ride and staffed by Jungle Cruise skippers, Jungle Skipper Canteen boasts several themed rooms and cuisine reflecting the rivers the ride is comprised of.

Restroom: Facilities in Adventureland are situated near Tortuga Tavern and Pirates of the Caribbean, respectively.

Smoking Location: Smoking is permitted in designated smoking areas only. Disney parks are smoke free.

Jungle Cruise Fun Facts

Did you know?

  • Jungle Cruise was inspired by both the 1951 film The African Queen and Disney’s own 1955 nature documentary The African Lion, which was created for Disney’s “True-Life Adventures” series.
  • Famous Jungle Cruise skippers have included actor Kevin Costner, Disney Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, and Ron Ziegler, President Richard Nixon’s press secretary.
  • Jungle Cruise progresses through famous and exotic rivers throughout the world. Throughout the ride guests will travel through South America, Africa, and Asia.
  • Animals featured in the Jungle Cruise include pythons, elephants, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, lions, hippos, and crocodiles.
  • 16 titled boats, most of which utilize alliteration—“Amazon Annie,” “Nile Nelly,” and “Volta Val” to name three—feature in the Jungle Cruise. One of these vessels, “Kwango Kate,” was taken out of service in 2000.
  • The elaborate Cambodian temple scene does not appear in Disneyland’s version of the Jungle Cruise.
  • A film adaptation of Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson released in July of 2021.

History

  • Jungle Cruise is one of 12 attractions remaining in some form from the Magic Kingdom’s opening day, October 1, 1971. The others are “Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel” (now Prince Charming Regal Carrousel), “Dumbo the Flying Elephant,” Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, “Mad Tea Party,” “Peter Pan’s Flight,” “Swiss Family Treehouse,” “Tropical Serenade” (now Enchanted Tiki Room), “Grand Prix Raceway” (now Tomorrowland Speedway), and “Walt Disney World Railroad.”
  • Walt Disney originally intended the Disneyland version of Jungle Cruise to utilize real animals and be a serious nature journey. Walt Disney moved away from using real animals on the Jungle Cruise for two reasons. First, real animals could render upkeep havoc, and, second, most of the animals Disney wanted to use were nocturnal and, thus, would be sleeping during operating hours. With the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998, real animals finally became the centerpiece of a Disney attraction in the magnificent “Kilimanjaro Safaris.”
  • On opening day, Jungle Cruise did not incorporate its legendary jokes. That all changed in 1962 with the inclusion of the corny jokes.
  • Since 2013, the Jungle Cruise receives a holiday overlay entitled “Jingle Cruise” each year.
  • In the early 1990s, Disneyland’s version of the Jungle Cruise rerouted to allow for the construction of “Indiana Jones Adventure,” which debuted in 1995.

Hidden Mickeys

A Hidden Mickey can be found on the fractured plane.

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Image from the Jungle Cruise with animatronic skippers climbing up a dead tree to escape a rhinoceros.

Top 5 Tips for Jungle Cruise

  • Enjoy the details and funny signs in the queue.
  • Your experience is highly dependent on your skipper. An especially enthusiastic skipper will enhance your voyage.
  • This is a must see attraction for Disney History buffs.
  • Photography is permitted on the cruise, so feel free to take pictures of the animals and other surroundings.
  • The darkness in the Cambodian temple scene may frighten young children.
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