The Jungle Cruise is a river ride at Disneyland (and other Disney Parks) and a live-action Jungle Cruise movie featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt.
Jungle Cruise Movie
The live action themed Jungle Cruise movie is a movie adaptation of the classic Disneyland theme park ride. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt will be the lead actors that journey on a quest for a tree with magical healing powers. Disney’s Jungle Cruise movie is expected to be similar to another adventure film, the Pirates of the Caribbean, which is based on another Disney Parks ride.
The Jungle Cruise release date is Friday, July 30, 2021.
In the film, Frank (Dwayne Johnson), a boat captain is tasked with delivering Lily (Emily Blunt) and her brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall) to a mystical healing tree. The journey will include fights with wild animals while competing against a rival German expedition. There will be a “supernatural element” to the film and, according to Dwayne Johnson, his captain character knows the Amazon River better than anyone but only cares about his money, cat, and liquor.
Did you know? Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were originally planned to do a version of this movie but ultimately it never worked out.
Jungle Cruise The Ride
The Jungle Cruise ride is a guided journey down many different jungle rivers and narrated by skippers who are full of jokes and puns. The cruise starts at the Mekong River where you can explore an age-old shrine, home to baboons, cobras and crocodiles. The African Congo is next where you’ll cruise past a camp overrun by explosively curious gorillas. After escaping the gorillas the river leads to the Nile where elephants are bathing, the hippos are angry and the hungry lions guard a sleeping zebra. The excursion ends with the Amazon river where a canopy of green trees opens up to a native shrine, a mammoth anaconda and ravenous piranha.
Disneyland Ride Details
- Location: Jungle Cruise is in Adventureland
- Restrictions: Children under the age of seven must be accompanied by a person older than 13 years of age. No height restrictions.
- Ride Time: Approximately 9 minutes
- Recommended: For everyone
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Disney Parks with a Jungle Cruise
- Disneyland – Anaheim, California
- Magic Kingdom – Walt Disney World, Florida
- Hong Kong Disneyland
- Tokyo Disneyland
Disneyland Paris does not have a Jungle Cruise due to the cold temperature and weather. Shanghai Disneyland is also without a Jungle Cruise.
Jungle Cruise Boats at Disneyland
There are 12 vehicles, with a maximum of 8 in operation at any given time. The boats in 1955 were painted as clean, idealized replicas, but have since been given a more realistic theme reflecting the grunge and wear of actual watercraft due to the addition of the Indiana Jones Adventure and its ruggedness.
- Amazon Belle (Renamed “Jingle Belle” during Christmas)
- Congo Queen (Renamed “Congo Caroler” then “Candy Cane Queen” during Christmas)
- Ganges Gal (Renamed “Ganges Garland” then “Gingerbread Gal” during Christmas)
- Hondo Hattie (Renamed “Hondo Hollie” then “Hanukkah Hattie” during Christmas)
- Irrawaddy Woman (Renamed “Irrawaddy Snowwoman” during Christmas)
- Kissimmee Kate (Renamed “Yule Kissimmee” then “Kissimmee Under the Mistetoe” during Christmas)
- Nile Princess (Wheelchair equipped) (Renamed “Nile Nutcracker” then “Noel Princess” during Christmas)
- Orinoco Adventuress (Renamed “Orinoco Ornament” then “Navidad Adventuress” during Christmas)
- Suwannee Lady (Renamed “Suwannee Sleigh” then “Sugar Plum Lady” during Christmas)
- Ucayali Una (Wheelchair equipped) (Renamed “Ucayali Eggnog” then “Evergreen Una” during Christmas)
- Yangtze Lotus (Renamed “Yuletide Lotus” during Christmas)
- Zambezi Miss (Renamed “Peppermint Miss” during Christmas)
Jungle Cruise History
The original Jungle Cruise opened July 17, 1955 at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and subsequently opened up at other Disney Parks since. When the ride first opened, it had a more educational tone and less drama. In the early 1960s, Walt Disney added more excitement and humor to the ride, including the punny skippers that exist today.
Over the years, the Jungle Cruise ride has continuously evolved with more “wildlife”, new wisecracks and better animatronics.
Facts about the Jungle Cruise Ride
- Walt Disney wanted to use live animals but he quickly realized it wasn’t safe or practical and settled for animatronics.
- Kevin Costner, an Orange County native, was a Jungle Cruise skipper.
- The water is purposefully colored to create realistic looking swampy waters and hide the tracks.
- The cruise turns into the Jingle Cruise with a Christmas overlay at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Originally it was called Jungle All the Way.
- At Disneyland there is a palm tree outside the entrance to the ride that predates the park. Known as “the Dominguez Palm” it dates back to 1896.
- Near the entrance of the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones look for the house of the Little Man of Disneyland at the base of a tree.
- Be on the look out for relics like a chess set, the animatronic toucan and 1940’s big band music.
- Be sure to ask the cast member at the entrance to the Jungle Cruise for a free map of the entire voyage.
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