Set sail across the rivers of the world with us and learn some incredible facts about the world-famous Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland and Disney World.
Scenic landscapes, plenty of thrilling Audio-Animatronic animal sightings, iconic ride vehicles, and plenty of punny dad jokes –– the Jungle Cruise truly has it all! This classic Adventureland attraction that’s located at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World is a nostalgic trip for many Disney fans, especially ones who remember its debut almost 50 years ago.
Originally a highly popular opening day attraction at Disneyland Park, this riverboat ride sailed into the Magic Kingdom in 1971 and quickly became a favorite among visitors to the Orlando resort.Jungle Cruise has become so popular and so iconic over the years that it’s even inspired a movie.
Even if you’ve ridden the Jungle Cruise countless times over the years, we’re willing to bet there’s still quite a bit you might not know about this classic attraction. Below, we’re sharing a few of our favorite fascinating facts about Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park!
1. Jungle Cruise Was Inspired By a Nature Documentary
If you enjoy the worldly settings of the Jungle Cruise, from the tropical jungles to the shores of the Nile, you have a real-life nature documentary to thank! In fact, it was one of Walt Disney’s very own True-Life Adventures documentaries that inspired this beloved attraction.
TheTrue-Life Adventures nature documentary series produced by Walt from 1948 to 1960 earned numerous Academy Awards and was hugely influential, both in the scientific community and the entertainment industry. However, it was one particularly successful film that spawned the Jungle Cruise: The African Lion.
This 1955 installment in theTrue-Life Adventuresseries was shot over a 30-month period in Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda, capturing the life of lions within the African ecosystem. It was so memorable for the time that it won the Silver Bear (Documentaries) award at the 6th Berlin International Film Festival, and it was loved by critics of the time. Publications likeThe New York Times,Variety, andLos Angeles Times all raved aboutThe African Lion.
So, Walt took the educational and awe-inspiring footage from this documentary and used it as inspiration for the Jungle Cruise! You can actually spot the film’s inspiration in both the Disneyland and Disney World versions of the ride – some of the vignettes along the boat routes are actually recreations of specific scenes from The African Lion.
2. The Attraction’s Boats Were Inspired By Another Film
Photo by Cliff Wang
While the scenery and Audio-Animatronic animals of the Jungle Cruise drew inspiration fromThe African Lion, another film inspired the iconic boats that ferry guests through the waterways of the attraction – and it’snot a documentary!
One particular Disney Imagineer, Harper Goff, had an affinity for the 1951 adventure filmThe African Queen. This film, which stars Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn (and the titular “character”, a steamboat named theAfrican Queen), was referenced by Goff in quite a few ideas relating to the Jungle Cruise. Ultimately, he drew inspiration from the steamer in the movie for the boats of the Jungle Cruise, creating a smaller but quite similar ride vehicle.
While there’s no official “African Queen” boat in the lineup at Magic Kingdom or Disneyland, Disneyland does have a Jungle Cruise boat that hints at this inspiration: the Congo Queen.
3. The Jungle Cruise’s Iconic Jokes Are a Relatively Recent Addition
When you climb aboard the Jungle Cruise, you’re bound to crack a smile. Every trip down the rivers of the world is filled with hilarious wisecracks made by the skippers. But what many guests might not realize is those puns and jokes are a pretty new addition!
If you rode on the Jungle Cruise when it was brand-new at Disneyland in 1955, you wouldn’t be laughing.The boat tour was originally conceived as an informative, serious tour designed to teach passengers about the artificial animals they were seeing. After all, it was inspired by a documentary –– and Walt wanted the attraction to be just as educational.
Unfortunately, guests didn’t find an educational boat ride very entertaining. So, in the early 1960s, the ride was overhauled and the skippers’ spiel was retooled, with generous helpings of humor added. Ever since, the Jungle Cruise’s popularity has skyrocketed, and it’s now belovedbecause it’s so funny!
4. Each Version of the Jungle Cruise Features a Different Fleet of Boats
The Senegal Sal boat in action at Walt Disney World. Photo by Judd Helms
Each time you ride the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland or Disney World, you might find yourself boarding a different boat –– with a different name. The Jungle Navigation Company has a whole fleet of vessels docked at each one of its wharves, and if you’ve never paid close attention to the boat names, you might be surprised that each theme park has a different fleet with different ship names.
At Disneyland, there are a total of 12 boats in the Jungle Cruise fleet. There are never more than nine boats out on the water at any given time (typically, that’s eight guest boats and one training boat). The boat names are:
- Amazon Belle
- Congo Queen
- Ganges Gal
- Hondo Hattie
- Irrawaddy Woman
- Kissimmee Kate
- Nile Princess
- Orinoco Adventuress
- Suwannee Lady
- Ucayali Una
- Yangtze Lotus
- Zambezi Miss
At Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, there are a total of 15 boats in the attraction’s fleet. Similar to Disneyland’s version of the Jungle Cruise, however, there are never more than nine boats out at once. The boat names are:
- Amazon Annie
- Bomokandi Bertha
- Congo Connie
- Ganges Gertie
- Irrawaddy Irma
- Mongala Millie
- Nile Nellie
- Orinoco Ida
- Rutshuru Ruby
- Sankuru Sadie
- Senegal Sal
- UcayaliLolly
- Volta Val
- Wamba Wanda
- Zambezi Zelda
Oh, and we can’t forget about theother two versions of the Jungle Cruise! Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland also have their own versions of this classic attractions, with their own fleets. Here, the boat names are alliterative, and many are repeats (or inspired by) the boats at Disneyland and Disney World.
5. You Can Spot an Attraction Easter Egg in the Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom
As you cruise down the Amazon River in the Jungle Cruise at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, you can spot a little –– okay, maybe not-so-little! –– Easter egg hiding on the shore.
The crashed airplane that’s stuck onshore is both a real plane and a Disney World Easter egg. It’s part of a once-functioning Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior, a popular plane used in the 1930s (and one that perfectly suits the era and theming of the Jungle Cruise).
If you were a fan of The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’reespecially going to love this detail. Disney actually did have the entire plane –– the half you see on the shores of the Jungle Cruise is just one portion. The other half used to be located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at The Great Movie Ride. It was an integral piece of the Casablanca scene!
6. The Murky Waters Are a Purposeful Design Choice
Photo by Cliff Wang
Have you ever wondered why the waters of the Jungle Cruise’s rivers are so brown? When you think of natural rivers, you likely envision shades of blues… not a murky brownish green. Well, it turns out that like so many other careful choices at Disney’s theme parks, that brown water hue isn’t accidental; it’s quite intentional.
The brown water is actually a clever Imagineering trick. It’s designed to portray a realistic look at swampy waters –– after all, the Jungle Cruise isn’t sailing through pristine or crystal-clear waterways! –– but it’s also a trick that conceals what’s underneath the water. The attraction’s ride vehicles do sit on a track, and with the rivers sitting at a depth of just four feet in most areas.
That murky water passengers sail through is dyed brown, dark green, or muddy blue. The coloring serves two purposes: It provides a more realistic portrayal of swampy waters, of course, and it also conceals the fact that the cruise ships are on a track in a pool that’s less than four feet deep in most areas.
So, if you’ve ever wondered why you can’t see through thevery thick and murky waters of the Jungle Cruise on either coast, that’s why they’re the exact shade of brown you see in the parks!
7. Eagle-Eyed Guests Can Spot Easter Eggs Hidden in the Queue
Did you know that there are a whole bunch of little nods to Disney history to be found before you even board a Jungle Cruise boat? The next time you join the queue for the attraction at Disney World, you’re going to want to spend your time in line taking a close look at your surroundings. In the queue for the Magic Kingdom’s version of the Jungle Cruise, you’ll find a host of Easter eggs and references.
For example, there’s a pair of crates sitting alongside some barrels, looking like cargo that’s ready to be shipped out. Take a look at the addresses on the crates, and you’ll notice they’re labeled for “Thomas Kirk, Esq., M. Jones, Cartographers Ltd. Field Office, Island of Bora Danno” and “Kenneth Annakin, Director of Imports, Wyss Supply Company, Colony of New Guinea.” If you’ve ever watched the classic Disney filmSwiss Family Robinson, these are references to the film’s actors.
Tommy Kirk played Ernst Robinson (and then went on to play Merlin Jones inThe Misadventures of Merlin Jones); the “Bora Danno” mention refers to James MacArthur, who played Fritz Robinson in the Disney film and, later, Danny Williams on Hawaii Five-O. Ken Annakin was the director ofSwiss Family Robinson, while “Wyss Supply Company” is a nod to the original book’s author, Johann Wyss.
8. The Jungle Cruise Transforms During the Holidays
A look at some of the Jingle Cruise additions each holiday season. Photo by Cliff Wang
If you haven’t stopped by Adventureland in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to ride Jungle Cruise during the holiday season, you need to! Each year, the attraction transforms, getting a special overlay just for the most festive time of the year and changing its name to Jingle Cruise.
The Jingle Cruise overlay first occurred in 2013, and it appeared at both Disney World and Disneyland. During that first year, the Jingle Cruise was pretty simple; the queue areas at both parks were decked out in seasonal decorations, and the boats themselves also got some holiday-themed touches. The skipper spiel was updated to include some new holiday-themed jokes, too.
However, in the years that followed, Jingle Cruise became more elaborate, and it’s now a beloved holiday tradition at Magic Kingdom (sorry, Disneyland guests –– Jingle Cruise hasn’t returned to the West Coast since 2017!). Now, the overlay’s story goes that decorations and gifts were scattered across the jungle after an accidental drop from a cargo plane flying overhead. Each of the boats in the Jungle Cruise fleet gets a festive Christmastime name, along with twinkling lights and garland, too.
So, next November, make plans to catch the Jingle Cruise when it arrives! The Magic Kingdom exclusive is a must-see at least once.
Hopefully, this Jungle Cruise trivia has helped you appreciate this ride that’s given all of us a good guffaw. Want to learn more about this iconic attraction? You’re going to want to grab a copy of our Jungle Cruise Attraction Special Issue! Chock-full of insights and behind-the-scenes details, you’ll get to discover even more than the backside of water.
