LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (WFLA) – The “Jungle Cruise” attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California will be getting a make-over.
According to the Disney Parks Blog, the parks are “building on the story of the Jungle Cruise” at both parks that will “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us,” Disney said on Monday.
The new plot will include a new adventure where current Jungle Cruise skippers will guide the boat… though their “experience will go awry.”
“That’s right, for the first time ever, the skipper role will not only be that a live, experienced and witty guide, but also represented by a show figure within the attraction itself,” a graphic on the Disney Parks Blog states. “In fact, the expedition will be up a tree (literally!) after their sunken boat splits apart and chimps board the wreckage, with monkey business ensuing.”
The graphic also states that “that’s not even half of the hull story!”
Fans may see boats, “specifically the Mekong Maiden and the Kwango Kate,” that used to be seen around the attraction’s river.
“This is not a re-envisioning of the entire attraction. It’s the Jungle Cruise you know and love, with the skippers still leading the way, and at the same time, we’re addressing the negative depictions of ‘natives,'” Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Portfolio Executive Chris Beatty told D23. “So that’s one of the scenes we’re going to go in and change.
Disney has not said when the refurbishments will begin but did say they hope to finish the updates before the end of the year.
The Jungle Cruise-inspired film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt is set to be released in July. On Monday, Disney said the updates to the attraction are not related to the film.
“I’m sure the film is fantastic and we’re very excited about it, but integrating the film into our classic Jungle Cruise is not part of this effort,” Beatty said on Monday. “Does that mean that as Imagineers we won’t put Easter eggs in there? We’ll definitely do that. But we are not adding a major storyline or character from that film.