Disneyland revamps Jungle Cruise tour after racism criticism

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Disneyland’s revamped Jungle Cruise officially reopens on July 16. (Christian Thompson / Disneyland Resort)

One of Disneyland’s original rides will be very different when many of us return to the park after the pandemic.

The Jungle Cruise will officially reopen on July 16, with some changes, the park announced on Friday. The ride, which takes passengers through Asia, Africa and South America, had been closed since the park itself reopened on April 30, after being closed due to the pandemic.

The company announced in January that it would remove “negative representations” of indigenous people and pledged to make further changes to “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us”.

The merry-go-round, which opened in 1955, has been criticized, for example, for portraying locals as headhunters.

“We’re excited to build on the history of jungle cruising to include new adventures that stay true to the experience we know and love, while adding more humor, more wildlife and an interconnected story. “Chris Beatty, an Imagineer who worked on the renovations, said in a press release. “As part of the creative development, we have also introduced characters from around the world and taken a thoughtful approach to ensure an accurate representation of the cultures in our history.”

Beatty explained in a behind-the-scenes video of the upgrade that one of the team’s goals was to “bring a sense of inclusiveness” to the project. “We want to make sure that everyone who does the Jungle Cruise can see themselves in the characters and in this experience.”

They also wanted to stay classic and showcase the “skippers,” the Disney cast members who crack jokes while leading the mock tour of the area.

As part of the new scenario, chimps took control of a wrecked boat and tourists climbed a tree in search of safety.

The new look debuts just before the July 30 opening of the big-budget live-action movie Jungle Cruise, which stars Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Emily Blunt and Edgar Ramirez. However, Disney officials told Reuters the changes were unrelated to the film.

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Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt star in “Jungle Cruise”. (Animated images from Walt Disney Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection)

Visitors will see similar changes to Walt Disney World in Florida later this summer.

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