*Disney Parks has announced that it will be updating its 65-year old Jungle Cruise Ride at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California to better “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us,” according to a post on the Disney Parks blog.
This includes the removal of tribal caricatures and “negative depictions of native people” in order to make the attraction more inclusive in its depiction of those cultures.
“As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us,” Carmen Smith, creative development and inclusion strategies executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “With Jungle Cruise, we’re bringing to life more of what people love – the humor and wit of our incredible skippers, while making needed updates.”
Disney tapped several cultural advisers to advise in the update. The company also made it clear that the changes are not related to the upcoming Jungle Cruise-inspired film, noting that there will be no movie characters or tie-ins. “Jungle Cruise” is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 30, 2021. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti.
Watch Disney Parks’ video announcement regarding the Jungle Cruise updates below.
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