In this post we give an overview of Jungle Cruise, a humorous boat ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience before closing with an FAQ. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Jungle Cruise, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in deep. The Magic Kingdom Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Magic Kingdom.
Jungle Cruise Basics
Jungle Cruise is a humorous boat ride at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The ride
does not offer rider switch
has a Lightning Lane that is a part of Genie+
does not have a single rider line
is NOT a part of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom
is about 12 minutes long
Where is Jungle Cruise located?
Jungle Cruise is located in Adventureland in Magic Kingdom. Entering the park, you’ll go to the hub and take your first left, heading into Adventureland. You’ll pass by some restaurants, shops, and the Swiss Family Treehouse before arriving at Magic Carpets of Aladdin. To the left is the entrance to Jungle Cruise.
If you’re riding it at rope drop, most of the Adventureland crowds are headed in this direction. You’ll wait on the bridge by the entrance until that side of the park opens and then follow the crowds into the queue.
How to Ride Jungle Cruise
If you have Genie+, Jungle Cruise is a good use of your first Genie+ pick as it has become one of the most popular rides in the park. Importantly, the ride is also quite long, so heading there at rope drop is less than ideal. You’ll spend the first 30 minutes of your day going through the queue and on the ride, and once off all the waits around the park will be high.
Since Jungle Cruise is not a part of Early Entry, it opens at the scheduled opening time for the park, and guests without Early Entry can still be among the first on it. If you don’t have Genie+ and the ride is important to you, then rope drop is still your best option. It’s a long ride, it’s one of the most popular rides in the park, and if you can get it off your to-do list early you’ll have an easier time navigating the rest of your day.
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom with small children, Jungle Cruise is a good option because it has no height requirement and animatronic animals. That said, we’d only prioritize Jungle Cruise if we had Genie+ or if we were primarily planning on doing family rides (i.e. not trying to do rider switch on all the coasters). There is a dark portion of the ride that may frighten some kids.
Jungle Cruise Ride Experience
The story goes that when Walt planned Disneyland he originally wanted guests to be able to take a boat ride past real animals. That was deemed infeasible, and instead animatronic animals were used and the Jungle Cruise was born. Over about 12 minutes, guests are taken around the world past various scenes populated by the animals. Topping it off is your Skipper telling jokes along the way. You can view a video of the ride here.
To be honest, I’m not totally sure why Jungle Cruise is as popular as it is. Based on guests I’ve seen when I (pretty frequently) ride it, I assume many casual guests are expecting something a little different. If you lean into the pun-centric humor, the experience is a fun one, but the hard product—the animal animatronics etc.—really isn’t top tier.
Jungle Cruise FAQ
Do you get wet on Jungle Cruise?
While the ride is not a water ride, you can expect some misting on Jungle Cruise.
Did they change the Jungle Cruise ride?
A few scenes of Jungle Cruise have been changed over the years, and as part of implementing their Fifth Key—Inclusion—Disney has made more changes in the last year or so. To our mind, none of these are major downgrades to the ride.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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