Jungle Cruise

Opening Date: 1955

The Jungle Cruise is one of the few remaining rides from Disneyland’s opening day. You board a boat with a live skipper, who takes you on a river cruise through areas themed after Asia, Africa, and South America. All the natural foliage is real; it’s become a self-sustaining ecosystem over the past 60 years. All of the animals and humans, however, are Audio-Animatronics.

There’s been two major changes in the ride since its inception. First, the skippers used to shoot cap guns at the animals (like the hippos) who threatened to tip the boat. For several years, Disney removed the guns entirely. Nowadays, the guns are back. But the skippers fire warning shots in the air instead of shooting directly at the animals.

And in 2021, Disney refurbished the ride and removed harmful and racist depictions of the jungle natives. In the original, prior version, they danced, waved, and fired their weapons at you from the river banks. There was a prominent native nicknamed “Trader Sam,” the head salesman who held up shrunken heads to barter ( Get it?). Trader Sam is gone from the refurbished ride, and in his place is Trader Sam’s trading outpost, which deals in lost items that prior Guests left behind.