UPDATE: Jungle Cruise will be closing in late August for a refurbishment. Our original article continues below.
A new notice of commencement has been filed this week for extensive underwater work at Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom. The permit foregoes the typical 1-year expiration timeframe and instead sets an expiration date of October 2025. Underwater Engineering Services Inc. is tapped to do the work, but the permit only lists “general construction” as the scope. It’s also worth noting that the address on the permit resolves to the Jungle Cruise attraction and not any backstage support buildings, maintenance areas, or docks.
In lieu of actual information in the permit, we turn to the UESI website, which says “Our services cover assets located both above and below the water and support operating facilities as well as facilities undergoing decommissioning”.
It’s possible that after more than 50 years of operation, the Jungle Cruise is due for some underwater work such as corrosion control, new construction, inspections, repairs, or similar work. It’s unlikely that the theme of Jungle Cruise is changing anytime soon, or that the work is somehow related to the closure of the attraction. After all, Walt Disney Imagineering just overhauled sections of the ride and queue to update the attraction for the next generation of Disney World fans.
Also, Walt Disney Imagineering is not the owner of the permit. Instead, it’s Disney World’s facility management team.
It’s unknown if the work will result in any downtime for the attraction, and no closures or refurbishments have been announced.
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