While visiting Magic Kingdom recently, we decided to get an update on a few projects taking place around the park. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the ongoing Jungle Cruise refurbishment, which began back in late August. Currently, the attraction is scheduled to reopen on October 18th, but that is always subject to change based on how the refurbishment goes. Let’s take a closer look at what we can see.
Jungle Cruise Drained for Refurbishment
We’ve been tracking this project since April when permits were filed for underwater work. At the time, it wasn’t clear if the attraction would close or for how long, but the work appeared to be extensive. The most important part of the permit is that the work is “owned” by Walt Disney World’s facility management group. This means that the work is likely maintenance or ride-system-related. Typically, show scene updates come through permits filed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Furthermore, Jungle Cruise has already received show updates over the past few years, so we don’t expect any significant updates on that front during the refurbishment.
With some background out of the way, let’s head out to Magic Kingdom to check in on the project. While the plaza in front of Jungle Cruise is closed off to guests, we can see into the plaza a bit from other points in Adventureland.
Right away, we can see Jungle Cruise boats docked near the Swiss Family Treehouse. This tipped us off to the fact that the attraction proper was likely drained. Essentially, the waterways are connected from the Jungle Cruise attraction, past the Swiss Family Treehouse, and Cinderella Castle. In order to drain the Jungle Cruise attraction, the backstage “barn” for the boats was also drained, requiring the boats to all be moved toward the Swiss Family Treehouse waterway.
Here’s another angle of the boats, tied off and stored in the connecting waterway while the Jungle Cruise attraction is drained for refurbishment.
We confirmed that the attraction is drained thanks to a glimpse of the load area through some Adventureland trees. We expect that there is plenty of cleaning to be done for the ride track, along with some spot repairs of the bottom of the river.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!