The Jungle Cruise attraction is getting ready to reopen at Magic Kingdom following a 7-week refurbishment. From what we could see, the refurbishment was mainly for water-touching structures and props, along with some work on the bottom of the river. To support the work, the river was drained and the Jungle Cruise boats were moved near the Swiss Family Treehouse.
The refurbishment was originally scheduled to end on October 17th, reopening October 18th, but that has been moved up a couple of days and Jungle Cruise will now reopen on Wednesday, October 16th.
The Jungle Cruise boats are navigated by highly-trained Skippers, but the ride runs along an underwater track. A permit filed in April listed Underwater Engineering Services Inc. as the contractor only points to “general construction” as the scope of the work, but that’s just Disney’s way of getting around prying eyes. As you might guess from the name of the contractor, they specialize in underwater construction.
In terms of anticipated changes to the ride, we imagine that Disney will do some general upkeep, but we don’t expect any major changes to the storyline or sets. The Jungle Cruise received a story update in the past few years, so investment will likely be maintenance related for a few more years at a minimum. Another recent update at the attraction was an update to the queue flooring to create a more durable surface.
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!