Disney has confirmed it plans to expand access and let all guests walk through the kangaroo and wallaby habitat at Jumping Junction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Today, keepers invite only small groups onto the path, a slow training step Disney says it will widen over time. Here’s how it works now, and where it’s headed.
Disney Plans to Expand Access to Jumping Junction
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- What the expanded walk-through experience will look like
- How the current small-group access works
- What Disney’s zoological team says about the timeline
- A few quick facts on the new kangaroo and wallaby residents
WHAT DISNEY CONFIRMED
Walt Disney World has confirmed that Jumping Junction is now open in a limited capacity for guests. This follows our on-the-ground reporting from earlier this month. Disney has also confirmed plans to open the Jumping Junction habitat to every guest. Disney stated that keepers eventually plan to invite all guests to walk the path and share space with the kangaroos and wallabies.
The limited access guests see now is a step toward that goal, not the finished experience. Disney says full access to the walk-through is the plan.
HOW ACCESS WORKS RIGHT NOW
For now, keepers invite small groups inside the habitat to walk the path. When we went inside during the limited soft opening, entry was capped at fewer than 100 guests per hour, and an animal care Cast Member led each group through after a quick rules briefing. The walk itself ran 5 to 10 minutes.
Inside, we spotted Western Grey Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos, and Red-necked Wallabies. Touching the animals is strictly off limits, and wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers aren’t permitted yet, though that’s set to change. The small-group walks help the animals get used to their home and to people moving through it.
WHAT THE TEAM SAYS ABOUT TIMING
Zoological Manager Maggie addressed the pace of the rollout. She said the team would eventually like to invite all guests to have their own adventure walking through the habitat and sharing space with the animals.
The timeline depends on the animals. Maggie said the team is acclimating the kangaroos and wallabies slowly and letting the animals signal when they’re ready, so Disney has not committed to a date for the full rollout.
“Eventually, we’d like to invite all our guests to have their own adventure walking through our habitat and sharing space with these amazing animals,” said Maggie, Zoological Manager. “As we’re acclimating the kangaroos and wallabies to be comfortable with guests in their space, we’re doing it very slowly and allowing the animals to let us know when they’re ready.”
MEET THE NEW RESIDENTS
The habitat ties into Bluey’s Wild World and is a nod to the show’s Australian roots. Kangaroos and wallabies are both marsupials, which means their babies, called joeys, keep developing in their mother’s pouch after birth. Multiple kangaroos are carrying young now.
Size is the easiest way to tell the two apart. Kangaroos are the larger of the two, while wallabies run close to half that size, and a group of either animal is called a mob.
WHAT’S NEXT
Disney has not announced when the walk-through will open to all guests, and the rollout hinges on how quickly the animals settle in. We’ll keep watching Jumping Junction and update you when the full experience is ready.
Have you spotted the keeper-led walks at Jumping Junction yet? Let us know if you’d take the walk-through once it opens to everyone.
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!