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Disney is overhauling its Jungle Cruise theme park attraction to remove what it describes as “negative portrayals of Indigenous peoples” and “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us”.
The changes were described in a blog post on its Disney Parks website, which included concept art for the redesigned attraction, a simulated river boat ride originally developed for Disneyland when it opened in California in 1955. It has since been reproduced in Disney theme parks in Florida, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
In a statement quoted by USA Today, Disney added that its designers “are tackling negative representations of natives while adding a humorous scenario … this group of adventurers [will] be diverse – in background and areas of interest ”.
Partly based on the 1951 film The African Queen, Jungle Cruise has long been the target of criticism for its inclusion of caricatures of Indigenous people as well as a character, Trader Sam, who offers “heads” for sale. An article by the Thinkwell design group calls the elements of attraction “horribly racist.”
Disney’s overhaul of the Jungle Cruise follows its decision, announced in June 2020, to rework its Splash Mountain attraction. Originally inspired by the now-repudiated 1946 film Song of the South, Splash Mountain is modeled on its 2009 animation, The Princess and the Frog, the first to feature an African-American princess.
A film version of Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, has had its release delayed until July 2021.
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