Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride to reopen, but without its racially insensitive depictions

Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride to reopen, but without its racially insensitive depictions

First opened in 1955, Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride is set to reopen for visitors after, earlier this year, the organization said it would remove the “negative depictions of native peoples” and “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us”. This move came after Disneyland’s ride was widely criticised for being racially insensitive.

Carmen Smith, Walt Disney Imagineering’s Creative Development and Inclusion Strategies Executive, said in a statement — as mentioned on the Disney Parks website — “As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspective of the world around us.”

The Jungle Cruise Ride, being one of Disneyland’s oldest and most famous rides, is a boat ride in the rivers of Asia, Africa and South America. The ride used to take one through South Asian safari camps, jungles and villages of Africa.

Being criticised for its insensitive and negative portrayal of indigenous people, the ride has been revamped in Disneyland, California and is yet to be completed in Florida.

The new ride is designed to “bring a sense of inclusivity”, said Walt Disney Imagineering’s Creative Portfolio Executive, in a video explaining the updates, according. “We want to make sure that everyone that rides the Jungle Cruise can see themselves in the characters and in this experience,” Beatty added.

As stated on the Disney Parks website, the new ride would “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us”.

Kevin Lively, Disney Imagineer and former Jungle Cruise Skipper, said in a statement released on the Disney Parks website that for the first time the new ride would have a skipper represented by a show figure.