Table Of Content
- What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays
- Click Here to Check Out the Holiday Decor in Magic Kingdom!
- Disney's Jungle Cruise gets a Holiday makeover with Jingle Cruise, opening November 3
- Construction Walls Installed Around Pirates of the Caribbean Clock Tower in Magic Kingdom
- Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays

Nearly two dozen life-size Indian elephants like these playful fellows will splash and squirt and spray at Disneyland this Summer in the new Adventureland Jungle River Cruise. The two-year, $7 Million Disneyland expansion will also include the "world's largest" Tree House for Summer '62. The bottom and sides of the river are of gunite construction and the river has an average width of thirty feet and an average depth of five feet. Each ungle Cruise boat is independently powered by inboard natural gas engines, riding on the 1,920 foot long guide rail. Natural gas was chosen because of its clean burning characteristics.
What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays
Even the shack across from the loading dock is ready for the season, festooned with lights, garlands, and ornaments, along with a small Christmas tree and a decoration of Santa Claus’ face. When we visited, a section of the queue was roped off, though it was decorated for the overlay with ornaments and strings of colorful lights. Finally, Trader Sam has decorated his new “lost & found” gift shop for the holidays.
Click Here to Check Out the Holiday Decor in Magic Kingdom!

Let’s board the boat and take one last look at the load area before we set off on our cruise. Continuing through the queue, there are some decorations in the large switchback space. Thankfully, we rode early in the morning at rope drop and the hour afterward, so we had some lower crowds to contend with. Alberta Falls’ shipping office has way too many details for us to photograph while trying to keep up with the party ahead of us, so keep your eyes peeled when you visit. The Christmas Tree typically found in the queue has been moved to the front of the building at the Jungle Navigation poster seen a few photos above.
Disney's Jungle Cruise gets a Holiday makeover with Jingle Cruise, opening November 3
Check out our photos from Jingle Cruise, and then watch our full ride-through below. One of the life preservers is decorated to look like a wreath. All of the decorations are meant to look handmade from things the Jungle Cruise skippers would have found around the dock.
Holiday details are everywhere, so watch closely and listen for some holiday jokes thrown into the Jungle Cruise skipper spiel. The elephant pool doesn’t have any decorations, but it’s always a great spot to snap a photo or two. One of the “new” scenes that hasn’t been incorporated into the Jingle Cruise version of the ride is the Boats & Baits and Bites! Here are a few more details from the loading dock before we board our cruise through the (festive) jungle. As you enter the queue building proper, the fun begins – first visually and then audibly as holiday music plays and custom holiday announcements are made. A clever candy cane-style ‘i’ is added over the ‘u’ of Jungle Cruise to complete the transformation.
THE DISNEYLAND LINE, AUGUST 25, 1977
All Aboard the Jingle Cruise: Disney's seasonal spin on the World famous Jungle Cruise - wdwmagic.com
All Aboard the Jingle Cruise: Disney's seasonal spin on the World famous Jungle Cruise.
Posted: Fri, 03 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
It’s a bit bare here at the moment, which hopefully means some extra room for decor in 2024.
Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
The articles pictured above are a small sampling of some of the various things that were found in the now dry Jungle Cruise river which is currently undergoing a three week rehab. Besides an interesting job, the taxidermist also has an interesting office with migratory wall decorations. The particolored feathers covering his wall are constantly being used and replaced to attire over 100 birds. The taxidermist outfits a variety of birds from Jose the parrot to "odd-ball feathered things." Plumes, turkey feathers and ostrich feathers, among others, come in 400 t 500 sizes and colors. Each feather is individually glued to the bird, but contrary to popular belief, birds are not all feathers--at least not Disney birds.
With the arrival of the holiday season at Walt Disney World, the World Famous Jungle Cruise has transformed into the Jingle Cruise – a holiday layover for the attraction that brings updated props and jokes. The Jingle Cruise started back in 1935 (according to Jungle Cruise lore), but officially debuted at Magic Kingdom in 2013. Over the years, more props and jokes have been added to the jungle, and have made the Jingle Cruise a holiday season must-do.
The Hippo Pool, Chimp Country, and Schweitzer Falls were not decorated. An opening day attraction at Islands of Adventure will be closed for the foreseeable future. Finally, it looks like everyone’s been good this year, as there are even more presents at the parachute site, along with a green and red wreath. Meanwhile, over at the campsite, a pair of gorillas decide to deck themselves out in holiday finery. The wheels below have poinsettias, a flower common to the holidays.
Four Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates are sold out, including the last party before Christmas day. Ticket prices vary depending on the date, from $159 to $199 for adults and $149 to $189 for kids (ages 3 to 9). Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket. A golden garland with baubles is wrapped around the lantern pole on the front of the boat. Not every scene is dressed up, but more decorations may be added later.
There are no decorations in the hippo pool or where the chimpanzees have comindeered a boat and some insect crates. That said, we did get a lovely rendition of “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Hippo the Hero)” from our skipper. Jingle Cruise, the holiday overlay edition of the Jungle Cruise, opens November 3 for the 2023 holiday season at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Join the homesick Jungle Cruise skippers as they set out on a holly, jolly journey packed with silly shenanigans.
The entrance sign features holiday lights and garland, and the name has officially been changed to “Jingle Cruise” for the season. The new creative concept is original to Walt Disney Imagineering, just like the classic attraction itself. Back at the dock, we also saw that the shack had a lot of decorations, including bells, lights, and a Christmas tree. When the skippers decorate, they go all out, including this outdoor scene with a bamboo Christmas tree.
Of course, as we continue through the queue and ride, you’ll see it’s not that simple of a transformation. If you want to experience the Jingle Cruise be sure to plan accordingly, as it often has a longer wait time. Every year, the Jungle Cruise is transformed into the “Jingle Cruise,” a holiday-themed version of the classic Magic Kingdom attraction. The holidays are here and so is the return of one of our favorite holiday attractions! That’s right Disney friends, the Jingle Cruise is BACK at Magic Kingdom. In addition to the famous Island Dinner & Show Cruise, the Riverboat offers a 90-minute Sightseeing Cruise.
In 1968, I had the privilege of being trained by an older guy named Lee David, an Hawaiian performer who had worked in vaudeville and on stage in a previous life. In fact, he was the designated skipper Walt always asked for when he went on the jungle cruise. Lee taught me everything he knew about timing, voice inflection, delivery, eye contact, involving the audience, humor in good taste, and overall stage presence. To many of the jungle cruise skippers who existed in the late 1960's and early 70's, the spiel was everything. There are also complimentary treats and exclusive merchandise.
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