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The Art Behind the Magic: Discover the Storytelling of the Jungle Cruise

The Disney Imagination Campus team
by The Disney Imagination Campus team

Welcome to the world-famous Jungle Cruise! Join us as we share some of the immersive storytelling behind this attraction!

You might not know, but the Jungle Navigation Company started out as a shipping establishment to carry goods and supplies to the far-flung reaches of civilization. And for a while, they made a good profit in transporting fresh water, food, teas and spices to explorers trekking into untamed jungles around the world.

When Alberta Falls inherited the Jungle Navigation Company from her missing grandfather, Dr. Albert Falls, she decided to transform their business from shipping to tourism.

The Jungle Cruise boats started carrying Guests as their “cargo” on a two-week voyage that is so enjoyable it feels like only 10 minutes!

During your excursion, you can still see some references to the Jungle Navigation Company’s old shipping ventures. Check out the leftover crates, boxes and supplies that you can spot as you journey through the jungle.

No Jungle Cruise experience will be exactly the same. Jungle Cruise skippers are a diverse cast of characters falling into one of 5 Crews that can be seen while you wait to board your boat. Each skipper associates themselves with one of these Crews that match their personalities and interests. As a result, you may find that the skipper’s delivery and comically witty jokes may differ from cruise to cruise. Next time you ride, try asking your Jungle Cruise skipper which Crew they belong to!

On your Jungle Cruise expedition, you may come across the unfortunate Skipper Felix and his missing VIP crew. On his first day as a Jungle Cruise skipper, Felix crashed his boat and found himself in a sticky, or rather, pointy situation with the rest of his crew.

You can find more references to Skipper Felix and his crew as you wait to board your boat – such as Felix’s resume sitting on Albert’s desk, Dr. Moss’s carnivorous plants and a postcard to Alberta from artist Rosa Soto Dominguez.

The next time you ride the Jungle Cruise, consider the details that you can observe as you walk through the queue and experience the attraction. How do these small and large details contribute to the immersive storytelling of this attraction?

Ready to learn more? Check out the Arts & Humanities workshops at our East Campus at Walt Disney World Resort and our West Campus at Disneyland Resort for a discovery of the real-world application of the art, design, and storytelling behind our most popular attractions! Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date on all things Disney Imagination Campus and explore all our academic workshops to see how we inspire imagination-powered learning.

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