While Disney fans have known for a while that the Jungle Cruise was getting an overhaul, a new announcement came in mid March of 2021 that had some fans voicing concern and others just excited to see more of a story being developed for the beloved ride. Although Walt had always intended for Disney Parks to never be finished, many fans out there wish that some classic rides would just stay the same. However, that’s truly not the Disney way, so it should never be totally surprising when even an old favorite gets a facelift.
In the case of the Jungle Cruise, there were certain things that it was known for, like the Skippers’ punny jokes. But, altogether, one thing that was different about the ride from other classics, like Splash Mountain, was that it never had one exact story. We know that we’re on a riverboat, courtesy of a fictitious tour company, but other than that, there wasn’t a beginning, middle, and end to it the way that there’s exposition, climax, and denouement in Splash Mountain. Jungle Cruise could be called more similar to the old version of Pirates of the Caribbean, before the story of Jack Sparrow was added.
Over the years, Disney rides have moved strongly toward the Splash Mountain model and further away from the old Pirates’ model. With Disney aiming for full immersion in their parks, it’s logical to think that a story versus a tour would be more immersive, as you fall in love with more characters and their tales. In the case of Jungle Cruise, the only real character we get is the Skipper, and he’s not a part of the story as much as he is an accessory. Much like how The Great Movie Ride’s tour guides were not really a part of the movies, the Skippers aren’t really a part of the Jungle Cruise’s tale.
Soon, though, we’ll see a different Jungle Cruise, and, while the puns will still be there, so too will characters who will help make the tour company feel more real, with deeper exposition and, hopefully, a stronger narrative. Disney Parks Blog recently introduced Alberta Falls to fans of the ride, who is the granddaughter of Dr. Albert Falls, as the proprietor of the tour company in charge of Jungle Cruise, Jungle Navigation Company Ltd. In the announcement post, there’s an interview with Alberta Falls in The Daily Gnus, which contains some cute tidbits about Alberta. We learn that she’s the owner, manager, bookkeeper, and head mechanic of Jungle Navigation Company, but we also get some deeper backstory that’s never really been apparent on the Jungle Cruise before. Alberta’s grandfather has long been missing, and she has long been looking for him. There’s also some hints about Alberta’s parents, Sneh and Albert Jr., and Alberta’s claim that their love story is one for another day seems to lend itself the idea that “another day” may mean when the ride is officially reopened with its redesign.
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