Jungle Cruise Update

[el_super]

I guess as a quick take, I think it's a bit of a mixed bag in the art. I like the meta humor of the gift shop idea, but the monkeys, props and gag signs are a little much. It starts to look cluttered and unfocused, and it feels like it's lacking a main character/theme. Always open to the idea that there may be more to come though.

 

[Stevek]

I refuse to recognize any back story unless Spin and Marty are involved.
View attachment 545950

I started watching those again...fun stuff.

 

[Stevek]

The shop looks pretty good to me and the fact that they are continuing with the Trader Sam name gives me faith that they won't change my favorite tiki bar.

 

[NobodyElse]

The 1970s redo with Jim Henson-esque yeti, glowing red eyes in the dark, a strobe light and a crystal chamber that looked like the Fortress of Solitude.

Ah. For me, the original Matterhorn looks more like this:

While even this was a bit before my time:

It just goes to show that perspective should be considered when we complain about changes. Somewhere out there are little kids that will only know this new version of the Jungle Cruise. Then when the next round of changes come along, they can complain that they liked "the original" better.

 

[WillWrambles]

I have nothing to add over here, just need to share this perfect pun.

This seems like a good compromise. Trader Sam can be whoever the guests imagine him to be.

It would make sense that after several years of shrinking business, Sam would look for a new opportunity.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Where's the outcry on Disney forcing a black owned business to close and then placing its employee to work in a lesser position within a white owned business?

 

[Mickeyboof]

Where's the outcry on Disney forcing a black owned business to close and then placing its employee to work in a lesser position within a white owned business?

Elaborate?

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Trader Sam was owner and self proprietor of his own burgeoning business in the Jungle selling goods and wares to passing tourists. Disney shut down his business and he has now been demoted to running the lost and found desk under Ms. Falls' tour company... Being this change was done with political correctness forefront and center... Where's the outcry?

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I find the new ending lacks imagination.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

It almost seems like the Disney Parks Blog is directly trolling this forum at this point, as that post read like something satirical from the Unnecessary Backstory Thread.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Huh so Trader Sam exists but you can't see him? Is he still a head hunter? It's kind of too much that every new scene involves monkeys, surely they could have used different animals.

Kinda like Oga and her cantina. This legendary figure who's so legendary you can't actually see them.

 

[D.Silentu]

I'm no fan of the chimp boat, but the souvenir stand is a change that I can live with. However, I find it interesting that Trader Sam has been shifted into this mythical figure. Does it mean that they are too timid to create a new Sam at the risk of offending someone?

The monkeys fighting over the underwear are giving me serious Compsognathus vibes.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one! I could do without them; one monkey spinning on the victrola is enough.

 

[chadwpalm]

What kinda bothers me more than the PC changes is this:

"The new scene is one of several that are interconnected and build on the original story and humor of the Jungle Cruise."

Aside from the inaccuracy that there was an "original" story and humor, I always liked that the ride was meant to be a voyage around the jungle and that the stories and jokes came later and were left up to the imaginations of the JC skippers and guests. This always allowed for the freedom to create new jokes and puns without trampling on anything "official". I'm not a JC historian and maybe I don't know all the historic details of the ride, but this has always been my perception as a casual guest.

Now Disney has taken these jokes and puns and "canonized" them, making them part of an "official" overall story that to me cheapens the work some of the skippers had done over the years to come up with funny puns and the freedom they had to play around with their own material.

Hopefully, they'll still be able to do that to an extent. Why do all the new things at Disney have to have backstories? I just want to go on a simple cruise with a funny skipper guiding me along, not some intricate story that I have to think about in order for the attraction to make sense.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I really, really regret not riding Jungle Cruise during my February 2020 visit. This redo looks like a disaster.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Disney has taken these jokes and puns and "canonized" them, making them part of an "official" overall story that to me cheapens the work some of the skippers had done over the years to come up with funny puns and the freedom they had to play around with their own material.

Reminds me of what Disney did with Star Wars land... Instead of opening the place and letting the lore naturally develop over several years... They created their own convoluted backstories and shoved it down guests throats. It cheapens the experience and takes the magic away from the guest's mind.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Reminds me of what Disney did with Star Wars land... Instead of opening the place and letting the lore naturally develop over several years... They created their own convoluted backstories and shoved it down guests throats. It cheapens the experience and takes the magic away from the guest's mind.

Tony Baxter said it best- backstory is there to inform the designers but can't be a requirement for someone to understand the attraction. If that happens, people often end up more confused.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This news doesn’t make me want to experience this new version of Jungle Cruise.

It is what it is. I’m not going to be too bothered about any of this. Whatever.

 

[CaptinEO]

My opinion on this is the same as my opinion on Pirate Redd. If it had to go replace it with something that's better.

All these monkey scenes are just not doing it for me. Not that I really care much for this ride but it seems like they got lazy with these concepts.

 

[Nland316]

The thing about Jungle Cruise lore that’s always bothered me is how Disney’s taken the whole “humor” trope and overly emphasizes it.
The comedy side has always been presented in more of an ironic/ignorant viewpoint from the skipper — which clearly works. The scenes themselves aren’t necessarily funny, but the way in which the skipper interacts with it is what makes that funny tone work.
This redo just seems to force the comedic aspect in an overly obvious way. This is why I think the Jingle Cruise never worked too well. Hoping the end product isn’t too extreme as it’s been presented on the parks blog and such.

 

[SSG]

So I guess the joke now is 'Here we see Schweitzer Falls....named after the famous explorer Dr. Albert Falls...the guy who used to run these tours.'