While Disneyland and its sister
theme parks try to present themselves as timeless fun for the whole family, the
reality is that they, particularly their individual attractions, are products
of the times in which they were opened. Trivia-savvy Disney fans would know
that the Splash Mountain log ride is based off the animated segments of 1946
film “Song of the South,” which has been considered racially offensive that it
has never seen any home re-release in decades. Another Disney attraction,
Jungle Cruise, was also flagged for unflattering depictions of indigenous
jungle people, spurring them to revamp the original Disneyland version’s design
beginning this January, ahead of the film adaptation’s premiere.
CNN International reports that the changes to Disneyland’s Jungle
Cruise water ride are finally complete after about half a year of work. Gone
now is the segment of the cruise where the riverboat that guests are riding on
will be attacked by “dangerous, primitive” natives (complete with arrows and
spears lodging on the boat’s hull). Instead, more (animatronic) wildlife will
populate the jungle river course of the ride, such as chimpanzees that have seized
another riverboat, forcing its safari-goers to climb a tree for shelter.
And even here there is a sign of
what Disney describes as a sense of inclusivity in characters while still retaining
the classic feel of the attraction, which has been part of Disneyland from day
one as Walt Disney himself conceptualized it. Now however, alongside the traditional
hijacked riverboat skipper that the passenger riverboats will pass, is a motley
international crew that includes an Asian entomologist from Japan, a
bird-watcher from Ireland, a Latina artist and a Canadian botanist of black
descent. As Walt Disney Imagineering creative portfolio executive Chris Beatty
puts it, "We want to make sure that everyone that rides the Jungle Cruise
can see themselves in the characters and in this experience."
While the new and improved Jungle
Cruise ride is ready, it will not open for passengers at Disneyland in Anaheim
until this coming Friday, July 16. That should give Disneyland park-goers nearby
plenty of time to check out the changes to the course, before they catch the “Jungle
Cruise” movie later this month. This Disney Pictures production, in the
tradition of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Haunted Mansion,” takes the
classic park attraction and builds a story out of it, starring Dwayne Johnson
and Emily Blunt. The movie releases on July 30 in cinemas, and simultaneously
on Disney+ Premier Access.
Image: Yahoo News
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