Disney needs to revamp its Jungle Cruise theme park attraction to remove what it describes as ‘negative portrayals of indigenous peoples’ and ‘reflect and appreciate the diversity of the world around us’.
The changes are outlined in a blog post on its Disney Parks website, which includes concept art for the redesigned attraction, a simulated riverboat ride originally developed for Disneyland when it opened in California in 1955. This is meanwhile repeated in Disney theme parks in Florida Tokyo and Hong Kong.
In a statement quoted by USA Today, Disney added that its designers are addressing ‘negative portrayals of indigenous people while creating a humorous storyline … [will] be diverse – in background and fields of interest ”.
Jungle Cruise, partly inspired by the 1951 film The African Queen, has long been a target of criticism for including caricatures of indigenous people, as well as a character, Trader Sam, offering ‘heads’ for sale. A report by design group Thinkwell calls elements of the attraction “horribly racist”.
Disney’s redesign of the Jungle Cruise follows its decision, announced in June 2020, to redesign its Splash Mountain appeal. Splash Mountain was originally inspired by the now-defunct 1946 film Song of the South and is modeled on its 2009 animation, The Princess and the Frog, the first to feature an African-American princess.
The release of a movie version of Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, has been delayed until July 2021.