The Jungle Cruise: Is It Autistic Friendly?

The Jungle Cruise is a classic ride at Disneyland. Opening with Disneyland Park back in 1955, it has remained one of the defining attractions at Disneyland Park and all other Disney Parks around the world. Over the nearly seventy years it has existed, this iconic attraction has gone through several updates and changes, going from a very plain and dry attraction to the epic and humorous attraction we know today. The core concept remains the same across all versions around the world: a boat manned by a live Skipper takes us through the jungles of the world to see various animals and gags. All the while, their speech is accented with several Dad jokes.

This ride is a testament to the talent and creativity of the original imagineers. Classic gags created from the cheeky mind of Marc Davis appear in every scene. A course routed before the first buildings were built at Disneyland takes you across several major rivers around the world. And, of course, a script that has evolved over the decades fills the boat with laughter and cheers.

And, if you say that you don’t agree with that, you are most certainly in…da Nile!

However, with any jungle adventure, there are all sorts of hazards that might be treacherous for an Autistic Adventurer to explore. So allow me to help chart a course for the least dangerous path through this treacherous jungle to see if the Jungle Cruise is Autistic friendly.

The Jungle Cruise has an interesting layout for its queue. While the ride itself is on the ground level, the queue building is two stories. Now, why did the Imagineers do this? Well, Adventureland at Disneyland is a bit narrow in terms of land space, so to prevent overflow from going out into the streets, the Imagineers put the overflow for the queue on top of the main station level. That way, crowds can be kept above the ride station and allow the streets around the Jungle Cruise to stay clear.

This actually leads me to my first piece of advice. If you or the Autistic Adventurer needs a wheelchair or ECV, do not enter through the main queue. By using the Disability Access Service alongside your wheeled vehicle, you actually enter from a different area: the exit. There are Cast Members at a nearby desk who can help you get all loaded and set-up on your own expedition with the Jungle Navigation Company. Plus, on this station, the Cast Members can help guests in wheelchairs get settled in boats that are specially designed to seat wheelchairs. Just use this alternative entrance, and you won’t have to take the stairs to the second story.

As for everyone else in the main queue, the Jungle Cruise has a fun little queue with the Skippers’ Radio playing music in the background, while you can also find all sorts of neat stuff hidden around the queue. For example, when the recent Jungle Cruise movie came out, they actually put the hats and bags of Skipper Frank and the other heroes of the movie inside the office portion of the queue. In this same area, you can also see a box from Hightower Industries, which is related to a larger story about Disney’s Society of Explorers and Adventurers as well as Tokyo DisneySea’s version of Tower of Terror.

Upstairs, you can also find a few other easter eggs and cool decorations. One of my favorites are the crates near the stairs, which include several treasures and items that the skippers deliver in the story of the attraction. Some of these crates are related to other Disney attractions around the world as well as to the neighboring Indiana Jones Adventure. This kind of worldbuilding just immerses you in the overall narrative of the ride and the land as a whole. It’s the kind of detail work that keeps you focused in a line.

One downside about the queue is that it is pretty claustrophobic. Granted, this queue is still roughly the same since it originally opened in 1955. It went through a major upgrade in the mid-90s when Indiana Jones opened, but that still doesn’t change the fact that the queue is a tight experience. Even massive rooms with switchbacks feel a bit squished when waiting in line. Plus, the tightest area is the staircase because there is only one set of stairs that takes you between the levels. So when you walk up or down the stairs, you will have people going the opposite direction of you on the same staircase, making the area a lot more cramped.

Be warned also that the ride splits into two sections at two different points: the upstairs queue and the loading dock. I know that when you want to race onto the ride, you might eagerly make your way straight to the first line you see. But if you are not careful with how you deal with the ride split, you may accidentally split your adventuring party (something that any D&D player tells you is a bad idea).

Once you are through the queue, you are loaded onto a Jungle Navigation Company boat. Unlike a regular dark ride, where you are loaded by individual rows, the Jungle Cruise loads people throughout the boat. The Cast Members will guide you to wherever they need you to sit on the boat, so just follow the Cast Member’s instructions on where they want you to sit.

Now, if you need a bit more leg room or don’t want to be up-close to any of the jungle creatures, definitely ask the Cast Members if you can sit in the center crates of the boat. They usually fill this section up last, so you won’t usually have too many guests sitting there early on. Sometimes, they will leave this section empty, but if you need to stay away from the edges, don’t be afraid to ask the Cast Members if you can sit here during the ride.

Depending on the number of people in your boat, you might either find yourself in a comfortable spot all to yourself. Or, you might find yourself tucked in like sardines in a tin. Usually when I ride, there’s enough space for me to be comfortable as well as for me to not be in someone else’s personal bubble. But on busier days, the boat might be a bit more packed in with people. So really, I don’t have much I can say here other than if you’re too uncomfortable, let the Cast Members know. They will try to help you out to the best of their abilities.

Once everyone is loaded, the Skipper starts the engine. And, you’re off on your jungle adventure.

The Jungle Cruise is a fairly slow-paced ride, where the control of the boat is handled by our trusty skipper. Unlike a usual boat, Jungle Cruise boats run along a track which sits underneath the water. The skipper controls the boat’s speed along the track, keeping pace with the other boats on the attraction. It’s a simple mechanic, especially when you realize that the steering wheel is mostly for show.

On our adventure, we encounter all sorts of amazing things across the jungles of the world. We see elephants bathing (don’t worry, they have their trunks on). Watch as the camp is taken over by the most dangerous creatures: monkeys with guns! Pass by lions looking out for a dead, tired zebra. Locate the wreckage of a lost Jungle Cruise boat. And of course, pass by the highlight of the whole adventure: the Eight Wonder of the World, the Backside of Water! (*hold for applause*)

After our expedition is over, we exit past Trader Sam’s Gift Shop before disembarking back at the ride station. From there, we can return to Adventureland to try a different ride or get a treat at the Tropical Hideaway.

The Jungle Cruise is a fairly tame attraction, and most of the intensity comes from the Skipper you get. The Skipper is the centerpiece of the attraction, and their energy lets you know what kind of ride experience you are going to get. I have to give props to every Jungle Cruise Skipper out there both past and present who has helped make a guest’s day when riding on the Jungle Cruise. I also want to give a shout out to my eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. George, who is a former Jungle Cruise Skipper herself. Thank you so much for making English fun and for helping me gain a greater appreciation for this ride!

With the Skipper being the center of the ride, your experience will definitely vary depending on who you get. You may get a rather quiet and straightforward skipper. Or you may get someone like my teacher who used the force on someone (yup, she’s that awesome).

Otherwise, the attraction does not have too much in the way of loud noises. Being a massive, outdoor attraction, sound just kind of dissipates easily. And, it’s really not too overwhelming on the senses.

The loudest part and the portion that the Skipper will even warn you to cover your ears is the hippo pool. When the hippos charge the boat, the Skipper pulls out a pistol and fires two shots into the air. Cool Behind-the-Magic Fact: I discovered that this is a signal system to let the Cast Members operating the ride know that the boat has safely reached this portion of the attraction. Two shots from the gun means that all is well; any more is usually some kind of incident based on the number.

Over the years, I swear that this gun has gotten quieter over the years. But, that said, it is the loudest portion of an otherwise quiet attraction. Earplugs are not too necessary for this ride, but if you need them, use them. Otherwise, do what the Skipper says and cover your ears.

There aren’t any sharp turns either. The worst one I can think of is the turn at Schweitzer Falls (named after the famed explorer, Dr. Albert Falls). Even then, skippers take this corner very smoothly because this corner could be a spot that could cause a possible derailment. So basically, the ride moves at a fairly even pace throughout.

As for scary imagery, well…you won’t find much of it on the Jungle Cruise. The general vibe of this ride as mentioned before was designed by a man named, “Marc Davis.” Besides helping create iconic characters like Maleficent and Cruella De Vil, Davis was known among Disney as the humor guy. Walt actually hired him to upgrade the Jungle Cruise so that the general tone of the ride favored more comedy than terror.

I mean, you have the previous adventuring party getting stuck on a tree trying to escape an angry rhino. It doesn’t get funnier than that.

There were two moments that I know scared me a bit as a kid, but now, I find them only slightly unsettling at the worst. The first is the Cambodian Shrine scene. While the cobras are creepy, this scene instilled a fear in me of animatronic crocodiles. There are about two animatronic crocodiles in this section that rise out of the water and snap at the boat, and they actually really freaked me out as a kid. Now, I realize that they are pretty harmless, but I still get the occasional shiver seeing them.

The second scene is the piranha scene. Before you arrive at Trader Sam’s Gift Shop and soon exit the attraction, you stop for a second at this pool. Suddenly, the waters begin to churn as a school of man-eating piranha start attacking the boat. The piranha jumping out of nowhere absolutely used to freak me out when I was a kid, and in some ways, this scene still startles me a bit now.

All I have to say is pretty simple: if there are certain animals that freak you out or make you uncomfortable, just be aware that this is an animal heavy attraction. If you are lucky enough to be sitting towards the center of the boat, you can watch all of the madness from a safe distance. Otherwise, be warned that there are some moments where submerged animals will get a bit in your face.

But honestly, just be aware that this ride is meant to be something more silly and enjoyable for riders. I mean, the elephant bathing pool is a classic example of this. You have all of these silly elephants doing all sorts of stuff around you. And, a baby elephant named, “Squirt,” nearly sprays you with water (although you’re always fine).

The Jungle Cruise is a classic Disneyland ride for many reasons. It is a relaxing experience mixed in with good humor and tons of things to look at as you ride. Each time you ride, you may get a different Skipper who does different jokes. Or, you might see something on the ride that you didn’t see last time. But, if there’s one thing that you can rely on, it’s the fact that this overall experience is far from a frightening one.

I would say that the Jungle Cruise is fun enough to enjoy as an Autistic person. What could be overwhelming is done as soon as possible. And, by the end of the ride, you will probably be laughing all your way off the dock. Just hopefully not into the river by extension.