The Jungle Cruise tour at Disney’s theme parks in California and Florida, long criticized as racist, is undergoing renovation to remove what the company has called ‘negative representations’ of some cultures.
Disney said on Monday that the attraction of the boat on the river would be updated to “reflect and value the diversity of the world around us”.
Jungle Cruise, opened in 1955, has long been accused of having racist overtones in its description of some non-Western characters such as savages and cannibals.
The Disney’s Jungle Cruise tour has long been criticized for portraying natives as savages and cannibals, including depicting a man carrying shrunken heads
Disney said the tour would be updated to ‘reflect and value the diversity of the world around us’
Disney said that plans to remove these “native” scenes are unrelated to the Jungle Cruise movie starring Dwayne Johnson.
The company will remove representations of ‘natives’ who consider them subservient or wild.
The updated trip will include new scenes and a new storyline, Disney said in a blog, although the company has not given a release date.
“As part of this story update, we will follow a Skipper and his passengers while his journey goes awry,” said Imagineer Kevin Lively in a Twitter video.
“In fact, the expedition will climb a tree after the wreck separates and the chimpanzees embark on the wreckage, with what follows.”
Disney noted that the changes are unrelated to the upcoming Jungle Cruise movie, starring Dwayne Johnson and scheduled to debut on July 30, Variety said.
The tour will have no characters or ties to the film added, according to the outlet.
‘This is not a new view of the whole attraction. It’s the Jungle Cruise you know and love, with the captains still leading, and at the same time, we’re addressing the negative representations of “natives,” said Chris Beatty, Walt Disney Imagineering executive in an interview.
Disney executive president Bob Iger also tweeted about the “exciting” changes after the announcement.
Changes to the tour, which opened in 1955, occur after the company said in June that it would review its Splash Mountain tour
“The exciting changes we are making at one of Disney’s most popular classic attractions, Jungle Cruise, reflect our commitment to creating unparalleled experiences that reflect not only the best of the narrative, but also the values and rich diversity of our world” , Iger tweeted.
Fans of the trip remained ambivalent about the changes to the beloved trip.
‘The only’ people ‘who see racism in attraction are radical racists and lack the intelligence to see it. Update, fine. Removing non-existent “racism”? Ridiculous, ‘tweeted to @ mikejt1954.
Another alerted the company, saying that anyone who visits theme parks does so out of nostalgia and traditions.
‘Adding improvements is good, but in the entertainment business, people live off traditions; changes can sever the emotional connection. Extreme care is recommended. Always make decisions on the front lines, not behind the table. Live the dreams, ‘@randy_senna tweeted.
Another fan stated that his first reaction was ‘don’t touch my Jungle Cruise!’
‘However, this looks more like an improvement, so I am cautiously optimistic with enthusiasm. Disney did very well with updates to Alice and Peter Pan’s attractions at Disneyland, ”noted a Twitter account called DisenyworldVacationer.
Disney fans went to Twitter to praise and condemn the company for announcing changes to their Jungle Cruise tour
Others added that they were ‘in full support’ of the Jungle Cruise changes.
“We must not keep outdated representations in the name of nostalgia. That said, it would be extremely progressive for Disney to put The Rock on Jungle Cruise and all other theme park tours, just a full sweep across the board, ‘joked @carlyewisel.
The changes follow a cultural assessment in the United States of systemic racism that has led to reviews of various television programs and films.
Disney said in June that its Splash Mountain attraction was also being revised to remove its associations with black stereotypes in the 1946 film ‘Song of the South’, on which it was based.
The problematic film has not been available on any Disney platform since 1986, when it was re-released for a 40th anniversary theatrical screening, according to SFGate.
Fans remained confused when the company said it would switch the attraction’s Brer Rabbit theme to The Princess and the Frog.
The entertainment giant last year also published notices about some of its classic animated films, including ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘The Aristocrats’, warning that they contain outdated or stereotyped representations of people of color.