Disney Revamps Jungle Cruise to Eliminate Racial Stereotypes

(Bloomberg) -- Walt Disney Co. is overhauling its Jungle Cruise rides in Southern California and Florida, part of an ongoing effort to remove racial and gender stereotypes from its theme-park attractions.

The renovated ride will eliminate racially hurtful depictions of indigenous peoples and replace them with imagery of tourists on an ill-fated jungle ride, according to a blog posting Monday and media accounts.

Disney has revamped a number of attractions over the years, especially older ones, to strip out potentially offensive elements. Pirates of the Caribbean underwent a facelift to eliminate scenes where buccaneers auction off women taken in raids. Splash Mountain, originally inspired by the characters from “Song of the South,” is also getting a makeover.

The Jungle Cruise, which debuted in 1955 with Disneyland park in Southern California, simulates a cruise down rivers of Asia, Africa and South America. Guests board replica ships and are taken on a voyage past animatronic inhabitants and jungle fauna, guided by a cast member who steers his passengers past various perils, such as charging hippos and warring natives.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.