What’s that I hear from Adventure Land during the holiday season? Jingle Cruise, Jingle Cruise, Jingle all the way! Changing a ”U” to an “I” along with some well-placed holiday decorations and holiday-themed narration is all it took to change the “Jungle Cruise” into the “Jingle Cruise”. I’m sure you’ve heard the story… The Skippers got a little homesick this holiday season, scavenged what they could, along with some items from the home to decorate the Jungle Cruise for the holidays.
First introduced for the 2013 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the Jingle Cruise is a must during the holidays at Walt Disney World, if nothing else… Jungle Cruise is back on the map as a must-do attraction at WDW Magic Kingdom (and Disneyland). I can’t recall seeing the Jungle Cruise queue longer during a hard-ticketed event.
The boats have all been renamed and re-themed for the holidays. There was Icicle Irma, Mistletoe Millie, and Poinsettia Sal, to name a few. The queue is lined with Christmas trees and holiday decorations, providing a nice touch in an area that had typically seen little to no holiday
decorations in the past. The ride itself has additional holiday props throughout, including stockings hung on the Tikis with care and Christmas gifts along the shore. The updated narration provides the same type of humor you’re accustomed to on the Jungle Cruise: “Watch out for the Hum-Bugs” & “Looks like someone is getting a tree with a boa on top”. And like the Jungle Cruise, the Jingle Cruise experience relies on the capabilities of your “Tree Trimmer, Popcorn Stringer, Gift Wrapper, Cookie Cutter and Secret Santa”… otherwise known as your Skipper. Skipper interaction and enthusiasm is the key to a memorable Jingle Cruise. The cruise also changes from day tonight. Christmas lights are always better at night.
I recorded multiple rides on the Jingle Cruise, all of them a little different. For this edition of Sams Disney Diary, I’ve included two of them, one during the day and one at night. Of course, each skipper is different, you find the difference in-jokes interesting, it’s not the same for each cruise. Hope you enjoy both your trips on the Jingle Cruise and remember, there is nothing like experiencing any Disney attraction in person. As everything at Walt Disney World changes, this is your opportunity to experience the Jingle Cruise from two completely skippers.
Looking for more Epcot Holidays? Check out the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs, Festival Merchandise from 2021, Festival Food from 2021, A musical Tour, Norway, the Holiday Fountain of Nations, Candlelight Processional or a flashback to Epcot 1987
