The Jungle Cruise at Walt Disney World

The Jungle Cruise is a riverboat ride that takes you to some of the most famous rivers in the world. You'll tour scenes from Africa, Asia, and South America, seeing animatronic wildlife from each legendary location. The ride is similar in style to the classic film, "The African Queen". The original ride can be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. But an almost identical ride is located at Walt Disney World and this is the ride that I have experienced most in my lifetime, so it's the one I'll be reviewing.

This is one of those rides that I'm a sucker for from the very beginning of the experience. For starters, it's in Adventureland, which is the most intricately themed of all the Magic Kingdom's various areas, in my opinion. The line is also perfectly themed as a jungle line and boat house. Music from the 1930's and 1940's plays and plenty of sight gags can be seen if you're willing to look around.

The ride is legendary not just for its historical context in theme park history or its lush scenery, but also for the jokes that your skippers will tell you as they steer you through the Jungle Cruise. The ride spiel, as performed live by your boat skippers, is actually pretty divisive among the world of Disney geeks. I happen to love that part of the ride experience, because the jokes are very reminiscent of the type of dialogue found in Marx Brothers movies. So for old movie enthusiasts, it's just an extra bonus. For people who may not be familiar with that style of humor, it can come across as cheesy.

But even if you don't like the skipper's spiel, there's plenty to hold your attention. The river scenery is actually quite beautiful. The foliage has been specially designed to make you feel like you're truly isolated and the audio tracks of jungle noise do the rest of the work. Actually, if you're the kind of person who enjoys visits to botanical gardens, then this alone could be enough to get you on the ride.

Also, some of the animatronics are surprisingly convincing. In a style that is similar to the Haunted Mansion, some are realistic and others are highly stylized. (I find that the most convincing are the hippos and the elephants.) So you may find yourself feeling a bit vulnerable as you approach what appears to be large wildlife next to your boat. It's giddy fun, less scary than the Jaws ride at Universal Studios but effective enough to give you a little thrill.

This is an excellent ride for kids. I know it seems silly to say that, because hey, it's Disney World. What ride isn't great for kids? But it just seems necessary to remind people that these rides are built with kids in mind as the target audience. So while you may be able to spot the animatronics and see the illusions, kids might be viewing this ride with a completely different set of eyes. To some of them, it's completely realistic and convincing. So while I do recommend it for all age groups, know that there's extra incentive to take your kids. I consider it a must-ride and I think once you give it a chance, you will too. It's a classic for good reason.