The Jungle Cruise ride in both Disney World and Disneyland has been undergoing quite a few changes.

While Disney World’s Jungle Cruise has remained open during its refurbishment, Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise has been closed. The ride is set to officially reopen on July 16th, but we were lucky enough to get a special preview of the ride today and we can’t wait to share the updates with you!

In Disney World, we’ve seen Jungle Cruise updated with new scenes, new characters, and a brand new backstory. We’ve also seen Trader Sam’s new Gift Shop “open” recently. Although the Jungle Cruise ride is slightly different between Disney World and Disneyland, we know that the updated storyline for both rides will be the same. Let’s take a look at what Disneyland’s ride looks like right now!

As you make your way into the Jungle Cruise queue, you’ll find a number of cool details all throughout the line.

Be sure to stop and check these out.

There are all kinds of things to see.

You never know what kind of corny jokes or hidden references you’ll find (peep the giraffe on the sign to the left).

We have seen a number of changes made in the queue in Disney World, so just be on the lookout for smaller changes like that on these attractions.

Once we got through the queue, it was finally time for our adventure!

On the ride, you’ll still find many of the classic scenes (and jokes) you know and love.

And, of course, no trip to the jungle is complete without a look at the backside of water.

But, you’ll also find some updated scenes in place. In the scene with the rhino and the people trying to escape to higher ground, you’ll now find some of the new characters that are part of the Jungle Cruise’s updated storyline.

These characters include Felix Pechman XIII, the animatronic skipper who’s followed by bad luck. A celebrated Mexican artist (Rosa Soto Dominguez), Japan’s preeminent entomologist Dr. Kon Chunosuke — who is also a member of the legendary Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.), and more!

You’ll also a boat that appears to have sunk into the rivers of the jungle. Not the most ideal scenario.

There’s also a scene that has been added featuring the Mekong Maiden!

But, this boat isn’t carrying human passengers right now. Instead, it seems some other guests have taken over!

Perhaps one of the biggest changes that has been made is in relation to Trader Sam. It appears Trader Sam has turned the Jungle Cruise’s lost & found area into his very own gift shop (you know Trader Sam, he’s always looking to make some money and come out ahead). 

There are all kinds of details hidden in this scene. You could probably just sit there for an hour trying to find them all. At the end of that area, you’ll pass by a monkey sitting on a camera and an elephant that conveniently sprays some water as you go past!

Don’t forget to look for lots of other great scenes throughout the ride including the elephants spraying water…

…and this scene with some friends getting into a bit of trouble!

Check out the video below to see the Imagineers discussing some of the changes that have been made to the ride.

And that’s a first look at Disneyland’s updated Jungle Cruise experience! Again, the ride will not “officially” reopen until July 16th, but it did soft-reopen today meaning that guests can get the chance to ride it! Just be sure to check if it’s open and available during your trip.

Changes are still being made and some updates will continue to be made in the upcoming days. We’ll be sure to check for more updates and let you know what we find.

Stay tuned to DFB for all your Disneyland news!

Click here to see everything we know about the changes coming to the Jungle Cruise!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their media preview of the re-themed Jungle Cruise ride. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

What do you think of Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise? Let us know in the comments!