The Jungle Cruise movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt is currently scheduled to come out in 2020. As production on the film continues, a new rumor has popped up suggesting the film could alter the Jungle Cruise ride at Disney World if the movie proves to be successful.
The rumor, as discussed by Jim Hill on his podcast, should be taken with a large grain of salt. He speculates that Disney may use the old ideas that were created when George of the Jungle (starring Brendan Fraser) was almost incorporated into the Jungle Cruise in the late ’90s.
On the surface, the rumor makes sense. Disney has already shown that they are willing to add movie scenes into an existing ride with their alterations to the Pirates of the Caribbean. Adding in a scene or dialogue referencing the movie would be relatively easy. A skipper making a pun about The Rock while pointing at rocks would be a natural, unobtrusive fit. Other changes, such as actual scene changes, are more difficult to evaluate.
While Hill sounds convinced this is already moving forward, Disney will probably wait to see what the initial reaction is to the movie before committing to any ride changes. It’d be a big misstep to alter the ride only to see the movie bomb.
Stay tuned. This story could play out in a number of different ways as the release date of the movie approaches.
