Jingle Cruise

**The Jingle Cruise** is an annual overlay of the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom and which ran until 2017 in Disneyland.

## History

### Backstory

During the Holiday season, the Jungle Navigation Company transported a large amount of holiday decor for its bases as the company's skippers are homesick during the holidays. These, "Jingle Cruises" started in the year 1935. However, the typical negligence and incompetence of the company lead to mass amounts of this being lost throughout the jungle, namely by a cargo plane which missed its target.

The pollution of holiday decoration resulted in makeshift festiveness in the jungle and its wildlife, an event reported on by Tallahassee Glover of *The Daily Gnus*. Guests depart with JNC skippers to assist in recovering the lost cargo of decorations.

### Development history

#### Changes

The first Jingle Cruise was in 2013 at the Magic Kingdom, followed days later in Disneyland. The attraction did not premiere with its backstory but rather developed it over the years. In 2017, Disneyland ceased to continue the Jingle Cruise overlay.

## Summary

### Disneyland

The boathouse was filled with seasonal decor and indications of the attraction's backstory. Upon boarding a boat, guests found the jungles of the Lost Delta polluted with Christmas decorations. While passing the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the skipper explained that Indiana Jones was not joining the skippers for New Year's Eve festivities due to hating it when, "The ball drops".

The ruins of Shir Lee Temple were then shown to be filled with scattered holiday decor. The tiger and crocodiles were seen munching on the decorations. In the Indian elephant bathing pool, the elephants were covered in garlands. When Squirt threatened to drench the boat, the skipper warded him off with the threat of going on the naughty list.

In the Congo base camp, the skippers' letters to Santa and cooking ingredients were being raided by gorillas. Meanwhile, the baboons were dressed in a stolen Santa Claus costume. The boats followed by passing Kejo, struggling to grab a candy-cane on a floating crate.

On the African veldt were crates of Christmas decor depicting Santa and his reindeer. Said decorations were ripped apart like prey by the local lion pride. The tree with the lost safari had been made out similarly to a Christmas tree, possibly in the safari's attempt to celebrate the holidays interrupted by the black rhino. Fruit-cakes floated in the hippo pool, being eaten by the mammals.

The territory of the Umbala tribe was made up with Holiday decoration as its peoples danced to a victrola playing holiday music. After this, a group of their warriors, "Ambushed" the boat though were actually just holding up drinks and cheering in a drunken celebration of the season. The boats proceeded to pass behind Schweitzer Falls.

Entering the Amazon rainforest, the boats found several floating presents with bite-marks in them. This was immediately followed by piranhas attacking the boats. Nearby, the python was covered in Christmas decorations and wrapped around a tree like a living, "Boa". Finally, New Year's music played as guests encountered Trader Sam's outpost where he and Ellie were having an end-of-the-year sale of champagne.

### Magic Kingdom

#### 2013-2021

The experience began within the Amazon River Base which is decorated with Holiday paraphernalia. A holiday themed broadcast from the Global Broadcasting Service played, hosted by radio-announcer Nigel Greenwater. The riverside shack too was decorated in Christmas decor. Guests proceeded to board a boat which has been renamed for the season and is piloted by a skipper in a beige Santa-hat.

Between Inspiration Falls and the village were floating crates of presents, undetected by the local tribe. When passing the python, skippers typically commented on it being a live, "Boa" Christmas tree decoration. The boats proceeded into the Congo Base Camp where gorillas have raided a Jungle Navigation Company stash of presents for their employees. In Crocodile Country, Ginger and Mister Smiley have had stockings for presents laid out.

Nearing the African veldt, the boats encountered the bull-elephant wrapped in jingle-bells from a crate and resembling a reindeer. The Lost Safari was scene surrounded by littered presents with a star atop their watch-tower like a star. In the Umbala tribe, the locals were drumming before ambushing the boat with spears.

Shir Lee Temple too was covered in littered Christmas decorations.. The skipper sang an eerie rendition of Christmas music while passing a tiger chewing on a skipper's Santa hat. Exiting into the Indian elephant bathing pool, the elephants were said to be having a holiday pool-party. At the end, guests met with Chief Nah-mee dressed as, "Trader Sam-Ta" and offering holiday deals.

#### 2021-present

The experience began within the Amazon River Base which is decorated with Holiday paraphernalia. A holiday themed broadcast from the Global Broadcasting Service played, hosted by radio-announcer Nigel Greenwater. The riverside shack too was decorated in Christmas decor. Guests proceeded to board a boat which has been renamed for the season and is piloted by a skipper in a beige Santa-hat.

The boats pass by Inspiration Falls which has assorted cargo littered along the riverbank. Going past the colonial outpost *Boats and Baits AND Bites!*, guests see Skipper Sully's canoes decorated with gold bows while Sully is absent. The boats proceeded into the Congo and Congo Base Camp where gorillas have raided a Jungle Navigation Company stash of presents for their employees. In Crocodile Country, Ginger and Mister Smiley have had stockings for presents laid out.

Nearing the African veldt, the boats encountered the bull-elephant wrapped in jingle-bells from a crate and resembling a reindeer. Also on the veldt, the lost passengers of the *Kwango Kate* have been chased up a pole by a black rhino. Surrounding the marooned colonists are hyenas and cargo dumped by the JNC, including one crate addressed to the JNC rival Nilo Nemolato of *Nilo's River Adventure*. Continuing in this region, boats pass by the Kwango Kate which is overtaken by chimpanzees and which has a burlap sign atop it, renaming the boat to the holiday themed, "Kwango Kringle".

Shir Lee Temple too was covered in littered Christmas decorations. The boats pass by a tiger chewing on a skipper's Santa hat before exiting the temple into the Indian elephant bathing pool. Here, the elephants are said to be having a holiday pool-party. The boats proceed to re-enter the Amazon and pass by *Trader Sam's Gift Shop!* where Trader Sam sells off stolen items. Various Christmas decorations are in the gift shop along with a Santa Claus costume though Sam is absent.

## Boats

### Disneyland

* **Jingle Belle**
* **Congo Caroler/Candy Cane Queen**
* **Ganges Garland/Gingerbread Gal**
* **Hondo Hollie/Hanukkah Hattie**
* **Irrawaddy Snowman**
* **Yule Kissimmee/Kissimmee Under the Mistletoe**
* **Nile Nutcracker/Noël Princess**
	+ Comes equipped with a wheelchair lift.
* **Orinoco Ornament/Navidad Adventuress**
* **Suwannee Sleigh/Sugar Plum Lady**
* **Ucayali Eggnog/Evergreen Una**
	+ Comes equipped with a wheelchair lift.
* **Yuletide Lotus**
* **Peppermint Miss**

### Magic Kingdom

* **Eggnog Annie**
* **Brrrrr Bertha**
	+ Comes equipped with a wheelchair lift.
* **Candy Cane Connie**
* **Garland Gertie**
* **Icicle Irma**
* **Mistletoe Millie**
* **Noel Nellie**
* **Orino-cocoa Ida**
* **Reindeer Ruby**
* **Sleigh Ride Sadie**
* **Poinsettia Sal**
* **Yule Log Lolly**
* **Vixen Val**
* **Wassail Wanda**
	+ Comes equipped with a wheelchair lift.
* **Fruitcake Zelda**

## Trivia

* Several pieces of Jungle Cruise materials reference the Jingle Cruise:
	+ In the Adventure Trading Company, there were advertisements for the Jingle Cruise in the Daily Gnus newspaper.
	+ In the Skipper Canteen there is a box of Christmas supplies, an add for the Jingle Cruise on the board in the mess hall, and a book in the library titled, "Traditional native holiday décor" by S.E.A. member Prof. R. Blauerhimmel. This might be due to Blauerhimmel being an aviator and the Jingle Cruise's backstory involving a pilot dumping holiday decorations in the jungle.
	+ A crate of Christmas supplies appears in Trader Sam's gift-shop. Several of the props were also recycled from the Jingle Cruise.
	+ In Walt Disney World's Jungle Cruise is the life-preserver of the Ganges Gertie with writing of the 1935 inaugural Jingle Cruise. There is also a photograph of, "Junior Skippers" setting up the first Jingle Cruise in 1935.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/leisure/12/25/2014/jingle-cruise-disneyland-holidays/
2. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/galleries/2015/12/sneak-a-peek-inside-jingle-cruise-at-magic-kingdom-park/#photo-0
3. ↑ https://touringplans.com/blog/the-jungle-cruise-has-begun-to-jingle/
4. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/11/photos-video-jingle-cruise-holiday-overlay-returns-to-jungle-cruise-at-magic-kingdom/
5. ↑ https://touringplans.com/blog/s6\_skippercanteen/
6. ↑ https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g34515-d9718609-i190445320-Jungle\_Navigation\_Co\_Ltd\_Skipper\_Canteen-Orlando\_Florida.html
7. ↑ https://jungleskipper.com/sea/attractions/skipper-canteen#&gid=1&pid=center-shelf-3rd-shelf-c63
8. ↑ https://www.buzzfeed.com/crystalro/jungle-cruise-disneyland-easter-eggs
9. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/08/photos-new-life-ring-props-come-to-jungle-cruise-at-magic-kingdom/
10. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2021/08/photos-new-trophy-wall-alberta-falls-and-map-murals-added-to-jungle-cruise-queue-at-the-magic-kingdom/