Credit: Tokyo Disney ResortTwo iconic attractions risk permanent closure at one Disney park.
While Disney has debuted plenty of modern classics at its theme parks in recent years – including the likes of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Avatar Flight of Passage – some of its most well-known attractions are still those that opened several decades ago.
RELATED: The Shocking Multi-Year Space Mountain Refurbishment Rumor Shaking the Disney Community
Jungle Cruise is one of those rides. This boat-based, opening day attraction takes guests on a guided river journey through stylized jungle scenes, complete with animatronic animals such as Indian elephants, crocodiles, and tigers.
The entire experience is narrated by a pun-heavy skipper (don’t forget to admire the back side of water). It may have undergone several updates over the years – its original spiel, for example, was more comparable to a nature documentary – but Jungle Cruise remains a Disneyland Resort staple to this day.
Several other iterations of the Adventureland attraction have also opened over the years. In 1971, Walt Disney World Resort opened with its own version in Magic Kingdom. Jungle Cruise also opened at Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, before being revamped as Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions in 2014. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Disneyland’s version is known as Jungle River Cruise and boasts a significantly different storyline from versions across the globe.
Now, one of these attractions faces permanent closure.
Disney Park Teases the End of Jungle Cruise
To explain Jungle Cruise’s potential imminent closure, we need to rewind to earlier this week.
On April 20, The Oriental Land Company (OLC) announced that Aquatopia will close for good in September. The Tokyo DisneySea attraction – which uses an underwater trackless ride system – has operated in Port Discovery since 2001, but is now set to bid adieu to make space for a new attraction.
This wasn’t exactly surprising, considering the fact that in April 2025, OLC shared concept art for a new area that would replace Aquatopia. It didn’t confirm which, if any, IP would inspire its replacement. However, it did seemingly confirm that surrounding attractions such as the Tokyo DisneySea Electric Railway, Tokyo DisneySea Transit Steamer, and Nemo & Friends SeaRider would remain intact.
How does this relate to Jungle Cruise? Well, at the same time, OLC released concept art for a new version of Tokyo Disneyland’s Adventureland, seemingly inspired by franchises such as Moana, Up, and The Incredibles.
To make way for these new attractions, the concept art erased at least three classic attractions: the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Swiss Family Treehouse, and the Jungle Cruise.
If OLC is making good on its idea to revamp Port Discovery, it seems likely that transforming Adventureland – and shuttering Jungle Cruise – is also on the cards.
RELATED: Widespread Swarm Disruption Reported at Disneyland Park, Staff Set Out to Prevent Injury
Unfortunately for Jungle Cruise fans, Tokyo Disney Resort has a track record for axing classic Disney attractions.
While it seems unlikely that The Walt Disney Company would ever axe staples such as Pirates of the Caribbean, “it’s a small world,” or Jungle Cruise at Walt’s original theme park (lest it faces the wrath of the diehard Disney community), Tokyo Disney Resort previously closed Space Mountain for good to make way for a new and improved version of the indoor roller coaster.
It also axed Grand Circuit Raceway, its version of Autopia, in 2017, and has added a controversial Marvel Cinematic Universe overlay to “it’s a small world” on more than one occasion.
Local news outlets in Japan have reported that Jungle Cruise’s closure seems inevitable. Fans have also pointed out that Tokyo Disney Resort will offer limited-edition stickers that “award guests as proof of uncovering the jungle’s greatest lesson” on Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions this summer during its Summer Cool-Off celebrations – a move that could arguably count as a commemorative farewell gift.
July 2, 2026 (Thu) to September 14 (Mon) period
Held at Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expedition
A tour by captains who love the jungle dearly, “conveying the most important thing in the jungle”Stickers distributed to embarked guests
That’s pretty meaningful, huh~
As if it’s about to disappear soon
2026年7月2日（木）～9月14日（月）の期間
ジャングルクルーズ：ワイルドライフ・エクスペディションで開催
ジャングルをこよなく愛する船長たちが“ジャングルで一番大切なことを伝えるツアー”乗船したゲストにステッカー配布
意味深だな〜
もうすぐでなくなってしまうかのような pic.twitter.com/f3kZmaH63i— WD23 (@WD23_Studios) April 21, 2026
“That’s pretty meaningful, huh,” wrote one X, formerly Twitter, user. “As if it’s about to disappear soon.”
Another said, “That means this is starting to look suspicious too, huh.”
One wrote: “A tour in the jungle passing on the “most important thing” feels almost like making one last memory, kinda bittersweet. If I get a sticker, I should probably keep it safe. Waves of change are probably coming, but it’s sad to think the classic cruises might disappear.”
Other Big Changes Heading to Tokyo Disney Resort
The closure of the Jungle Cruise attraction is far from the biggest change potentially hitting Tokyo Disney Resort.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Tokyo Disney Resort is potentially working on a third theme park known as Tokyo DisneySky.
While the idea was floated and vehemently dismissed by OLC several years ago, The Wrap claims that the park is back on the table – and fans argue that means Tokyo Disneyland should remain untouched.
RELATED: This Disney Park Has More Construction Walls Than Attractions
One X user wrote, “Oh god… i hate these new IPs.. its gonna be Pixar land isnt it? Why cant they just make a new park and put all the new IPs there! DisneySky!”
Other possible concepts heading to the theme park include Avatar, which currently already has an entire land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Another version planned for Disney California Adventure is apparently on the rocks right now.
The closure of Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions remains unconfirmed, as do plans for Tokyo DisneySky. Watch this space.
Would you miss Jungle Cruise if it closed?
