SYFY WIRE was one of a few select outlets that got to experience the ride early before its July 16 grand re-opening. We also spoke with Walt Disney Imagineering Executive Creative Director Kim Irvine and Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Director Susana Tubert, who explained that this particular revision to the ride was a months-long collaboration between Disneyland in Anaheim and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, (which will be upgrading their Jungle Cruise to match later in 2021). “We want when guests come to the park not to just see the same ride over and over again,” Irvine said of the changes. “It's always fun to have the discovery of something new. So this time, we took advantage of the same stories that were there, the same threads, the same scenes, and enhanced them with some new things.”