Attraction Review- Virtual Jungle Cruise

As they did so well with the theme park itself, Disney have pioneered and developed the concept of the 'Theme Park in a Box'. 'Real' rides are replaced with simulators, arcade games, and other compact attractions, as well as the inevitable counter service restaurants and shops to create a 'theme park' which fits into a space about the same size as Soundstage 15, the building which houses most of the Rock 'N' RollerCoaster attraction at Hollywood Studios. The only existing example of this is located at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney.

Called 'DisneyQuest', this 5 storey, windowless building is officially known as an 'Indoor Interactive Theme Park', and costs $38-$44 to enter. Whilst this is very expensive, entrance to DisneyQuest is included in some tickets- see the Walt Disney World website for details. DisneyQuest is home to a range of interactive attractions, most of them simulators, as well as a host of arcade games, most of which are included in your ticket. Thankfully, the idea of DisneyQuest has never really caught on, meaning Disney scrapped plans to build a second one in California. Not that I dislike DisneyQuest, on the contrary, I really enjoy it. It just has nothing on the real WDW Theme Parks!

My premiere DisneyQuest review is of one of two attractions at the 'park' which are directly spoofs of Magic Kingdom attractions. The Virtual Jungle Cruise is fairly similar to its big brother over at MK, except that YOU navigate the Jungle, and there's no real water involved. Oh, and let's just say that in terms of Disney's Animal Kingdom, the inhabitants of this virtual jungle are more like those of DINOSAUR than Kilimanjaro Safaris. Although the graphics are nothing to write home about, the technology behind this attraction is pretty neat, albeit hard to get to grips with. Each Guest has their own paddle, which they use to 'steer' the boat, thanks to sensors in the inflatable 'water' beneath it. The boats are positioned in front of a screen, and don't actually move anywhere, apart from on the spot, simulating floating.

As with every other DisneyQuest attraction, the Virtual Jungle Cruise has a very low capacity, and so will therefore almost always induce a wait, even if there is no actual line. It's definitely not the most popular attraction at DisneyQuest either. Due to the length and quality of the experience, I wouldn't wait more than 20 minutes maximum for it. Whist it's an excellent concept, and a pretty decent attraction, there are much better things to do at DisneyQuest. You should only encounter long waits on particularly peak days, especially in the late afternoon and evening- Downtown Disney and DisneyQuest's busiest time.

My biggest tip for experiencing this attraction is to ensure you have four or more people in your boat, evenly spaced out. Any less makes it nigh on impossible to steer, especially if you're not particularly experienced in operating the technology. The only time I have experienced the Virtual Jungle Cruise there were only 3 people in the boat, making it impossible to steer. This ruined the attraction for us, as we were too busy trying to steer properly to appreciate where we were going in the virtual jungle. Conversely, whilst waiting my turn, I saw boats with 4+ people in them, who could navigate perfectly. I would also recommend listening closely to the Cast Member who teaches you how to steer prior to boarding your boat- understanding the steering process is vital to the attraction.

Here's how I rate the Virtual Jungle Cruise in these areas, and why:

Thrill~ 4/10
Whilst the presence of Dinos may suggest otherwise, the Virtual Jungle Cruise can't really be classed as a thrill attraction. Sure, the interactivity makes it all the more immersive, but it doesn't really make it particularly thrilling. Although a few waterfalls are simulated, the motion simulated is more akin to rolling off the loading area conveyor into the water on Living With The Land at Epcot than one of the drops on the Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain.

Scariness~ 6/10
Again, motion wise, nothing really stands out here, but Dino wise, something does. Whilst they are merely on a screen, you are likely to encounter some pretty vicious critters on the Virtual Jungle Cruise, who greet you with some unnerving roars. Those who don't particularly like Dinosaurs, especially small children, should avoid this. You should note that the area where the unmoving boats are isn't enclosed, and is therefore visible to non-riders, even those walking by the attraction. I've seen children crying because they walked past as one of the boats met a T-Rex, so be wary if you have anyone in your party who isn't so mad about Dinosaurs.

Theming~ 6/10
The Virtual Jungle Cruise really isn't anything special, and whilst I appreciate that it's a small scale attraction, Disney really could have done better with it. It's not bad, but it's not particularly good either. I do however think that, for what it is, the theming isn't bad. It's certainly very consistent, and has clearly been thought through.

Educational~ 1/10
The Virtual Jungle Cruise really isn't educational! Actually, parts of it are scientifically incorrect!

Fun~ 8/10
If you manage to get to grips with the steering, the Virtual Jungle Cruise can actually be immensely enjoyable to ride. The high levels of interactivity lend an awful lot to this, with the anticipation of what lies over the next waterfall adding even more. It also presents a great opportunity to have fun together with your family or party, as you're all working together to navigate your vessel through the jungle.

Repeatability~ 9/10
Whilst the combination of routes are limited, the fact that you steer your boat, a great bit of interactivity, means that you could ride the Virtual Jungle Cruise 10 times and still get a different experience each time. You could also try sitting in different parts of your boat, in order to get a slightly different perspective.

And finally, my overall rating of the Virtual Jungle Cruise~ 7/10
Whilst the Virtual Jungle Cruise is a great concept, and is pretty well executed, it is lacking in several key areas, as I have discussed. In its time, it did represent pretty cutting edge technology, and was a high tech attraction, but those times are gone. Whilst, on the most part, that is still true, the technology seems positively medieval in comparison to some of the ride technologies out there. In my opinion, the whole of DisneyQuest could do with an update, which will hopefully come when the entire Downtown Disney area is updated.

So, what do you think of the Virtual Jungle Cruise? Do you agree with me, or was I too negative? (I sincerely hope I wasn't- I hate criticising Disney)
Please share your opinions on Facebook, or in the comments below!

I would also like to apologise for the lateness of this post. I have been ill this week, and was therefore unable to write it until now. I hope to prevent this happening again, as I hate being late with articles! Due to this review being published today, the World of Dreams Pin of the Fortnight will be published tomorrow.

Thank you for reading, and have a magical week!