Disney’s First Permanent 3D-Printed Prop Installed on Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise
Walt Disney Imagineers made history this week with the installation of the first permanent 3D-printed prop at a Disney park attraction. An outrigger canoe, designed by Imagineers and built by Haddy, was added to the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. Drew Smith was the first to share the news of the installation.
NEW: Disney Parks history has been made! A 3D-printed canoe has been installed on Jungle Cruise at Disneyland Park.
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) January 7, 2026
The canoe marks a major milestone: the first-ever 3D-printed prop to be permanently installed on a Disney Parks attraction.
Large-scale fabrication using Haddy’s… https://t.co/f8LP5BJPnz pic.twitter.com/3hYrY8ojmT
When Disney announced the canoe project last month, we speculated it could serve as a proof of concept for larger-scale productions. That theory now appears to be confirmed by Xavier Malina, an R&D Imagineer, who said, “We thought it was a great opportunity to see if 3D printing could actually have some advantages over traditional fabrication techniques.”
Nick Blackburn, an Imagineering executive, further emphasized the importance of this Jungle Cruise canoe: “This … is the premier project that we’re working on to show that we can use advanced fabrication, robotic manufacturing, and new materials to bring parks to life faster and more effectively.”
Disney Imagineers have been collaborating with Haddy to elevate their 3D printed objects to a “level that’s consistent with what we’d expect inside the [Disney] company,” according to Blackburn.
To create the canoe, Imagineers removed the original boat from the attraction, 3D-scanned it to capture precise dimensions, and then designed the replacement using a reference photo from a prop from the 1960s. They handed their designs over to Haddy, who used Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) to create the canoe. As the name suggests, the process is designed for large-scale objects, using plastic pellets that can be reinforced with fiberglass or carbon fiber.
Jay Rogers, Haddy’s co-founder and CEO, says the company can build functional, large-scale objects quickly, repeat the process as needed, and do it all for less than traditional fabrication methods.
That capability may be coming to Hollywood Studios and its Monstropolis coaster. Disney will most likely task Haddy with producing the hundreds of doors needed for the attraction’s massive warehouse.
By successfully installing a permanent, guest-facing 3D-printed prop, Disney has shown that Haddy’s manufacturing process is ready for prime time inside its parks. This Jungle Cruise canoe may be remembered less as a boat and more as the moment Disney changed how its attractions are built.
