Jungle Boos: Halloween Overlay Ideas for the Jungle Cruise
Walt Disney World has not been living up to its potential for Halloween décor and overlays lately. So I decided to give them a hand with an idea for a spooky Jungle Cruise.
Magic Kingdom’s boat ride already gets a Christmas overlay every year, when it’s transformed into the Jingle Cruise. As much as I love that update, I shared even more ways the holiday version could be improved.
But I think the Jungle Cruise has potential for a great Halloween overlay, too. So I drew a tiny coloring book to showcase all the possibilities for the ride and its queue. Before we get to that, every good overlay needs a holiday-themed, punny name. I decided to go with Jungle Boos! World famous for being scary, or so world famous it’s scary.
For the Jingle Cruise, each boat gets a holiday-themed name. Halloween’s boats need the same treatment.
I wanted to include the S.E.A. members in the fun. They all made their own headstones, each one fitting their area of expertise.
I enhanced the already creepy elements in the queue by making them more in line with Halloween. The radio will be playing spooky music similar to the music played in the Tower of Terror queue. Is the skeleton typing on the typewriter, or is it a ghost?
It looks like somebody toilet papered the hut. Trunk or Treat has a different meaning in the Jungle Cruise than in does at California Adventure’s Cars Land.
Boats, Baits and Bites has been taken over by vampire bats. They have even dug their fangs into the canoes.
The gorilla camp has become a coven of witches. Be gone before someone drops a jeep on you, too!
The underutilized blank rock space will be home to a pumpkin with a new carving every year. For the first year, I decided on the skipper’s boat.
The African animals will have all sorts of costumes. Angel and devil costumes for the elephants and sheet ghosts are very popular too. Even the lions decide to partake in candy in the spirit of Halloween.
The poor S.E.A. members are going to be late to the costume party thanks to the rhino’s pointy hook. At least the court jester hyenas are having fun.
Ginger and Smiley are having fun smashing all the pumpkins.
The hippos are dressing up as carnivorous sharks going after giant gummy fish.
Like at Christmas, the chimps are at work baking spooky cookies. The ship is decorated with spooky-themed sprinkles.
The other chimps have found a box of creepy bugs. Look out for a trail of ants heading for the Halloween candy.
Something has happened to the 8th wonder of the world. It’s invisible. If you listen closely, you can still hear the sounds of the water falling.
Beware of the Temple of Doom and all the creatures lurking inside. The walls are oozing, and the vines are gripping tight.
Watch out for the tiger holding his trick-or-treat bag.
The cobras decided to dress as mermaids, with the large statue holding a giant pearl.
The monkeys are sifting through their Halloween candy.
The temple statues have been replaced with skeletons, all in the same positions.
The elephant bathing pool has become a rock concert.
Make sure you check out Trader Sam’s trick-or-treat shop. He’s selling coconut jack-o’-lanterns, pineapple cider, and toilet paper on sale. You can get your photo from a monkey wearing a mustache disguise and a superhero elephant.
Something that is difficult to draw in a tiny coloring book version is what the ride could look like at night. The water and plants could change colors, and the forest can be filled with glowing eyes staring at the boats. There are sounds of thunder and roaring in the background. Is something following the boat?!
Here are my ideas for more Halloween overlay possibilities:
- Skipper Can-Scream, restaurant overlay
- The Disneyland Jungle Cruise building would make a great scary façade
- Two werewolf elephants under a full moon
- More pumpkin ideas
Thanks again for reading another ART-icle. Let’s hope one day we can get a Halloween overlay!
