Hong Kong Disneyland’s Jungle River Cruise adds its first Jungle Navigation Company touches, with new blue skipper costumes, branded hats and a Star Skipper board in the queue.
Hong Kong Disneyland’s skippers just got a new employer, at least on paper.
The park’s Jungle River Cruise now carries Jungle Navigation Company branding, the fictional outfit behind the Jungle Cruise in Florida and California, according to WDWNT and Laughing Place.
The changes showed up this week during the park’s Skipper Day celebration.
WDWNT says it’s the first Jungle Navigation Company reference at Hong Kong Disneyland.
What changed at Hong Kong Disneyland’s Jungle River Cruise?
Mostly the look of the crew and the queue. Here’s what WDWNT and Laughing Place reported:
New costumes: Skippers swapped brown khakis for blue pinstripe shirts and dark brown pants
New hats: Sailor caps with “Jungle Navigation Company” on the front
Star Skipper board: A new display in the queue honoring top skippers
Red badges: Star Skippers now wear a red badge on the shoulder
WDWNT notes the hat design borrows from the one Dwayne Johnson wore as skipper Frank Wolff in the 2021 “Jungle Cruise” movie.
Laughing Place says the blue look lines up with what skippers wear at other Jungle Cruise rides around the world.
Who are the Star Skippers at Hong Kong Disneyland?
Star Skippers are cast members picked out for their work on the ride. The new board in the queue honors people who have made “meaningful contributions to the Jungle Navigation Company,” per both outlets.
This week, skippers Mike and Jack passed the title to Snowman and Leon, WDWNT reported.
Snowman isn’t a new name to Hong Kong fans. The Standard profiled him in 2025 as one of the ride’s viral skippers, noting he once got a marriage proposal from a young guest.
Hong Kong Disneyland managing director Tim Sypko posted about the day on Instagram. “Had so much fun celebrating with our AMAZING Jungle River Cruise Skippers today!” he wrote, per WDWNT.
What is the Jungle Navigation Company?
It’s the fictional company that runs the Jungle Cruise. The name started at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.
Walt Disney World built out the backstory in December 2015 with Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, a sit-down restaurant at Magic Kingdom. Skippers host, and the corny jokes come with the food.
Then came the 2021 makeover. Disney removed outdated scenes that showed native people in a negative way and added a lost safari group whose boat was taken over by chimps.
Disneyland reopened its version July 16, 2021. Magic Kingdom’s updates wrapped that summer.
During that refresh, Disneyland’s queue map was changed to read “Jungle Navigation Company LTD.” Hong Kong’s new hats and board bring its ride into the same family.
How is Hong Kong’s Jungle River Cruise different?
Quite a bit. Hong Kong’s ride opened with the park on Sept. 12, 2005.
Here are the big differences:
The route: Boats circle the island with Tarzan’s Treehouse instead of a river built only for the ride
Languages: The ride has offered Cantonese, Mandarin and English trips
The finale: Boats get caught between a fire god and a water god in a canyon
Scenes: A gorilla-raided safari camp and a charging rhino
The finale is the famous part. The fire god sets the river ablaze, and the water god answers with a burst of water that fills the canyon with steam. Florida and California have nothing like it.
Fan trackers report Hong Kong has switched between combined trilingual trips and separate language lines since 2023, so check the signs at the entrance.
Will the ride itself change?
Nothing beyond the queue board and costumes has been announced. Laughing Place says it saw no other Jungle Navigation Company theming beyond the name for now.
So the fire and water finale should stay put.
Why does this matter for Disney fans?
It’s a small change with a clear direction. Disney has spent about a decade linking its Jungle Cruise rides under one story.
Hong Kong’s version was always the odd one out, with its own route and finale. Now its skippers wear the same company hat as their coworkers in Anaheim and Orlando.
The park has been giving the ride extra love lately. The Standard reported in 2025 that it upgraded skipper training ahead of its 20th anniversary.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDWNT (Oct. 28), Skipper Day changes, costumes, Star Skipper board and Tim Sypko quote
Laughing Place (Oct. 28), costumes, Star Skippers and Star Skipper board
The Standard, 2025 skipper profiles and training
WDW Radio, differences between the Hong Kong and Florida rides
WDWNT, 2021 Disneyland Jungle Cruise changes
Laughing Place, 2021 reopening timing for Disneyland and Magic Kingdom
Disney Magical Kingdom Blog, Hong Kong language queue changes
Wikipedia, Hong Kong opening date and finale details
DLP Welcome, ride video
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