Trader Sam animatronic on Jungle Cruise to be replaced with Trader Sam’s Gift Shop
Disney has just shared plans for the final scene of Jungle Cruise as part of the ride’s planned updates at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Recently, the Trader Sam animatronic figure was removed from Walt Disney World’s version of the attraction. Today, Disney released concept art revealing Jungle Cruise’s new final scene, “Trader Sam’s Gift Shop.”
According to the Disney Parks Blog post sharing the announcement, Alberta Falls, the proprietor of the Jungle Navigation Company, has asked her old friend Trader Sam to manage a new Lost & Found location. Instead, “Trader Sam being Trader Sam,” concept art reveals that the jungle’s enterprising “head” salesman has instead turned it into Trader Sam’s Gift Shop.
According to the Disney Parks Blog, Trader Sam will be “out lost and finding some new inventory” during the scene.
Kevin Lively, a story editor with Walt Disney Imagineering and former Jungle Cruise skipper who has been working on the attraction’s rewrites, shared on Twitter that he first had the idea of Jungle Cruise skippers turning a Lost and Found into a gift shop while working on Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. “Good ideas never die,” Lively tweeted.
Plans for Trader Sam’s Tiki Bars
Previously, we reported that, as part of an interview for our spring issue, Walt Disney Imagineers Lively and Susana Tubert confirmed that there were no current plans to update Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland Resort and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Walt Disney World. With the ride’s final scene revealed, it seems even more likely that the beloved tiki bars will continue to bear the Trader Sam’s name. Both locations remain closed with no reopening date announced.
A New On-Ride Photo?
Also revealed in the concept art is a sign that says “Cruise Photo Here,” accompanied by a monkey with a camera, leading to speculation that this could be the site of a new on-ride photo experience. No further information has been shared by Disney about the possible photo experience at this time.
As always, stay tuned to Attractions Magazine for updates as more details are revealed about the ride’s phased updates, which will be carried out while the attraction remains open at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The ride is currently listed as being closed when Disneyland Park reopens on April 30.
