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Disney to Spend $600K to Fix ONE Animatronic

A group of people sits on a jungle-themed boat ride. A man wearing a safari outfit stands, holding binoculars to his eyes. A child in a green fairy costume points excitedly. Lush greenery surrounds the boat. Other passengers are engaged, looking in various directions.
Credit: Disney

Nearly 70 years ago, Walter Elias Disney said the immortal words, “To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land.” Since then, Disneyland has become one of the premier vacation destinations in the world.

While all Disney theme parks are special, there is just something special about Disneyland. Walt’s magic is all over the park, and it’s just something you can’t get anywhere else.

To make it even more special, there are still a ton of attractions for Disneyland Resort guests to enjoy that were there when Walt opened the park. Guests can ride Autopia, the Disneyland Railroad, King Arthur Carrousel, the Mad Tea Party, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Disney’s World Famous Jungle Cruise, and more.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride entrance at Disneyland Park

Credit: Disney

Related: Opening Day Attractions You Can Still Enjoy at Disneyland

Of course, these original attractions, as well as the newer attractions that guests know and love — like Space Mountain, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the Incredicoaster, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Toy Story Mania — undergo A LOT of wear and tear.

The attractions run all day, every day, as thousands of people enjoy them. That means that a lot of money has to be spent to keep the rides maintained and in good condition.

However, one recent filing has us picking our mouths up off of the floor.

Night view of Space Mountain at Disneyland, illuminated in green lights, surrounded by futuristic structures and lush trees. The scene is vibrant with colorful lighting, creating an inviting and enchanting atmosphere.

Credit: Gregg L. Cooper, Flickr

Related: Walt Disney World’s Jungle Cruise Closes Its Doors

On September 16, Disneyland will close the Jungle Cruise attraction for several weeks as it undergoes a large refurbishment. Now, refurbishments can cost thousands of dollars, but according to a permit filed by Disney, to fix just ONE Jungle Cruise animatronic will set the company back more than half a million dollars.

That would be the tiger animatronic, whose older elements are currently being covered by a comically large fence that fits in with the ride’s comical dad-joke style humor.

Animatronic tiger Disneyland Jungle Cruise

Credit: Fresh Baked, YouTube

Per The Orange County Register:

Disneyland has filed building permits valued at $600,000 with the city of Anaheim to replace the audio-animatronic tiger structure on the Jungle Cruise attraction, according to city records.

The permits filed in August call for new electrical, footings, steel frame and cement plaster rockwork on the Jungle Cruise tiger structure.

The expensive refurbishment comes approximately 10 months after Disney was forced to suddenly close the attraction as the infrastructure around the tiger began to crumble. That is when the giant fence was erected and fans have been seeing that ever since.

Jungle Cruise Disneyland

Credit: Disney

Disney’s World Famous Jungle Cruise is not the only Disneyland opening-day attraction that guests will be unable to enjoy. The Disneyland Railroad and the beloved monorail closed on August 5. For months, the Railroad has not stopped in New Orleans Square due to the work being done on the Haunted Mansion. Now, all Railroad locations are closed. At this time, neither attraction has a reopening date.

Space Mountain also closed on August 5 but is set to reopen on September 6.

Is it crazy for Disney to spend $600,000 to fix one animatronic? What attractions do you think need the most work? Let us know in the comments!

About Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. I also love to share daily doses of Disney on my Disney Instagram @BrazzleDazzleDisney!

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