Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Mickey’s Jammin Jungle Parade
Twelve years is a pretty good run for a parade. Mickey’s Jammin Jungle Parade, which debuted in 2001, took its last trip around Disney’s Animal Kingdom on May 31st – and that made me a little sad. I’m all for change and everything, but it’s still hard to see the parade that had become such a normal part of a day at Animal Kingdom go away – I’m sure for good.
Let’s take a minute to look at the current Walt Disney World Parade situation…
Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy and Main Street Electrical Parades, along with some special occasion parades (and the Electrical Water Pageant) are the only ones left at Walt Disney World! There used to be a daily parade in ALL FOUR PARKS! Tapestry of Nations (became Tapestry of Dreams) ran at Epcot (1999 to 2003), Hollywood Studios had a daily parade almost continuously from 1991 to 2013, which changed themes many times over the years (Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun was the final one). And now we’ve said farewell to the parade at Animal Kingdom. Do people just not love parades anymore? Is this the result of Disney cost-cutting? Is a parade too old 
fashioned? Too much maintenance and dependence on good weather? WHAT?
Back to Animal Kingdom and Mickey’s Jammin Jungle Parade…
Since we were at Walt Disney World during the last week of May – and since I most certainly do love parades (and always will), I felt I needed to watch Mickey’s Jammin Jungle at Animal Kingdom one last time and bid it a fond farewell. Sources say the parade route is being negatively impacted by new construction for Avatar land. Ever since the daily parade at the Studios ended in 2013, I’ve always felt Animal Kingdom’s parade would be next on the chopping block anyway. I DO want Animal Kingdom to get more rides and attractions. I am also thrilled beyond words about the 
prospect of getting to enjoy Animal Kingdom at night. I’m still going to be sad about the parade. But that’s okay – changes happen, sacrifices must be made, and, well, Disney is never more exciting than when there’s something new to see or do.
Weigh in – are you sad about the lack of a daily parade at every park or is it not important to you?
WHAT? I didn’t know that’s the last time I would see that. 🙁
Meg – we roasted in the sun to see it one more time….I thought you knew! What a trooper you were! You stayed right there with with me frying and you thought we were just doing a normal parade viewing? Oh, I feel so bad you didn’t know it was for the last time. Sorry.
I’m a “once and done” kind of girl when it comes to most parades, though I do like that they tend to draw people away from rides, shortening the wait times. 🙂
As for the Jammin Jungle, I only saw it once, and unintentionally. There were 7 of us at Animal Kingdom that day. Everyone was busy with attractions except my Mom and I (who decided via text to meet up and have some girl time). Well, we were within sight of each other, on opposite sides of the street, when the street was suddenly closed for the parade. We could wave to each other, but couldn’t get to each other. So our girl time consisted of watching the parade from opposite sides of the street. I guess you had to be there, but it was pretty funny!
That’s tragic! (Yet hilarious to picture) That would not have left me with a happy parade memory. You need a do-over on the girl time now when there’s absolutely no chance a parade will interfere!
Barbie and I were in this parade on our second trip there together in 2007. Yes, I am sad about the parade situation, even if we didn’t visit each trip, I enjoyed the option to stop and take part in the excitement if I was walking by.
First: *whining* You guys get picked for EVERYTHING!
Second: We were the same way! Might not have stopped to watch the entire parade every time, but enjoyed seeing some of it at least- it was so unique and festive!