Like real boats, the boats on the Jungle Cruise are run by motors. These motors feature four-cylinder Chevy engines, which run on compressed natural gas rather than the typical gas on which typical boat motors run. The skippers on the Jungle Cruise boat are responsible for controlling the speed of each boat in various parts of the ride. The boat's maximum speed going forward is just over three miles per hour and just over two miles per hour when going in reverse.
While it may seem that the skipper is in charge of steering the boat through the obstacles along the ride, the steering wheel is only a prop. The boat actually runs on a track placed beneath the water. The track depth ranges from three to five feet deep depending on its location along the ride. The water in the ride is dyed a brownish green to make it look like a real river and to hide the track beneath the water.
While most boats do not feature wheels on the bottom, the boats of the Jungle Cruise do. These wheels are positioned along the track to help steer the boat along its track to make sure the ride moves along the correct path. The wheels also help to transport the boats if they must be removed from the ride for repairs. In essence, these boats are a cross between a car and a boat.
When the ride first opened, the boats featured fresh paint jobs and brightly-colored canopies to protect guests from the sun. However, in the 1990s, Imagineers decided the boats should be changed to reflect true river boats. The boats were redesigned to be weathered and look as if they are old and well-used. The canopies were replaced with dull, dirty-appearing ones. Props were also added to give the impression that each skipper lives on his boat when not giving tours.
