Le Journal

En Côte d'Ivoire, les députés élus fin décembre se sont réunis ce samedi 17 janvier avec un seul ordre du jour pour cette première séance de la troisième législature, celui de l’élection du président de l’Assemblée nationale. C’est l’ancien Premier ministre et candidat du RHDP, Patrick Achi, qui a été élu avec 84,98 % des voix des députés contre 14 % à Lazare Yao Yao, candidat PDCI, la principale formation d'opposition.

For decades, the jokes have remained the same, the plastic elephants have continued to bathe, and the “backside of water” has remained the eighth wonder of the world. But for fans of high-seas adventure and pun-filled expeditions, the start of 2026 has brought a bit of a dry spell. The world-famous Jungle Cruise has officially entered a period of significant uncertainty, as recent updates to the operating calendar and new legal filings suggest the river will be quiet for much longer than initially anticipated. Credit: Disney In a move that has left vacation planners scrambling, the attraction has not only closed its gates but has seen its projected reopening date vanish into the thick fog of the jungle. If you were hoping to board a tramp steamer at Disneyland this winter, you might need to adjust your itinerary. The Vanishing Reopening Date The drama began in mid-January when eagle-eyed fans noticed a significant shift in the official Disneyland Resort operating schedule. Initially, many guests expected the Jungle Cruise to undergo a standard, short-term refurbishment—the kind of routine maintenance that keeps the boats floating and the animatronic hippos wiggling. Credit: Disney The Disneyland website recently removed any mention of a reopening date. Previously, the ride was expected to return to service by late January or early February. Now, the calendar simply lists the attraction as “Closed for Refurbishment” for the foreseeable future. Looking at the schedules through the end of February and into March 2026, the lack of available time slots suggests that the mechanical issues or upgrades being addressed are far more complex than a simple paint job. For guests visiting the original Magic Kingdom in Southern California, this is a significant blow to the Adventureland lineup. With the Jungle Cruise down, the kinetic energy of the land shifts, placing more pressure on neighboring heavy hitters like the Indiana Jones Adventure and Pirates of the Caribbean. Deep Dives and Heavy Lifting: The Construction Permit While the lack of a date on a website might seem like a clerical error, a recent construction permit filing tells a much more detailed—and labor-intensive—story. According to public records, a permit was recently filed for a “Refurbishment of Existing Attraction” at the Jungle Cruise site within Disneyland. Credit: Disney This isn’t your average “general maintenance” permit. The filing specifically outlines work that includes: Structural repairs to the ride’s infrastructure. Electrical upgrades throughout the attraction’s show scenes. Plumbing and mechanical work related to the river’s complex water-filtration and animation systems. The involvement of a general contractor suggests that Disney is digging deep into the riverbed. The Jungle Cruise is one of the oldest attractions at Disneyland, and while it received a significant thematic overhaul in 2021 to address cultural sensitivities and add new characters like Alberta Falls, the ride’s underlying mechanical bones date back decades. Water-based attractions are notoriously difficult to maintain. Constant submersion leads to corrosion, and the underwater sensors that trigger the animatronics require precise calibration. If the electrical systems or the boat’s track-like guidance system are being overhauled, that explains why Disney is hesitant to set a “service return” date. In the world of construction, once you start digging in a jungle that’s 70 years old, you never know what kind of “ancient ruins” (or old pipes) you might find. Adventureland in Transition The closure of the Jungle Cruise creates a ripple effect throughout Disneyland. Adventureland is one of the park’s more compact areas, and the Jungle Cruise serves as a massive “people eater,” absorbing thousands of guests per hour and keeping them off the main walkways. Credit: Disney With the boats docked and the skippers sidelined, the area around The Tropical Hideaway and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room…