According to CNET, Disneyland is about to launch a 3D printed canoe to its signature Jungle Cruise attraction, indicating that industrial-scale 3D printing is coming to Disney parks.
The canoe was designed by Haddy, a Florida-based 3D-printing business that was selected for the 2025 Disney Accelerator Program to collaborate with Walt Disney Imagineering. The canoe is expected to appear along the Jungle Cruise route, blending in with the ride’s long-established scenery inspired by rivers like the Amazon, Congo, Nile, and Mekong.
“It’s in the Jungle Cruise ride,” Jay Rogers, Haddy’s co-founder and CEO, said during Disney Demo Day. While small 3D printers are often associated with maker projects, Haddy operates at a much larger scale, using polymer pellets to print full-size objects from digital design files, such as furniture, gates, and now boats.
According to Rogers, the technology accelerates production: a traditionally built boat like this can take around 1,000 human hours to make, while the Jungle Cruise canoe prop required about 70 robot hours. “It’s not just faster to make, it’s faster to develop,” he said, emphasizing that 3D models can be adjusted and reprinted without rebuilding molds.
The material itself can also be reused: when a prop reaches the end of its life, the polymer can be melted down and printed again into something new. CNET Senior Editor James Bricknell believes the technology fits Disney’s creative needs. “It’s a brilliant idea,” he said. “You can make them look any way you like… but instead of injection molding, you can make each one individual for much less cost.”
For Walt Disney Imagineering, the canoe is just a starting point. “We’re not just creating technology for technology’s sake,” said Michael Hundgen, portfolio executive creative producer. “We’re doing it to help our creative teams bring the stories from the company to life.”
