- Although the Rivers of America may seem quite deep, it is only about 7 feet. How can a riverboat like the Liberty Belle float
and traverse such shallow water? Well, believe it or not, the Liberty
Belle riverboat actually rides along a rail that is attached to the
riverbed below. What the water was drained from the river in 1996,
maintenance trucks were able to drive around the dry riverbed, with
their roofs just reaching what would have been the water line!
-
The Admiral Joe Fowler took
its first trip around the River of America on October 2, 1971 - just
one day after Walt Disney World opened. A "D-Ticket" attraction, the
boat was named after a retired U.S. Navy admiral who was responsible
for overseeing the construction of both Disneyland and Walt Disney
World. Unfortunately, during routine maintenance in dry dock in 1980,
the boat was dropped from a crane and sustained irreparable hull
damage, forcing it into early retirement. The other riverboat that
traveled the Rivers of American was the Richard F. Irvine. Known as the Liberty Belle
since 1996, the Irvine didn't debut until May 20, 1973 . After the name
change to the Liberty Belle, two of the ferry boats between the Magic
Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center were renamed the
"Richard Irvine" (originally "Magic Kingdom 1"), and the "Admiral Joe
Fowler" (originally "Magic Kingdom 2")
-
The Liberty Square Riverboat
is a leisurely 17-minute ferry boat ride around the Rivers of America.
Splash Mountain is the next longest ride at 11 minutes, followed by the
Haunted Mansion at 8 minutes, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at just
about 4 minutes.
-
The
Liberty Belle Riverboat is a real, working paddle steamer, built
entirely from scratch in dry dock at Walt Disney World. Everything
about the Belle is authentic and working, except for the steering,
since the boat travels on a steel track hidden underwater!
-
The
400-passenger steam wheel paddle boat Richard F. Irvine was the first
boat built at the Walt Disney World on-site metal shop. Construction
took approximately six months.
View of the cabin and bait shop from the Riverboat
Tags: Magic Kingdom Trivia Liberty Square Liberty Square Riverboat Rivers of America
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