Liberty Square Riverboat is an authentic 3-tiered paddlewheel steamship journey that circles the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom theme park for a scenic, half-mile tour of Frontierland, Liberty Square and Tom Sawyer Island.
Board and depart the boat at the Colonial-American-inspired Liberty Square Riverboat Landing near The Hall of Presidents, and enjoy the recorded narration delivered in the voice of iconic American author Mark Twain throughout your journey.
There is plenty of interesting scenery along the way, including the Splash Mountain plunge, riders enjoying a whirl around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, woodland animals, a burning cabin, hints of river pirates, Native American villagers and finally an eerie riverside manor that casts an ominous shadow alongside the shore-The Haunted Mansion.
Liberty Square Riverboat provides a great opportunity to rest your feet and enjoy a bit of relaxation during a busy day of exploring Magic Kingdom theme park. However, it offers much more than a break from the action. Especially on the heavily-wooded backbend of the river, past Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the experience truly feels like you've entered another place and time.
The attraction is named Liberty Square Riverboat, but the ship itself is named the Liberty Belle. While the ship looks straight out of the 19th century, it was actually built in a dry dock on Disney property for the 1971 opening of Walt Disney World Resort.
The 17-minute trip is around Tom Sawyer Island; the Liberty Belle is a faithful reproduction of the highly ornate vessels that proudly ferried people and cargo up and down the mighty Mississippi River. An actual working steam engine turns the massive paddlewheel that propels the ship forward.
Touring Tips
- You can escape the sun on the middle deck.Great photo ops abound for Tom Sawyer Island, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion! Get a spot on the top deck!
- During special events, such as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, the Liberty Belle has special entertainment on board, so be sure to catch a ride.
- Disney Characters are sometimes found cruising on the Riverboat. Check your daily Times Guide for times and locations of other Meet and Greet opportunities.
- Although there are some seats, most areas are standing room only.
Facts
- Opened October 1, 1971.
- The half-mile journey takes just under 17 minutes to travel.
- The Liberty Belle departs several times a day from the Liberty Boat Landing.
- The boat holds approximately 450 guests and has 3 decks from which to view the passing scenery.
- The Liberty Belle is an authentic replica of an old paddle wheel riverboat.
- The riverboat is guided through the Rivers of America on a track, which is hidden under the green and brown dyed river water.
- The boat drafts only 18 inches of water, for the river is relatively shallow. At its deepest point it is no more than 8 feet.
History
The Magic Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at one time featured two riverboats: the Admiral Joe Fowler, a sidewheeler named for Disneyland's construction supervisor, and the Richard F. Irvine, a sternwheeler named for a WED executive. The Admiral Joe Fowler served from October 2, 1971, one day after park opening, until the Fall of 1980, when it was retired less than ten years of operation. It was rumored to have been accidentally destroyed after falling from a crane onto its drydock. The Richard F. Irvine came into service on May 20, 1973 but was renamed The Liberty Belle in 1996 after everything except for the hull, boiler, and engines was stripped off, and an all-new superstructure was constructed from aluminum and vinyl.
The Disneyland History...
A Mississippi steamboat was included in the plans for the first Disney amusement park that was to be built across the street from his Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Although this park was abandoned in favor of the much larger Disneyland, the plan for having a riverboat attraction was retained.
Because the Mark Twain was the first functional paddlewheeler built in the United States in fifty years, the WED designers conducted extensive research to build it like riverboats were built in the heyday of steam powered ships. The decks were assembled at the Disney Studios at Burbank, while the 105-foot hull was constructed at Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, California (where the Columbia's hull was built years later). Fortunately, when the hull and decks were put together for the first time at Disneyland, they fit perfectly.
Joe Fowler, Disneyland's construction supervisor and a former navy admiral, insisted on creating a drydock for the ship along what was to be the Rivers of America. Walt Disney, dismayed at how much land was taken up by the massive excavation, referred to the drydock first as "Joe's Ditch", and then later, "Fowler's Harbor", the name by which it goes by today. However, Disney remained a supporter of the riverboat itself, funding its construction out of his own pocket when corporate funds fell short.
On the first "fill-the-river" day, the water that was pumped in to the Rivers of America soaked through the riverbed. Fowler quickly found a supply of clay to replace the soil stabilizer used to line the river, and the second "fill-the-river" day was successful.
The Mark Twain had its maiden voyage on July 13, 1955, four days before the park officially opened, for a private party celebrating Walt and Lillian Disney's 30th wedding anniversary. Before the party, as Fowler was checking to make sure everything would be ready for the 300 invited guests, he found Lillian sweeping the decks of debris and joined in to help her.
Disneyland's opening day brought further problems for the 'Mark Twain'. Actress Irene Dunne, star of the movie Showboat, had trouble breaking a bottle of water (from many major American rivers) across the vessel's bow for its christening on Dateline Disney. During the riverboat's first official voyage, when the crowd moved to one side of the boat to view a passing scene of an Indian encampment or other sight, the boat would list from the side and water poured over the deck, as no one had determined the Mark Twain's maximum safe passenger capacity.
This oversight caused the Mark Twain to almost capsize on a voyage a few days later when ride operators continued to wave more than 500 guests on board until the deck neared the water line. As the ship traversed the sparsely vegetated river route, it came loose from its track and got stuck in the muddy banks. Immediately, the park established a maximum capacity of 300 passengers, which still remains in effect today.
After a rough start, the Mark Twain has had a successful 50-year-career as a theme park attraction. During its first few years of operation, passengers could buy a non-alcoholic mint julep aboard or listen to card and checker players re-enact dialogue of that era. Occasionally the Disneyland band would play music on the lower deck bow to entertain both the passengers and the theme park visitors on the river banks.
Hidden Mickeys
- While riding down the Rivers of America on the riverboat, be on the lookout as you approach the big bridge between Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain. If you check out the huge rock piers holding the bridge up, you can see a series of three rocks that form Mickey's head perfectly.