Breathless boat out of service for unforseen maintenance

No Name

Well-Known Member
The link is not working properly for me, bringing up the website homepage rather than any specific news. And I do not see this news anywhere on the page.

Anyway, if a boat is breathless, it deserves a rest.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
The link is not working properly for me, bringing up the website homepage rather than any specific news. And I do not see this news anywhere on the page.

Anyway, if a boat is breathless, it deserves a rest.
I will give you the short version...A little more than 6 years ago, The Breathless II hit one of the sea walls and was damaged beyond repair.

Breathless+II.JPG
 

COProgressFan

Well-Known Member
From what I was told, fixing it was along the lines of removing the prop and installing a new boat and it simply was not worth it.

Old thread, I know, but such a shame. Back in the late 90s we took a ride on the Breathless to see Illuminations and it was incredible. I'm surprised they haven't tried to introduce a new "luxury" cruise experience like this again, since they do seem so bent on offering other premium or upcharge events across property. Of course, I'm sure they don't see the need to shell out the cash for a new boat, despite the money it could bring in. There's probably more money to be made selling miniature desserts to a couple hundred people than renting out a boat for an hour to 6 people.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Old thread, I know, but such a shame. Back in the late 90s we took a ride on the Breathless to see Illuminations and it was incredible. I'm surprised they haven't tried to introduce a new "luxury" cruise experience like this again, since they do seem so bent on offering other premium or upcharge events across property. Of course, I'm sure they don't see the need to shell out the cash for a new boat, despite the money it could bring in. There's probably more money to be made selling miniature desserts to a couple hundred people than renting out a boat for an hour to 6 people.
We have done the fireworks cruises at Epcot several times, but only on the pontoon boats.

I have a feeling that Disney ran the numbers and it came back that dropping the coin on another high end Chris Craft just was not worth it considering they could make the same money from a pontoon boat at a fraction of the price with a very low chance of a CM destroying it on a joy ride.;)
 

COProgressFan

Well-Known Member
We have done the fireworks cruises at Epcot several times, but only on the pontoon boats.

I have a feeling that Disney ran the numbers and it came back that dropping the coin on another high end Chris Craft just was not worth it considering they could make the same money from a pontoon boat at a fraction of the price with a very low chance of a CM destroying it on a joy ride.;)

I think you're right on this. Costs just not worth it for them. But the Breathless had such a cool factor going for it...
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
I would also add that just having it docked there, or cruising around the lake during the day or night added to the "show" of the Crescent Lake resort area.
I always felt kind of sorry for that boat when it was cruising around. I mean who puts a machine like that in an area that is essentially a gigantic no wake zone? It is like having a Bugatti Veyron and never taking it farther than the driveway.
 

BryanM

Member
Maybe they are waiting on a sponsorship deal with Hacker Craft. :greedy: One should be docked at Yacht and Beach, Boardwalk, and GF. Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay lake would open up an opportunity to bring her up to speed. http://www.hackerboat.com/

Several years later... and unfortunately we're still waiting on that sponsorship ;). I had the opportunity to ride Breathless II back in 2009 and snapped several photos. I posted a couple of them to Pinterest but have several more of the Hacker Craft if anyone is interested. Our CM certainly jumped on the throttle on the lake just outside of Disney's HS. Nothing like seeing the Tower of Terror in the background (photo below). My two passions are Disney and wood boats, so this was a perfect mix for me. One can only hope they bring back a "classic" wood boat to the Yacht Club, but I'm guessing these days are long gone.

409241
 
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tirian

Well-Known Member
Several years later... and unfortunately we're still waiting on that sponsorship ;). I had the opportunity to ride Breathless II back in 2009 and snapped several photos. I posted a couple of them to Pinterest but have several more of the Hacker Craft if anyone is interested. Our CM certainly jumped on the throttle on the lake just outside of Disney's HS. Nothing like seeing the Tower of Terror in the background (photo below). My two passions are Disney and wood boats, so this was a perfect mix for me. One can only hope they bring back a "classic" wood boat to the Yacht Club, but I'm guessing these days are long gone.

View attachment 409241
Things were certainly different back when Eisner was trying to appeal to his East Coast friends by proving WDW could be a classy destination. Yet the same guy who emphasized celebrity architects, superstar headliners for evening entertainment, and the idea of enjoying WDW without kids later green lighted the SSE wand, the BAH at the Studios, and replacing all those A-list entertainers with Disney Channel “stars.”

This is why it’s hard to be a Disney fan. The company has been a celebration of contradictions since the mid-1990s. ;):D
 

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