Davy Crockett Canoes

[Aurora's#1Fan]

Oh the canoes are a blast....they are on tracks though. I love listening to the river and passing by the Mark Twain and columbia. You guys dont know what your missing! Its fun and its exercise. Too bad TDO is killing WDW slowly.

 

[Christi22222]

I have changed my travel patterns. I live in VA outside DC. MUCHHHhhhhh closer to WDW. But I now go to WDW one time for every three or 4 trips to DL. DL does get my money and attendance because it deserves it. Its not perfect, but its not the money driven plastic version of a resort that WDW has become. I still enjoy WDW. I just enjoy DL a 1000 times more. Plus DL is just getting better. So much good stuff coming to DCA and in the works for DL. I really challenge all of you to go to DL. Its wonderful. You can still feel Walt there. And while WDW is a FUN place, DL is ALIVE with Disney charm and magic. It flowing over with details and magic. Its close to perfect for me.

DL is amazing! I remember reading about how great it is etc, and I knew it was, but never knew how great until I went there myself. This time last year I was there, and I had fun! I also remember hearing and reading how much better Disneyland is compared to the mk. Other than space mt and maybe splash mt and tomorrowland, I think that statement is true.

Oh the canoes are a blast....they are on tracks though. I love listening to the river and passing by the Mark Twain and columbia. You guys dont know what your missing! Its fun and its exercise. Too bad TDO is killing WDW slowly.

Dear TDO,

Please read these posts. Thank you.

Sincerely, Fans who want the MK to be at least as good as DL (or better!)

 

[fabroman]

the canoes are on tracks?

 

[MichWolv]

Oh the canoes are a blast....they are on tracks though. I love listening to the river and passing by the Mark Twain and columbia. You guys dont know what your missing! Its fun and its exercise. Too bad TDO is killing WDW slowly.

Don't think the canoes are on tracks. The big boats are, but not the canoes. If the canoes were on a track, the big boats would be breaking it every time around the river.

 

[Aurora's#1Fan]

Don't think the canoes are on tracks. The big boats are, but not the canoes. If the canoes were on a track, the big boats would be breaking it every time around the river.

Hmmm well Idk as we kept moving after alot of people stopped paddling and we went through this area of rocks perfectly without hitting them and we seemed to stay away from the ships. Maybe its just Disney magic or were really that good lol.

I looked at pictures and apparently there are no tracks. I wonder how we stay in line though . Someone who knows the ROA could explain this.

 

[TP2000]

Hmmm well Idk as we kept moving after alot of people stopped paddling and we went through this area of rocks perfectly without hitting them and we seemed to stay away from the ships. Maybe its just Disney magic or were really that good lol.

I looked at pictures and apparently there are no tracks. I wonder how we stay in line though . Someone who knows the ROA could explain this.

The canoes are not on tracks (how would that even work?), they are simply.... canoes. :wave:

You know that buff guy in the Davy Crockett outfit in the back of the boat? He's steering you around the river, and they are so good they shoot right through the narrow rapids portion of the river, and you only get a little wet! The CM in the front of the boat can help steer a bit, but they are there to set the pace and tell the jokes and keep people paddling. That Canoe CM in the back is doing a lot of work back there behind you, while you lazily paddle and gawk at animatronic Indians and a plastic moose! :lol:

 

[MarkTwain]

in my opinion, conoes aren't my thing...i'm used to speedboats :lookaroun

That'd liven up the Rivers of America. :lol:

Don't think the canoes are on tracks. The big boats are, but not the canoes. If the canoes were on a track, the big boats would be breaking it every time around the river.

You would be wrong unfortunately. It's a little known fact that the canoes use the same tracks that the animatronic ducks do.

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[TP2000]

You would be wrong unfortunately. It's a little known fact that the canoes use the same tracks that the animatronic ducks do.

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Funny story: I was on the canoes at Disneyland a couple summers ago with my nephews. Some blowhard in the front of the boat was heckling the CM in the front of the canoe about how these canoes were on tracks and we really didn't need to paddle. After we got through the rapids and were near the Indian Village, the front CM yelled back to the CM steering and said "Well, it's time to prove we aren't on a track!" and there in the middle of the river we started going around and around in circles, and then when we were dizzy and weren't paddling the CM's began paddling us backwards! Another canoe came along beside us, and the people in that boat were just staring at us in disbelief, and the CM leading that other canoe said "Folks, that's what happens if you try and tell us we are on a track!" :ROFLOL:

 

[The Mom]

I hesitate to bring it up, but perhaps the size of the average guest has something to do with it? In the previous post, it was pointed out that the stern paddler really can control, and move, the whole canoe alone, if needed.

That might not be possible if most of the guests in a particular canoe are, shall we say, weight challenged. So it becomes a safety issue. The only solution would be to have a weight limit, which would cause it's own problems as far as guest satisfaction goes. Or limit the total number of people allowed in the boat, knowing that some of them are not fit enough to propel their weight, which would still put a burden on the CM. I know when I went rafting with my SIL, who has a bad shoulder so didn't paddle quickly or with a lot of force, I had to work twice as hard steering through the rapids. By the end of the day, I had a bad shoulder.

There would, of course, be out of shape guests who would just pass on the experience, but just a few overloaded canoes per day could cause health problems for the CM.

DL may not have the same problem. At this time.

 

[TP2000]

There would, of course, be out of shape guests who would just pass on the experience, but just a few overloaded canoes per day could cause health problems for the CM.

DL may not have the same problem. At this time.

Hmm. There's no weight limit for the canoes at Disneyland. The CM's there seem to enjoy digging in and muscling the canoe around turns and through the rapids, regardless of who is in the boat.

At Tokyo Disneyland, however, the canoes are equipped with small motors in the back. That is to help the canoe move along if the boat is full of the typical Tokyo "Office Ladies" who don't paddle, or they can't get enough people to fill a boat completely. The Japanese had motors installed under the stern of each boat to keep the trip time consistent, as many Japanese find the canoe concept very odd. Every time I've been at Tokyo Disneyland the canoes are the one thing that never has a line, and you walk right on. They are far more popular in Anaheim, for cultural reasons.

If weight were really a problem, the motor system from Tokyo could be adapted to WDW. I have a hunch it has more to do with TDO budgetary priorities rather than overweight tourists however. I mean, for gosh sakes, we learned in this thread that WDW has cancelled the All-American College Band from performing on property each summer! If they are willing to get that low into the budget-cutting process, the canoes are a total goner.

Tokyo Disneyland Motor-Assisted Canoe

 

[sleepybear]

While I don't miss the canoes as an attraction at WDW (I went on them once, in 1992, and it was pretty tiring by the end) it was pretty neat to see them still paddling away at DL last year. I agree with everyone else who mentioned the river used to feel more alive. Those canoes and keelboats did add something.

It would be nice if Disney would just let a few CMs paddle around the island a few times a day, just for atmosphere's sake. But that's about as likely as them relighting the burning cabin. (Which also added so, so much to the area.)

 

[Christi22222]

Funny story: I was on the canoes at Disneyland a couple summers ago with my nephews. Some blowhard in the front of the boat was heckling the CM in the front of the canoe about how these canoes were on tracks and we really didn't need to paddle. After we got through the rapids and were near the Indian Village, the front CM yelled back to the CM steering and said "Well, it's time to prove we aren't on a track!" and there in the middle of the river we started going around and around in circles, and then when we were dizzy and weren't paddling the CM's began paddling us backwards! Another canoe came along beside us, and the people in that boat were just staring at us in disbelief, and the CM leading that other canoe said "Folks, that's what happens if you try and tell us we are on a track!" :ROFLOL:

I seriously now want to plan a trip to DL specifically to entice the canoe CM's into proving they're not on a track! Seriously, this is one thing I have never experienced at any Disney resort in the 40 years I've been going! Sounds kinda silly and very fun. I love it when the CM's have a little fun!

 

[jmuboy]

wow - I had no idea the Tokyo canoes had small motors. Good idea for WDW!

 

[MarkTwain]

wow - I had no idea the Tokyo canoes had small motors. Good idea for WDW!

I agree, this would be a really great way to bring the canoes back to WDW. And then on a really hot day, the CMs could rev up the engine a little bit to "help" the tired passengers along. I could see that working really well.

 

[zurgandfriend]

I've read all the posts in this thread and no brought up the question are there gators and other critters in the rivers of America in WDW that aren't in in the water at DL? I'm pretty sure I saw a gator once.

If one quest had a close encounter with a something like that it would be on every media outlet in minutes, lawsuits everywhere and we would never hear the end of it.

Although gator - Brazilian tourist, hmmm.

 

[jmuboy]

I've read all the posts in this thread and no brought up the question are there gators and other critters in the rivers of America in WDW that aren't in in the water at DL? I'm pretty sure I saw a gator once.

If one quest had a close encounter with a something like that it would be on every media outlet in minutes, lawsuits everywhere and we would never hear the end of it.

Although gator - Brazilian tourist, hmmm.

Not an expert here, but a low waist high chain link fence (hidden by brush) could help go a long way to keeping gators out. Personally, I'd be surprised if some sort of gator prevention barriers were not already in place for the RoA.

 

[jmuboy]

The more I think about the Canoes, the more I think their revival along with a re-fresh of the TSI attraction (borrowing ideas from DL, just not Pirate themed) and reimagineering some of the scenery along the RoA (also like recently done at DL) could be part of a bigger project for WDW's MK. I can only hope that something like this would be on the "to-do" list for TDO or WDI. Certainly NONE of these projects are expensive in terms of Disney projects and could be funded in part with normal rehab budgets.

I hope Tom Fitzgerald turns out to be a good chage for the parks. he has already had more expose and press inside the parks in his short tenure then I think Rasulo had in all his years in the job.

 

[djkidkaz]

Maybe Im the only one who thinks getting out in the hot Florida heat and paddling a canoe around is the absolute last thing I'd ever want to do while on vacation.

I love going to Disney and riding the buses because I don't want to drive a car and have to even press a gas pedal, I couldn't imagine paddling a canoe full of people in July! :hammer:

Does it look nice for kinetics? Sure. Would I do it? Never.

 

[djkidkaz]

The more I think about the Canoes, the more I think their revival along with a re-fresh of the TSI attraction (borrowing ideas from DL, just not Pirate themed) and reimagineering some of the scenery along the RoA (also like recently done at DL) could be part of a bigger project for WDW's MK. I can only hope that something like this would be on the "to-do" list for TDO or WDI. Certainly NONE of these projects are expensive in terms of Disney projects and could be funded in part with normal rehab budgets.

I hope Tom Fitzgerald turns out to be a good chage for the parks. he has already had more expose and press inside the parks in his short tenure then I think Rasulo had in all his years in the job.

I think you mean Staggs, not Fitzgerald.

 

[MarkTwain]

Maybe Im the only one who thinks getting out in the hot Florida heat and paddling a canoe around is the absolute last thing I'd ever want to do while on vacation.

I love going to Disney and riding the buses because I don't want to drive a car and have to even press a gas pedal, I couldn't imagine paddling a canoe full of people in July! :hammer:

Does it look nice for kinetics? Sure. Would I do it? Never.

I think this manner of thinking may have a lot to do with the reason the canoes aren't around anymore. (Not calling you out, just making a generalization.)

One, I think weather may have played a big part in their demise. I've been to Disneyland a few times, all of them in the middle of summer, and the weather has NEVER been as warm and muggy as my average trip to WDW. Then there's precipitation - Los Angeles is pretty arid, and hardly ever rains, compared to the pretty frequent rainfall in central Florida. Think about how many attractions in the entirety Walt Disney World are completely uncovered for the whole ride - 5 or 6 maybe? When you have a completely exposed, unshaded 20-minute or so attraction in the Florida sun and combine it with physical labor, I think you'd have a fair number of guests that would rather spend their time elsewhere.

Second, someone else mentioned earlier in the thread that the difference between Disneyland's and WDW's demographics may have had something to do with the canoes' closure, and I think this is a possibility that shouldn't be ignored. The average guest to Disneyland likely lives pretty near the park, and probably has visited the park more times than (s)he can count. (From what I've heard, this kind of guest is usually about half of the park's attendance at any given time). After a million rides on Peter Pan and Space Mountain, these kinds of guests might be looking for something new to do, and would therefore choose the more obscure attractions like the canoes or the Enchanted Tiki Room (which also sports a higher attendance than WDW's version ever has). Compare this to the average out-of-the-town guest at the Magic Kingdom, who's just trying to get some rides on Splash Mountain, Pirates, and Buzz Lightyear in before the day ends, and wouldn't consider the canoes a high priority for their day. Add in the fact of the Disneyland River's enhanced scenery, better weather and more visual excitement, and you have a ride that may seem a lot more appealing there than its former Floridian counterpart.

As a Rivers of America-enthusiast, I'm not trying to justify the canoes' closure by any means; I'm just trying to analyze this with a reasoned mind. I agree that reviving the canoes or some keelboats, combined with a solid TSI-refurb, would be a great and relatively inexpensive way to breathe some life into this oft-overlooked corner of the park.

Just food for thought.