Davy Crockett Canoes

[EpcotFanForever]

Just happened to watch the canoes in DL yesterday, and the two guides in the boat were paddling like crazy in the hot sun. I can't imagine them doing that in FL.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It seems willingness of Cast Members keeps coming up as a negative. My guess is that, due to the specific physical requirements, the Explorer Canoes are a position one specifically applies for and it is not part of the general attractions pool. The need for specific people is probably the bigger reason, as the limited labor supply could more easily demand higher pay.

 

[_Scar]

Just happened to watch the canoes in DL yesterday, and the two guides in the boat were paddling like crazy in the hot sun. I can't imagine them doing that in FL.

& here I thought DL fans cared!!!!


:lol: mwahaha


Seriously, it would be miserable paddling in the sun all day as a CM. Do they switch off or something?

 

[wickedsoccer22]

Haha after my trip last week I have to agree with you. I heard they stay a month at times because their money is worth more over here than it is over there in Brazil.

I actually was talking to some of their "leaders" a few weeks ago and learned that this particular group goes to the U.S. for 20 days and spends a little over a week in Orlando and then goes to New York City. So they don't stay at one place for their entire length of stay in the U.S.

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.

I think there are, but there have been situations before. Remember the gator by Splash Mountain a year back?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1ZqrnJkQuQ

 

[TP2000]

Just happened to watch the canoes in DL yesterday, and the two guides in the boat were paddling like crazy in the hot sun. I can't imagine them doing that in FL.

Now, to be fair, the climate in Anaheim is NOTHING like the climate in Orlando, especially in summer. Yesterday (Sunday) in Anaheim was typically delightful, even a bit cool for late July. Per weather.com yesterday's Anaheim temps were;

Sunny and Breezy
High 74 Degrees
Low 60 Degrees
Humidity 45%
"Real Feel" High Temp 75 Degrees

The low temp yesterday in Orlando was 78 Degrees, and the High was 93 Degrees, with a humidity level and "Real Feel" high of 101 Degrees.

Weather.com has a "Fitness Comfort" rating it can give on a scale of 1 to 10 to locations based on their current weather readings of heat and humidity and air quality. That would seem to work great for Canoes comfort levels. Right now the Fitness Comfort rating is;

Orlando Fitness Comfort July 26th - 1
Anaheim Fitness Comfort July 26th - 10

You can't get more different than that!

The more we talk about it, the more I think that Orlando climate had a lot to do with killing off the canoes over 15 years ago. The budget savings must have helped seal the deal, but the climate is a killer out there.

Canoe CM's are not paid any extra money. However, the Casting department does send young kids there who are athletic and can swim. There's lots of posts on Disneyland boards about new CM's being assigned to Canoes as their first assignment. They aren't going to put a 67 year old retired lady on Canoes; it's nearly all male and they are generally quite athletic and the type of kids who enjoy the physicality of the job. Heck, this country once built railroads through the Rockies and the Hoover Dam out in the desert. I know many of us like to sit in air-conditioned comfort 24 hours per day in ergonomic office chairs and ride electric scooters around Wal-Mart now because pushing a shopping cart is too hard, but paddling a canoe at a theme park surely doesn't compare to truly strenuous and demanding jobs. It's just a bit of fun at Disneyland! :lol:

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Some form of river traffic would be nice in addition to the Liberty Belle; reintroduce the canoes and add some scenery to the banks of the river and you got a nice little addition.

And if everyone is so concerned about the paddling issue, why not add a small motor to "help" with the paddling? I'm not talking full outboard here, just a small engine to push the canoe along at a knot or so to take some of the strain off of paddling. :shrug:

EDIT: I see its already being done in Tokyo... why not do that here?

 

[kingslyZISSOU]

My theory is people won't rent canoes at other locations on property if they have canoes for free in the park... even if it is a somewhat different experience.

 

[EpcotFanForever]

Now, to be fair, the climate in Anaheim is NOTHING like the climate in Orlando, especially in summer. Yesterday (Sunday) in Anaheim was typically delightful, even a bit cool for late July. Per weather.com yesterday's Anaheim temps were;

Sunny and Breezy
High 74 Degrees
Low 60 Degrees
Humidity 45%
"Real Feel" High Temp 75 Degrees

The low temp yesterday in Orlando was 78 Degrees, and the High was 93 Degrees, with a humidity level and "Real Feel" high of 101 Degrees.

Weather.com has a "Fitness Comfort" rating it can give on a scale of 1 to 10 to locations based on their current weather readings of heat and humidity and air quality. That would seem to work great for Canoes comfort levels. Right now the Fitness Comfort rating is;

Orlando Fitness Comfort July 26th - 1
Anaheim Fitness Comfort July 26th - 10

You can't get more different than that!

With cheap airfares and a DVC membership, I was able to stay at Paradise Pier Hotel overlooking the World of Color. So to me (who usually goes to Florida) a trip out there every few years is well worth it. The whole atmosphere was completely different, and WOC was simply incredible.

 

[lnsemsf]

With cheap airfares and a DVC membership, I was able to stay at Paradise Pier Hotel overlooking the World of Color. So to me (who usually goes to Florida) a trip out there every few years is well worth it. The whole atmosphere was completely different, and WOC was simply incredible.

DVC is not at all needed to go from Florida to DL. All you need is Southwest and a good room on the Anaheim Resort Transit route. I fly round trip to DL from Tampa for $99 each way, and then stay at the Ramada about a mile from the hotel for an average of $37 a night including breakfast ,a flat screen LCD tv,wireless internet,fridge and microwave, and DL shuttle right outside. I was lucky and got the Premier pass, but last year I had the seperate DL annual pass and made 4 seperate trips there, but you can just get day tickets. You don't need to go all DVC, unless you need the Disney name on your room. It's amazing how cheap you can travel to DL if you just simply know how to plan it out. It's an absolutely amazing park and well worth going to for anybody who likes WDW. While I love Florida and would never leave here, DL puts WDW to shame in a lot of areas.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

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.

These two, yes.

I think several reasons more may play a part:

- Times have changed. Today's guests wish to be driven in a stroller or ECV from an eatery to an indoor celebrity-driven attraction to another eatery to a photo-op with another celebrity.
As was so brilliantly parodied in Wall-E.

Paddling in a canoe to relive a history / frontier / Mark Twain experience doesn't fit in with that anymore.


- The famed 'wish for interactivity' seems to consist of sitting in a moving vehicle and pushing a button. The interactivity that consists of active involvement, of being presented with a playground for using your own imagination seems to have largely disappeared.


- Those canoes have two CM's per eight guests. That must be expensive! Then again, the hardware is pretty cheap.



I don't know why the canoes have been removed. Knowing TDO, probably a cost-cutting measure combined with low general appeal and attendance numbers.
A park, however, needs diversity of offerings too, in atmosphere of the lands and in attractions overall. Canoes, even the looks of one, make Frontierland, the same way that the rockets and TTA make Tomorrowland. Simple, physically powered, frontierish. Like high-tech transport makes TL.

Also, I for one love to expend some energy in the Treehouse, at TSI, or canoes. Makes for a good change.

 

[sublimesting]

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.)

It would be cool to just have CMs dressed as Indians paddling around every once in awhile. They should also bring back the stunt show in FL.

 

[Steamboat71]

It would be nice if the canoes were brought back after the river is shortened for BBT

 

[aladdin2007]

talk about a thread bump!

 

[Purduevian]

talk about a thread bump!

I'm kinda sad they didn't wait 4 more days to make it an even 14 years.

I'm going to guess the last response on here is older than some of the members on this site.

 

[easyrowrdw]

I did these at Disneyland and thought it was great. Honestly, it might have been the thing I enjoyed most at the park (my first visit). I actually didn't realize they used to have them at WDW. I can see how the weather would be an issue at WDW, but I'd still do it.