Liberty Square River Boat Refurb

[Hakunamatata]

So it burns diesil to boil water to make steam just like the steam trains. It would be steam powered in that cas, but if it just burns the diesil to power the engines then it is diesil powered.

If steam is what is driving the mechanism to turn the wheel, then I would think it would be steam powered. When coal was used regularly, they wernt called coal powered....at least I dont think they were...

 

[Bill Smugs]

I was wondering if anyone has any news on what is going on with it. I have seen on the rehab section here that it is down till June, however on ears to ears it say September. Which is it? Are there any cast members who can find out?

 

[speck76]

Thanks that's a good site. Anyone have a pic of the East Wind? I have never heard of it.

From Widen Your World

Neither of those vessels could hold a candle to the Eastern Winds, the Polynesian's very own floating cocktail lounge that came in the form of a 65-foot long Chinese junk. While it was normally tethered dockside at the hotel's marina, it was a real boat. It included deck and cabin lounge areas, staterooms and "lovely serving hostesses." Sign me on board, please, and ask Nancy Kwan to pass the pearl cream. Sadly, the Eastern Winds didn't manage to float its way into the 1980s

 

[Tracks N Slabs]

I was wondering if anyone has any news on what is going on with it. I have seen on the rehab section here that it is down till June, however on ears to ears it say September. Which is it? Are there any cast members who can find out?

The Liberty Belle is still at wet dock behind Big Thunder. She was to be moved to dry dock during the break in the Pirates rehab, however the water levels in the lake are currently too low to allow the tug vesels to safely operate.

 

[speck76]

last night after midnight (so...this morning) the boat was towed to the drydock in the back of Bay Lake.

 

[Bill Smugs]

Does anyone have any pictures of this? Also does anyone know how long she will be in dry dock? Will she be back out bu Aug. 23rd 2006?

 

[jmvd20]

last night after midnight (so...this morning) the boat was towed to the drydock in the back of Bay Lake.

Has it just been sitting there since last fall when it went out of service? If so I guess that would explain why they keep pushing the re-opening date back.

 

[napnet]

Has it just been sitting there since last fall when it went out of service? If so I guess that would explain why they keep pushing the re-opening date back.

They were probably doing work on it in the wet dock (deck/engine/etc) but they can not work on the hull till they get it onto a dry dock. From what i understood, they were waiting till the water levels had gotten high enough for the boat to navigate the waters easier.

 

[speck76]

it has not rained....the water levels still look very low

 

[Uponastar]

I don't think the point of the riverboat was to be a thrill ride or boat adventure. That wasn't Walt's idea for, well, anything. It tells a story, just like ALL Disney rides and attractions do (or should). You learn about Mark Twain, and how paddle-wheelers navigated. You hear stories. You see scenes that tell the story of time. If you're simply there to be entertained and thrilled 100% of the time, perhaps Universal or 6 Flags is more up your alley.

I, for one, love the Riverboat and am sad that it may be down when we go in June. I could take trip after trip around the river, standing at the rail on the top deck, listening to the narrator do his spiel. But that's just me, I guess.

Good job, Edward!
I love the riverboat for all the reasons you mention.
I even love watching it from shore.
WDW is so much more than thrill rides.
People who don't get that are missing something really special.

 

[marni1971]

This makes sense. Remember - everyone out with cameras at the Seven Seas aquaduct at 3 in the morning when she is finally towed to dry dock!

It`s times like this you wish they`d replaced the Fowler.

 

[pager]

the navy can build a battleship faster than disney can refurb a simple river boat. Are they putting a casino on board or something?

 

[dbogue]

it adds SOOO much atmosphere to the park! and I oubt many of u can admit that you can do the park with a family of 4, or elderly just walki'n around the whole time. This was always a good relaxation ride, think of it as Frontierlands Version of the TTA. If i were to walk round there and see the river and not see that boat, I dunno....it wouldn't be the same...

 

[Bill Smugs]

I agree it is defently much nicer with it rinning. What are my chances of seening it back in the Rivers of America during my August 23rd to spet 5th trip?

 

[ToTBellHop]

I agree it is defently much nicer with it rinning. What are my chances of seening it back in the Rivers of America during my August 23rd to spet 5th trip?

haha...at present, it should be running then, but I would also not be very surprised if its opening is pushed back further. Bad show, Disney--it's been closed for SEVERAL peak seasons, and now will be closed right on into the start of the summer season. 10 years ago, that would have been unacceptable.

 

[jmvd20]

They were probably doing work on it in the wet dock (deck/engine/etc) but they can not work on the hull till they get it onto a dry dock. From what i understood, they were waiting till the water levels had gotten high enough for the boat to navigate the waters easier.

Makes sense, thanks for the reply.

 

[speck76]

haha...at present, it should be running then, but I would also not be very surprised if its opening is pushed back further. Bad show, Disney--it's been closed for SEVERAL peak seasons, and now will be closed right on into the start of the summer season. 10 years ago, that would have been unacceptable.

Everything needs renovation....when Space Mountain gets a 2 year long refurb, will that be "bad show" too?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Everything needs renovation....when Space Mountain gets a 2 year long refurb, will that be "bad show" too?

Yes. Had its upkeep been up to standards, it wouldn't need a 2-year renovation, and a renovation of a boat that takes easily three times as long as it would take to build a new ship is bad show. Ride construction, not refurbishments, should be the only thing occurring in the summer, for example--and Disney used to follow that not too long ago. A good quality refurbishment would be like the one going on at DL's HM right now--work takes place at night so the ride doesn't have to close and the effect on guest experience is minimal--Matt Ouimet seems to understand the concept of good show better than the folks running the Magic Kingdom, which is why the only things closed at DL right now are attractions being completely rebuilt--and Pirates, but no one was really given a choice on that due to the required tie-in to the movie (the same can be said for having to close all of Rivers of America and cancel Fantasmic! late next month for the premier........)

 

[disney9752]

i agree that before the eisner/ovits/wells era a rehab that took so long & thru SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many peak seasons would have been totally unacceptable. but then many things have become acceptable now that used to not be. maintenance out painting things during the day, used to be you would only find the famous donald wet paint signs hanging on an area painted the night before.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I remember those days...but even that change, while it is a slip, doesn't GREATLY affect guest experience, so I can accept it--keeping attractions closed needlessly across multiple peak seasons, however, is absurd. This refurbishment should have EASILY been completedy b/t September of last year when it closed and the Christmas season.