Extinct Attractions - Liberty Belle Riverboat
Welcome to Extinct Attractions. This week, I looked back at one of the most recent closures at a Disney Park and contemplated whether the timing was right for such a big move.
I know what you’re thinking, why is there a picture of Christmas above? The Fourth of July just passed, but Walt Disney World is already thinking about the holiday season, announcing all of the different experiences coming to the resort this year. I will happen to be there at the time, so I was happy to see what would be going on, but even I have a limit to how early I can start thinking about Christmas, so I’ll have to revisit the list at a more reasonable time, let’s say November.
Via Wikipedia
The Disney Parks have taken the holidays seriously since their earliest days, which we’ll be transported back to today with the introduction of the Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat on October 2, 1971, Magic Kingdom’s second day of operation. Named after one of the key figures in the construction of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, the boat was the Magic Kingdom’s answer to the Mark Twain Riverboat as the ideal way to traverse the Rivers of America.
Via Flickr
However, Magic Kingdom was a bit jealous of Disneyland, which had had two boats around its River of America for years at this point. With that in mind, the Richard F. Irvine debuted on May 20th, 1973 to fill in the void of only having one boat. Irvine was the head of design and planning at Walt Disney Imagineering for years, so he clearly deserved the honor of having his name on a riverboat.
Having the two boats really came in handy when the Admiral Joe Fowler got in an accident in 1980, leading to an early retirement and leaving the Richard F. Irvine on its own for the rest of its run in the park. By the time 1996 rolled around, the name Richard F. Irvine didn’t quite fit a theme park boat, so one of the ferries from the Ticket and Transportation Center took on the name, while the other ferry was named Admiral Joe Fowler in a very fitting move. With that name moved along, the riverboat was able to receive a much needed refurbishment and come back with the name Liberty Belle.
Over the years, the 450 person capacity riverboat received a few more overhauls in 2005 and 2018, while also moonlighting as the “stage" for 2009’s Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee. The boat received some much needed love, while also providing a new outlet of love, but that never stopped it from serving as a great source of relaxation along the rivers of the country.
Once onboard the ship, the narrator did a great job of establishing things right away by pointing out all of the interesting attractions on the shores. As one wandered around the boat, they could wave at people on the shore or see attractions like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion from angles that you quite literally could not get anywhere else.
The grand circle tour of the Rivers of America also provided guests with a 360 degree view of Tom Sawyer Island and all of the adventures that awaited there as well as some exclusive views like a fisherman near his shack and a Native American village, with plenty of other surprises along the way.
Via Touring Plans
Of course, there were some places along the journey that were pretty much just trees and it became a bit of a slow burn. But that’s part of what made the attraction a classic. It was almost like an ASMR experience and just a great place to take a break in the hot Florida sun.
Attractions like the Liberty Belle Riverboat are an important piece of the fabric of the park, making Magic Kingdom feel the way that it does. They help the park feel like a living, breathing place. Sure, they don’t make any money or relate to any IP (Intellectual Property), but they tie back to important parts of the parks’ history and serve the nostalgia part of our brain.
That being said, if an attraction isn’t based on IP today, it is basically an endangered species. I get it, theme parks are a business after all and IP can sell merch, food and simply drive new attendance. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a bummer to see an attraction like the Liberty Belle Riverboat and all of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island close to make way for Piston Peak National Park, based on the Cars franchise. After the attractions closed on July 6, it’s unlikely we will see this new land before 2028, so while I’m hopeful that they’ll maintain some of the spirit of the frontier, it always feels like too soon to lose attractions like these.
As always, don’t forget to check out my interactive maps of the Disney Parks throughout the years where you can watch or learn more about all the attractions from every Disney park around the world.
Thanks for reading and have a magical day!