extinct attraction mystery?

[gresh00]

There is a spot in front of the castle on the right (looking at it from Main st) down by the water on the tomorrow land side that looks like it might have been an old cue line. It juts up right next to the water. I've seen it before and never gave it much thought, but now they use it as a smokers section (my DW having recently taken up smoking again), and I spent a few minutes there last trip. I've been told it was for a paddle boats ride from back in the seventies, but I've also been told that the paddle boats were only at Disneyland.

I tried googling for an old souvenier map of MK but came up empty.

Can anyone shed some light? Does anyone know the spot I'm talking about? Has it always been there, or did they just put it in for the smokers? Was it at one time a cue line for a ride?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[sisterdisco]

There was a short period of time when they had Swan boats there. You rode in them, no paddle. I was a kid, I think it went just infront of both sides of the castle.

[countrycharmer]

Wow... you just aged me because I remember the swan boats!!!

[Pirate Granny]

The swan boats went around and into Adventure Land...I remember them going into some sort of tunnel and then back around the front of the castle...then I think the Jungle cruise now goes through that tunnel...it's been so long ago...maybe I was dreaming the tunnel...????

[CaptSmee]

The Plaza Swan Boats would be correct

[MickeysEars]

ok, I want those BACK. And the Subs, and while I dreaming, I would also like them to use the River at AK for wat it was intended, a boat ride, it would make going from one end of the park to the other eaiser on the feet. Sorry

[sisterdisco]

If you google Disney Swan Boats, you can see pictures of them.
What I remember is long lines for that, and it not being all that exciting.
the website said that they chronically had engine trouble.

[MaxPower]

Every time I look at the area where the Swan Boats used to load and unload, I think that with today's crowds, there is no way that attraction could still exist. An attraction right there in front of the castle would be chaos.

[wdwfansince75]

The Wald Dated World website covers most of the former attractions quite well. We rode the attraction on our first visit, in 75. I think that at that time, it loaded in front of the Plaza Resturant, in the area now used as a smoking area. On our next visit, in 80, the boats loaded in the covered area to the right of the castle. From either location, the boats traveled into adventureland, near the SFR Treehouse. While it passed under several bridges, I don't remember a tunnel. It was a dull ride. Back in the days of ticket books, it was a D Ticket ride....believe that was the same as the Railroad, and the people mover....both were better than the Swan Boats.

[ariel326]

Why did they stop the baot rides at AK? I was only on them once or twice.

[WDWdriver]

Why did they stop the baot rides at AK? I was only on them once or twice.

There were several reasons:

1) Guests were disappointed. The boats were just for transportation, but guests expected to be entertained as on the Jungle Cruise boats at MK.

2) Waiting lines were long due to limited capacity.

3) Guests would tend to board at the Tree of Life stop and then not get off at one of the other stops. They would just ride it all the way around, which limited boarding at the other stops.

BTW, the boats are still there. One of them is used several times a day for character entertainment on the Expedition Everest portion of the river.

[gresh00]

Thanks for all the help guys!

I just googled them and I do remember seeing pictures of them before in the past, but I thought this was only at Disneyland.

According to Wikipedia it closed at WDW in 1983. I had been there at age 3 in 1978 and at age 6 in 1981 and never remember seeing them there, and distinctively remember never riding them. However, it does indicate that they were only open seasonally, and we always went the third week in October. So, maybe they were not running when I was there.

[Dyanna]

I think now this is the area that we got our wristbands to stay in the park for the MNSSHP when we were there last year.

[ThanxForNoticin]

Excellent post. I have to admit, for as long as I have been enjoying WDW, those Swan Boats escaped my memory. I was very young back then and just do not remember seeing them at all - even after viewing the old photos. Thanks for the info.