Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes |
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| Attraction type | Free-floating canoe | ||||||||||
| Vehicle type | Canoe | ||||||||||
The Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes is a fun canoe ride at several Disney theme parks. It's special because you provide the power! Unlike most rides, guests paddle the canoes themselves.
The very first version of this ride opened at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. You board from the Critter Country area. Up to twenty visitors paddle a canoe around the Rivers of America. Two friendly guides join you on the journey.
This attraction was first called Indian War Canoes. It opened on July 4, 1956. You can also find similar canoe rides at Tokyo Disneyland. They were once at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris. At Shanghai Disneyland Park, the ride is simply called Explorer Canoes.
Contents
What to Expect on the Ride
At Disneyland, you get on and off the canoes at a small dock. This dock is near the Hungry Bear restaurant in the Critter Country part of the park. Each canoe is about 35 feet (10.7 meters) long. It can hold twenty guests, with two people per row.
Two guides, dressed like frontierspeople, are on each canoe. They are called the helmsman, bowman, and sternman. They help steer and tell you about the sights.
Before you start, you'll get a quick lesson. This teaches you how to paddle the canoe correctly. Small children must wear life jackets for safety. Adults can also get life jackets if they need one.
As you paddle, the canoe travels about 2,400 feet (730 meters). You go around Tom Sawyer Island. This island is in the middle of the man-made river. Your guides will point out interesting things along the way. You might see a settler's cabin or an Indian chief on horseback. The ride time changes depending on how fast everyone paddles. It also depends on how much other boat traffic is on the river.
These canoes move much faster than bigger boats. Rides like the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia follow hidden tracks. The canoes operate mostly on weekends. During busy times, like summer, they also run on weekdays. The canoes usually close at dusk. This is to get the Rivers of America ready for night shows, like Fantasmic!.
History of the Canoes
The Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes is one of only two rides at Disneyland that has been in three different areas without moving. It first opened on July 4, 1956. It was called Indian War Canoes back then. It was part of Frontierland's Indian Village. Real American Indian guides were on every canoe.
In 1971, the Indian War Canoes closed with the Indian Village. But it reopened on May 19 as Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes. This new name was inspired by the popular Davy Crockett TV miniseries. The guides then started wearing coonskin caps.
In 1972, the ride became part of Bear Country. This area was later renamed Critter Country in 1989. Critter Country now includes rides like Splash Mountain. The canoes briefly closed in 1998 but reopened the next year. Today, the canoes usually run on busier days, like summer and weekends.
On January 11, 2016, the canoes closed for a while. This was for the building of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The attraction reopened on July 29, 2017.
Canoes in Other Disney Parks
Walt Disney World
The Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes also opened at Walt Disney World. It was in Frontierland on the park's opening day. Guests would board the canoes and paddle along the Rivers of America. This attraction closed in 1994.
Tokyo Disneyland
A canoe ride opened at Tokyo Disneyland. It was also called Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes. It was located along the Rivers of America in Westernland. In 1992, it was renamed Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes. This happened when Critter Country opened there.
Disneyland Paris
An Indian Canoes ride opened with Euro Disneyland on April 12, 1992. This canoe ride also closed in 1994.
Shanghai Disneyland
At Shanghai Disneyland, this attraction is called Bilge Rat Bill's Explorer Canoes. The canoes start from Dead Man's Landing. They travel through Treasure Cove's lagoon and Adventure Isle's Q'olari River.
