Mark Twain Riverboat
Encyclopedia
The Mark Twain Riverboat is an attraction, located at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California
, on which passengers embark on a scenic, 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America
. Originally named the Mark Twain Steamboat when the park opened in 1955, the stately, 5/8-scale stern-wheeler was the first functional riverboat
to be built in the United States for fifty years. Other Disney riverboat attractions now appear at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland
and Disneyland Paris.
section of the park. The waiting area is made to resemble a real riverboat loading area, with cargo deliveries sharing space on the dock. Historic United States flags are displayed at the attraction's entrance.
Upon boarding the 150-ton riverboat, passengers are free to move about the vessel's three levels. The lower deck's bow has chairs, which are the only seating on board. The upper deck provides a vantage point for viewing landmarks throughout the voyage.
The wheelhouse, where the riverboat's pilot is stationed, is also located on the upper deck. The lower level of the wheelhouse features a sleeping area and a sink to maintain the illusion of this being the captain's living quarters. At the pilot's discretion, a small number of passengers may be given permission to ride in the wheelhouse for the voyage, after which they are presented with souvenir Pilot Certificates.
The pilot signals the departure and arrival of the Mark Twain using a horn and bell system, along with various signals to other river craft attractions. Because the riverboat travels along an I-beam guide rail throughout the ride, the pilot does not maneuver the ship. Instead, the pilot serves as lookout for other river traffic, such as the Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
and the Rafts to Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, and communicates his observations with the boiler engineer. The boiler engineer is stationed on the bottom deck towards the stern. This is where the throttle and reverser are located. From here, the boiler engineer controls the speed and direction of the riverboat. Steam from the boiler is used to power the paddle wheels and thus pushes the craft along its guide way.
The voyage on the Rivers of America
around Tom Sawyer Island features pre-recorded narration by a riverboat guide voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft
, another actor portraying Mark Twain
, who speaks of his days piloting a riverboat, and by the (not present) "captain" of the ship, voiced by Rex Allen
. The narration playback, operated by the pilot via a control panel in the pilot house, points out the following sights:
On most days, the Mark Twain begins operation as soon the park opens. On days when Fantasmic!
is being performed, the riverboat, which plays a role in the show, will close a couple of hours before showtime. On other nights, the Mark Twain will run through the evening, using a high intensity rooftop spotlight to point out sights, with the final trip beginning about thirty minutes before park closing. A sign at the loading area will list the day's last trip
Along with the Cabin, the Gullywhumper, one of Disneyland's extinct Keel Boats is now scenery along the river's bank. A Mine Train from the Old Nature's Wonderland attraction is also used as scenery. The Mine Train is on its original track and used to border Cascade Peak, a man-made fiberglass hill complete with waterfall which was bulldozed in 1998. The train was removed in June of 2010 for restoration. Also, one of the rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island was marooned just in front of the no longer burning cabin and is now scenery.
in Burbank, California
. Although this park was abandoned in favor of the much larger Disneyland, the plan for having a riverboat attraction was retained.
Because the Mark Twain was the first functional paddlewheeler built in the United States in fifty years, the WED
designers conducted extensive research to build it like riverboats were built in the heyday of steam powered ships. The decks were assembled at the Disney Studios at Burbank, while the 105-foot hull was constructed at Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, California (where the Columbia
's hull was built years later). Fortunately, when the hull and decks were put together for the first time at Disneyland, they fit perfectly.
Joe Fowler
, Disneyland's construction supervisor and a former navy admiral, insisted on creating a drydock for the ship along what was to be the Rivers of America. Walt Disney
, dismayed at how much land was taken up by the massive excavation, referred to the drydock first as "Joe's Ditch", and then later, "Fowler's Harbor", the name by which it goes by today. However, Disney remained a supporter of the riverboat itself, funding its construction out of his own pocket when corporate funds fell short.
On the first "fill-the-river" day, the water that was pumped in to the Rivers of America soaked through the riverbed. Fowler quickly found a supply of clay to replace the soil stabilizer used to line the river, and the second "fill-the-river" day was successful.
The Mark Twain had its maiden voyage on July 13, 1955, four days before the park officially opened, for a private party celebrating Walt and Lillian Disney
's 30th wedding anniversary. Before the party, as Fowler was checking to make sure everything would be ready for the 300 invited guests, he found Lillian sweeping the decks of debris and joined in to help her.
Disneyland's opening day brought further problems for the ‘’Mark Twain’’. Actress Irene Dunne
, star of the movie Showboat
, had trouble breaking a bottle of water (from many major American rivers) across the vessel's bow for its christening on Dateline Disney. During the riverboat's first official voyage, when the crowd moved to one side of the boat to view a passing scene of an Indian encampment or other sight, the boat would list from the side and water poured over the deck, as no one had determined the Mark Twains maximum safe passenger capacity.
This oversight caused the Mark Twain to almost capsize on a voyage a few days later when ride operators continued to wave more than 500 guests on board until the deck neared the water line. As the ship traversed the sparsely vegetated river route, it came loose from its track and got stuck in the muddy banks. Immediately, the park established a maximum capacity of 300 passengers, which still remains in effect today.
After a rough start, the Mark Twain has had a successful 50-year-career as a theme park attraction. During its first few years of operation, passengers could buy a non-alcoholic mint julep
aboard or listen to card and checker players re-enact dialogue of that era. Occasionally the Disneyland band would play music on the lower deck bow to entertain both the passengers and the theme park visitors on the river banks.
The Mark Twain underwent a major refurbishment during the Spring of 1995, during which all the decks and the boiler were replaced. September 24, 1995 saw the first and only Disney Fantasyland Wedding, to this day, to be held on an attraction, in theme clothing. A local Orange County couple, Kevin and Patricia Sullivan exchanged vows on the bow of the boat as she circled the Rivers of America. The grooms father Ed Sullivan, a 50 year Disney veteran, donned the classic Mark Twain costume for the once in a lifetime ceremony. The couple sealed their vows by pulling the ships steam whistle together. From atop the upper most deck, the couple let loose ropes, unfurling a ship sized JUST MARRIED banner across the stern.
When the Rivers of America were drained in 2002, the boat was noted to have considerable hull damage. It underwent a refurbishment in 2004 to repair the hull, which included replacing the keel. For the park's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2005, a new, more colorful paint job was applied to the durable riverboat. To celebrate the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog, the riverboat has been used as a stage for a show that will be based on the movie.
theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
at one time featured two riverboats: the Admiral Joe Fowler
, a sidewheeler named for Disneyland's construction supervisor, and the Richard F. Irvine
, a sternwheeler named for a WED executive.
The Admiral Joe Fowler served from October 2, 1971, one day after park opening, until the Fall of 1980, when it was retired less than ten years of operation. It was rumored to have been accidentally destroyed after falling from a crane onto its drydock.
The Richard F. Irvine came into service on May 20, 1973 but was renamed The Liberty Belle in 1996 after everything except for the hull, boiler, and engines was stripped off, and an all-new superstructure was constructed from aluminum and vinyl.
area of Disneyland Park
has the unique distinction of featuring two riverboats, the Mark Twain and the Molly Brown. Each riverboat features a recorded conversation between the Captain and Mark Twain
or Molly Brown. Since the storyline takes place in the fictional town of Thunder Mesa, most of the spiel deals with the sights of Big Thunder Mountain, Phantom Manor
, Wilderness Island, Smuggler's Cove, an old snoring fisherman, Yosemite National Park geysers, dinosaur remains... The Molly Brown, named after the famous survivor of the Titanic, is the only sidewheeler currently found in a Disney Park.
On May 16, 2005, the Molly Brown 's engine overheated as the boat rounded the corner at the back of the Rivers of the Far West. Although there was no visible fire, smoke damaged the ship and its engines, rendering it immobile, with guests having to be ferried to shore by the River Rogue Keelboats. The engine system was badly damaged and the boat remained out of operation for many months, while the Mark Twain 's ongoing refurbishment at the dry dock was finished.
In September 2005, the Molly Brown was moved to the dry dock, and in March 2006, the Mark Twain finally resumed operation from Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing. However, it was not until September that the Molly Browns long refurbishment finally began, and was completed in late April 2007.
Yet, in 2010, the Molly Brown had to be rebuilt from scratch. On March 25, 2011, she was back in business, with a new recording of Molly Brown's speech in English, which used to be in French.
's Mark Twain riverboat is so large that it is required by law to be registered. Its home port is listed as Urayasu. From the time of its opening until September 2006 its sponsor was Nippon Suisan Kaisha.
The riverboat is guided through the Rivers of America via an I-beam track, which is hidden under the green and brown dyed river water.
The boat drafts only 18 inches of water, for the river is relatively shallow. At its deepest point it is no more than 8 feet near the switch at Fowler's Harbor, where it resides when not in operation.
The boat uses clean, fresh water from a tank on board to prevent contaminants from the water in the Rivers of America from fouling the boiler.
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, on which passengers embark on a scenic, 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America
Rivers of America (Disney)
The Rivers of America is an artificial river found in the Frontierland district of the Magic Kingdom-classed Disney theme parks around the world. The first river was built in Disneyland when the park opened in 1955. It surrounds Tom Sawyer Island, which can be reached by rafts traveling from the...
. Originally named the Mark Twain Steamboat when the park opened in 1955, the stately, 5/8-scale stern-wheeler was the first functional riverboat
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
to be built in the United States for fifty years. Other Disney riverboat attractions now appear at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
and Disneyland Paris.
Disneyland version
Passengers wait for the 28 feet (8.5 m), 105 feet (32 m) riverboat, which departs every 25 minutes, from inside a sheltered area located in the FrontierlandFrontierland
Tokyo Disneyland's instance is known as Westernland, as "frontier" does not adequately translate into the Japanese language. The Mark Twain sails this park's Rivers of America...
section of the park. The waiting area is made to resemble a real riverboat loading area, with cargo deliveries sharing space on the dock. Historic United States flags are displayed at the attraction's entrance.
Upon boarding the 150-ton riverboat, passengers are free to move about the vessel's three levels. The lower deck's bow has chairs, which are the only seating on board. The upper deck provides a vantage point for viewing landmarks throughout the voyage.
The wheelhouse, where the riverboat's pilot is stationed, is also located on the upper deck. The lower level of the wheelhouse features a sleeping area and a sink to maintain the illusion of this being the captain's living quarters. At the pilot's discretion, a small number of passengers may be given permission to ride in the wheelhouse for the voyage, after which they are presented with souvenir Pilot Certificates.
The pilot signals the departure and arrival of the Mark Twain using a horn and bell system, along with various signals to other river craft attractions. Because the riverboat travels along an I-beam guide rail throughout the ride, the pilot does not maneuver the ship. Instead, the pilot serves as lookout for other river traffic, such as the Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes is a free-floating canoe experience at the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California. Boarding from the park’s Critter Country section, up to twenty visitors paddle a canoe around the Rivers of America, accompanied by two guides...
and the Rafts to Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, and communicates his observations with the boiler engineer. The boiler engineer is stationed on the bottom deck towards the stern. This is where the throttle and reverser are located. From here, the boiler engineer controls the speed and direction of the riverboat. Steam from the boiler is used to power the paddle wheels and thus pushes the craft along its guide way.
The voyage on the Rivers of America
Rivers of America (Disney)
The Rivers of America is an artificial river found in the Frontierland district of the Magic Kingdom-classed Disney theme parks around the world. The first river was built in Disneyland when the park opened in 1955. It surrounds Tom Sawyer Island, which can be reached by rafts traveling from the...
around Tom Sawyer Island features pre-recorded narration by a riverboat guide voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was an American voice actor and singer best known as the deep voice behind Tony the Tiger's "They're grrreat!" in Frosted Flakes television commercials for more than five decades. Ravenscroft was also known, however uncredited, as the vocalist for the song "You're a Mean...
, another actor portraying Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, who speaks of his days piloting a riverboat, and by the (not present) "captain" of the ship, voiced by Rex Allen
Rex Allen
Rex Elvie Allen was an American film actor, singer and songwriter, known as the Arizona Cowboy, particularly known as the narrator in many Disney nature and Western film productions. For contributions to the recording industry, Allen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Family...
. The narration playback, operated by the pilot via a control panel in the pilot house, points out the following sights:
- Haunted MansionHaunted MansionThe Haunted Mansion is a dark ride located at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. A significantly re-imagined incarnation of the ride, known as Phantom Manor, is located in Disneyland Paris...
- Splash MountainSplash MountainSplash Mountain is a themed log flume attraction at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, based on the characters, stories and songs from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South...
- Davy Crockett's Explorer CanoesDavy Crockett's Explorer CanoesDavy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes is a free-floating canoe experience at the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California. Boarding from the park’s Critter Country section, up to twenty visitors paddle a canoe around the Rivers of America, accompanied by two guides...
landing - Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer IslandPirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer IslandPirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island is an artificial island surrounded by the Rivers of America at Disneyland. It contains caves with references to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy, Mark Twain characters from the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and provides interactive, climbing,...
- Settler's cabin (formerly the Burning settler's cabin, but no longer aflame in Disneyland)
- Indian Chief, raising hand in welcome
- Indian Village
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Sacred Indian burial ground
- Animals and abandoned mine cars
- Big Thunder Falls
On most days, the Mark Twain begins operation as soon the park opens. On days when Fantasmic!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
is being performed, the riverboat, which plays a role in the show, will close a couple of hours before showtime. On other nights, the Mark Twain will run through the evening, using a high intensity rooftop spotlight to point out sights, with the final trip beginning about thirty minutes before park closing. A sign at the loading area will list the day's last trip
Former sights
There are a few former sights that the boat passed along the river. The Burning Settler's Cabin which used propane to simulate burning was one. The pipe that fed propane to the burner failed in the early 2000s and has not been relit. There were plans in 2007 to replace the failed feed and again have the cabin burn. However, the Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island modifications affected these plans. As of now, the burn marks have been removed, the holes patched and the area cleaned up. The front lawn area now has a table, picnic like decorations and clothes on a clothes line. What makes this odd is while the rest of Tom Sawyer Island appears as if it has been invaded by pirates, this part of the island is the only thing not pirate themed.Along with the Cabin, the Gullywhumper, one of Disneyland's extinct Keel Boats is now scenery along the river's bank. A Mine Train from the Old Nature's Wonderland attraction is also used as scenery. The Mine Train is on its original track and used to border Cascade Peak, a man-made fiberglass hill complete with waterfall which was bulldozed in 1998. The train was removed in June of 2010 for restoration. Also, one of the rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island was marooned just in front of the no longer burning cabin and is now scenery.
History
A Mississippi steamboat was included in the plans for the first Disney amusement park that was to be built across the street from his Walt Disney StudiosWalt Disney Studios (Burbank)
The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, United States, serve as the international headquarters for media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Studio's house offices for each of the company's divisions along with creative spaces designed for movie production. The Walt Disney...
in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. Although this park was abandoned in favor of the much larger Disneyland, the plan for having a riverboat attraction was retained.
Because the Mark Twain was the first functional paddlewheeler built in the United States in fifty years, the WED
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering is the design and development arm of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide...
designers conducted extensive research to build it like riverboats were built in the heyday of steam powered ships. The decks were assembled at the Disney Studios at Burbank, while the 105-foot hull was constructed at Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, California (where the Columbia
Sailing Ship Columbia
The Sailing Ship Columbia, located at the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California, is a full-scale replica of Columbia Rediviva, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe. Its passengers embark on a scenic, 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America...
's hull was built years later). Fortunately, when the hull and decks were put together for the first time at Disneyland, they fit perfectly.
Joe Fowler
Joe Fowler
Joe Fowler was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who after his retirement had an important role in Disneyland and Walt Disney World.-Naval career:...
, Disneyland's construction supervisor and a former navy admiral, insisted on creating a drydock for the ship along what was to be the Rivers of America. Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, dismayed at how much land was taken up by the massive excavation, referred to the drydock first as "Joe's Ditch", and then later, "Fowler's Harbor", the name by which it goes by today. However, Disney remained a supporter of the riverboat itself, funding its construction out of his own pocket when corporate funds fell short.
On the first "fill-the-river" day, the water that was pumped in to the Rivers of America soaked through the riverbed. Fowler quickly found a supply of clay to replace the soil stabilizer used to line the river, and the second "fill-the-river" day was successful.
The Mark Twain had its maiden voyage on July 13, 1955, four days before the park officially opened, for a private party celebrating Walt and Lillian Disney
Lillian Disney
Lillian Disney was the wife of Walt Disney. She was married to him from 1925 until his death in 1966.-Early years:...
's 30th wedding anniversary. Before the party, as Fowler was checking to make sure everything would be ready for the 300 invited guests, he found Lillian sweeping the decks of debris and joined in to help her.
Disneyland's opening day brought further problems for the ‘’Mark Twain’’. Actress Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne was an American film actress and singer of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron , Theodora Goes Wild , The Awful Truth , Love Affair and I Remember Mama...
, star of the movie Showboat
Showboat
A showboat, or show boat, was a form of theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers . A showboat was basically a barge that resembled a long, flat-roofed house, and in order to move down the river, it was pushed by a small tugboat...
, had trouble breaking a bottle of water (from many major American rivers) across the vessel's bow for its christening on Dateline Disney. During the riverboat's first official voyage, when the crowd moved to one side of the boat to view a passing scene of an Indian encampment or other sight, the boat would list from the side and water poured over the deck, as no one had determined the Mark Twains maximum safe passenger capacity.
This oversight caused the Mark Twain to almost capsize on a voyage a few days later when ride operators continued to wave more than 500 guests on board until the deck neared the water line. As the ship traversed the sparsely vegetated river route, it came loose from its track and got stuck in the muddy banks. Immediately, the park established a maximum capacity of 300 passengers, which still remains in effect today.
After a rough start, the Mark Twain has had a successful 50-year-career as a theme park attraction. During its first few years of operation, passengers could buy a non-alcoholic mint julep
Mint Julep
The mint julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States.- Preparation :A mint julep is traditionally made with four ingredients: mint leaf, bourbon, sugar, and water. Traditionally, spearmint is the mint of choiceused in Southern states, and...
aboard or listen to card and checker players re-enact dialogue of that era. Occasionally the Disneyland band would play music on the lower deck bow to entertain both the passengers and the theme park visitors on the river banks.
The Mark Twain underwent a major refurbishment during the Spring of 1995, during which all the decks and the boiler were replaced. September 24, 1995 saw the first and only Disney Fantasyland Wedding, to this day, to be held on an attraction, in theme clothing. A local Orange County couple, Kevin and Patricia Sullivan exchanged vows on the bow of the boat as she circled the Rivers of America. The grooms father Ed Sullivan, a 50 year Disney veteran, donned the classic Mark Twain costume for the once in a lifetime ceremony. The couple sealed their vows by pulling the ships steam whistle together. From atop the upper most deck, the couple let loose ropes, unfurling a ship sized JUST MARRIED banner across the stern.
When the Rivers of America were drained in 2002, the boat was noted to have considerable hull damage. It underwent a refurbishment in 2004 to repair the hull, which included replacing the keel. For the park's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2005, a new, more colorful paint job was applied to the durable riverboat. To celebrate the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog, the riverboat has been used as a stage for a show that will be based on the movie.
Walt Disney World
The Magic KingdomMagic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
at one time featured two riverboats: the Admiral Joe Fowler
Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat
The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat was named after the retired navy admiral who was in charge of the construction of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.-Facts:* Opened: October 2, 1971* Closed: 1980* Ticket: D Ticket...
, a sidewheeler named for Disneyland's construction supervisor, and the Richard F. Irvine
Richard F. Irvine Riverboat
Richard F. Irvine Riverboat was the second river boat at Walt Disney World.-Facts:* Opening: May 20, 1973* Renamed: 1996** Renamed to the Liberty Belle Riverboat* Ticket: D Ticket* Location: Liberty Square-History:...
, a sternwheeler named for a WED executive.
The Admiral Joe Fowler served from October 2, 1971, one day after park opening, until the Fall of 1980, when it was retired less than ten years of operation. It was rumored to have been accidentally destroyed after falling from a crane onto its drydock.
The Richard F. Irvine came into service on May 20, 1973 but was renamed The Liberty Belle in 1996 after everything except for the hull, boiler, and engines was stripped off, and an all-new superstructure was constructed from aluminum and vinyl.
Thunder Mesa Riverboats (Disneyland Paris)
The FrontierlandFrontierland
Tokyo Disneyland's instance is known as Westernland, as "frontier" does not adequately translate into the Japanese language. The Mark Twain sails this park's Rivers of America...
area of Disneyland Park
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park is a theme park at Disneyland Paris, a resort complex just outside of Paris, in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, France. The first of two parks built at the resort, it opened as Euro Disneyland on 12 April, 1992...
has the unique distinction of featuring two riverboats, the Mark Twain and the Molly Brown. Each riverboat features a recorded conversation between the Captain and Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
or Molly Brown. Since the storyline takes place in the fictional town of Thunder Mesa, most of the spiel deals with the sights of Big Thunder Mountain, Phantom Manor
Phantom Manor
Phantom Manor is an attraction located in Frontierland at Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris. Sharing a similar theme with the Haunted Mansion attractions at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, it opened with Euro Disneyland on April 12, 1992...
, Wilderness Island, Smuggler's Cove, an old snoring fisherman, Yosemite National Park geysers, dinosaur remains...
- The
On May 16, 2005, the Molly Brown 's engine overheated as the boat rounded the corner at the back of the Rivers of the Far West. Although there was no visible fire, smoke damaged the ship and its engines, rendering it immobile, with guests having to be ferried to shore by the River Rogue Keelboats. The engine system was badly damaged and the boat remained out of operation for many months, while the Mark Twain 's ongoing refurbishment at the dry dock was finished.
In September 2005, the Molly Brown was moved to the dry dock, and in March 2006, the Mark Twain finally resumed operation from Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing. However, it was not until September that the Molly Browns long refurbishment finally began, and was completed in late April 2007.
Yet, in 2010, the Molly Brown had to be rebuilt from scratch. On March 25, 2011, she was back in business, with a new recording of Molly Brown's speech in English, which used to be in French.
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo DisneylandTokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
's Mark Twain riverboat is so large that it is required by law to be registered. Its home port is listed as Urayasu. From the time of its opening until September 2006 its sponsor was Nippon Suisan Kaisha.
Technical
The Mark Twain riverboat burns diesel fuel to heat its boiler, which continuously heats water into steam, which is then routed to two pistons that turn the paddlewheel. Spent exhaust is then routed back to the boiler.The riverboat is guided through the Rivers of America via an I-beam track, which is hidden under the green and brown dyed river water.
The boat drafts only 18 inches of water, for the river is relatively shallow. At its deepest point it is no more than 8 feet near the switch at Fowler's Harbor, where it resides when not in operation.
The boat uses clean, fresh water from a tank on board to prevent contaminants from the water in the Rivers of America from fouling the boiler.
See also
- List of current Disneyland attractions
- Tokyo Disneyland attraction and entertainment historyTokyo Disneyland attraction and entertainment history-Current attractions:* Snow White's Adventures* Pinocchio's Daring Journey* Dumbo the Flying Elephant* Cinderella Castle* Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall* Castle Carrousel* Alice's Tea Party* Peter Pan's Flight* Pooh's Hunny Hunt* It's a Small World...
- Paddle steamerPaddle steamerA paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
External links
- Mark Twain Riverboat at Disneyland.Disney.Go.comGo.comGo.com is a web portal first launched by Jeff Gold, and now operated by the Walt Disney Internet Group, which is a part of The Walt Disney Company. The portal includes content from ABC News, ESPN, and FamilyFun.com, all of which are associated with Disney and are hosted under a .go.com name...
- Mark Twain Riverboat at TokyoDisneyResort
- Mark Twain Riverboat at MousePlanet.com