Libert Square Riverboat At Mk

[CDizney]

Hi guys, was wondering if anyone knows what is happening to the riverboat ride at MK? Is it just getting rehab'ed or turned into another ride completely?

 

[safetymom]

Boat is being rehabbed.

 

[twoprincesses]

probably a lame question... but where does the riverboat take you? haven't been in five years... will I be missing anything?

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

The Liberty Belle was due out for a regular rehab (Boiler inspection/ deck teaking) back in September. When they brought it to wet dock, behind Thunder Mountain, they decided that they wanted to do more work on it than initally planned, since it had not been through a major rehab sinces it's debut (as the Liberty Belle) in November of 1996. It will be moved from Wet dock to dry dock (behind the Contemprary) soon and they will be contiuning the rehab there. It is due back in service in May of next year.

 

[civileng68]

As someone who is pretty Disney knowledgable, I have a question that I have no answer for.

Where does the boat go for rehab? I mean is there a waterway that leads out of the park or do they have to take it out in other means?

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Good question

The water way in front of MK is connected to the waterway (through a series of Locks) that is in the park. If you take the monorail you will see the canal that goes behind the park (over by the Grand Floridian). If they are just doing minor rehab (boiler inspection, deck teaking, etc) they will bring the boat back behind Big Thunder Mountain (the train bridge swings open to allow the boat through). If they need to do more extensive rehab they will bring it behind the Contemporary to the dry dock. They bring in tugs and they will tug it through the MK canal out into the Seven Seas Lagoon across the Lagoon to Bay Lake and then back to the Dry Dock. The boat "almost" fits under the monorail beam (at the high point by the Grand)...they do need to take the top crown off the smoke stack in order to do this, but that is better than before (the Richard F Irvine and the Admiral Joe Fowler had to have their entire stacks removed to negotiate the beam).