Liberty Square Riverboat

It’s full steam ahead once you step past the awning of Riverboat Landing and board the Liberty Belle riverboat to take a leisurely voyage on the Rivers of America and soak in the sights of one of the busiest areas in the Magic Kingdom. Choose one of three decks to stake out your spot and let the river handle the rest. The attraction is in it’s final months, as Disney prepares to get bulldoze the area in preparation for a Cars attraction.

The attraction is narrated by Captain Horace Bixby and his pilot, Sam Clemens. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the real name of author Mark Twain. The two banter back and forth as you journey through Liberty Square and Frontierland, catching an excellent view of the lands, specifically, Tom Sawyer Island and Big Thunder Mountain before you round the bend for even more detailed scenery.

Along your travel, you will also catch glimpses of Audio-Animatronic wildlife, a smoldering cabin, a fisherman pulling in his haul, as well as other scenic nuggets that are more fun to discover on your own. 

As you round the last bend in the Rivers of America, you will get a fabulous view of the Haunted Mansion and glimpse some of the beautiful landscaping along the waterway.

Behind the Schemes:

The Liberty Belle was originally named the Richard F. Irvine, in honor of the former Disney Legend who was once the Head of Design for all attractions at California’s Disneyland. After the steamship was refurbished and given the new name Liberty Belle in 1996, Irvine’s name was added to one of the Staten Island-style ferry boats that transports guests between the Ticket and Transportation Center and the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. The Liberty Belle once had a companion steamship known as the Admiral Joe Fowler but this vessel was destroyed after being dropped by a crane in the dry dock area in 1980. 

As you probably already suspected, the Liberty Belle is not actually a free-floating vessel, rather it is attached to a track that is submerged roughly six-and-a-half feet below the surface. However, a Cast Member is in charge of piloting the boat and controlling its speed and re-docking at the end of the ride.

The Rivers of America was once home to the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes and the Mike Fink Keel Boats. (The real Mike Fink was known as the “King of the Keelboaters” but was also known to be a heavy drinker and not one to shy away from a fight.) Both of these attractions were shut down in 1994 and 2001, respectively. 

Reality Check:

The Liberty Belle has a real working steam engine that takes water from the Rivers of America and converts it to steam power, thus propelling the steamboat forward.

The audio can sometimes be a bit muffled on this attraction, so if you find yourself unable to decipher what’s going on, simply move to another area or deck on the boat until you find a decent feed of audio.

This attraction is also a good place to catch a few winks for those whose energy is fading under the Florida sun. The key is to find a seating spot. The rest is up to you and Mr. Sandman.

Nobody, but nobody, refers to this attraction as the Liberty Square Riverboat. It’s always the Liberty Belle and don’t let anyone tell you differently.