Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat

Last updated
Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat
Disneyworld, Orlando, FL, summer 1972 07.jpg
The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat in 1972
Magic Kingdom
Area Liberty Square
StatusRemoved
Opening dateOctober 2, 1971 (1971-10-02)
Closing date1980 (1980)
Ride statistics
TicketD

The Admiral Joe Fowler was a riverboat ride vehicle named after Park Construction Administrator Joe Fowler, a former US Navy rear admiral who was in charge of the construction of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. [1] [2] In 1980, it was completely destroyed after being dropped by a crane attempting to the lift the riverboat into the dry dock area.

Contents

History

The Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat was built at the Tampa Ship Repair & Dry Dock Inc. in Tampa, Florida, the same place where the Walt Disney World Railroad's four steam locomotives were refurbished. [3] The riverboat entered service a day after the Magic Kingdom park opened on October 1, 1971. [2] On May 20, 1973, a second riverboat named the Richard F. Irvine , which would later be renamed as the Liberty Belle in 1996, entered service. [2]

But in late 1980, the Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat was accidentally dropped from a crane while being lifted into the dry dock area for a routine overhaul, and its hull was completely destroyed beyond repair. [2] [4] The damaged riverboat was taken to a boneyard for a while before being broken up for scrap as it was decided that the Magic Kingdom park no longer needed two riverboats in the Rivers of America. [4] [5] The riverboat's steam engine machinery was being shipped to Tokyo Disneyland to be used as part of the Mark Twain riverboat. [3] The Admiral Joe Fowler's whistle became part of the Walt Disney World Railroad's No. 4 Roy O. Disney locomotive. [3]

In 1997, the Magic Kingdom I ferry, which crosses the Seven Seas Lagoon taking guests between the Transportation and Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom park, was renamed to Admiral Joe Fowler. The Magic Kingdom II ferry was renamed to Richard F. Irvine. [2] [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Kingdom</span> Theme park at Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom Park is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It opened on October 1, 1971, and is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The official park name has changed slightly over the years, from Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017). The park was initialized by Walt Disney and designed by WED Enterprises. The park layout and attractions were based on Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and are dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Transport</span> Transportation system of Walt Disney World

Disney Transport is the public transit system of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Florida. The system provides free transportation to guests of the resort and consists of buses, a monorail system, a gondola lift system, watercraft, a rideshare system, and parking lot trams. Most of the routes operated by Disney Transport are buses that run along the resort's public roads maintained by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and private roads. None of these modes of transportation charge a fare, which makes the entire network free to use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Park (Paris)</span> Theme park within Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France

Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland Park, is a theme park found at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 12 April 1992 as the first of the two parks built at the resort. Designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering, its layout is similar to Disneyland Park in California and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida. Spanning 56.656 ha —the second largest Disney park based on the original, after Shanghai Disneyland Park—it is dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Seas Lagoon</span> Lake in the state of Florida, United States

The Seven Seas Lagoon is an artificial lake at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Located south of the Magic Kingdom theme park, the Seven Seas Lagoon serves as a natural buffer between the Magic Kingdom and its parking lot and connects with the adjacent Bay Lake. The lake reaches a depth of 14 feet (4.3 m). The lagoon is used mainly for recreational boating, as well as by the resort's three Disney Transport ferryboats that transport guests between the Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolwood Pacific Railroad</span> Ridable miniature backyard steam railroad owned by Walt Disney

The Carolwood Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a 7+14-inch gauge ridable miniature railroad run by Walt Disney in the backyard of his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It featured the Lilly Belle, a 1:8-scale live steam locomotive named after Disney's wife, Lillian Disney, and built by the Walt Disney Studios' machine shop. The locomotive made its first test run on December 24, 1949. It pulled a set of freight cars, as well as a caboose that was almost entirely built by Disney himself. It was Disney's lifelong fascination with trains, as well as his interest in miniature models, that led to the creation of the CPRR. The railroad, which became operational in 1950, was 2,615 feet (797 m) long and encircled his house. The backyard railroad attracted visitors to Disney's home; he invited them to ride and occasionally drive his miniature train. In 1953, after an accident occurred in which a guest was injured, the CPRR was closed to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger E. Broggie</span> American mechanical engineer

Roger Edward Broggie was an American mechanical engineer who worked with Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Company. He is considered the first Disney Imagineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Railroad</span> Steam railroad system in Disneyland

The Disneyland Railroad (DRR), formerly known as the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a 3-foot narrow-gauge heritage railroad and attraction in the Disneyland theme park of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in the United States. Its route is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and encircles the majority of the park, with train stations in four different park areas. The rail line, which was constructed by WED Enterprises, operates with two steam locomotives built by WED and three historic steam locomotives originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The ride takes roughly 18 minutes to complete a round trip on its main line when three trains are running, and 20 minutes when four trains are running. Two to four trains can be in operation at any time, three on average.

Frontierland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Disneyland-style parks run by Disney around the world. Themed to the American frontier of the 19th century, Frontierlands are home to cowboys and pioneers, saloons, red rock buttes and gold rushes along with some influence from American history and North America in general. It is named Westernland at Tokyo Disneyland and Grizzly Gulch at Hong Kong Disneyland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivers of America (Disney)</span> Artificial waterway inside Disney Parks

The Rivers of America is the artificial river found in the Frontierland areas of Disneyland-style 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 Frontierland mainland. Additionally, there are other water-based vehicles which are found on the river. The sights along the Rivers include a Native American tribe, a burning cabin, and various audio-animatronic wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney World Railroad</span> Steam railroad system in Walt Disney World

The Walt Disney World Railroad (WDWRR) is a 3-foot narrow-gauge heritage railroad and attraction located within the Magic Kingdom theme park of Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, in the United States. Its route is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length and encircles most of the park, with train stations in three different park areas. The rail line, constructed by WED Enterprises, operates with four historic steam locomotives originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It takes about 20 minutes for each train to complete a round trip on the WDWRR's main line loop. On a typical day, the railroad has two trains in operation; on busy days, it has three trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jungle Cruise</span> Boat ride at Disney theme parks

Jungle Cruise, formally named Jungle River Cruise, is a riverboat amusement ride located in the Adventureland themed section at various Disney theme parks worldwide. The attraction is a simulated riverboat cruise that travels along a waterway using a concealed guidance system through areas with Asian, African, and South American themes. Park guests board replica steam launches from a 1930s British explorers' lodge, and Audio-Animatronic exotic animals are displayed throughout the ride. A live Disney cast member acts as a tour guide and boat skipper that loosely follows a rehearsed script, providing passengers with a comedic narrative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Square (Magic Kingdom)</span> Area in Disney World in Florida, U.S.

Liberty Square is one of six "themed lands" and is exclusive to the Magic Kingdom, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Themed after colonial America, Liberty Square contains replicas of both the Liberty Bell and Liberty Tree. One of the most popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom, the Haunted Mansion, is located in this land. Presiding over the square is the Hall of Presidents, an American history show featuring an audio-animatronic figure of every President of the United States. Liberty Square has a long waterfront on the Rivers of America and the Liberty Belle steam paddleboat departs from a landing here.

<i>Liberty Belle</i> Riverboat

The Liberty Belle is a steam-powered riverboat ride vehicle at Rivers of America, Walt Disney World. It was the second boat ride vehicle to be introduced in this attraction and originally named after the late Disney executive Richard F. Irvine. It was a steam powered sternwheeler replica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Fink Keel Boats</span> Former attraction at Disney theme parks

Mike Fink Keel Boats were small boats that navigated the Rivers of America at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes</span> Attraction at Disney theme parks

Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes is a free-floating canoe experience at several Disney theme parks. The oldest of the rides is located 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. This is the only Disneyland attraction that is powered by park visitors.

Disney riverboats Watercraft ride vehicles at Disney parks

The Disney riverboats are paddle steamer watercraft attraction ride vehicles operating on a track on a series of attractions located at Disney theme parks around the world.

Sailing Ship <i>Columbia</i> Replica ship attraction at Disneyland

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. The Columbia has operated in the park for more than fifty years. Passengers of the ship take a 12-minute trip around the Rivers of America. At night, the Columbia plays the role of a pirate ship in riverfront performances of the park's nighttime show, Fantasmic!

Richard "Dick" Irvine was an American art director. He is best known for his Academy Award nomination in the category Best Art Direction for the 1941 black and white film Sundown. Over his long career, he worked as an art director in 31 films between 1939 and 1953.

Joe Fowler was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who after his retirement had an important role in overseeing the construction of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Joe Fowler attended the United States Naval Academy and later earned a master's degree from M.I.T in Naval Architecture. He retired from the Navy in 1948 though he was recalled briefly during the Korean War. In 1952 he was appointed by President Truman to reduce wasteful military spending.

The Orangewood Album is the earliest known photograph album of Disneyland, a theme park in Anaheim, California, believed to have been assembled from 1954-1955 by a high level Disney executive. The album contains more than 600 original photos of Disneyland construction through opening day. It includes never-before-seen photos of Walt Disney, Roy Disney, Joe Fowler, C.V. Wood, sponsors and celebrities, earliest construction images of the lands, and the earliest known images of children inside of Disneyland. It is presumed most of the photographs were taken by Mell Kilpatrick.

References

  1. "Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat". D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Mongello, Lou (September 17, 2007). "Liberty Square Riverboat". WDW Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Spence, Jack (March 4, 2010). "Liberty Belle Riverboat - Part 1". AllEars.Net. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Admiral Joe Fowler and Richard F. Irvine Riverboats". Walt Dated World. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  5. "Liberty Square Riverboat". WDWThemeParks.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2017.