Opened: May 20, 1973.
Location: Across from Columbia Harbour House.
As you pass Haunted Mansion on your right, you’ll see the entrance shortly after. Heading up from Liberty Square, you’ll see it on your left before arriving at the Haunted Mansion.
Extra Magic Hours: No.
FastPass+: No.
Type: Boat ride.
Similar To: Unique.
Requirements: None.
Scary Factor: Zero.
What to Expect: Liberty Square Riverboat is an “authentic” three-tiered paddle wheel boat that has a capacity of about 300 people.
It slowly circles around Tom Sawyer Island and offers fantastic views of Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and several other popular attractions.
The voice of Mark Twain narrates your journey of about one half mile. A few of the scenes, like the one above, are only visible from the Riverboat.
When To Go: In the middle of the afternoon when the Magic Kingdom is at its hottest and most crowded. There are plenty of seats on the boat and it’s much cooler than most other areas at the Park.
Expect to Wait: Because of the large capacity and relative unpopularity of the ride, it’s rare that you’ll have to wait any longer than it takes for the boat to return to the dock. The boat boards every half hour, on the half and full hour. Arrive about five minutes before.
Length: 17 minutes.
Rating: 7/10.
Commentary: This is a great ride if you’re looking to relax and get away from the crowds for a while. You won’t necessarily be missing much if you can’t fit it into your schedule though. It’s basically a slow moving tour of what you’ll see while walking around the Park. It does give you a nice opportunity to slow down and appreciate some of the details of the Magic Kingdom though. Ride this if you need a break in the afternoon, but skip it if you don’t have the time.
Thank you for this review. I was looking to find out if the RIver Boat had seats. This is the first site of many I searched who could answer my question.