Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes

The Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes is a free-floating canoe experience at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Boarding from 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.

The attraction originally opened as Indian War Canoes on July 4, 1956 as part of Frontierland’s Indian Village expansion. It also operates under the name of Beaver Brother's Explorer Canoes at Tokyo Disneyland and formerly operated at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and at Disneyland Paris.

Ride Description
At the original Disneyland version of the attraction, riders embark and disembark from a small boat dock next to the Hungry Bear Restaurant in the Critter Country section of the park. Each canoe holds twenty guests, two per row. Each canoe has two guides dressed as frontiersmen (or frontierswomen) at the bow and stern. Riders / rowers are given a short lesson on how to how to paddle the canoe properly after leaving the dock. Small children are required to wear life jackets. Although the channel is too deep to walk in, the boats float.

As the canoe travels around Tom Sawyer Island, located in the center of the artificial river, the guides point out the sights along the way, such as a settler’s cabin and the Indian chief on horseback. The ride’s length depends upon how fast the paddlers are and how much other traffic is on the river. They typically travel much faster than the large boats, like the Mark Twain Riverboat which ride along submerged tracks, and have the right of way.

The canoes return by the last bend of Splash Mountain, where guides occasionally deliver an extra splash to passing riders with their oars.

This attraction is operates seasonally. It is usually open on the park's busier days in the warmer times of the year, but not on rainy days. The attraction closes at dusk.

History
Originally called Indian War Canoes, the attraction opened on July 4, 1956 as part of Frontierland’s Indian Village expansion, with real American Indian guides aboard every canoe. Guests used a "D ticket" to ride the attraction.

The Indian War Canoes closed with Indian Village in 1971 but reopened on May 19 as Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, inspired by the Davy Crockett Disneyland television shows, with the guides now wearing coonskin caps.

The attraction became a part of Bear Country when that section of the park opened in 1972. The area was later renamed Critter Country in 1989.

The canoes closed suddenly on October 3, 1998, igniting rumors that they were closed permanently; however, the attraction reopened the following June.

Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes operates on busier days only, primarily in the summer and on weekends.

Walt Disney World
Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes debuted in Frontierland on opening day at the Walt Disney World Resort. A C ticket was required for guests to board the 35-foot long canoes from a dock located to the north of the Tom Sawyer Island raft launch and travel along the same path as other watercraft on the Rivers of America. Walt Disney World permanently closed the attraction in 1994.

Tokyo Disneyland
A canoe attraction opened in Tokyo Disneyland under the name of Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes along the Rivers of America in the theme park's Westernland. It was renamed Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes in 1992 with the opening of Critter Country.

Disneyland Paris
An Indian Canoes canoe ride opened with the debut of Disneyland Paris on April 12, 1992. However, the Frontierland attraction closed in 1994.

Disneyland

 * Grand opening: July 4, 1956 (as ‘’Indian War Canoes’’)
 * Re-opening: May 19, 1971 (as ‘’Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes’’)
 * Land: Originally Frontierland, then Bear Country, now Critter Country
 * Canoe Length: 35 feet
 * Ride Duration: 5-10 minutes
 * Required ticket: "D" (discontinued)
 * Ride system: Guest-powered Canoe Ride

Walt Disney World

 * Grand opening: October 1, 1971
 * Closing: 1994
 * Land: Liberty Square
 * Canoe Length: 35 feet
 * Ride Duration: 5-10 minutes
 * Required ticket: "C" (discontinued)
 * Ride system: Guest-powered Canoe Ride

Tokyo Disneyland

 * Grand opening: April 15, 1983 (as ‘’Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes’’)
 * Re-opening: 1992 (as ‘’Beaver Brother’s Explorer Canoes’’)
 * Land: Originally Westernland, now Critter Country
 * Required ticket: "D" (discontinued)
 * Ride system: Guest-powered Canoe Ride

Disneyland Paris

 * Grand opening: April 12, 1992
 * Closing: 1994
 * Land: Frontierland
 * Required ticket: "C" (discontinued)
 * Ride system: Guest-powered Canoe Ride

Trivia

 * Disneyland employees compete in canoe races early in the morning called "Deadheads" before the park opens. They also hold competitions during the summer season, awarding trophies to teams that are the fastest or have the most improved times. The Finals Day course is once around Tom Sawyer Island in the opposite direction of normal river traffic, with the start/finish line at the south end of the canoe dock. Only one mens' team has ever broken the 4:00 barrier since the addition of the River Stage and Fantasmic! show.