The AquaDuck Disney Dream

AquaDuck sign on Disney Dream

INTRODUCTION

The AquaDuck is a 765′ water roller coaster slide. Guests ride either single or double in a raft on a stream of water through a mostly clear tube. From the start on deck 16 the course takes a quick loop over the side of the ship, then down the port side, around the forward funnel, back down the starboard side and around the aft funnel before ending on deck 12.

In this clip from a media briefing, Imagineers Joe Lanzisero and Bruce Vaughn talk about the AquaDuck – where the idea came from, and some of the challenges in constructing it.

 

Here, Peter Ricci, Show Producer and Production Manager for the AquaDuck, answers a few questions.

ATTRACTION

The entrance to the AquaDuck is on deck 12 midship. From the Mickey Pool area on deck 11 there is a set of stairs up to the AquaDuck entrance. From the entrance, riders climb the steps to the loading area on deck 16. Guests ride in an inflatable raft with two seating compartments. If there are two riders the larger rider sits in the back and the smaller in front. A single rider sits in the back. There are handles on both sides of the raft to hold onto.

The rafts are carried to the loading area on a conveyor belt. The attending cast member will pull off the next raft and place it on the loading belt and give a few instructions as the guests seat themselves. Once the cast member gets the “OK” light on the control panel they push a button and the belt moves forward, loading the raft into the water tube.

AquaDuck on Disney Dream

The raft immediately goes into the loop, at which point the water tube is hanging 12 feet over the side of the ship and about 150 feet over the ocean below.

AquaDuck loop on Disney Dream

It quickly goes down and into the first dip, where water jets suddenly propel the raft upward, complete with a gush of water dumped down the rider’s back.

AquaDuck port side on Disney Dream

The raft travels in the clear part of the tube down the port side straightaway to the second dip where there’s another gush of water down the back as the raft goes into the enclosed section around the forward funnel. The tube is open at the top for part of this stretch.

AquaDuck port side on Disney Dream

The raft slows down as it travels in the clear tube on the starboard side straightaway, then enters the enclosed tube to go around the aft funnel and down to the unloading area. A cast member will hold onto the raft as the guests step out of the raft and exit down the steps back to deck 12. The cast member takes care of returning the raft back to the loading area.

AquaDuck starboard side on Disney Dream

AllEars Rides the AquaDuck:

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

AquaDuck at night on Disney Dream

Operating hours for the AquaDuck are published in the daily Navigator. The AquaDuck is subject to closure due to wind and other adverse conditions, but barring those it is generally open during the day, even when the ship is in port. It operates into the evening hours, and is open until midnight on some evenings. The AquaDuck is open on embarkation day while the ship is docked at Port Canaveral – it closes for the Lifeboat Drill but reopens afterwards.

There is a minimum height requirement of 42″ to ride and single riders must be at least 54″ to ride. Children, even if accompanied by an adult, must meet the minimum height requirement. There is a height indicator at the bottom of the stairs and also at the loading area. Children under the age of 7 may ride with someone 14 or older as long as the child is at least 42″ tall.

The rafts are sent off a minimum of 30 seconds apart – no more than two per minute. The ride takes about 45 seconds from entering the water tube to arriving in the unloading area.

The AquaDuck is not handicap accessible – riders must be ambulatory and able to climb the stairs and get into and out of the raft.

Loose items are not permitted, and cast members caution against riding while wearing sunglasses, visors, hats, flip-flops or other items that can come off during the ride. There are lockers on deck 12, just around the corner from the unload area, where these items can be stored temporarily.

Those who are claustrophobic should know that for almost the entire ride the raft is in a totally enclosed tube, though about 2/3 of it is clear tube. When going around the funnels the tube is non-transparent, though part of it is open on the top so it is not completely dark. The tube is about four feet in diameter.

The raft is very stable and does not feel like it is going to overturn, even though centrifugal force has it climbing up the sides on the turns.

Riders should wear a swimsuit but probably won’t get too wet – generally dripping but not drenched. Those who have ridden have reported that they get a lot wetter on rides like Kali Rapids than on the AquaDuck.

INTERESTING FACTS

  • AquaDuck is the first and only water coaster onboard a cruise ship.
  • The length of the entire attraction is about 765 feet.
  • The length of the river rapids is about 335 feet.
  • The overall height of the ride is roughly 46 feet – equivalent to four and a half stories.
  • Approximately 10,000 gallons of water per minute propel guests through the attraction.
  • The loop that extends over the edge of the ship is about 150 feet above the ocean’s surface.
  • High-powered water jets accelerate guests upward and forward at about 20 feet per second.
  • There are three portholes in the Edge tween club that provide silhouetted views of AquaDuck riders as they pass through the funnel.

Disney Cruise Aquaduck