ANIMAL
KINGDOM

TOURING
Attraction Seating
   Photo Gallery
Basic Services
Calendar of Events
Character Meet and
   Greet FAQ
Extra Magic Hour
FASTPASS
Fun Facts
Guide Map
Kennels
Operating Hours
Overlooked Attractions
Reader Tips
Rehabs and Closures
Restaurant Photo Gallery
Ride Restrictions
Smoking Policy
Special Needs Travelers
--Animal Kingdom
    in a Wheelchair
Ticket FAQ

WDW At Large

AT A GLANCE...
Animal Species by Area
Attractions
Restaurants
Characters
Shopping

THE OASIS
Place of Transition Part I
Place of Transition Part II

DISCOVERY ISLAND
The Tree of Life
It's Tough to be a Bug
Discovery Island Trails

CAMP MINNIE-MICKEY
Festival of the Lion King
Character Greeting
   Trails

AFRICA
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Pangani Forest
   Exploration Trail

RAFIKI'S PLANET WATCH

ASIA
Expedition EVEREST
Flights of Wonder
Kali River Rapids
Maharajah Jungle Trek

DINOLAND U.S.A.
Dinosaur
The Boneyard
Dino-Sue
Chester and Hester's
   Dino-Rama
   --Primeval Whirl
   --Triceratop Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical

ENTERTAINMENT
Mickey's Jammin'
   Jungle Parade
Mickey's JINGLE Jungle Parade
DiVine
Live Entertainment

Special Reports
New Babies at AK!

African Comb Duck
Asian Tigers
Baby African Elephants
Capybara
Giraffe
Nile Hippopotamus
Okapi
West African Crownded Crane
Photo Essays
Gorillas
Faces
Hidden Mickeys
Park Details

ALL EARS®
Feature Articles
-- Animal Kingdom Turns 10
-- Animal Kingdom Turns 5
-- Kaleidoscopic Kingdoms
-- Other Side of Animal Kingdom

TOURS
-- Back Stage Safari
-- Wild by Design

ARCHIVES
Pocahontas and Her
   Forest Friends - Closed 9/27/08
Tarzan Rocks! Closed 1/06
Journey into the Jungle Book
Closed 4/99
Lucky the Dinosaur May-July 2005
March of the Artimals Closed 6/99
Radio Disney River Cruise aka
Discovery River Taxi aka
Discovery RiverBoat Ride aka
Discovery River Boats - Retired 1999
Walk Around Artimals
Pre-Opening Guide Map

OTHER THEME PARKS
Disney's Hollywood
   Studios
Epcot
Magic Kingdom

Disneyland
Disney's California
    Adventure

Radio Disney River Cruise aka Discovery River Taxi aka Discovery RiverBoat Ride aka Discovery River Boats were short-lived at Animal Kingdom. In fact, they were the first attraction, if you could call it that, to be closed.

When the park intially opened, the River Boats provided a short cruise through the waterways of Animal Kingdom. I had heard that once Asia opened, the boats would be a means of transportation from one part of the park to the other (similar to the boats in Epcot's World Showcase). I thought this was a super idea and wonder why it never happened.

Unfortunately, the boats seemed doomed from the beginning. At the Early Cast Member openings in March of 1998, the lines were over an hour long waiting to board the boats. When the park opened, the lines grew even longer. Tired guests did not appreciate waiting in line over an hour for a 10 minute boat ride that went in a circle and had nothing to look at. Small animal handlers were on the boats for a show and tell, but this did little.

The folks at Disney closed the ride down for rehab and it eventually reopened as Radio Disney. The Radio Disney DJs voices were now part of the ride. Still, things were not working well and the ride closed permanently in 1999.

 

If you have further information about what transpired with the boats, please let me know.

These photos are all from 1998, when the Animal Kingdom first opened. Photos are copyright Deborah Wills and may not be reproduced without written permission.