Description And Comments

Paddle-powered ride (you do the paddling) around Tom Sawyer Island and Fort Wilderness. Runs the same route with the same sights as the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia. According to newspaper accounts, when the entire 9-million-gallon river was drained in 2010 for refurbishment, workers found half a canoe, scores of Mickey Mouse ears, and hundreds of cell phones at the bottom. The lesson here is to always keep a tight grip on your canoe. The canoes operate only on busier days and close at dusk. The sights are fun and the ride is a little different in that the patrons paddle the canoe. Those with tender rotator cuffs be warned: the trip can give your shoulders quite a workout, unless you slack off and let your fellow passengers handle the hard rowing. We think that this is the most fun of any of the various river trips. Long lines from about 11 a.m. on reflect the popularity of this attraction.

Touring Tips

The canoes represent one of three ways to see the same waterways. Since the canoes are slower in loading, we usually opt for the larger steamboat or sailing ship. If you are not up for a boat ride, a different view of the same sights can be had by hoofing around Pirate's Lair. Try to ride at 11:00 a.m. or shortly thereafter. The canoes operate on selected days and seasonal periods only. If the canoes are a big deal to you, call ahead to make sure they are operating.

Special Comments

Skip if the lines are long; closes at dusk. The most fun way to see Rivers of America.

Special Needs

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