Tag Archives: Tour

Tour of Mark Twain Riverboat

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The last stop on our tours from our trip in February was a guided tour of the Mark Twain Riverboat sitting still on the Rivers of America in Disneyland.  For a little more than a year, the Mark Twain has been sitting dockside in Frontier Land while the Rivers of America was undergoing a reroute to make room for the new Star Wars Land.

The Disneyland Mark Twain Steam Paddle-wheeler.

It is one of the few remaining attractions that was a part of the opening day in 1955, and has fascinating past.  The paddle-wheeled steam boat is a 5/8 scale replica of actual steamers on the Mississippi river.  The hull was built at the shipyards in San Pedro and the decks were built at WED (Walt Elias Disney) Enterprises in Burbank.  The 105 foot boat was assembled at Disneyland and was operational on opening day.  When corporate funds fell short, Walt funded the completion from his own pocket.

While the boat is in “drydock,” guests can Continue Reading →

Walk In Walt’s Footsteps

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Walt’s apartment above the Firehouse. Light in window is a tribute to Walt.

Something we had been wanting to do for a long time was the Walk In Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps Guided tour.  This is a tour that is unique to all the Disney parks as this is the only park that was complete before his passing in 1966.  The tour takes guests around the park and over the areas where Walt walked and envisioned this magnificent place that would become the gold standard in theme parks.

At the beginning of our tour, each guest was issued a headset that provides clear communication from our guide and the sound clips of Walt explaining areas of the park.  We then met our guide Sam who would take us back to the early days of Disneyland.

We began outside the Firehouse.  This is significant because the top floor houses “Walt’s Apartment.”  This was an area where he could work, rest and Continue Reading →

Tour of Disneyland Railroad

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There are many who lament the loss of Big Thunder Ranch and the subsequent shutting down of the Disneyland Railroad, The Mark Twain Riverboat, the Columbia Sailing Ship and Fantasmic while the imagineers and contractors build the new Star Wars Land.  But we found a serendipitous opportunity that would have never come along without these closures – a special up close tour of the Disneyland Railroad.

Disneyland has brought out the locomotives and cars for guests Continue Reading →