The Liberty Belle Returns to Rivers Of America Under Cover of Darkness
If you’ve been following along with MickeyBlog you’ll know that Rivers of America spend December and January completely dried out as Cast Members performed routine maintenance to riverbed and surrounding area! Last week, the majestic river was once again filled and Disney announced that Tom Sawyer Island as well as the parks beloved Liberty Belle would once again be open to the public!
However, returning this elegant ship to the waterway was no easy feat! Last night, under the cover of darkness, the Liberty Belle went on a 1/2 mile journey back to the theme park.
As you can see from the images above, the Liberty Belle can be see above sailing through the open water of Seven Seas Lagoon.
During the Rivers of America refurb, the Liberty Belle was dry docked behind Magic Kingdom Park while crews worked on replacing her underwater track. The Liberty Belle’s track runs along the banks of Liberty Square and Frontierland.
Teams worked together throughout the evening hours as Liberty Belle made the journey through Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. The ship sailed past Disney’s Contemporary Resort before crossing in front of Magic Kingdom Park. The boat was then towed by hand through a narrow water channel before underwater divers were used to reconnect the ship to it’s newly refurbished track.
Here’s a look at the track from when the Rivers were drained:
Once docked back in Liberty Square, cast members added a few finishing touches before it reopened to guests this morning!
While the refurbishment to Rivers of America, over 100 cast members worked to make enhancement to the waterway. This included enhancements to the rockwork, landscaping and the painting of buildings like Harper’s Mill.
But today, the ship once again floats proudly in Magic Kingdom!
If you are visiting Magic Kingdom Park this year, be sure to head on over to Liberty Square to enjoy this classic attraction. MickeyBlog is on the scene this morning and will also be coming to you LIVE! with a first look at the reopening of the Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer Island so stay tuned!
Thinking about a Disney Getaway? Getting started is easy! Simply fill out our form below to get your FREE, no-obligation quote from MickeyTravels.
Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to assist you with everything from finding your perfect package to helping you plan lots of special touches to make your visit truly magical. Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook