On our early trips to the Magic Kingdom, one of my favorite attractions was the Plaza Swan Boats. These boats would take visitors around the Hub and back into Adventureland for a great view of the Swiss Family Treehouse (the travel path is highlighted in yellow below).
The attraction operated from 1973 till 1983 and had a live guide that both piloted the boat and also provided commentary along the way. The Swan boats were a D ticket attraction which meant it cost around 75 cents to ride in the 1970’s. But because it was a live guide attraction it was one of the more costly attractions to run, thus why it was removed in the 80’s.
After the Swan attraction was removed, the boat dock (circled in picture above and pictured below) became a quiet place to sit and watch the excitement of the park pass by. It was also used for many of the special events to pass out wristbands. With the Hub undergoing many changes , one of the items that is being removed is this dock that was used for the Swan boats. This was my one last reminder of the long lost attraction and I will surely miss seeing it and all of the magical memories that it holds.
I was so excited to see your topic this week was the Swan Boats! I’ve heard a little about them, but really didn’t know much about them. I had no idea they went all the way to Adventureland and had a live guide. It sounds like such a fun experience. I wish I could have ridden them! I am also sad the dock will be removed. I didn’t know what it was for years, but when I found out it was once part of an old attraction, I loved it even more. Thanks for linking up!
That boat dock is where we picked up our wristbands for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in December. I had no idea what it actually was, so I’m so glad to come across your post and solve that mystery. I wish I had experienced the real boats – looks like a fun, but relaxing, ride.