Had enough pirates? Then view the Motorboat Cruise Thread!

[Melonballer]

Howdy. I have heard many people complain about the flood of POTC threads. So to give people something else to view I am starting a thread about that long gone attraction, the Motorboat Cruise. Got any stories or pics? Please post. Here is a picture of mine. C'mon show the Motorboat Cruise some love.

[Flint]

I loved the Motorboat Cruise! I remember my first trip to Disneyland in 1979 (I was six...) and my mom always said that it was one of three rides that I wanted to do again that day (the others were America Sings and the Peoplemover).

I remember riding it once when they had the Gummi Bear overlay and thinking, "this is a death knell for this attraction." Unfortunately I was correct.

I've always shaken my head at the completely inappropriate use of space in Tomorrowland, such as the continued survival of the sprawling land-hogging Autopia. The Motorboat Cruise was a nice, shady diversion through some lovely scenery, and it's a complete shame that those waterways no longer see any traffic.

[Trintara]

Motor boats! Some people are all like, "No, you never rode that. You were too little," but that's a LIE. A dirty LIE! I've been on it and I remember. Actually, what I remember was the Gummi Bear overlay during the whole disney afternoon thing. I loved it and thought it was super awesome. SUPER AWESOME!

...Of course I was a kid obsessed with the Disney Afternoon so it didn't take much to please me.

[RobotMirror]

(Pictures appear with permission of dldhistory.com)

[Melonballer]

ah there we are. Look at that snappy red boat as it passes through the fjords. Its so pleasant!

[TP2000]

Last time I rode Motorboat Cruise was Thanksgiving, 1992. I was living on the east coast at the time, but had come back to SoCal for an old fashioned family Thanksgiving.

Part of the family tradition was going to Disneyland, and in those days Thanksgiving weekend at Disneyland was busy but not nearly the kind of maddening, unsafe crush of humanity with hundreds of CM's waving flashlights and screaming to "Stay To Your Right PLEASE!" that the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons have become now. (Do we have Steve Davison to thank for the disaster that is now the Holidays at Disneyland?)

Anyway, on that trip we all went on both the Motorboat Cruise and the PeopleMover. I have pictures somewhere. And of course, the pictures of us all on those old attractions had everyone in big, cheesy smiles. The Motorboats were so pointless, yet such a pleasant little way to spend 5 minutes at Disneyland. Little did I know in November, 1992 that I was taking my last trip on the Motorboats. They closed in '93, didn't they? I believe that was also my last trip on the PeopleMover too. By the time I moved back to SoCal later in the 90's, both rides had been shut down and people were talking about a "New Tomorrowland" that would open in a few years.

But what could you do with the Motorboat Cruise area? I will never understand why they didn't install a grander Winnie The Pooh ride in the area of Motorboat Cruise. Have it's entrance off the Small World mall area, and create a Pooh mini-land in there. Gawd, I'm glad Pressler and Harriss are selling sweaters at The Gap now. They made some really horrible decisions for Disneyland, didn't they?

[Redsix]

I could drive the motorboat with no hands!!!!

[PirateMickey]

We always enjoyed the Motorboat Cruise. Even as adults!

Now we have to go to LegoLand for our motorboat ride fix!

Bring it back!

[WatchYourHeadNStep]

They recreate this classic ride on Disney's California Adventure Grizzly Rapids!

Seems appropriate for the environment! (Not used by permission however credit goes to the owner for displaying it on the Internet!)

[Morrigoon]

Awww, I LOVED the motorboat cruise! It was Autopia on water! (except well, you didn't have any control, LOL)

I too thought the MBC area was a much better choice for Pooh than removing my beloved Country Bears. I'd love to see them restore the attraction. Or if they insist on tying it to a film, how about Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday? (yeah, I know there's no boats in it, but it has the right "feel" for it)

[CAspace]

Motorboats will always live on in memory as one of my most cherished DL attractions as a child. Driving on water is much more fun than driving on land at least for me The water represents complete freedom, open seas (even though of course the motorboats gave you no freedom of movement. For a child its the thought that counts! I believed that my movements of the steering wheel had a effect on the rudder! I really believed that I was expertly guiding the boat through the rocks and rapids! Of course I believed almost anything at the 3-5 year old age and my fantasy was shattered probably a couple years later but hey it was great fun while it lasted! Thanks for the memories

[PianoManBluez]

No Pooh. Please.

[themur]

I have always thought that the MBC could come back in support of the Little Mermaid. How slow ride to "Kiss the Girl." It could be DL's answer to the Tunnel of Love!

[Caspian]

I remember riding when I was very young. As I remember it, you had limited control over your direction like the Autopia. Within the track, you could steer until you hit the side of the guide. That made it seem different and more real than rides at other parks.

[dsnylndmom]

Awwwww I loved the motorboat cruise
It was one of my favorites as a kid. I miss that. sigh