E#19 What is the value of Disneyland's Rivers of America?

[@KingYertle082]

I recently attended with my 9 and 6 yr old boys. They spent hours exploring Tom Sawyer's Island. The ability to run around and explore. To touch the sets. Their trepidation and excitement while exploring the caves. After 5 days of enjoying every Park, it was surprising to watch how much they truly loved this area of Magic Kingdom. It presents such a wonderful change of pace from the sensory overload and crowds of everything else in the park. It became such an important part of our Magic Kingdom experience. Unfortunately I fear its an experience that not enough people appreciate. I hope Disney understands the value and enjoyment this land brings and doesn't bulldoze it for more stand alone Lightning Lane attractions. It is the immersive mix of experiences that makes Disney special.

[@jimhshull]

Tom Sawyer island allows guests to explore at their pace and their schedule. Thanks for your comment and story.

[@waxifari5528]

Agree. Our highlight of Tokyo was visiting an opening day pristine Tom Sawyer island with every aspect fully operational. Complete with free bilingual explorer maps that are now framed on my wall. Makes me sad for Anaheim and hope someday they will restore it to the standard it deserves.

[@kirksimpson517]

Thanks Jim. Great stuff. Disneyland and I are both 70 this year. Woohoo!

[@jimhshull]

@@kirksimpson517 Congratulations on reaching your milestone and thanks for watching.

[@kojirosasaki6200]

You haven’t really arrived at Disneyland until you hear the Mark Twain’s steam whistle. That sound is so Disneyland,

[@patjherbert]

So absolutely true.

[@TheSquirrelMafia]

Back in early 1985, when I was about 9 & my younger brother 8, our parents took us to Disneyland. During that visit, we got on the the Mark Twain steamboat. That's when we noticed that you could paddle a canoe! We got on the canoes after & went all around the river. Then we noticed the Mike Fink keel boats that took you to Tom Sawyer Island. We got on one after & went to the island. We spent a good +-3 hours on the island exploring everything. I remember having a blast all around the Rivers of America area. The steamboat, keel boats, & island were all great. My dad still says that out of all the times he has ever visited Disneyland, that time in 1985 was the best for him. He really enjoyed watching us explore the entire island & river areas. I do hope that the river never gets replaced with something else. Even at 48 today, I still get a kick out of that area. 😃

[@jimhshull]

Quiet activities have as much value as the most expensive E ticket ride. Sitting on the bow of the Mark Twain is a favorite Disneyland memory.

[@ChloeLouiseTheRonnieRepublic]

Thank you for a beautiful and amazing story.

[@eduardofarias5397]

Can you make a video about the kineticis of Disney? From the trolley on Main Street, to the Monorail, and everything in between?

[@jimhshull]

Thanks for your comment and your suggestion.

[@eduardofarias5397]

@@jimhshull is there an email you could be reached at?

[@Gukimat]

The Rivers adding so much atmosphere, but many guests did not realize that.

[@DannyD714]

great picture of the haunted mansion's "skeleton" at 3:40

[@cindyprice4937]

Many years ago I got to ride the mules. It is one of my most special memories.

[@jimhshull]

The mules were low tech fun. Thanks for watching.

[@goldenpacificmedia]

Cindy, I also remember that pack mule ride. In fact, for me, that ride on the mule is one of the first times I remember riding an animal as a child. I remember it being hot, fun, and petting the mule (I was probably around 3 or 4 years old only). I also being quite sad about the missing mules when my folks took me back to the park around 5 or 6 years old. I recall my dad asking where the mule ride went and the cast member saying that the mule ride was shut down and being replaced.

[@privateramparts3229]

“Solid, 70 year proven value.” Well said, Jim 👏👏👏

[@Gigaamped]

The River always seemed to be evolving as i grew up in the 2000s-from always looking to scope a new animal along its banks or finding a new nook to explore on Tom Sawyer’s Island. I appreciate you sharing a little of your childhood perspective ❤️

[@jimhshull]

You’re very welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@MELFREES55]

Another...GREAT...Post ! ~~ Thank's 😃 !!!!!!!

[@shane5110]

Just discovered your channel this week. I so appreciate you! Thank you for doing these videos!

[@jimhshull]

Glad you found my channel. Thanks for watching.

[@TheOldGeekGuy]

Every time I go to Disney, which is about once a week I always make a beeline for the Mark Twain. It is on my favorite rides. Because I’m a little bit handicapped and can’t get around some other rise dark rights, especially because my vision is so low that everything is just black anyway, but not on the rivers of America I love it, thanks for a great video

[@jimhshull]

Thank you for your comment. As I age I am drawn to simple long rides like the Mark Twain.

[@tbx59]

Two things to me encapsulate Disneyland: the Railroad and the Rivers.

[@porkins74]

The only thing better than riding around the Rivers of America is when you get the (now) rare ability to journey around them at night.

[@thesirms]

loving these videos! with the upcoming "beyond big thunder" expansion, I hope the current imagineers at wdw realize the value of the river.

[@E-TicketRewind]

Thanks Jim! Love the history of Disneyland! I started my own channel just a few weeks ago.

[@pleaseunderstand6669]

Priceless.

[@julieclarke621]

I am thrilled to have found your channel. I have a deep regard for you as Imagineer!! 👏😃…. Great fun to remember those times as a Baby Boomer!…

[@jimhshull]

Thanks. Your comment made my day.

[@samuelwitwicky3900]

Tony Baxter’s Discovery Bay should have been built instead of Galaxy’s Edge. A steampunk San Francisco would have fit well with the theming for Rivers of America.

[@pleaseunderstand6669]

Certainly Disney should have utilized more of the design elements from Discovery Bay when building Galaxy's Edge. It needs more water features

[@jamesl1130]

Completely agree

[@samuelwitwicky3900]

It hurts that Disney sits on a goldmine of amazing unused ideas that sadly will never be completely revived.

[@YoutubeISPROPAGANDA]

THIS!!!

[@goldenpacificmedia]

@@samuelwitwicky3900 DIS needs new leadership and has needed that exec management change for years. The disrespect for ROA at WDW Orlando is really horrifying. Tearing down that capacity and feature for a Carsland is ridiculous. There's tons of space in Orlando for Carsland adjacent to the Pixar features at Hollywood Studios. The track layout at DCA's Carsland reminds me of the Tomorrowland Autopia at MK. What's the deal with tearing out Walt's ROA concept in Orlando? Utterly Bizarre thinking.

[@thesirms]

can't help but think Jim caught wind of the rivers of america change coming to WDW before it was announced and posted this in response

[@jimhshull]

Nope. I’m retired after 30+ years as a Imagineer. This channel (thanks for watching BTW) are my observations based on information that Disney releases or which is common public knowledge. I try to provide context and history while connecting the dots.

[@leewhite82]

How do you feel about the current Disney Execs wanting to replace RoA in Magic Kingdom with a talking Cars ride?

[@jimhshull]

Just as I don’t judge a movie by its trailer I won’t judge the removal of the Rivers of America at the Magic Kingdom Disney World until I can experience it. That said, the ROA delivers a unique experience and removing it reduces guest engagement. I would keep the ROA and place CARSland elsewhere. The Disney Hollywood Studios is a good location. Thanks for watching.

[@kedwards4377]

I have always loved the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom. I’ve heard rumors that the Rivers of America there could possibly be removed entirely for the beyond Big Thunder expansion. I certainly hope Disney can keep the River with the expansion. I can’t imagine Frontierland and Liberty Square without the Rivers of America.

[@jimhshull]

If Beyond Big Thunder occurs I believe the project will impact the current route of the rivers. Thanks for your comments.

[@DrStarlander]

@@jimhshull Given that Disney decided they needed to put an attraction right where the Rivers of America is at Magic Kingdom, I wished they had come up with a river themed attraction so it was still water-centric, and could preserve some historic scenic value. I would have liked to see what Imagineers would have dreamed up if challenged to create Rivers of America 2.0 ... a fun, storytelling river rapids ride with some thrills could have tied all the biomes around Frontierland together, from rushing rivers of New England to the exciting bayou, to wild rapids out West. It could've been *the* signature attraction to tell the whole story of Frontierland and connect the different American biomes featured in the area.

[@maddercat]

How does Disneyworld's fall into such disrepair and neglect, and no one visiting it at all? Why weren't the same upgrades made to it that Disneyland's got? Same with Tomorrowland in Disneyland vs WDW why the neglect? It seems so crazy.

[@jimhshull]

The decision not to improve the Rivers of America is a disappointment. Thanks for watching.

[@stephenfreitas8546]

I wish Disney would change the narrative around Rivers of America to a have Pocahontas themed sets.

[@jimhshull]

Pocahontas has her place I believe but to be historically accurate her camp needs to be on a river located on the East Coast. Rivers of America is located in the middle of the U.S. Thanks for your comment.

[@stephenfreitas8546]

@@jimhshull I just found your channel and I really love your content. Appreciate you!

[@DrStarlander]

@@jimhshull Perhaps Tom Sawyer's Island at Magic Kingdom could have been reimagined for Pocahontas since Liberty Square is right there, that would have been a neat, inclusive thing to do. Too late now with the recent announcement, unfortunately.

[@sky0kast0]

I certainly hope the river lives long but idk if Disney wants their history anymore

[@gabrialcanada6764]

I largely agree with the points in this vlog. I think the only positives as a whole are the end of cloned attractions. I think that creative killing brand synergy has hobbled storytelling at attractions. We coukd have had another dang Frozen land announcement this year. At least PrideLands and Villains and Cars are different from each other. Avatar isn't a clone and Indiana Jones won't be either. Making the Rivers of America which has 4 iterations across the world with WDW being by far the least well implemented and least popular being replaced by a unique version centered around "Purple Mountains Majesty" and "The Fruited Plains / Great Plains" That COULD be good. Cars is just a terrible IP to create even remote cohesion Rivers currently tries to do.

[@jimhshull]

The best version of rivers is found at Disneyland Paris where the focus is on telling one single story. Disneyland California is a close second. Thanks for watching.

[@gregr3720]

I wasn't happy when the Rivers of America was shortened for Galaxy's Edge. Then I wasn't impressed with Galaxy's Edge. I've been on the canoes. I've ridden the Columbia and Mark Twain. I've been to Tom Sawyer's Island numerous times. Maybe Disney should construct a bar on the island so it would get more people over there. Certain things at Disneyland should not be removed or modified. The Disneyland Railroad, Main Street, Sleeping Beauty castle, It's a Small World, the Matterhorn, the submarine lagoon, and the Rivers of America are things that make Disneyland Disneyland. They should never have removed the Skyway. The castle is a work of art and nobody should make modifications like the railing on the bridge and also the removal of the drawbridge and the seating around the flags.

[@jimhshull]

I’m not a favor of your bar idea but it does have merits. Thanks for watching.

[@gregr3720]

@@jimhshull I'm kidding about the bar idea. I wouldn't put it past them though.