Walt Disney World Trip Report - The Liberty Belle Pilothouse

As regular readers would recall, one of my favorite things to do at Disneyland, and a rare treat, is to pilot the Mark Twain. On my recent trip to the Magic Kingdom, I wanted to see if I could relive the moment on a different Rivers of America. So early one morning I bellied up to the loading dock and found a very nice Cast Member who was surprised that anybody knew about this honor.

So up I went to the Texas deck and followed the Cast Member into the Captain's Quarters. Unlike the Mark Twain, the Former Richard Irvine is a much larger ship. Instead of a ladder they had steps.

The view from the pilothouse is the best. You can see 360 degrees and hang out the window while steering the ship. Once past the safety gate that insures that small ones don't go tumbling down below, I took my position on the right side of the ship.

Here is a little video that I put together that captures some of the experience. The attention to detail is far greater at Disneyland. It seems that the Rivers of America is an inconvenient after thought at Walt Disney World. Unlike the busy river in Anaheim, only this one ship makes it around the bend.

To enter the pilothouse, you enter through this door.

Of course, due to the extreme weather in Florida, the technicians were kind enough to install this heavy duty fan. Otherwise, it would be miserable up there. The ship does not move fast enough to create a breeze.

One of the fun side benefits is the ability to toot the steam whistle and ring the bell.

The Captain's quarter is much roomier then on the smaller Mark Twain. It looks like he/she is ready for tea before bed.

Tucked above the writing desk are some photos. Including one of the opening crew. The Cast Member who worked this out for me on the dock was in the photo.

Another perk is being granted a Pilot's license. The one at Disneyland is basically a photocopied form. However, the one for the Liberty Belle is a full-color grand proclamation of your new skills.

Unlike Disneyland, where you may have to wait for a turn, many guests do not know you can do this at the Magic Kingdom. As one Cast Member described it to me, it is mostly friend of Cast Members and the very few fanatics that make the request. I hope you get a chance to take advantage of the ride next time you are at the Magic Kingdom.