Phantom Boats (originally Tomorrowland Boats) was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California which opened in 1955 on the the lagoon of Tomorrowland. It was an opening day attraction prior to its closure in 1956, a year after Disneyland opened.
History[]
Tomorrowland Boats was an opening day attraction as one of Disneyland's main attractions. Despite this, the boats failed to impress the park's guests with only about 450 riders boarding onto the boats on the first day, resulting in lack of attendance. After a month of troubled operations and constant breakdowns, the attraction itself was closed for a brief refurbishment. On August 16, 1955, the attraction reopened as "Tomorrowland Phantom Boats"; although the ride was identical to what happened in the previous iteration, the new boats were designed with bold colors and exaggerated wings to make the boats look futuristic to match its Tomorrowland theme.
Despite the refurbishment, the attraction suffered numerous problems, as the motors overheated, forcing the cast members to evacuate the guests to the dock. At the time, Imagineers added a back seat for a driver to prevent any engine failures from guests cranking the gas. Despite this, the engines continued to overheat and the need to refurbish this attraction became more expensive. After a year Disneyland opened, Phantom Boats permanently closed and was replaced by a boat ride called "Motor Boat Cruise".
Attraction Summary[]
Phantom Boats was an attraction that gave guests a tour around Tomorrowland's lagoon as well as the rock formations. Guests boarded onto 3-4 person boats and went on a tour around the lagoon. After a few minutes on the tour, guests docked their boats and went back into the northern part of Tomorrowland.
Trivia[]
- This was the first attraction in Disney Parks history to permanently close as well as being the first Disneyland attraction to permanently close.
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