Smuggle Past The Cove

So, after our brief visit to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, I think we should jump back on our Riverboats. All aboard?

We're just about to pass Smuggler's Cover, now, so I guess we should all stay quiet and keep an eye out for any suspicious looking people... Smuggler's Cove is home to some river pirates and traders of fur.

But if you look just past the caves, you will see a small loading area - this is for the River Rogue Keelboats are located. In this area you can board either the Raccoon or the Coyote, and have a more intimate tour of the Rivers of the West. Your guides will take you around, and make sure you don't bump into any of those smugglers.

The Keelboats are actually based on boats used in a couple of television specials - "Davy Crockett's Keel Boat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates". The boats were actually abandoned for a while in the Disneyland Parc, as the lack of popularity meant they were not regularly filling capacity. In 2000 they were withdrawn from usage, but when the Molly Brown needed urgent repair (due to an overheated engine) it was decided to bring the Keelboats back into service.

They were due to start operation in 2006, but due to French boating laws (which now required the pilots to have a full licence), their 'comeback' was postponed until 2007. In July 2007, the Keelboats were brought back to life and are now fully operational all year round.