Disney shared a video and pictures of the Liberty Belle’s return to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The boat was in dry dock due to renovation work on the rivers that required it to be drained. During my visit in January 2021 I was able to see the progression as they filled the rivers. Here is a post with my pictures of the Rivers of America refilling.
The transit involved being towed from the backstage dry dock in Bay Lake across the water bridge to the Seven Seas Lagoon, passing the Magic Kingdom. Then backed down a canal into a lock. There the boat was guided by ropes and raised up and into the Rivers of America where a dive team re-attached it to the track. It was moved back out to the main line of the river and was able to steam around to port in Liberty Square.
Here is video Disney Released:
Here are several pictures of the transit:
The Liberty Belle riverboat passes Disney’s Contemporary Resort during an overnight repositioning as she nears the end of a four-month scheduled refurbishment at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. It was a rare sight to behold, as crews towed the 47-foot-tall classic steam ship back to her home in Magic Kingdom Park. (David Roark, photographer)The Liberty Belle riverboat crosses the water bridge connecting Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon near Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The boat was repositioned overnight following a nearly complete four-month scheduled refurbishment of Rivers of America, which sent the classic paddle wheeler to dry dock behind Magic Kingdom Park. (David Roark, photographer)The Liberty Belle riverboat crosses in front of Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., during an overnight repositioning following a nearly complete scheduled refurbishment. It was a rare sight to behold, as crews towed the 47-foot-tall classic steam ship back to her home in Liberty Square. (Kent Phillips, photographer)The Liberty Belle riverboat crosses in front of Magic Kingdom Park during an overnight repositioning following a nearly complete scheduled refurbishment at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. It was a rare sight to behold, as crews towed the 47-foot-tall classic steam ship back to her home in Liberty Square. (David Roark, photographer)Cast members oversee repositioning the Liberty Belle riverboat following a nearly complete scheduled refurbishment of Rivers of America inside Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The authentic paddle wheeler was returned to the park from a temporary dry dock. (Kent Phillips, photographer)The Liberty Belle riverboat returns to its dock in Liberty Square, following a four-month scheduled refurbishment of Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. While cast members replaced her underwater track and updated sections of the surrounding areas, the boat was sent to a temporary dry dock. (David Roark, photographer)The Liberty Belle riverboat sails Rivers of America through Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., following a scheduled four-month refurbishment to replace the authentic paddle wheeler’s underwater track. (David Roark, photographer)
