Mike Fink Keel Boats
| Industry | Theme park attraction |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters | Anaheim, Florida, Paris , United States, France |
| Products | Theme park riverboat rides |
Mike Fink Keel Boats—also referred to as River Rogue Keel Boats—were compact vessels that operated on the Rivers of America at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom within the Walt Disney World Resort, and Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris.
History
The concept for the Mike Fink Keel Boats originated from two episodes of the Davy Crockett miniseries broadcast in 1955 on the Disneyland television program. Bearing the name of Mike Fink, famed as the "King of the River" who was defeated in a keel boat race, the two 38-foot vessels known as Gullywhumper and Bertha Mae served as authentic props from that TV series.
These boats navigated freely around Tom Sawyer Island, allowing guests to sit either inside or atop the cabin roof. The Disneyland location ceased operations in September 1994 but resumed service in March 1996. Meanwhile, the Magic Kingdom's version continued until April 2001.
Following closure, the Magic Kingdom’s dock was transformed into an expanded queue area for The Haunted Mansion attraction.
Closing
On May 17, 1997, the Gullywhumper at Disneyland capsized, resulting in minor injuries to some passengers. After a thorough evaluation, both vessels were withdrawn from service and did not return for subsequent seasons. The Bertha Mae was sold through Disney's eBay platform for $15,000 to Richard Kraft and later appeared in his documentary titled Finding Kraftland. The Gullywhumper remained as a stationary prop on Tom Sawyer Island until it suffered hull damage leading to its sinking; it was removed in April 2009.
One of the former Magic Kingdom keel boats now exists solely as a non-operational display near Tom Sawyer Island.
At Disneyland Paris, this attraction briefly reopened during summer 2010 but is currently inactive and hidden behind signs warning "Danger: Bear Cave." Contributing factors likely include limited capacity due to only two boats being available, extensive training needed for operators, and unfavorable water conditions within the Rivers of the Farwest Lake.