Insane Mode Makes Ride Liberty Square’s First E-Ticket Attraction —
One of the most common complaints from guests who board the Liberty Belle Riverboat at the Magic Kingdom is that it is much too slow. Disney Imagineers will soon install an “Insane” mode to increase the paddle boat’s top speed. Right now it takes about 13 minutes to travel around the perimeter of Tom Sawyer’s Island aboard the river boat. The new mode will get that trip done in an insane 33 seconds.
“Bigger, faster, dangerous… that’s what the guests want,” said Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III. Geronimo is Vice President of the Liberty Belle Riverboat attraction at the Magic Kingdom. “We’ve always been looking for ways to ‘plus’ this attraction. When we heard about the ‘Insane’ option on Tesla’s cars, we knew we found our solution.”
Tesla’s Insane Mode first appeared on their Model S. It gives the vehicle an extra added boost to increase the acceleration to “insane” speeds. When activated, the vehicle can go from 0-60 in about 3.2 seconds, which is about half the time it takes under normal conditions.
The best part is that the ride will require very little modifications to accommodate the Insane mode, according to Geronimo. This will cause minimal disruptions to the park.
“We’ll have to drain the lake and bank a few turns but we won’t have to do much to the boats themselves,” said Geronimo. “Walt Disney himself designed the boats to be capable of traveling at speeds much higher than they currently travel.”
No Harness? No Problem —
The boats won’t require any additional seats or restraints either.
“The ride will be over so quick that you won’t have time to get buckled in,” concluded Geronimo. “The G-Forces will keep people in their seats or firmly pressed against the railings.”
This is really what the park needs since the construction of the new Tron-based roller coaster made Magic Kingdom a half-day park. Geronimo is hopeful that this ride can keep those turnstiles spinning.
Construction on the upgrades should begin in October of this year and be ready by the busy holiday season.
