The Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes

With Splash Mountain looming in the background, one of Crockett's canoes passes the Fantasmic stage on Tom Sawyer Island.

 If you drop by Disneyland during the canoes' limited operating hours--and the sun's not too scorching--be sure to give this adventure a whirl. You'll get some great exercise (these are genuine trackless, people-powered canoes) and unique, up-close views of river landmarks you can't get from the Mark Twain or Columbia.

I love the ride's entry sign, too. It looks so charmingly, perfectly rustic (and that real forest background certainly helps) that the modern-day safety advisories don't disrupt the old-time atmosphere at all. It all just looks "right" with that classic Disneyland balance of history, fantasy and function.

Photos by Lana Whitham

The Gullywhumper Keelboat and Fink's Place

There she is, the best-named watercraft in the history of humankind, Mike Fink's notorious Gullywhumper from Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. The days of braving Disneyland's Rivers of America aboard spunky keelboats are long past, but it's great to see this tribute to the disreputable vessel that inspired the old ride.

She's moored, of course, at the "estate" of Mike Fink himself. Fink's your one-stop frontier markeplace for furs, gunpowder and antlers. And he won't try to cheat you, no sirree!

This was once the famous "burning settler's cabin" that startled many a youngster riding the Mark Twain Riverboat beyond the protection of Fort Wilderness. There are good and bad ways to remove a controversial and costly show element, and I can't think of a better solution than the one seen here: Replace it with a classic Disney scalawag and his trusty boat!