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El Rio del Tiempo

El Rio del Tiempo
MexicoatEpcot.jpg
The outdoor facade of the ride
Epcot
Area World Showcase
Mexico Pavilion
Coordinates 28°22′19″N 81°32′48″W / 28.37194°N 81.54667°W / 28.37194; -81.54667Coordinates: 28°22′19″N 81°32′48″W / 28.37194°N 81.54667°W / 28.37194; -81.54667
Status Closed
Opening date October 1, 1982
Closing date January 2, 2007
Replaced by Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
General statistics
Attraction type Boat Canal
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
Theme Mexican Mythology and History
Capacity 1656 riders per hour
Vehicle type Boat
Riders per vehicle 16
Duration 8:07
Propulsion Propulsion Pumps
Must transfer from wheelchair
Closed captioning available

El Rio del Tiempo (The River of Time) was a dark ride housed within the pyramid-shaped Mexico pavilion, in EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The ride carried passengers on a slow boat ride through various scenes from Mexico's history. The scenes were filled with doll-sized Audio-Animatronic figures clad in authentic folk clothing, singing, dancing and playing music.

The ride began on a quiet river under an evening sky. It passed a volcano and continued on to scenes of native inhabitants. The ride continued with scenes of swimming, jumping into the ocean and relaxing at a bar. It would pass a Mexican shop, where merchants talked directly to the riders and tried to bargain with them. The finale was a fireworks filled night sky in modern-day Mexico City, with oversized marionettes dancing in a carousel.

In April 2007, El Rio del Tiempo was updated into a new ride titled Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. This all-new version of the ride is themed on the characters from the 1944 Disney film The Three Caballeros, including Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles. The attraction's new story has Jose and Panchito searching for Donald across Mexico. It features much of the same settings as El Rio del Tiempo, and is located in the same place.


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