With the growing prosperity of Thunder Mesa during the Gold Rush, the riverboat landing became a hot spot of activity for passengers and freight coming in and out of town. The landing is a fairly utilitarian space for sorting and loading cargo (complete with a great old fire hose hitch). Some of the ships that call at the landing, however, provide Thunder Mesa's citizens with the most opulent means of travel available.
First among these ships is the stern-wheeler, Mark Twain, based on the original design conceived for Disneyland back in the '50s and named for the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. During my recent visit, the Mark Twain was being refurbished, but could still be seen around a bend in the river.
The other ship plying the Rivers of the Far West is one unique to Disneyland Paris, the side-wheeler Molly Brown. The ship's namesake made her fortune in the west during the Gold Rush, later toured Europe and became famous as a survivor of the Titanic - the "unsinkable" Molly Brown.
Here, Molly Brown is the Western River Line's "Queen of the River." A tour of her decks reveals Molly Brown, like Mark Twain, is a functioning steamship. Guests on board are afforded an up-close look at the boiler and other machinery that actually drives the ship down the river.
There's also a pair of lifeboats and a display of real antiques from the era of river travel in the west.
Owing to the weather in Paris (which was beautiful during my visit in mid-May, but can often be cold or rainy), the ship is also equipped with several interior cabins. They're richly appointed with upholstered seating and pot-belly stoves for heating.
Now that you're aboard, make yourself comfortable. Tomorrow, we'll be departing for a scenic tour of the Rivers of the Far West.
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