After over two months, one operational transportation route between the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC) and Magic Kingdom Park has finally been restored to full operational capacity. The Richard F. Irvine, one of the ferry boats that services the original Walt Disney World Resort theme park, disappeared in February for a mysterious refurbishment. Now, it has finally returned.
Magic Kingdom Ferry Returns to Full Capacity
Sometime this month, the Richard F. Irvine ferry boat returned to service on the Seven Seas Lagoon, carrying Walt Disney World Resort guests between Magic Kingdom Park and the TTC. BlogMickey shared this photo of the refreshed watercraft on Facebook, showing a new coat of dark red paint on its exterior trim:
Disney cast members reportedly confirmed that crews also repainted and refinished wood fixtures on board the Magic Kingdom ferry boat. Although it was speculated that Walt Disney World Resort would take advantage of the vessel’s time on dry land to work on the engine, whether they did any engine work could not be confirmed.
Magic Kingdom Park currently has three ferry boats: the Richard F. Irvine, General Joe Potter, and Admiral Joe Fowler. Although each has its own color scheme, they all sport similar two-deck layouts that transport hundreds of Walt Disney World Resort guests at a time.
Dock Expansion at Magic Kingdom Park
In February, Walt Disney World Resort filed a construction permit to expand the loading area and dock for the ferry boat at the Magic Kingdom. That permit was approved by local authorities in late March, allowing construction to begin.
As Walt Disney Imagineers develop the Disney Villains land and Cars (2006)-themed Piston Peak National Park addition to Frontierland, Disney is likely looking to boost capacity and increase efficiency for transportation to Magic Kingdom Park in the years to come.
Have you ever ridden the ferry from the Transportation & Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom Park? Share your experience with Disney Dining in the comments!
