Explorer Canoes

Grab a paddle and explore a rugged seaside outpost that buccaneers, settlers and island natives call home.

In this incredible excursion, there are shipwrecks, treasure caves, plantations and forbidding jungles around every turn. And the best way to discover it all is on a canoe tour operated by pirate-turned-almost-legitimate-businessman, “Bilge Rat” Bill.

Not only do you and your fellow explorers get to paddle yourselves, but you’ll be rewarded with unforgettable sights, shipmate camaraderie and good old-fashioned fun!

There’s no better way to get up close to the incredible sights of Treasure Cove and Adventure Isle.

Cast off from Dead Man’s Dock and get ready for your open-water adventure. Landmarks along the way include:

• Skull Island – With evidence of recent pirate pillaging, it may be best to keep paddling!
• The Fortress – Seen in the distance, this once-Spanish stronghold has been overrun by privateers.
• Shipwreck Shore Lookout – This small lighthouse is outfitted with a cannon. If the pirate lookout spots your canoe approach, take cover!
• Wharf Dock – You’ll find the dreaded pirate ship Siren’s Revenge moored here.
• Large Lighthouse Ruins – An unguarded treasure chest has been spied on shore. Dare ye pilfer this plunder for ye selves?
• El Teatro Fandango – An ornate theatre—and home to Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular—bears the marks of damage inflicted during the Battle of Treasure Cove.

As your canoe enters the Q’olari River, keep your hands inside the boat—in other words, don’t feed the piranhas! You’ve reached Adventure Isle, home to the Arbori People, where you can spot incredible sights like:

• The Stone Guardians – These giant rock sculptures were crafted by the Arbori to honor animal spirits.
• Apu Taku – The mountain, looming in the distance, challenges adventurers to climb its craggy peak and unravel its mysterious secret.
• Stone of the Sun & Moon – This gathering space is home to music and dance performances—sometimes visible to lucky river travelers.

Now it’s time to return to Dead Man’s Dock. In these forbidding waters, “Bilge Rat” Bill worries when travelers are gone too long… well, he worries about getting his canoes back, at least!

With all the Walt Disney Imagineering innovations through the years, canoes still remain a favorite attraction.

Indigenous people around the world have been making canoe-like vessels from logs, reeds or animal hides for millennia. Whether used on rivers, lakes or oceans, these boats were essential for hunting, fishing and transportation.

The vessels used for Explorer Canoes are modeled after “dugout” canoes made from tree trunks by native tribes of North America. Compared to larger, deeper-hulled boats, canoes are more portable and maneuver more easily while still providing space for provisions. European settlers quickly learned the advantage of canoes in their exploration of the “New World.”

In that spirit, we hope you’ll enjoy the hands-on fun of exploring at your own speed, powering your own ride and seeing sights up close. It’s a unique experience that’s made Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes at Disneyland Park in California and Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes at Tokyo Disneyland so popular for decades.

Welcome aboard Explorer Canoes!