The Disney Traveler

Rumors have been flying for months about the refurbishment of the El Rio del Tiempo ride inside the Mexico Pavillion at Epcot.  The ride is due to reopen in April and if rumors hold true, the Three Caballeros will be added to the ride.  In fact, for months, the Three Caballeros have been signing autographs and posing for pictures with Walt Disney World guests just outside the Mexico Pavillion.  With just a few weeks to go until the unveiling, the excitement is mounting.

Originally, I was surprised to learn the Three Caballeros would be brought back and added to an existing ride like El Rio del Tiempo.  For those of you who don’t remember, “The Three Caballeros” was a 1944 Disney movie featuring Donald Duck, a Brazillian-born parrot named Joe Carioca and Mexican-born rooster named Panchito.  As it turns out, the Three Caballeros are very popular in Brazil and the parrot (called Jose in Brazil) is a much loved character.

Prior to the refurbishment, El Rio del Tiempo was a leisurely boat ride, which introduced Walt Disney World guests to Mexican culture.  My husband and I loved this ride.  We first brought our triplets on El Rio del Tiempo when they were 14 months old, and I wasn’t sure how they would react.  It turned out they really enjoyed the animatronic children who dance and sing a catchy tune not unlike the song from the It’s a Small World ride in the Magic Kingdom (in other words, the song will be stuck in your head for hours).  I can’t wait to see how the ride changes with the inclusion of the Three Caballeros.  El Rio del Tiempo has been closed for several months, so I expect the changes to be fairly dramatic.

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