Disneyland Canoe Races Resume For Cast Members: Who Will Win?

ANAHEIM, CA — Disneyland Resort opened up Frontierland and the Rivers of America recently to revive a favored event for Cast Members (employees) and their friends halted since the pandemic.

Approximately 1,300 park workers and their friends were on hand to race canoes, divided into 84 teams each consisting of eight to 16 members. All sought the right to win the Fastest Canoe Team in the Wilderness.

The Disneyland Resort will make a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim as part of the event.

The Canoe Races returned this summer to the resort, a ritual that dates back 60 years, according to a resort spokesperson. The event is no joke and teams have been practicing in the early hours before the park opens starting in mid-June.

Race days started on July 13 and the winners will be announced on August 4, according to a recent news release.

This is considered an "only at Disney" event that takes place before the park opens to the public giving the people who work there a chance to bond through friendly competition and some good old-fashioned Disney magic.