Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
This article discusses the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros at Epcot. Below, we’ll look at the details for experiencing this attraction on your next visit.
Gran Fiesta Tour is a slow-moving boat cruise that offers a unique perspective of Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion. This attraction features the three feathered amigos: Donald Duck, Panchito Pistoles, and José Carioca, better known as The Three Caballeros.
You’ll find the Gran Fiesta Tour toward the back of the pavilion. This gentle boat ride starts down a faux Rio Grande River. Along the way, you’ll see cartoon scenes playing at various points featuring the Three Caballeros.
This article was updated on January 25, 2023.
Here are a few details for experiencing the Gran Fiesta Tour.
| Gran Fiesta Tour | Epcot Attractions |
Location: | Mexico Pavilion |
Disney Height Requirement: | None |
Ride Type: | Slow-Moving Boat Ride |
Seats Per Vehicle: | Average 4 to a row |
Rider Switch: | N/A |
Good For: | Everyone |
Scare Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | Low Priority |
Perfect For: | Donald Duck Fans |
Special Mention: | Rarely a line for this attraction in the evening. |
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
Gran Fiesta Tour, formerly called the El Rio Del Tiempo, opens daily with most of Epcot’s World Showcase. It remains open until the park closes.
When you enter the pavilion’s Mayan Pyramid, you’ll run into what feels like an open-air market. Gran Fiesta Tour’s queue is toward the back left of the pyramid’s interior.
The entrance to the queue is next to San Angel Inn Restaurant. It has a large sign overhead.
Here is a look at the queue. One thing to note is that this attraction can often have a long line that extends into the pyramid.
While the line might appear long, the Gran Fiesta Tour has a high capacity and tends to load quickly. So what looks like an hour-long wait might only be 10-15 minutes.
Once you get to the loading area, you’ll board a boat. Each boat has five rows and holds up to four guests per row. Therefore, if you are a large party, you should all fit on one boat.
The boat for this attraction is similar to “it’s a small world” at Magic Kingdom. Additionally, the ride features animatronic dolls, similar to the original Fantasyland attraction.
*Guests in an ECV or wheelchair can enter the queue at the exit for this attraction. They’ll have the option to board a boat, which requires a step down. Or some of the boats are equipped for a regular wheelchair.
Gran Fiesta Tour’s storyline is that you’re on your way to Mexico City for a concert starring The Three Caballeros. However, Donald Duck has disappeared along the way.
So it’s up to Jose Carioca, the Brazilian parrot, and Panchito, a Mexican Charro Rooster, to find him! On your journey, you’ll see some of the sights of Mexico, several dances, a scuba scene, and cartoon cliff diving.
However, you’ll pass between the giant pyramid and San Angel Inn when you first set out. Guests from the restaurant can look down and see the boats as they pass. This set-up is similar to the Blue Bayou Restaurant that faces the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.
After you pass the pyramid, you’ll float through a series footage that features hand drawn animation overlayed on live-action scenes from Mexico. Music from the scenes comes from the original 1944 Disney film, The Three Caballeros.
You’ll continue from room to room as the scenes change to various destinations in Mexico.
Here are some of the animatronics, similar to “it’s a small world.”
Here are a few more photos.
Eventually you’ll travel through a tunnel before reaching the great Mexico City.
Make sure to look up, fireworks explode on the ceiling overhead.
A banner welcomes guests of the Gran Fiesta Tour.
Before long, we see that Donald has made it to the concert with his fellow caballeros.
They are performing on stage.
As you reach the end of the Gran Fiesta Tour, there’s a mural map that displays some of the major destinations in Mexico.
On the far end of the mural, The Three Cabelloros say, “Adios.”
As far as the best times to ride this attraction goes, we usually find less crowds in the late afternoon to evening hours. Or, if you happen to be in the area when the pyramid opens, there’s rarely a line.
As mentioned above, if the line is pretty far out, it still usually moves swiftly. However, if you stand in line for several minutes and the line doesn’t move, the ride could be experiencing technical difficulties.
If that appears to be the case, you might try to return later. Of course, sometimes the attraction will pause longer to load and unload guests with mobility issues.
For more attractions, we have an entire list of the rides at Epcot. Or you might enjoy these individual articles:
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Living with the Land
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Additionally, we specialize in providing information about the resorts and hotels at Walt Disney World. If you are planning a trip, you might enjoy browsing our list of Disney Hotel Reviews.
Here are a few of our favorites:
- Disney’s Beach Club Review
- Disney’s Yacht Club Review
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Review
- Swan and Dolphin Review
In the Comments
Do you plan to ride Gran Fiesta Tour on your next vacation? Did you find this ride review helpful? Do you have any other questions? We’d be happy to answer them based off our experience.
