Changes

The attraction that would one day be known as the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The the Three Caballeros , began as a planned attraction an idea for the unbuilt Mexico pavilion . Initially, Disney plans called for the pavilion to feature an attraction titled "Las Tres Culturas de Mexico" (The Three Cultures of Mexico) <ref> http://www.lostepcot.com/worldshowcase.html </ref>. This incarnation of the ride was going to be an indoor/outdoor boat ride that took guests through the history was to take gusts on a tour of three distinct periods of Mexico, showcasing its diverse culture's history. Las Tres Culturas de Beginning with pre-colombian Mexico took its ride structure from [["it, the attraction would then travel through the country's a small world"]]colonial period, and even used a similar, repetitive theme songbefore arriving in modern Mexico. The attraction’s ride’s storyline came from a Mayan myth which told about the gods taking the gift of music from the jealous sun, and giving it to the songless Earth<ref name="Martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=963 >/ref>. The myth concludes with the idea that "Life was all music from that time on” . The attraction's structure was influenced by two Magic Kingdom attractions. Like If You had Wings, the attraction would feature rear projected film screens in physical sets. The attraction's "colonial scene" would feature singing dolls and a repetitive song in the same vein as [[it's a small world]]<ref name= "MartinvidMartin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?cat=10&paged=3 </ref>.

Although Las Les Tres Culturas Cultras de Mexico was fully designed far along in time for EPCOT Center’s opening dayits development, Disney initially wanted to push decided that the attraction’s construction attraction would be pushed back until the parkto EPCOT Center's Phase II <ref name= "MartinvidMartin"/>. According to these plans, plan's the attraction’s attraction's lagoon and load area were to would be built first, with a space left open for the boat ride itself , to be constructed at the a later date . These plans changed however when [[Germany]]’s planned Rhine River Cruise attraction was cancelled along with the Japan pavilion's Meet the World show<ref name= "MartinvidMartin"/> . When Due to the fact that the plans for an Equatorial Africa pavilion were also shelved, Disney had a capacity issue. With no other rides in World Showcase attractions were put on hold (including , the planned [[Japan]] attraction and [[Germany]]'s Rhine River cruise) however, Disney realized that they did area would not have enough attractions for the park's expected capacity. Eventually, Disney decided that they would need to construct the Mexico attraction, which was now called El Rio Del Tiempo, in order to help meet its expected guest capacity <ref name= "MartinvidMartin"/> . With both time and money running outAs a remedy for this situation, various cuts were made Disney decided to make Las Tres Culturas de Mexico an opening day attraction, changing the original designs for attraction’s name to El Rio Del del Tiempo. The whole In order to complete the attraction (and pavilion) on time, the rides length was shortened by 40% and moved indoors completely inside <ref name= "MartinvidMartin"/> , and it was decided that the ride’s track would need to be shortened by 40%.

On January 2, 2007Following a very quick construction, El Rio Del Tiempo was closed for a major refurbishment opened with the rest of EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982 <refRef> httphttps://www.wdwmagicd23.com/attractionsa-to-z/el-rior%C3%ADo-del-tiempo.htm /</ref>. When Although the ride reopened on April 6, it featured a brand new storyline and was renamed The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros </ref>. True to attraction had been quite popular at the time of its nameopening, the Disney characters José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles, and Donald Duck, from the 1944 Disney movie The Three Caballeros were added attendance began to drop during the attraction and the plot was changed so that Jose and Panchito now searched throughout Mexico for Donald1990s. In order to tell the new storyDuring this time, HD screens rumors were added to many of prevalent that the attraction’s scenes and attraction would be replaced by a new soundtrack was given to the ride Donald Duck attraction; however when El Rio Del Tiempo closed for refurbishment in 1999 no such change took place <ref> httpshttp://www.mouseplanetwdwmagic.com/10926attractions/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros el-rio-del-tiempo/news/27jul1999-el-rio-del-tiempo-refurbishment-update.htm </ref>. Furthermore Instead, at this time , the San Angel Inn attraction was expanded into an area that was previously part of El Rio Del Tiempo <Ref name= "epcotbook">The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia: A Guide to Walt Disney World's Greatest Theme Park </ref>cleaned up and given new paint, just in time for Epcot’s Millennium Celebration.

On January 2, 2007, El Rio Del Tiempo was closed for a major refurbishment <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/el-rio-del-tiempo.htm </ref>. When the ride reopened on April 6, it featured a brand new storyline and was renamed the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros </ref>. True to its name, the Disney characters José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles, and Donald Duck, from the 1944 Disney movie The Three Caballeros were added to the attraction and the plot was changed so that Jose and Panchito now searched throughout Mexico for Donald. In order to tell the new story, HD screens were added to many of the attraction’s scenes and a new soundtrack was given to the ride <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/10926/Remembering_the_Magic_El_Rio_del_Tiempo__Gran_Fiesta_Tour_Starring_The_Three_Caballeros </ref>. Furthermore, at this time the San Angel Inn was expanded into an area that was previously part of El Rio Del Tiempo <Ref name= "epcotbook">The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia: A Guide to Walt Disney World's Greatest Theme Park </ref>.  On December 4, 2015, Animatronics of the Three Caballeros were added to The Gran Fiesta Tour's finale <ref name= "D23"> https://d23.com/after-35-years-historic-three-caballeros-figures-return-to-walt-disney-world-resort/ </ref>. The figures had previously appeared in the former [[Magic Kingdom]] attraction the [[Mickey Mouse Revue]], and although they had been absent from Walt Disney World for 35 years <ref name= "D23"/>.