Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges®
Universal's Islands of Adventure · Toon Lagoon
Overview
Circular rafts on Bilge-Rat Barges carry up to 12 guests at once, giving Toon Lagoon a very different water ride from the Dudley Do-Right log flume next door. No seat position stays reliably dry as the raft spins through the rapids tied to Popeye and Bluto's feud over Olive Oyl.
ParksLog verdict
The weaker of Toon Lagoon's two water rides if you're only doing one — Dudley Do-Right's delivers a stronger finale. Do both if you're committing to a full wet-ride circuit through the land; otherwise this is skippable without much loss.
About this experience
Get set for spectacular splashes and lots of silliness as you brave your way through raging rapids to save Olive Oyl from Bluto. Hold on tight and keep your eyes peeled for classic cartoon humor — you'll laugh, you'll scream, you'll be really wet.
Best for
- Water ride enthusiasts prepared to get thoroughly wet
- Toon Lagoon visitors
- Fans of classic cartoon characters
- Solo riders (single rider line available)
Tips
- All seats on the circular raft will get wet — where you sit determines which effects hit you most directly, but no position stays dry.
- Waits tend to drop late in the afternoon, when fewer guests want to get soaked.
- Ponchos from park shops reduce overhead water effects, though splashing from raft movement is harder to avoid.
Details
History
Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges opened with Islands of Adventure on May 28, 1999. Its round rafts give Toon Lagoon a second, very different water ride next to the Ripsaw Falls log flume.
Closure history
- Jan 4, 2027 - Feb 2, 2027
Fun facts
- Each round raft seats up to 12 guests
- Toon Lagoon, where the ride operates, features full-size comic strip panel artwork and 3D sculptural recreations of classic newspaper cartoon characters throughout the land.
- The 'Bilge-Rat' name references Popeye's history as a sailor — bilge-rat being maritime slang for someone who lives in the lowest, wettest part of a ship hull.