Walt Disney World has closed the Tom Sawyer Island attraction after 52 years, though similar attractions remain open elsewhere. The author reflects on their experience driving rafts to the island during their college years, recalling how initial training focused on step-by-step instructions left them struggling. A different trainer encouraged a hands-on approach, emphasizing the importance of instinct and familiarity over rigid guidelines. This lesson proved valuable not only in driving the raft but also in navigating real-life emergencies like fleeing from a fire, demonstrating the significance of adaptability and direct knowledge.
After watching me struggle for a couple of days, a supervisor assigned me another trainer. Before the park opened to guests, he took me out onto the middle of the river, motioned me to the tiller and said the words that I now live by. Quit thinking and just drive the raft.
I needed to know how to drive the raft—how it responded when I applied the throttle and the tiller. So I drove the raft all the way around the island, turning 360 degrees wherever I wanted, so I could get to know the feel of the raft.
It’s the difference between training and knowledge. Thinking about a checklist left me ill-equipped to adapt when I needed to.
Knowing that raft to the point where I could steer it by reflex allowed me to drive across the river swiftly and consistently, with time to chat up the guests aboard.
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