How are the gondolas in the Grand Canal Shoppes propelled? I don't see any motors and the current can't run both ways, but the gondoliers can't be propelling the boats with their occasional little swipes of the paddles.
Though you might not see them, the answer is: electric motors.
Due to the limited space available, the gondolas are fitted with motors that are quite small compared to the size of the boats. They're used primarily to help launch the gondolas. Once they're moving, they are, in fact, partly propelled by the gondoliers using their paddles, but they're powered mainly by the motor.
We understand that this sets them apart from the gondolas in Venice, which are substantially longer than those at the Grand Canal Shoppes and are powered manually via rowing, poling, or both.
The average depth of the Venice canals is about four to six feet, while the depth of the canal at the Grand Canal Shops is no more than two feet, which makes poling an effective propulsion method.
The Vegas versions are also fabricated from fiberglass, rendering them significantly lighter and easier to move through water than traditional Venetian gondolas, which are composed primarily of eight different types of wood in more than 500 separate pieces.
