The Disney Attractions Discussion Series: Splash Mountain

[Key]

Great ride, though I only clearly remember riding it once at Disneyland because it always seems to be closed for renovation or summat like that.

I love rides where you get wet, though.

[Wonderlicious]

Splash Mountain is zip-a-dee-doo-dah-tastic! Disneyland Paris doesn't have this ride (though they really should), so the only memory I have of riding this ride is at Disney World in 1997 when I was 9. We went on it during the day but that wasn't our last time; we went to a Halloween party at Disney World (it was actually on 30th October but hey). Because almost everybody else was obsessed with meeting Disney characters and getting candy, the queues were pretty short for a lot of the rides. We went on Autopia (which Dad got road-rage on as they were too slow ), Mr Toad's Wild Ride and this one. We were like the only people on the ride and had fun.

Like many, I remember the drop very well, but the Laughing Place segment sticks in my mind the most. I just have this image of Br'er Fox getting attacked by bees. Oh, and I also remember spotting Br'er Rabbit's little house and his washing line (so cute! ).

It's rather interesting, though, how Disney never releases the movie to one of their most popular attractions. People would buy this movie in thousands after riding this ride. Missed potential here. Oh well, Disney's loss...

[Maerj]

I didn't ride this attraction on my first two trips to WDW. The lines are usually long and I really didn't want to walk around wet all day. I figured it was just a log flume ride. But....

Then I bought the WDW DVD and in that they showed a bit of the ride. Wow! So, I fast passed it the next trip and absolutely loved it. Now I never miss it! The one thing about it is that it seems like such a long ride, you think its over but there is more and more and more. Its lots of fun, lots of details and best of all you don't get too wet.

[JiminyCrick91]

Splash Mountain is zip-a-dee-doo-dah-tastic! Disneyland Paris doesn't have this ride .......... Mr Toad's Wild Ride and this one. We were like the only people on the ride and had fun.

Oh why did you say Mr. toads wild ride? i miss that so much even if wene i was very small i was sacred of going in the fire place.i wish it was still open at wdw because I cant go to Disneylany for it is to far away

[Mr. Toad]

Well I road it on Wednesday and it was so kewl. The theming was a little different than Disneyland at the Magic Kingdom. The music in the first halfof the ride was certainly not as pronounced. Still that ride down the flume is a rush. I didn't like having the harness on either, the freedom at Disneyland made it more fun.

[disneywb]

They have harnesses now? When I was at WDW, there were never overhead harnesses. Half the fun was thinking you could just fly out of the car at any time! It was terrifyingly fun.

[Alan]

I remember being extremely scared of this ride. I still am, I really hope the ride isn't too scary now that I'm 15 instead of 8

I hope there is a tower of terror attraction discussion in the future.

[Loomis]

This could very well be Disney's finest theme park attraction, especially in terms of aesthetics. While most amusement parks would send you up a hill and drop you back down within a minute, Disney serves you one of the most entertaining (and simultaneously thrilling, if not scary) rides in the world. Everything about the ride screams detail- the animatronics, the vivid colors, the familiar music from a movie the whole country wants to see but can't. It's one of Disney's longer rides (in terms of duration, if not track length) and yet it still doesn't grow tiresome.

Like Jack, I'm not much of a fan of long drops...

I think this pretty much caps it.

Naturally, I went on the California version, and my girlfriend - and I for that matter - were reluctant to go on the ride at first. The screams and massive drop visible from the outside pathway in Critter County are enough to put you off - or make you run towards the entrance.

On our third day in the park, we found ourselves at the unoccupied entrance at opening time, and there weren't many excuses left for not taking a ride through the Mountain.

As Aaron said, the ride is so much more than a big drop and splash. Although my girlfriend later confessed to me that she was too nervous about the inevitable drop to fully enjoy the animatronics and songs, she did say that she found my singing along and head swaying even more disturbing. It does have to be the most detailed ride to feature a giant drop at the end, with so many little details involved.

For a ride where the big appeal is a drop and splash, Disney have provided a 10 minute fun ride through a living and breathing version of Song of the South. I still find it amazing that such a popular ride that has so many recognisable characters still doesn't have the associated DVD available. It would make a killing in the gift shop at the end!

Only advice is to ride it on a sunny day - you'll dry faster

I will really have to scan my "drop" photo at some stage...

[Fidget1234]

I'm SO PSYCHED That there is a theme park forum on UD now!!!

Thanks for adding it.



Anyways....back to Splash....
One of my all-time attractions at MK is Splash. Ever notice the Hidden Mickey in the clouds during the "Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah" segment?
You can see it from the back of the room but as u get closer to the boat it just looks like clouds.
The drop ALWAYS makes me scream bloody murder.... & in the drop pic my face is always like this: (with the open wide mouth)
& YES during the song "How do u do" they really sing "Pretty good sure as yer born" not those other lyrics...hee hee.

[crunkcourt]

Some of my fondest memories come from this ride. A couple of years ago me and some of my friends got the chance to ride this over and over again at night; and even see some fireworks from the top of the mountain. Seeing the park all lit up at night from the top of here is a magical experience that everyone should have. And this ride and that night will always remain one of the most magical of my life.

[Disney Princess Ariellen]

Well, since the thread's been bumped...

I LOVE THIS RIDE!!!! I agree with everyone who says that what really makes it great is that the music and the animatronics and the story add so much to it; it blows every other log flume ride I've ever been on out of the water, easily.

I am with the people who prefer the interior of WDW's version to DL's. I think the boats at WDW move slower, or maybe that's just my imagination...I thought you got to take in more at WDW on the non-drop scenes and that the storyline was a lot more clear. (If you're a fan of getting drenched, though...I got wetter on Disneyland's version than I've ever been on WDW's!) A wonderful, iconic ride. Story, music, theming, great design...and a rather thrilling finale. All the elements of ANY great Disney attraction, plus some great thrills for those who like thrill rides.

Anyone else spot the hidden Mickey in the Zip-A-Dee Lady scene at the end of WDW's version?

[jwa1107]

best.
ride.
ever.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

My 2nd favorite ride in the entire Walt Disney World Resort!!!(Second to TOT of course)

I like the one at Disneyland, but the one at Magic Kingdom ruined the one at DL for me. The logs are MUCH worse at DL, and it's missing a lot of scenes!(it does have one scene at the end MK doesn't have, but for me, I found that scene a bit irrelevant). It's still a good ride, just not as good.

But the one at MK is a GREAT RIDE! You haven't experienced Disney if you haven't rode this!

[I am the Doctor]

I remember the very first time I rode Splash Mountain as Disneyland. It was the summer of 1989 (the year the ride opened), and waits were averaging two hours!!! Well, wouldn't you know, the ride broke down while I was waiting in line! Rather than getting mad, everyone treated it like it was a party! Well, needless to say, I ended up waiting three hours to ride Splash Mountain that year, but I'll never forget it. I really feel like I earned my ride on Splash Mountain that year. Disneyland's Splash Mountain seems to be a notoriously slow loader, so I fast-passed this one when I visited in 2005 (one of the few rides that I even bothered to use FastPass with).

I did ride WDW's version of Splash Mountain in 1997. Truthfully, I can't remember too much about it. I know the seating arrangements were different, but other than that I can't remember too much about it.