Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland's Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain was announced for Walt Disney World in January of 1990 and opened in October 1992. While much of the attraction is similar to the version in Disneyland, the Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom would be over two minutes longer, feature 5 drops instead of 3, and sit in the Frontierland section of the park as Magic Kingdom did not have a Bear or Critter Country section.

In addition, due to the location of Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom, the music was changed to include more of a bluegrass feel so that it would fit in better with Frontierland. The ride vehicles are also slightly different. At Disneyland, there are six single-file seats while at Magic Kingdom there are four rows of two seats.

The Splash Mountain attraction located at Tokyo Disneyland bears similarities to both the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom versions. This version opened one day before the Magic Kingdom Splash Mountain, and it includes 4 drops, with only one of these drops taking place outdoors. The music is more similar to the big-band sound of the Disneyland version but includes both English and Japanese lyrics to the songs. The ride's exterior is unique from the others as it does not include a barn-like structure. Rather, it includes more foliage and is a mirror image of the Magic Kingdom attraction.

A Re-Theme on the Horizon

As we know, it was announced in 2020 that Splash Mountain would be closing and would be rethemed into a Princess and the Frog attraction at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Interestingly original Splash Mountain Imagineer Tony Baxter is acting as a creative advisor for this project. It appears that the ride mechanics will stay the same, like how Maelstrom at EPCOT was redesigned into Frozen Ever After. Earlier this year, it was announced that the new attraction would be called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and feature Tiana, Naveen, Louis, and more popular characters from the movie. It is said that the ride will follow Tiana and her friends as she sets out on an adventure to find a key ingredient for a recipe she is making for a party. The characters in the attraction will also be voiced by the original voice actors from the movie.

The retheme of Splash Mountain has been met with both resistance and praise. While many believe Splash Mountain and it's themeing to be enduring and enjoyable, there is no denying that the story is outdated. It is unlikely that most guests attending the Disney parks, especially children, have ever seen or even heard of the Br’er character or Song of the South prior to riding Splash Mountain. As with many of our favorite attractions (RIP The Great Movie Ride), the time comes to bring new life and new stories to the always-evolving Disney parks. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open at the end of 2024.

Things You May Not Know About Splash Mountain

• The attractions include 950,000 gallons of water each.
• There were plans to include a Splash Mountain at Disneyland Paris, but they were scrapped due to financial constraints and the colder weather.
• Br’er Bear is voiced by the same actor that voiced the character in the original movie: Nick Stewart
• At the Magic Kingdom Splash Mountain, there is a gopher that you can see pop out of the ceiling near the final lift hill. If you listen closely, you can hear it call out, “FSU!” This is a nod to Florida State University, which many imagineers attended.
• Splash Mountain isn’t a mountain, it’s a hill. The exterior of the attraction is modeled after Br’er Fox’s lair in the hollow tree stump. In the movie, it is located on Chick-a-pin Hill.
• Magic Kingdom’s Splash Mountain contains a very creative hidden Mickey. At the top of the lift hill, before you plummet down to the Briar Patch, look to the left. You can see a Mickey profile.

Let us know what you will remember most about Splash Mountain by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page. For some, the closure of Splash Mountain will be a very sad one, for others it will be a happy day but what we do know for certain is that Splash Mountain will live on in the memories of generations of Disney fans.