Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is a log flume/dark ride hybrid located at Disneyland Park in California, Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, and Magic Kingdom Park in Florida. It is one of the most thrilling rides at each of its parks, thanks in part to the iconic final drop. The ride is based off of the animated segments from the 1946 Disney film, "Song of the South." The film itself was based off of the Uncle Remus Tales, a series of books written by American author Joel Chandler Harris. The ride is one the most popular experiences Disney has created, proving to be a favorite among children and adults alike. The original version opened at Disneyland on July 17th in Critter Country, a re-theme of Bear Country that was specifically designed for Splash Mountain. Tokyo Disneyland's opened on October 1st, 1992 in its Critter Country, and Magic Kingdom's opened the very next day on October 2nd. Magic Kingdom's version is unique in that it is located in Frontierland. This is because Magic Kingdom did not have Critter Country or an area that could easily become Critter Country.

America Sings
The story begins with America Sings, which was a rotating stage show that operated in Tomorrowland from June 29th, 1974 to April 10th, 1988. The show featured many animatronic animals, often humorously, singing songs from multiple different periods in American history. Guests were brought from song to song via the buildings walls, which rotated each scene to a new seating area. The show replaced Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (which is still operating at Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland), and it proved to be a popular but flawed replacement. As time went on, less guests visited the attraction, mainly because it simply did not fit in Tomorrowland. After all, who wants to learn about history in a place all about the future? The major contributor to the show's closure however, came just 9 days after it debuted on July 8th, 1974. Sometime between 10:35 and 10:40 P.M., Deborah Gail Stone, an 18-year old hostess of the show, was accidentally crushed to death. Right before the incident, there was a narrow channel open between two walls, one stationary and one moving. As the rotating wall started to move, Deborah was somehow crushed. It is unknown exactly what happened, as no one saw the incident. However, it is most likely that, before being crushed, Deborah...

-Had fell.

-Stepped backwards.

-Attempted to jump from one stage to another.

Deborah was found after an audience member heard her scream. The guest informed a cast member, and they both went to see what was going on. Unfortunately, Deborah was already dead by the time she was found, and her death was officially pronounced at 11:00 P.M. that same night. Deborah's parents sued Disneyland for their daughter's death, and small settlement was made. The show was immediately closed down following the incident, and cast members cleaned the area of the incident. Safety lights were also installed and the walls were remodeled, essentially preventing this sort of accident from happening again. The show re-opened 3 days after Deborah's death on July 11th, but it was far from being saved.

From Bears to all Critters
In 1983, famous imagineer Tony Baxter tried to think of a way to bring guests into Bear Country, an area of Disneyland that was almost always near-empty. This was mainly due to the fact that the land only had one attraction, and it wasn't even a ride. The Country Bear Jamboree (another show still in operation at Magic Kingdom) was all the land had to offer, and just wasn't enough to draw in guests from the other lands (especially since both Pirates and the Haunted Mansion were short walks away). The idea grew from just something big and new to a log flume with the Disney touch. The concept became Zip-a-Dee-River Run, and it was to reuse many of the old animatronics from America Sings. The story would follow multiple different animated segments from Song of the South pieced together into one experience. Eventually, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner suggested the ride's name to be changed to Splash Mountain to help promote the 1984 romance film "Splash," despite the film having absolutely nothing to do with the ride. Construction was revealed in 1987, and Disney stated that they did not expect criticism for the Song of the South theme. This is because the ride only used the characters from the animated segments of the film. While the live-action segments were increasingly gaining more criticism for possibly being racist (and just being boring to watch), the animated segments had continued to receive great praise and critical acclaim. Disney was right about this until recently. Unfortunately for Disney, the ride had gone far over budget, and the only way to be able to build what they wanted was to reuse the animatronics from America Sings. The ride was marketed as a high speed thrill ride, and Disney seemed to think the primary riders would be teenagers. Of course, little did they know that the ride would be loved by all ages. Bear Country officially became Critter Country with Splash Mountain's opening on July 17th, 1989. The ride was so popular that is was duplicated twice (though the other two versions are longer and much more fleshed out than the original). The other two versions both opened in late 1992, with Tokyo Disneyland's opening on October 1st and Magic Kingdom's opening the next day on October 2nd.

Disneyland
Guests enter the queue through a barn-like structure, briefly staying indoors before heading back outside. The queue winds around statues of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. After climbing up a flight of stairs, guests will head back inside, walking across a bridge over the first part of the queue. Soon, guests briefly head outdoors again before entering a cave. The cave then opens up, giving guests an overhead view of the loading area. The queue winds down to ground level into the loading area, which resembles a mill. All throughout the queue, music from Song of the South is played and sayings from Uncle Remus (the only reference to him in the ride) are placed on the walls. Once boarded in their log, guests take the place of Br'er Rabbit himself as they dispatch from the loading area. An overhead voice gives riders the safety spiel, and an instrumental version of the ride's first musical number "How Do You Do?" is heard playing from hidden speakers along the ride. The song continues to play all throughout the first outdoor segment of the ride, with the lyrics entering later. The log climbs up the first of 3 conveyor-belt lift hills, and are dropped off at a turnaround. Guests are given an up-close and personal view of the final drop, while the thorns of the briar patch fill the water. The log enters a mill-building and begins to climb the second lift hill. Near the top is an owl which can be heard hooting at riders as the log climbs the lift. The log emerges into the main outdoor segment of the ride. Various pieces of farm equipment are scattered along the waterway, and the homes of the 3 main characters are seen. The entrance to Br'er Rabbit's home is shown soon after disembarking from the second lift, and a sign for Br'er Fox's home is pointing up towards the top of the mountain. As logs pass by the final drop, Br'er Bear's home is seen, and he can be heard inside snoring heavily. Riders find themselves at the peak of Slippin' Falls, the first and smallest drop on the ride. As the log zips down the drop, riders pass under a previous section of the ride. After the drop, the log enters the inside of the mountain, where several animatronics (mostly geese) are singing "How Do You Do?" Next, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are seen. Br'er Bear is happily bouncing up and down in the air, as he has found himself stuck in Br'er Fox's rabbit trap. Br'er Fox berates Br'er Bear, angrily asking him what he is doing up there and telling him that they need to find and catch Br'er Rabbit. Afterwards, Br'er Rabbit is seen outside his home, singing to Br'er Turtle about how he's seeking "a little more adventure!" and "a little more excitement!" Br'er Turtle chimes in and tells Br'er Rabbit that he's in search of "a little bit of fun now!" The two agree that it's "Time to be movin' along!" The log then passes under a group of opossums singing along to the song, but replacing the lyrics with "doo, doo, doo!" The log passes under a bridge (this time not a part they travel through) down a tiny, shallow dip. As the log goes through another long, drawn out turn, a crocodile is seen singing about how he wishes to be taken along to the "Laughin' Place" where Br'er Rabbit claims he is headed to. Signs are placed along the waterway, with commands such as "No frowns allowed!" and "Grins only!" Br'er Rabbit is then seen behind a tree, faintly chuckling. Overhead, Br'er Bear, who had followed Br'er Rabbit in hopes of finding the Laughin' Place for himself, is seen inside a tree. Instead of finding the Laughin' Place like he hoped, he gets an unpleasant surprise. Br'er Rabbit had tricked Br'er Bear with the Laughin' Place, and in reality sent him to a cavern filled with beehives. The log then unexpectedly falls down the second drop, slightly taller than the first and in the dark. Instead of the drop simply ending at the bottom, the log races up a small airtime hill before hitting the water once again. Riders find themselves in the beehive-filled cave, where the bees are flying overhead and buzzing to the tune of the second musical number "Ev'rybody's Got a Laughin' Place!" The log then heads down another tiny and shallow dip before entering the Laughin' Place itself (at least that's what the characters seem to believe, as the location is actually the Rainbow Caverns). Br'er Bear is seen lying on the ground with a beehive on his nose, screaming in pain, while Br'er Rabbit is heard laughing heavily all throughout the cavern. As various animals sing the song, the room itself changes colors, and water can be seen spraying from up from holes in the ground. As the log leaves the cavern, Br'er Rabbit is seen trapped in a beehive, begging to be turned loose. Br'er Fox is seen peeking from behind, and is clearly ready to finally get rid of Br'er Rabbit once and for all. The log enters a room filled with tall mushrooms, and two mothers, and opossum and a rabbit, are singing the third musical number "Burrow's Lament" to their children. The song is slow and unsettling, warning the children to stay away from the Laughin' Place and asking how Br'er Rabbit will possibly be able to escape death. At the base of the third and final lift hill are two vultures, eerily telling riders about the situation. The utter remarks such as "Time to be turnin' around... if only you could!" and "Everybody's got a Laughin' Place... maybe this one is yours!" The log begins its ascent up the final lift, which takes place inside of rocky cavern, all while the unsettling image of the light emanating from outside informs riders that the big drop is near. Just before reaching the top of the drop, riders will see a small hole in the cavern, where Br'er Rabbit is tied up on a stick and is right next to a boiling pot. Br'er Fox, with just his shadow seen on the wall, is deciding how he will kill Br'er Rabbit. After making his decision, Br'er Rabbit tells Br'er Fox to go right ahead and kill him, but begs for him not to fling him in the briar patch. Br'er Fox, unaware that the briar patch is Br'er Rabbit's home, believes throwing Br'er Rabbit in will most certainly kill him. At the peak of the mountain, just before the log zooms down the drop, Br'er Fox can be heard saying "Well I'm glad I thought of that, for that's just where you goin! Hehehe! In ya go!" The log then plunges down the iconic 52.5 foot drop into the briar patch, which emits fog from its sides. The drop itself mimics Br'er Rabbit's fall, and a hidden camera takes a picture of the riders as they are going down. As the log enters the splashdown, be prepared to get comically soaked, especially in the front seat. As the log travels through the second outdoor segment, an instrumental version of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is heard throughout the waterway. The logs eventually enter Doo-Dah landing and enter the mountain one final time. Inside, dozens of animals are singing the song, with new a few lyrics to welcome Br'er Rabbit back home. The main centerpiece of the scene is a large riverboat named the "Zip-a-Dee-Lady" which is filled with singing animals. Next, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are seen attempting to escape Br'er Gator, who has Br'er Fox's tail clamped in his mouth and is trying to yank him away into the water. Afterwards, Br'er Rabbit is seen back at home, singing how happy he his to be back, occasionally stopping to announce he will never try to leave home again. Finally, Professor Barnaby Owl points the riders' attention to a screen, where the picture taken on the drop is shown. Guests then enter the station and exit the log, entering a dark exit tunnel which also has a screen showing the on-ride photo. The path then leads back outside into Critter Country.

Tokyo Disneyland
Like most of its rides, Tokyo Disneyland's Splash Mountain is a near replica of Magic Kingdom's. The main difference here are the drops, which are taller than their American variants. The final drop, for example, is 60 feet as opposed to 52.5 feet. The first drop, Slippin' Falls, is also now an inclosed drop, making the final drop the only one at Tokyo Disneyland to take place outdoors. Another difference is the ride's layout, which is the same as Magic Kingdom's, but mirrored, meaning what is a left turn at Magic Kingdom is a right turn at Tokyo Disneyland. Also, the second lift hill is inside a cave rather than a mill like the American Splash Mountains. However, the mill is used as the ride's entrance. Lastly, Tokyo Disneyland's facade features much more greenery than the other two versions, with lots of grass and vibrant flowers.

Magic Kingdom


Due to Magic Kingdom's absence of Critter Country or a Critter Country style area, Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain is located in Frontierland, and the ride has a more western feel than the others because of it. Guests enter the queue at the back of Frontierland, just by the railroad station. The queue is essentially an exact copy of Disneyland's in terms of layout, but there are some extra tweaks inside. First, there are multiple portraits inside the cave section of Br'er Rabbit and other characters. There is also a shadow projection of Br'er Frog inside his home, gently swaying in a rocking chair and smoking a pipe. Finally, there is a small screen overhead with an animation of the home of the characters appearing. After boarding their log, riders hear the same safety spiel heard at Disneyland before ascending the first lift hill. To the left side of the lift hill is Br'er Frog, informing riders of Br'er Rabbit's plans to leave home for the Laughin' Place, and how he thinks Br'er Rabbit will find himself in trouble instead. The log emerges into the iconic turnaround and enter the mill onto the second lift hill. The owl animatronic from Disneyland is absent at Magic Kingdom, and so is the music for some of the first outdoor segment. While the instrumental version of "How Do You Do?" plays as soon as the logs leave the loading area at Disneyland, at Magic Kingdom, it doesn't begin to play until the log emerges from the top of the second lift hill (this applies to Tokyo Disneyland as well). This area of the ride is much more detailed an immersive than Disneyland's. More props are set along the waterway, and because the ride is located at the very back of Magic Kingdom, if feels as if you're in an area completely separate from the rest of the park. Further down the waterway is a leaf-less tree, where birds sing "How Do You Do?" from their birdhouses. Riders then come across Br'er Rabbit's home, where he can be heard singing the song as well. The log travels down Slippin' Falls and into the show building. The indoor portion starts out mostly the same to Disneyland's. As the log passes under a stone bridge, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are seen for the first time, with Br'er Fox plotting how they will catch Br'er Rabbit, while Br'er Bear smiles while holding his wooden club. Br'er Rabbit is close by, singing about his desire to leave home, with Br'er Turtle being replaced by Mr. Bluebird. The logs turn into a new scene, where a porcupine sings about how Br'er Rabbit is putting himself in danger by leaving home and how it's time for him to turn back. A raccoon next to the porcupine plays a harmonica to the tune of the song. These two animatronics are located just outside the entrance to Zip-a-Dee-Landing at Disneyland. Next, two young rabbits are seen. One is on the front porch of its home and says "Look yonder, there goes Br'er Rabbit." Another rabbit nearby says that Br'er Rabbit is "Being chased by Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, as usual." Shadow projections of the three main characters are shown on the wall while this dialogue is said. Riders then find themselves in the rabbit trap scene, where Br'er Fox angrily tells Br'er Bear to get down from his trap, because they need to catch Br'er Rabbit. Next, Br'er Rabbit appears, hopping along and telling Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear that they can't catch him and that his headed to his Laughin' Place. The log enters a scene completely absent from Disneyland. "Ev'rybody's Got a Laughin' Place!" begins to play as the log slowly drifts past many houses and animals. The opossums from Disneyland are seen, this time actually singing the lyrics, and Br'er Roadrunner asks riders for the location of the Laughin' Place and if he can come too. Next, Br'er Fox is seen holding Br'er Bear on his shoulders, who is peeking into a hole looking for the Laughin' Place.Just like at Disneyland, Br'er Rabbit had tricked Br'er Bear about the Laughin' Place, going so far as to write "To the Laughin' Place!" on the entrance to the cavern. As Br'er Bear tells Br'er Fox that all he sees inside is bees, Br'er Rabbit begins to laugh maniacally, and the log plunges down the second drop, which is now even darker than the original and features Br'er Fox screaming in pain as the drop occurs. After the airtime hill, the log enters the cavern of beehives, with the bees still buzzing to the song. The beehive-nosed Br'er Bear animatronic is seen, and Br'er Rabbit is lying on the ground next to him, laughing uncontrollably. Br'er Rabbit says that he never told Br'er Bear that it was his Laughin' Place, he said it was his, and also tells Br'er Bear that his Laughin' Place has given him hives (literally). The log then travels down a short drop not present at Disneyland and enters the Laughin' Place. The scene is much more colorful and vibrant than at Disneyland, and features more animatronics as well. The log exits the Laughin' Place into an ominous looking cavern. Br'er Rabbit is seen trapped in a beehive, begging Br'er Fox to let him go. Br'er Fox is holding Br'er Rabbit captive and tells him that he's not escaping this time, and that he's coming over for dinner; his dinner that is. The log makes a turn into the infamous final lift area. A sign to the left of riders reads "BRER FOX'S LAIR." The vultures are seen overhead, speaking the same lines from Disneyland and now wearing top hats. A shortened and lyric-less version of "Burrow's Lament" plays as riders stare up at the light coming from the outside. Once the log begins to ascend the final lift hill, a more dramatic version of the song plays, and glowing red eyes, presumably of bats, are seen. The tied-up Br'er Rabbit scene is almost identical to Disneyland, but after reaching the peak of the drop, Br'er Bear now says "Briar patch?" instead of Br'er Fox speaking. After the final drop, the second outdoor segment is mostly unchanged from Disneyland, except now, there is a tiny dip before the last indoor segment. Upon entering Doo-Dah Landing, the first part is a near copy of the original. Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are once again attacked by Br'er Gator, and Br'er Rabbit is now seen singing with Mr. Bluebird instead of by himself. Occasionally, Mr. Bluebird will chime in, saying "I'm glad you made it home safely this time, Br'er Rabbit!" Professor Barnaby Owl is absent, and riders instead view their photos by having them saved to their Magic Bands. The log re-enters the station and guests disembark back into Frontierland.

Trivia

 * The original Disneyland ride was formerly sponsored by McDonald's. The popular fast-food chain promoted the ride heavily in their restaurants. Unfortunately, the ride was delayed from its expected opening, angering McDonald's. It wouldn't be until 9 years later that McDonald's would partner with Disney again, where they sponsored Countdown to Extinction (now called DINOSAUR) at the all new Disney's Animal Kingdom.
 * Magic Kingdom's version of the ride was sponsored by Ziploc in 2018. The plastic company created custom bags for guests to use on the ride to keep personal items from getting wet.
 * Upon the opening of Disneyland's Splash Mountain, to help promote the ride, Disney got Jim Varney to ride on opening day as his most famous character, Ernest P. Worell, and even had an entire TV special called "Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain." The title parodied the title's of Ernest films, with most, but not all, of them being called "Ernest Goes to... (location of film)."
 * The ride garnered the nickname "Flash Mountain" in the late 1990s, due to women inappropriately exposing the breasts while traveling down the final drop.
 * Disneyland's version of the ride is the only one with single-seating logs. These logs have a smaller capacity than the double-seating ones, but travel along the waterway faster because of their lighter weight (which makes them go slower down the drops in-turn). Disneyland's is also the only version without a restraint system. Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland used have the absence of restraints as well, but lap-bars were added to both in January of 2011.
 * Many people consider Disneyland's ride to be the better and more consistent soaker, while the other two versions may soak riders and may not, and if they do, it won't be as much as what the original will do.
 * Despite Disneyland's better drenches, many people consider Magic Kingdom's and Tokyo Disneyland's versions of the ride to be far superior to Disneyland's, as the ride is longer and feels more fleshed out.
 * Disneyland's version has a unique soundtrack. Due to Critter Country's proximity to New Orleans Square, Disneyland's soundtrack has a jazzy, New Orleans feel to it. The other versions have a country, blue-grass style soundtrack. This was originally created to help fit the ride into Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, and, despite having a Critter Country, Tokyo Disneyland retained this style of music for the ride. Most people believe the more country style music better fits the ride, mainly because Song of the South itself takes place in the southern state of Georgia.
 * In June of 2020, Disney revealed their plans to re-theme the American Splash Mountains into a ride themed to the 2009 film "The Princess and the Frog." Disney publicly stated that plans for the re-theme came about in 2019, before the 2020 George Floyd Protests. They also claimed that the re-theme would take time to occur, and that the normal Splash Mountain experience would be around a little while longer. The re-theme has seen its supporters, but many fans outraged by even the idea. Other fans are neutral about the situation, meaning they would be okay with the re-theme, but they also wouldn't be upset if it didn't happen. An official date for the re-theme has not yet been announced, and almost no information has been released since the initial announcement. Currently, it is unknown whether the re-theme is still happening or if it has been canceled entirely.
 * Tokyo Disneyland currently has no known plans to re-theme their Splash Mountain. The Tokyo Disney Resort is not actually owned by Disney, but instead by the Oriental Land Company. This means that Tokyo Disney does not have to follow Disney's policies and changes if they choose not to. However, a re-theme at Tokyo Disneyland is still possible, as the OLC is currently discussing on whether their version of the ride be re-themed or not.